Boyer & Associates is pleased to welcome our newest consultant, a Microsoft Power BI expert from Virginia. John Hill is our new solution architect for the Power Platform.
“It’s an exciting world. It’s a fun world … and I think it’s one of the more helpful things I’ve done in IT,” Hill said.
Hill graduated with a teaching degree in health and started his career as a personal trainer. He ran a government-based fitness center in Washington, D.C. before taking an I.T. position at the company. That’s when he found his niche. Throughout his career he has gained experience with Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Power BI.
He spent the last 25 years in multiple positions at the University of Virginia. Hill worked in human resources, as a director of IT and as a financial reports manager before becoming BI manager for the university’s McIntire School of Commerce.
One of Hill’s most exciting projects was finishing up just as he left. Twice a year, the McIntire School of Commerce prints the results of a survey highlighting student data in regards to internships and jobs after graduation. The data has helped the school draw new students.
Over the past year, Hill and a coworker moved the data online. Using Power BI, they could embed the data directly on the website and change up the visual presentation with the click of a button.
“It is a fantastic feature, and my business partner was over the-top excited,” Hill said. He added that knowing all the details that go on behind the scenes makes it even more amazing.
“(Power BI) has really changed the way that companies can get access to their data and use it for purposes of making better business decisions.”
John Hill, solution architect
Hill has been focused mostly on Power BI ever since it debuted in 2011. He hesitates to call himself a Power BI expert simply because he knows there’s even more the tool can do that he hasn’t tried yet.
“There’s so much out there for Power BI … It’s just a great comprehensive package,” he said.
An advocate for the powerful Business Intelligence solution, Hill said Power BI does not have the limitations that Excel and Power Pivot do. There’s no limit on the number of records, and the ability to unify data is unparalleled.
“It was a lot of the tech features that really drove (my interest), but I think it was also the advent of putting data into users’ hands versus keeping the data locked away in an IT world,” Hill said.
He said companies have slowly shifted away from using SQL servers or databases to store data. Power BI allows them to gain quick, direct access to their data.
“It’s really changed the way that companies can get access to their data and use it for purposes of making better business decisions,” he said.
Hill heard about Boyer from a former coworker, who has worked with the Microsoft partner in the past. She suggested that Hill’s knowledge of Microsoft Dynamics NAV and Power BI would be a natural fit for Microsoft consulting company.
The idea of consulting intrigued him, in part because he knew his clients would want his advice and make good use of his Power BI expertise.
“I can put a lot of the skills and experience that I have into practice for people who want help and have sought us out,” Hill said. “They are coming to us for our expertise, and that’s something I hope I can provide.”
Hill is especially excited to help clients make the best use of their data. He said Power BI can help clients get a complete picture of their company’s health and make informed decisions.
“When people ask me for assistance I can usually turn something around rather quickly and get them the information that they want so they can act on it,” he said. Unlike other software, Power BI offers fast, actionable results.
Hill earned his teaching degree from Kennesaw State College (now University) in health, physical education, recreation and dance. He also has his master’s degree in IT management from the University of Virginia.
Hill and his wife, Tracey, live in Crozet, Virginia, a small city just outside of Charlottesville. Their daughter, Jenna, is finishing up her junior year of college at James Madison University. They have two boys: TJ graduates high school this spring, and Jeremy is a high school freshman.
In his spare time, Hill is most likely to be found on the soccer field. He started playing in middle school, played for one year in college and still plays at least twice a week.
“I love it. I still haven’t given it up after I don’t know how many injuries,” he said. “It’s my mental release. It’s my time to hang out with the guys.”
He recently took up the drums and also enjoys hiking. He is headed to Scotland later this month for a two-week hike with his brother-in-law.
