Think Like Steve – Director of IT Scott Leister
DTC was founded in 1994 with only a couple of employees. Since then, we’ve thrived – expanding our client base, offering new services, and growing to a current size of 20 employees. Behind this is the visionary that keeps us moving forward: CEO and founder Steve McNamara. DTC is his passion that he built from the ground up. Like any entrepreneur, he trusts only the best and the brightest to keep DTC going. Each member of our team strives to ‘think like Steve’ in different ways. It’s our way of making sure things get done exactly the way Steve would do them each time. DTC prides itself on quality staff, so our customers only get the best care – and it’s all because of how Steve trains and manages his employees.
Scott Leister has been with DTC since the very beginning. October 23rd marks Scott’s 15th anniversary with the company. Scott was Steve’s first employee, and in the early years of DTC Scott and Steve spent most of their days on the road between offices, seeing each other occasionally on weekends for big install projects. Back then Steve ran DTC out of his home, and he and Scott sometimes were working six or seven days a week. Their hard work paid off however, and DTC now stands as the largest dental IT service provider in the mid-Atlantic region. Today, Scott holds the title of Director of IT and manages DTC’s infrastructure.
“There is no standard day at DTC. Every day is something new – it’s a challenge, but the satisfaction of solving problems for our business and for clients makes it worthwhile.”
Scott’s days are quite different than they were 15 years ago. His responsibilities keep him in the office more which hasn’t been an easy adjustment – although he says he doesn’t miss all the driving! In addition to being responsible for DTC’s infrastructure, Scott keeps up with the efficiency of our clients’ data backups. He is currently monitoring a total of over 4,500 computers. A typical day starts with reviewing any outstanding issues, reviewing service order notes, and looking for trends or big issues that might affect our clients’ networks.
Being Steve’s first employee has given Scott a unique perspective on DTC and how the business is run. “Steve is dedicated to doing what’s right.” Scott says. “He made DTC a service focused organization and that is what makes us unique.” Ever since the beginning, Steve has made sure that DTC’s clients and employees receive the best care possible. “Steve has a great work ethic, and he also has a large respect for family life.”
“I think like Steve by thinking about the big picture, not just the specific details. Steve taught me to look at problems from all angles, and to fix problems for the long term, even if it’s the harder path. We do what is right, every time.”
Scott has and will continue to play a key role in the success of DTC. His affinity for complicated problem solving has kept our networks efficient and secure and has helped DTC grow to its current size. Scott’s commitment to client satisfaction mirrors Steve’s ‘service first’ business model, and while DTC might look vastly different today than it did when it was Steve and Scott’s two-man operation, the focus of the business is still where it needs to be – with our clients.