10
Chris Moyer ’00
Founded SME With Professionalism And Drive
Chris Moyer’s attitude towards work
has always been to be a professional and
build upon the relationships you make
as you go through your career. These
attitudes have helped Moyer 0W0,
throughout his career, but paid off in a
large, and interesting way, five years ago.
Moyer said, “When I was working
at PECO and completing my business
program at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, I realized data
analysis and process improvement was
in its infancy and an untapped opportunity. I knew I wanted to take an innovative approach to data analytics in the
industry, so I figured why not exercise
my holistic expertise towards other utility and energy companies. I had always
dreamed of starting my own company,
and now I knew the niche I wanted to
pursue.
“But with a full-time job and family
responsibilities, timing turned out to be
everything. My wife, Kathleen, who is a
registered nurse and university teacher,
was offered a job in Tampa, Fla. We
both really liked it there and it felt like
the right time to move and execute my
ambition to start my own company.”
Moyer contacted a lawyer and incorporated SME Solutions Group, Inc.
that very day. Always the professional,
he gave PECO three months notice to
ensure he could support his team in hiring his replacement and to ensure the
projects he was managing were set for
continued success.
It turned out that the professionalism and respect Moyer showed PECO
is what led to his and SME’s later successes — PECO, an Exelon Co., became
SME’s first client.
In April 2011, Moyer founded SME,
a company that drives business performance by bridging the gap between
strategy, execution, and sustainability
for energy, utility, and industrial companies with a core focus on data analytics, business intelligence, and process
improvement.
Moyer said, “SME has been leading
the charge in this industry to ensure
utility and generation companies understand the data they have and how to
properly take action and make the right
decisions with this data. The fact that I
know and understand the operational
and business objectives and the pain
points of the industry has helped us deliver value and certainty to our clients.”
With 19 employees working on projects across the country, the company
continues to grow and supports some of
the largest energy and investor-owned
utilities in the country, including Exelon, FirstEnergy, NextEra Energy, and
Orlando Utility Commission.
SME has already received recognition
within the industry, receiving the 2015
North America Partner of the Year Culture Award from QLIK, a business intel-
ligence and analytics software company
based in Radnor, Pa., for their vertical
focus on the utility and generation industry.
In October, SME was an exhibitor
host for the first time at the annual Utility Analytics Week Conference in New
Orleans, which brings in utility and energy companies from the United States
and other countries.
“Running the company is an emotional challenge with long, grueling
hours and much travel and I never settle
for the middle ground; I always try to
do better. But, because my wife and I
have three children, CJ, 10, Allison, 8,
and Matthew, 2, I maintain a balance
between work and family.”
He adds, “My job is rewarding, fun,
and always fascinating. It is also far from
where I started. I started at the bottom,
turning wrenches in power plants and
working in multiple departments in this
industry.”
Moyer attributes some of his success
to mentors he had along the way, many
who were Williamson graduates, as well
as his Williamson education and his
continuing education.
“I have seen and learned so much in
this industry and having that holistic
knowledge has paid off. I have always
worked very hard and took my work
and my team’s work very seriously.”
Moyer grew up in Ridley Park and
attended Ridley High School, where he
played football and wrestled. He learned
of Will X[\