Hometown: Evansville, Indiana
Job: Vice President and General Manager of Evansville Operations, SS&C Technologies
Resume: Senior Financial Analyst, Mead Johnson Nutritionals, 2008-2010; Assurance, PricewaterhouseCoopers, 2005-2008.
Family: Wife Kristin and daughters Kinsley, 4, and Tatum, 2. Kyle Fields is a big fan of hard work. An Evansville native and graduate of Reitz Memorial High School and the University of Southern Indiana, he has a favorite saying: “You don’t always have to be the smartest person in the room; you just have to outwork the smartest person in the room.”
“If you can outwork the smartest person and outwork them consistently, you usually get ahead,” he adds. “That’s something I continue to live by.”
It’s a work ethic that has helped grow SS&C’s Evansville office from a handful of employees in a small space in Innovation Point to 220 staff members housed in the former Sterling Brewery building on Fulton Avenue.
“We have a very strong team that has gotten us to where we are now, and we are poised to continue to grow. An example is our first hire in Evansville, Nick Gilliam, who started back in April 2011 and now is a director and continues to take on more responsibility” he says.
What is the most exciting thing happening in Evansville right now?
I think the Indiana University School of Medicine campus coming Downtown coupled with the confidence level we’re seeing in Evansville natives is exciting. We’re seeing change and it’s the right change. We’re seeing growth and it’s the right growth.
We’re happy to be a part of it at SS&C and contribute as much as we can. One of the things we like about our space is the visibility from the Lloyd Expressway, but also the development buzz that’s going on at Franklin Street and Downtown.
How would you describe SS&C?
A global provider of financial software and services. We have two business units — technology and outsourcing solutions. SS&C owns its own accounting technology used by clients as well as our employees supporting hedge and private equity funds.
We have a presence for both business units in Evansville, with headquarters in Windsor, Connecticut, and other offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
What motivates you each day?
My daughters. My wife, family, and friends as well, but the girls are certainly motivators for me. They put things into perspective. Whether you have a long day or a short day, it doesn’t matter. You go home and they don’t know about it. They just come with open arms.
And they are the bosses, especially our oldest, Kinsley. I go home and I get bossed around.
Why do you think it’s important to have a company like SS&C in Evansville?
I think for Evansville to continue on the trajectory we are on — which is a great one — we have to recruit more companies that are going to hire and retain folks here, as opposed to our graduates going to Nashville, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Louisville, Kentucky, etc.
I think it’s key the city continues to recruit companies that may not necessarily have a large presence already in Evansville, like an SS&C, that brings a unique perspective. We bring a taste of Wall Street to Main Street. Our clients have hedge and private equity funds. They are Wall Street folks and Ivy League grads who we are servicing right here in Evansville. We have had some real success here and I’m sure there are other industries and businesses that can follow suit.
What is something you enjoy doing after work hours or on weekends?
Hanging out with the kids, that’s a big one. We go to Donut Bank almost every Saturday morning if we’re in town. When they wake up, that’s something they always look forward to.
