Describing Iron Bow Technologies as an “entrepreneurial at heart organization,” Rene LaVigne, Iron Bow CEO, tells WashingtonExec how the change in management control to senior executives is going, as well as where he sees the future of his IT security company headed.
Before becoming CEO of Iron Bow, LaVigne worked for ten years as a public accountant on the West Coast as well as in Northern Virginia. With a long list of senior positions at now acquired companies, including CFO and General Manager of Sylvest Management Systems (acquired by Federal Data Corporation in 1997) and as the head FedData, a $1 billion technology solutions segment of Northrop Grumman, LaVigne is enjoying the opportunity to build Iron Bow Technologies (formerly Appits) “from the ground up.”
WashingtonExec: What has made you want to become CEO of Iron Bow Technologies?
Rene LaVigne: Simply put, we had the opportunity to build a company from the ground up and it is an opportunity that I’ve embraced.
In January 2010, we spun the business out from the parent organization and rebranded the company as Iron Bow Technologies. We built out a new corporate structure, developed a growth strategy and created a culture that would help retain and grow our employee base.
The team that we built generated 33 percent year-over-year revenue growth in 2010, which is validation from our customers and partners that our vision was spot on.
The culture that we’ve created is one that focuses on our customer and partner relationships. It’s a singular focus. Iron Bow is a people-led business and we never lose sight of that.
At the end of the day, when I say that this company is all about the people, I mean it. It’s the expertise of our people, the customer relationships they hold and the partnerships they build that ultimately make Iron Bow successful.
WashingtonExec: I read that Iron Bow Technologies participated in a management buyout, what lead to this decision?
Rene LaVigne: Our management team was in a unique position to provide the current shareholders an excellent return on their investment, as well as provide an opportunity for continued participation. Furthermore, our team is entrepreneurial at heart and being owner-operated gives us flexibility and the opportunity to lead the company and our employees into the next phase of maturation.
WashingtonExec: How is it going? Where do you see the future of Iron Bow Technologies in the next five years?
Rene LaVigne: We view this latest transaction as a tremendous opportunity for the company. The flexibility it provides us will contribute to our success as we execute on an aggressive growth plan now and in the future.
Our core practice areas – collaboration, networking, data center, information security and client computing – are right in line with the major initiatives that both the government and commercial markets are undertaking. From virtualization to cybersecurity and cloud, we are seeing a high level of interest from our customers.
We will continue to deepen our expertise in these areas while exploring new emerging areas that will help our customers accomplish their missions.