Jeremy Uniacke has been with Thryv six years, where he serves as vice president of information technology, leading a global team on three continents. He oversees the vision, strategy, and execution for IT infrastructure and back-office applications at this SaaS provider of small business software solutions. Jeremy’s expertise includes transforming business needs into technological solutions, as well as leading programs grounded in innovation that meet quality and performance standards.
Recently, in an exclusive interview with Digital First Magazine, Jeremy shared his professional trajectory, insights on the role of technology in driving business transformation, significant career milestone, future plans, words of wisdom, and much more. The following excerpts are taken from the interview.
Hi Jeremy. Can you walk us through your background and what you’re most passionate about in your work?
I started writing code when I was seven years old, when my dad purchased an Apple 2, and handed me a BASIC coding book, and said: “If you want video games, you are going to have to write the code yourself”. Ever since then, I have been interested in Software and Software Development.
I graduated college with a dual degree in Mathematics & Computer Science from Michigan State University and started working as a consultant at a small consulting firm, where I eventually was promoted to managing all the development consultants while continuing to do development myself.
A predecessor of Thryv hired me to be one of their Senior Architects, to help design & develop the core platforms for print & digital advertising. Throughout my career at Thryv, and the various predecessors, I always volunteered for areas I didn’t understand or wanted to work on.
For example, when the manager of the Finance IT team resigned, I offered to manage that team to learn about the intricacies of Finance/Accounting. After doing that for multiple areas over the years, I developed a deep understanding of all the various IT components.
I love working with the business and technology teams to identify and create solutions that meet the needs of the business today, while setting up the company for success in the future, both from a business perspective and a technology perspective.
What aspects of your current role bring you the most joy and fulfillment?
My teammates and the diverse challenges our company faces bring me the most joy and fulfillment. We are currently transitioning the company from a Print and Digital Advertising company with over 100 years of history, into a SaaS company providing the tools necessary for small businesses to compete in today’s world. The transition means we must look at every assumption, every belief, and make sure it’s still true as we move forward. My teammates are the ones who make the long days fun and exciting!
How do you stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies, and what strategies do you use to identify and capitalize on new opportunities?
I am a voracious reader of local, national and international news. A lot of the emerging trends and technologies originally appear as a result of solutions required by businesses and governments all around the world. Understanding the technologies, and beginning to envision how that would impact Thryv, allows me to answer the questions: “Does this help Small Businesses?” or “Does this allow me to simplify and streamline our internal business processes?” Those two questions drive the decision as to whether I want to invest in those technologies at Thryv.
What role do you see technology playing in driving business growth and transformation?
Technology should enable business growth and transformation, but I don’t think it should lead it, unless it’s a Technology company, of course. Leaders need to look at how technology will impact the current business framework, either from the Product side or from the Customer Lifecycle side, and integrate and plan for technology changes over multiple years. This will require the technology leaders spending significant amounts of time with their peers explaining the current technology landscape.
What has been your most career-defining moment that you are proud of?
I designed, built and deployed the first iPad application at AT&T for Advertising Sales representatives. It was the first time we had all the appropriate collateral for the Sales rep digitally represented in a format that made it easy to share with potential customers. Creating the application required me to work with multiple teams across the business, and really understand their needs and requirements.
If you could have a one-hour meeting with someone famous who is alive, who would it be and why?
Sir Tim Berners-Lee. I remember the very first web pages, when you could go to a single site to see a listing of all the sites that existed. I want to understand what he was thinking about when he came up with the “Web”, what his vision was over time, and what he was reading that prompted the vision.
Is there a particular person you are grateful for who helped get you to where you are?
Mark Charette, who hired me into my first consulting position, really pushed me to be technologically independent. He taught me to look at what the best tool was for a given problem, rather than trying to force everything into a single solution.
How do you keep your mind healthy and stay resilient? And how do you motivate your team?
I spend a lot of time outside with my farm animals. There is nothing like goats, cats, and chickens to provide endless humor and differing views of the world. My wife helped me adapt multiple yoga practices into something that works for me, to keep me grounded and resilient.
I am honest with my team. I provide context to the items that I’m requesting, and how those items will impact the company over the next months and years. Providing the big picture, and how that helps the internal teams or small businesses, gives them ownership in the decisions and work.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
Leading technology teams, while integrating the latest appropriate technology into the current business model. Continuing to expand the use of AI in ways that grow and transform the business, while also making that available to smaller businesses in a way that doesn’t require a technology background.
What advice would you give to aspiring technology leaders?
Be curious about everything. Understanding all parts of your business, and different businesses out in the world, provides you with different ways to solve a problem. The more ways you can solve a problem, the more options you can provide to your business partners, and the more likely they will look at you as a partner, instead of a roadblock.