Paul J. Boiano laughs when asked why he left a job in Manhattan to work for Innovative Computer Systems Inc. of Farmington. “That was easy, I was laid off,” said Boiano, who has joined the company as a customer relationship manager (CRM), business analyst and technical project leader.
An immediate benefit of being laid off was no longer having to make the six-hour round trip to Wall Street from his Vernon home.
His layoff came around Labor Day last. Boiano picked up the Rolodex and touched base with Innovative asking the question, “Have a job?” Second was, “Need a consultant?” The answer to both was yes, according to Boiano. Thus began a kind of “on-the-job” interview that resulted in Boiano joining the company full time this spring. “It was a good fit,” Boiano said.
Even though his job offer came quickly, Boiano thinks his business as a consultant could have succeeded on its own. “I could have made a good go of it as an independent entrepreneur but I preferred to be part of an organization that has thoughts similar to mine,” he said.
“Everybody uses CRM in one form or another,” said Boiano, 51. Microsoft Outlook, he explained, is an example of a CRM software that people don’t realize they are using.
He’s not shooting for the casual user, though. Innovative, which has grown from one-and-a-half employees to eight in the last three years, targets larger companies with more than one sales representative or marketing person.
Boiano brings with him a diverse background in senior consulting roles at several Fortune 500 companies including Accenture, Diageo, and Siebel. He has an undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering and an MBA from the University of Connecticut and holds certifications in Microsoft CRM, Siebel, production and inventory management, and strategic planning.
Outside the office, Boiano admits to having aged out of his love for participatory sports like softball, baseball and racquetball. Now he and his wife enjoy traveling to the Rhode Island beaches and property they own in Colorado. There’s also the strong allure of two grandchildren.
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