The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 13, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually Dec. 8.
Next is Intelligence Industry Executive of the Year finalist Tara Davey, who’s CEO of the Reports & Requirements Co. with Buchanan & Edwards. Here, she talks success in her current role, focus areas going forward, turning points in her career and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2020/2021?
A key achievement for me during 2020 and 2021 was helping to guide R2C into securing its first prime contract. This 7-year intelligence community contract, valued at $46 million dollars, supports IC-wide end-to-end activities in the adoption of IC services.
This was a full and open contract in a competitive space and as a small-sized business securing a win against larger industry competitors was a real accomplishment.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Having the opportunity to focus on cultivating a positive employee experience while simultaneously operating with an amazing team of hard-working individuals is what has made me successful in my current role as CEO of R2C.
R2C has experienced a 47% growth rate over four years, which I contribute to a team that is genuinely interested in the engagement and wellbeing of our staff. Our recruiting team is hyper focused on the candidate experience and “best fit” placement which starts the employment experience off on the right foot.
In an environment where development work is king, I have embraced our service work. Service is our company’s philosophy, and it is the people behind the work that matter. At R2C, we don’t just say “employee focus,” we back it up with our actions, and despite a tough business year with COVID, R2C has remained employee focused, maintaining all company benefits and contributions towards employees’ 401k and profit-sharing.
Additionally, to assist employees unable to work remotely, we increased the personal time off debt limit and established a PTO donation program with initial funding coming directly from myself and other members of the leadership team. We wanted to do everything we could as a company to let the employees know they could rely on us and keep peace-of-mind during uncertain times.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
A major turning point in my career was when I shifted from mission-focused operational support work to management. This was a scary transition for me, giving up an exciting operational career of: catching bad guys for a “boring” management job. However, I had a strong desire to diversify professionally, and I knew the management opportunity would not last long.
Fortunately, I instantly loved program management and immediately took to executing the program objectives, working with the customer to find solutions to their mission requirements, staffing intel contracts and identifying future program leaders.
I admittedly have worked significantly harder and longer hours since moving into management, but the opportunity has put me in a great position to drive mission from a business perspective, grow my career and enhance the employment and career experience of my staff.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I am most proud about being a key part of the R2C/BE executive team that led the merger and acquisition of RenXTech into R2C. RenXTech is a leading provider of cyber operations support to an IC customer and this acquisition expands R2C’s operational footprint within our client’s space.
The addition of RenXTech’s leadership, employees, and capabilities makes us a best-in-class operational support company and enhances our ability to provide cutting-edge operational support solutions while providing the highest caliber of employees and management to our client.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
My primary area of focus is talent retention and providing management opportunities to high-performing female employees. In short, my focus is on people.
We provide operational support to our clients, so the main focus of our company continues to be people driven. To provide the best support to our clients and their missions, we need to identify, retain and develop top performers.
It is my job to manage and grow a company that provides its employees with career opportunities, top-notch benefits and a collaborative and inclusive culture. The more my employees feel valued, the better product they will produce. An employee who is satisfied with their company and environment will enjoy coming to work and will perform better which, in our case, means serving our nation.