BlueGranite is built on shared commitment to clients, innovation and teamwork, but it’s the skills of our dedicated team that really shine. Our Meet our Team blog series highlights some of our many talented staffers across the country, all of whom drive our success. Today we feature Florida-based Gary Lock, an advanced analytics veteran, whose proficiencies span the full Microsoft Business Intelligence (BI) stack.

From Finance to ERP Expertise

The University of South Florida grad studied finance and accounting, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration in 2001. Gary then continued his studies, diving into management information systems (MIS). He secured his Master of Business Administration degree in 2004, with MIS, advanced MIS and management concentrations.

He’s since spent more than a decade immersing himself in enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) systems, mastering all aspects of Microsoft BI – from SQL Server and its add-on tools and components to Azure SQL, Power BI, and more. The Microsoft-certified Big Data professional said he discovered his passion for emerging tech in college, where he enjoyed working with data, uncovering insight and automating processes.

Broad Experiences Share Commonality

On the road to joining BlueGranite, Gary mastered many roles, including an early position as a one-man IS team while working for a Midwestern pizza manufacturer. He succeeded as the company’s sole information systems resource covering database administration, business intelligence (BI), report development, and ERP system management including financials, inventory, sales, supply chain and materials resource planning. Despite the challenge of those multiple roles, Gary says he really enjoyed digging in to such a big system (Microsoft Dynamics NAV), applying BI to it, developing analytics for it, and seeing the resulting end-to-end visibility and efficiencies.

He’s also relished past roles with startups, the energy sector (nuclear power and utilities), and software manufacturers. For Gary, the common denominator across those wide-ranging industries is his relish for problem solving and the satisfaction he gets from positive end results – “gaining efficiencies, reducing costs and cutting waste.”

Embracing Challenge Enhances Expertise

Gary said one of the keys to his success in the ever-evolving analytics industry is surrounding himself with experts in the field. He said he likes to push himself by “working with the best of the best.” To that end, he said, he joined the BlueGranite team to “progress his career and take on new challenges.” But what really makes the job, Gary said, are the shared goals of BlueGranite’s team members and its management: to deliver a stellar client experience while prioritizing teamwork, integrity, innovation and, of course, fun.

As for that last goal – fun – for Gary it means staying active and involved. He said that living in Tampa, Fla. gives him ample opportunity to do both. He enjoys outdoor activities year-round, including paddle boarding and fishing, and he also recently presented at SQLSaturday South Florida. He said he’s looking forward to future participation with the group.

Like Gary, the BlueGranite team thrives on challenge. We help people like you get the answers they need from data, and we get it right the first time around. Contact us today to discover how we can help with every stage of your data culture.