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When Tom Miller joined Simms & Associates, the company was still in its earliest days. He was among the first seven to ten people Amanda brought together to form the team. “It was right at the very beginning,” he recalls. “A very exciting time.”
Having worked with Amanda for many years at Kronos, Tom had originally been considering retirement. But when she shared her vision and the opportunity ahead, he chose a different path. The chance to continue traveling the world — something he had always loved — and to build something new alongside someone he trusted deeply, was simply too compelling to turn down. “I decided to get back on the road,” he says. “That’s why I joined back up with Amanda.”
Building Something from Scratch
In those early days, everything was being created from the ground up: processes, policies, support systems, and, perhaps most importantly, culture. Tom describes it as a rare opportunity to help shape decisions about tools, methodologies, and ways of working — to help bring to life the culture Amanda had envisioned for years.
“It was a fun time to be part of all those decisions,” he reflects. Since then, much of what was once in its infancy has matured. Tools are fully developed, delivery methodologies continue to evolve, and both the customer and employee experience are constantly being refined. Watching that progression, he says, has been exciting.
Despite the company’s extraordinary growth — from fewer than ten people to well over seventy-five — Tom feels that his role itself has not fundamentally changed. The tools may have expanded, and the scale may have increased, but the core of what he does remains the same. “Not a lot has changed,” he explains. The biggest difference, by far, has been the size of the organization and the speed at which it has grown.
Culture, Loyalty and Lifelong Passion
When asked what truly defines the way people work together at Simms, Tom’s answer is immediate: “Amanda.” He credits her commitment to employee experience and customer service as the foundation of the company’s culture. In his view, many professionals who may have struggled in more rigid or less open professional services environments find something different at Simms — an atmosphere that simply “clicks.”
Over the years, one of the things that surprised him most was discovering that Amanda is “even more delightful to work for as she was to work with.” Having known her since the early 2000s, when she was one of his first consultants, he values not only the professional partnership but the friendship that has grown alongside it.
After nearly a decade, what has kept him at Simms is clear: Amanda, and his enduring love for workforce management. It is a field he has worked in since his twenties, and one he cannot imagine leaving behind. “I’d be like a fish out of water,” he says with a laugh. The combination of working with customers, employees, and technology continues to energize him.
When he looks to the future, Tom sees opportunity. As larger software companies increasingly outsource professional services, he believes organizations like Simms are well positioned to grow. The long-standing relationship with Kronos — now UKG — alongside new partnerships and offerings, presents what he describes as “huge opportunity” for expansion.
Growth, for Tom, is exciting. But what gives him confidence is knowing that the culture Amanda built from the very beginning remains intact.
To close this chapter of our 10th Birthday Series, we look ahead to the next voice in our story: Elias Boutzakhte, who will be sharing his reflections in the upcoming episode.
Next week, the celebration continues.
One story every week. One year celebrating the people behind Simms & Associates.