Iona Alumnus Michael Fillios '90 Leads One of America’s Fast-Growing Private Companies, IT Ally
Iona alumnus Michael Fillios ’90 is the founder and CEO of IT Ally and the IT Ally Institute, a business and technology advisory firm for family-owned and private equity backed small and medium size businesses (SMBs). He is also a former Fortune 500 global CIO, small business CFO, technology entrepreneur and management consultant with more than 25 years of experience.
Earlier this year, IT Ally was once again named by Today, Inc. as one of America's fastest-growing private companies, securing the 29th spot in Ohio, 108th in IT Services and an impressive No. 1,705 nationally. The list represents a one-of-a-kind look at the most successful companies within the economy's most dynamic segment—its independent businesses.
“To be recognized in the second year in a row is truly a remarkable achievement for the IT Ally team,” said Fillios.
As the lead advisor for dozens of SMB leadership teams and their private equity owners, Fillios helps to drive value creation by maximizing their technology investments and managing cybersecurity risk to ultimately future-proof their businesses. Learn more about IT Ally here.
Fillios is also a two-time author and his first book, Tech Debt 2.0®: How to Future Proof Your Small Business and Improve Your Tech Bottom Line, was published by the IT Ally Institute in April 2020. In a timely follow up to the concepts and strategies revealed in his first book, Tech Debt 2.0®, Fillios delivered his next installment of expert, tech-savvy business guidance in Tech Equity, How to Future Ready Your Small Business and Outperform Your Competition, in May 2023.
“I love the ability to share my knowledge and experience with business owners and their investors to help them increase the value of their company and to do this with an esteemed group of like-minded professionals,” Fillios said.
Fillios earned his Bachelor of Business Arts in Accounting from Iona in 1990. When reflecting on his Iona experience, Fillios attests that becoming president of the Accounting Club is his fondest Iona memory.
“This gave me tremendous access to the top accounting firms as well as enabled me to support my accounting major peers with resources such as CPA exam preparation,” said Fillios.
Through the successes of IT Ally and building his business from the ground up, Fillios reflects that prior to his career, he “didn't realize how important it was to have an understanding of accounting when reaching a leadership position and in particular, how important this was when leading the IT function as a fortune 500 Chief Information Officer (CIO).”