WashingtonExec caught up with Kevin Parker, president and CEO of Deltek, Inc., to discuss the company’s recent acquisition by Thoma Bravo, Insight 2012, as well as the upcoming Deltek Holiday party.
Deltek is a leading global provider of enterprise software and information solutions for professional services firms and government contractors.
We also asked this busy executive what apps he uses most and what book he is currently reading.
WashingtonExec: How will Thoma Bravo’s deal with Deltek impact shareholders?
Kevin Parker: The deal with Thoma Bravo is an opportunity to take the company private and continue on our mission of offering the world’s best solutions for project-based businesses. It represents another milestone in a long journey that Deltek has been on along with our primary investor, New Mountain Capital, to continue to grow the company and expand our capabilities. We’ve done a number of acquisitions that have all been integrated successfully so we felt this was the right time to see if there was interest in another company acquiring Deltek.
We are a 30-year-old company, we’ve always been here in the Washington area and are very successful. Over the course of the last seven years we’ve expanded quite dramatically things that we do, with the acquisition of INPUT, Fed Sources and Maconomy helping us expand quite a bit overseas. This is an opportunity to continue to make acquisitions, continue to grow and continue to develop new products.
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“Over the last five years, Deltek has more than doubled in size. We expect to be close to $370 million in revenue in 2012 and have 1,700 employees around the world. We are extremely profitable and we expect that to continue. Thoma Bravo is going to be a terrific partner for the future.”
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WashingtonExec: How will the acquisition help Deltek grow?
Kevin Parker: Over the last five years, Deltek has more than doubled in size. We expect to be close to $370 million in revenue in 2012 and have 1,700 employees around the world. We are extremely profitable and we expect that to continue. Thoma Bravo is going to be a terrific partner for the future. We’ve been successful in making acquisitions that integrate into our product set. We expect to continue to pursue more acquisitions. We’ve been very successful expanding our reach in new geographies, and we expect that to continue as well. Deltek and Thoma Bravo are very much aligned about what the future of the company should be.
WashingtonExec: What were the highlights from the 2012 Deltek Insight conference?
Kevin Parker: We held Deltek Insight earlier in October, in Nashville. It’s our premier customer event, and we hosted close to 3,000 customers that joined us for three days. We’ve got a portfolio of new products that we showcased at Insight, including solutions like project manufacturing and an integrated portfolio of Capture Solutions for our government contracting base that were well represented in Nashville.
WashingtonExec: I read that the Bare Naked Ladies also performed.
Kevin Parker: Yes, if you enjoy software and Canadian rock bands, Insight was the place to be.
WashingtonExec; What are a two of your most used apps?
Kevin Parker: Zite-it is a really cool app. I also use a couple feed burner applications for reading blog posts. Read It Later is a great app too, which enables you to be very productive during the day to add things to your reading list and save it for later.
WashingtonExec: What book are you currently reading?
Kevin Parker: I am in the middle of Neptune’s Inferno, it is about U.S. naval engagement during the second world war in Guadalcanal. It is very interesting and about a part of history I did not know much about in the Second World War, but a real turning point during the second world war and history, and a part of the war that many people, unfortunately, have forgotten about.
WashingtonExec: Are plans underway for this year’s Deltek Holiday party?
Kevin Parker: The holiday party is something we inherited from our acquisition of INPUT. Some consider it the premiere event for the government contracting business development community, and we would agree. It will be held at the Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner in December, and we look forward to seeing our customers there.
