Q&A with Dan Duffy, CPA, Chief Product Officer at Ineo

Ineo’s CPO discusses the role of technology as a mobility program keystone, misconceptions about the industry, and how to cook brunch like a professional.

A global mobility program is only as efficient as its technology solutions. Few understand the importance of automation and custom functionality in mobility program technology as acutely as Ineo’s Chief Product Officer, Dan Duffy. For over 30 years, Dan has kept his finger on the ever-quickening pulse of mobility technologies and understands that the industry’s progress won’t be slowing any time soon. 

About Dan Duffy

Dan Duffy, CPA, is recognized as one of the industry’s original innovators of mobility technology solutions. Having earned his bachelor’s degrees in Accounting and Computer Science from the University of Montana, Dan now possesses over 30 years of experience in the mobility industry. 

In addition to leading Ineo’s technology strategy and product design, Dan heads the continued expansion of Ineo’s comprehensive global mobility solutions for technology, assignment management, tax, and data aggregation. 

We believe Dan brings many “intangibles” to Ineo and our client base. Among those intangibles are his background as a CPA, his gifted programming and software architectural skills, and his broad knowledge base. We also benefit from his experience as CIO for several large relocation management companies, including Primacy (now Cartus) and Aires.

Dan is a natural leader who brings the best out of his teammates. He’s committed to working closely with Ineo’s clients to ensure our product suite meets the increasingly complex demands of mobility professionals and their broad range of stakeholders and mobile employees. 

Q&A

How long have you been working in the mobility industry? When did you join Ineo? 

I started my career in 1986, working with a consulting group developing software for the mobility industry. For a little over two years, I was full-time on the consulting services side, and then, in 1993, I split off from the company to start Relocation Management Systems.

I then spent 15 years at Primacy Relocation, where I was Senior Vice President of IT. In the last couple of years that I was there, Cartus acquired Primacy, and I became Vice President. I then joined Aires, where I was in charge of IT, and I eventually joined Ineo in 2014 as the Chief Technology Officer. I later became a partner and changed my title to Chief Product Officer. 

How many times have you moved for work?

I’ve moved four times. 

What is a common misconception clients have about the mobility industry? 

Most people who are new to the industry are surprised by its breadth and scope. They don’t realize so many stakeholders are involved in the mobility process. 

First, there’s the transferee or assignee, in addition to the client who is having the employee relocated. Within the corporate environment, there’s also HR, tax, payroll, legal, and sometimes real estate and transportation who get involved. 

Lastly, you have the relocation management company or in-house mobility program team that’s actually providing the mobility services. There is also a range of suppliers involved, from appraisers and brokers to inspection companies and spousal assistance companies. 

What are some common misconceptions about Ineo?

I think many companies don’t understand the breadth of our software. Our software is technically an enterprise solution because of all the different things we provide from an operational and financial aspect of the process. 

Another misconception we encounter is the scope of our product benefits. Clients may not realize that Ineo offers capabilities for three main areas: we offer our clients software and financial solutions, and we provide tax services to their assignees.

In your opinion, what is technology’s role in the mobility industry?

Technology needs to be a tool that allows all stakeholders throughout the process to communicate with each other. It has to be a tool that helps them seamlessly execute the workflow processes related to our industry. Technology should provide automation and functionality that allows our clients and stakeholders to deliver the services and solutions necessary to perform mobility tasks. 

In 2022, what significant challenges will Ineo customers face, and how will the company help address them?

The mobility industry has experienced many changes as a result of the pandemic. As companies are recovering from this, there will be challenges with staffing. Some companies will want to bring on additional staff, but they should find technology solutions that enable them to do more with less instead of doing that. I believe that companies will begin to rely more heavily on automation and integration with other systems to reduce workload and the amount of work on their individual employees’ plates. 

Second, I believe that countries and governments will try to find more ways to generate revenue as they recover from the pandemic. Compliance will continue to become a more significant issue for companies. They’re going to need software to help them stay in compliance. 

Finally, security is ever-growing and ever needed. Companies will have to continue to make sure that their data is protected and available to them.

What do you consider the most important value you provide in how Ineo serves its clients?

In my position, I need to understand the client’s needs and make sure, as an organization, we can deliver solutions that meet them. Being able to listen to our clients, hear their needs, and prioritize adding functionality to our system to accomplish those needs is probably one of my favorite aspects of the job. 

What does a typical day look like for you?

As part of the software development lifecycle team, one of the first things that happens in my day is a “sprint stand-up”. We start every day with a sprint stand-up so that everybody on the team is aware of our progress in the current sprint. 

From there, we usually have items that come up during that time that need addressing. Beyond that, we’re frequently working on implementations that involve custom needs for clients. 

I also ensure the team understands the system’s functionality, and I help to resolve methodologies for clients’ unique situations. We work to identify opportunities to enhance the system for the individual client who may have a challenge, but we aim to improve functionality to benefit all of our clients. I’m heavily involved with updates to the software around the tax functionality. 

What are you passionate about outside of work?

Family and friends, going to Denver Broncos games, and good food. 

I definitely like to eat, so I like to cook. My favorite meal to cook is brunch, and I like to mix it up a lot. Whether I’m making prime rib, New Orleans barbecue shrimp, or green chili, there are a variety of things to go with a traditional breakfast.

And of everything I mentioned, my two dogs are very important to me. 

Global mobility solutions made by industry professionals

Dan and his team created our global mobility software with our clients in mind. We focused on functionality, efficiency, and user experience when developing our products. As mobility technology continues to evolve, we’ll continue to keep in step.

Contact us today to learn more about how Ineo’s TechSuite and our custom client integrations can modernize your mobility program.

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