Meet the Chiefs: Michael George, Continuum
This week in Meet the Chiefs we sat down with Michael George, CEO of Continuum, a a managed service provider specializing in remote monitoring and management software and network operations services.
Michael George, CEO of Continuum
George: I met the renowned physicist and inventor Dean Kamen (invented the Segway, climbing wheelchair, insulin infusion pump) when I was in college. He tried to get me to quit and come work for him, so I accelerated my studies and graduated a semester early to join as employee No. 14 at DEKA, his invention lab where the team worked on electromechanical design and telemetry systems that led to some of the products for which he became known. Among the many crazy, 100-hour work-week fun things I did while there was to learn to fly a helicopter, since we had bought one for the company.
The VAR Guy says: Wow! What an amazing first job story. This might be the coolest first job we've ever heard of, in fact.
George: The Ford F150 I drive every day. Its name is Bert (Big Excellent Red Truck), as I like to call it and Burt (Big Ugly Red Truck) as my wife Cynthia calls it. It comes equipped (after-market) with an 18-wheeler airhorn and a dash-mounted troll named Spanky who has great parking karma!
The VAR Guy says: Bert sounds like an awesome truck! If you ask us, dash-mounted trolls should be included standard in all Ford vehicles.
George: Our children are middle school-aged so every March our family takes a two-week adventure vacation somewhere. Most recently, we went to South Africa and had an amazing experience with the people, culture, natural beauty, food and everything else. The highlight of the experience for us was spending the day in a government-sponsored shantytown where our children taught English in the school and helped with other subjects, while my wife and I spent the morning cooking what seemed to us like inedible sustenance food, but to them the only meal they would have for the day. We gathered as a family in the early afternoon and served and fed about 120 people in the area. It was a moving experience for all of us.
The VAR Guy says: Not only did you have a really unique family experience, but you also helped to improve the lives of others. Now that's what we call a successful vacation.
George: “Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It … and Why the Rest Don’t” by Verne Harnish. I started reading it because I had to (Verne is speaking at our annual conference in September), but once I was a chapter into it, I began engaging in the subject matter because I wanted to. It particularly illuminates how small-business owners can put into practice some smart business principles that will enable them to scale their small businesses into ones big enough to withstand the types of dynamic shifts our industry is currently undergoing.
The VAR Guy says: We're impressed at your dedication! And for the fact that you admit that you originally read this purely out of obligation, but actually wound up liking it.
George: I am not much of a gadget or splurge guy, and with three very athletically active children, there isn’t much room for it anyway. The only thing that might fall into that category would be the trampoline we recently purchased at the house. And while my wife and I bought it for the kids, I will admit to having been on it nearly as much as they have.
The VAR Guy says: This just goes to prove that everybody loves trampolines, even channel chiefs!
George: "Modern Family." We watch it as a family and find humor at every level. It is an amazing reflection (and exaggeration, given the 24 minutes of airtime) of contemporary family life that helps us laugh at ourselves, since we can all see a little of ourselves in at least one of the characters. I also think the personal dynamics between the actors and actresses is what makes the show come together.
The VAR Guy says: This is another one of those shows we would really like to see but never quite get around to watching. Thank goodness for TV on demand and DVD boxed sets!
George: An inventor. Our parents really taught my siblings and me the value of curiosity. I grew up in a fairly rural part of New Hampshire in a pre-electronics era where we had nothing to do and had to entertain ourselves. We were encouraged and enabled to “experiment” with things, build stuff with wood, go to Radio Shack in a nearby town and splurge on geeky parts and make things. A fair amount of this desire was out of necessity and the other just simple curiosity. I am not sure I have ever given up that childhood dream.
The VAR Guy says: Becoming an inventor seems like an awesome dream job. We bet one of your favorite shows growing up was "McGyver," right?
George: The idea of an all-time favorite changes every time I see a great movie. The most recent all-time favorite is "American Sniper." I went to see this movie with my son and was completely moved by the dedication and sacrifice of Chris Kyle and other military personnel characterized in the movie. It is a must-see movie for anyone who cares about the freedom this country affords us all.
The VAR Guy says: Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Chris Kyle's moving autobiography was one of the most popular movies of 2014, and for good reason—Kyle was the most decorated sniper in U.S. military history, with 255 kills, 160 of which were confirmed by the United States Department of Defense.
George: The idea of an all-time favorite changes every time I see a great movie. The most recent all-time favorite is "American Sniper." I went to see this movie with my son and was completely moved by the dedication and sacrifice of Chris Kyle and other military personnel characterized in the movie. It is a must-see movie for anyone who cares about the freedom this country affords us all.
The VAR Guy says: Clint Eastwood's adaptation of Chris Kyle's moving autobiography was one of the most popular movies of 2014, and for good reason—Kyle was the most decorated sniper in U.S. military history, with 255 kills, 160 of which were confirmed by the United States Department of Defense.
This week in Meet the Chiefs we sat down with Michael George, CEO of Continuum, a managed services provider specializing in remote monitoring and management software and network operations services. Although he is not a channel chief by title, George works directly with the company's MSP partners and meets with partners each month on the road as part of a continuing outreach program. He also attends industry events to network with the company's partners and makes weekly calls to several channel partners to remain in touch with Continuum's reseller base.
George has been CEO of Continuum since the company was founded in 2011 and has more than 25 years of experience in the IT industry, including his tenure as CEO at companies including OATSystems, Bowstreet and Interlynx. George also founded the Continuum Veterans Foundation, which provides financial support for charities that help veterans find jobs in the IT sector.
What is Meet the Chiefs?
Meet the Chiefs shines the spotlight on the channel’s head honchos and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the person beyond his or her company profile. Click on each photo to learn more about the channel chief you’re viewing.
Want to be included in an upcoming Meet the Chiefs? Send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor Michael Cusanelli at [email protected] for more information. He’s really good at answering emails on time, we promise.
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