OCTOBER 25, 2013 21

C hris Froman, the chief executive of Pomeroy, has been in the information technology industry

for 32 years. He spent half of his career with IBM in sales and marketing roles. He joined Pomeroy in late 2007 and was named CEO at the end of 2008. He’s stayed with the company – now No. 15 on our list of Northern Kentucky employers – and in Cincinnati because of the people he works alongside, whom he describes as outstanding.

“I’m inspired by the collective spirit and the leadership of so many people in this community,” he said.

Froman splits his time between Naples, Fla., and Cincinnati.

What’s the biggest challenge in IT right now?Over the last four to fi ve years, companies had to cut back and reduce their workforces, and IT was negatively impacted by cost controls. Now, spending is picking back up, but IT departments lack the skilled resources to transform the aging technologies they are burdened with.

What’s the biggest opportunity?Challenge and an opportunity exists if you can stay ahead of the rate of change in IT, especially in the areas of cloud computing, mobility and social media. � e millennial generation can be an asset in our industry.

Pomeroy was taken private in 2009 after being a public company. How has that transition worked out four years later? � e relationship with our owners, Platinum Equity Partners, has been outstanding. � eir support of our strategy has allowed us to invest in growth, and our business results are the best the company has experienced in our 32 years in business.

Pomeroy has made a number of acquisitions since going private. What’s the long-term strategy with those moves?

We are all about growth in our managed services business. We’ve implemented a strategy we are calling 2-2-1, which is by 2015 we intend to double our managed services, double our profi ts, and be the partner our clients think of fi rst. Our entire company has rallied behind this goal.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received? About 25 years ago as I was stepping into my fi rst management job, a boss of mine at IBM told me, “As a leader, the best you can ever be is average. You are the average of your people.”

What was your fi rst job? I was a paper boy when I was 10 years old, and my fi rst full time summer job was on a warehouse clean-up crew when I was 14.

Are you a night owl or an early bird? Defi nitely an early bird!

What organization or company, aside from your own, do you most admire? I am a big admirer of our U.S. military academies because of their approach to leadership development.

If you had a day to do whatever you wanted, what would you do? Anything with my family, especially my new grandson. He cracks me up!

What do you think is Greater Cincinnati’s best-kept secret? Cincinnati is a wonderful city that has it all: outstanding universities, the arts, professional sports teams, great restaurants, excellent health care, terrifi c people, etc. We need to do a better job as a community of promoting our Cincinnati brand and encouraging young folks to make this their fi nal destination upon graduation.

How would you want your employees to describe you?I would hope they would describe me

as authentic, empathetic and strategic, and someone who holds himself and others accountable to our results.

What’s the longest period of time you’ve gone without checking your email? At least 15 hours during a long fl ight, but I’m sure there have been weekends where I haven’t checked email. I admire folks that can shut it off .

– Chris Wetterichcwetterich@bizjournals.com

CHRIS FROMANTitle: CEO Company: PomeroyFamily: Wife, Deana; two grown stepsons, a daughter-in-law and a new grandsonEducation: Bachelor of science in industrial relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Pomeroy CEO talks leadership, strategy and the city’s brand

Pomeroy CEO Chris Froman is “inspired by the collective spirit” of people in Cincinnati.

MARK BOWEN