The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 11 at the The Ritz-Carlton in McLean, Virginia.
Next is Chief Financial Officer (Private Company, Annual Revenue <$250) finalist Bob Kwaja, CFO at Two Six Technologies. Here, he talks key recent achievements, primary focus areas going forward, shaping the next generation of industry leaders and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2021/2022?
Two Six Technologies was formed in February 2021 under the global investment firm Carlyle as the joining of Two Six Labs and IST Research. Since then, we have added two other outstanding organizations: in August 2021, Trusted Concepts, and in April 2022, River Loop Security.
All four companies complement each other greatly and drive us further towards deploying cutting-edge technological R&D and innovative solutions to our customers. In 2021, we grew significantly, expanding our available contract ceiling to over $600 million and total revenue growth of over 50% (compared to 2020) as we provide solutions in national security and human security missions.
With the joining of these four exceptional companies and growing staff came the excepted growing pains of how we bring all these talented individuals and entities together under the same umbrella.
Since March 2021, our staff has nearly doubled from 285 to over 500 today. In 2021, I worked to build the foundational operational infrastructure for Two Six Technologies, first with the integration of Two Six Labs and IST Research to become Two Six Technologies, then the integration of Trusted Concepts, which required creating a consolidated finance department. This included building new project finance and pricing departments and expanding the accounting team to meet the growing requirements of the business.
What has made you successful in your current role?
2021 was a very important year for Two Six as we built out the foundation of the company, including strengthening our management team, building out new systems, creating new departments and streamlining our processes, while achieving significant top-line and bottom-line growth.
All our accomplishments over the past 18 months wouldn’t be possible without the hard work of our exceptional employees, especially the Two Six leadership team and our hard-working finance organization. I am very fortunate to be part of such a great and supportive organization. One of the core values of Two Six is “Shine Brighter Together,” meaning that as a team, when we strive toward a similar goal with our collective talents combined, the result is excellence.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I am most proud of bringing these incredible companies together with a shared mission — to provide innovative solutions to the challenges faced by our nation. Two Six has a brilliant staff of individuals from diverse backgrounds who strive for excellence in all that they do. It has been exciting to see the solutions and staff from each organization come together to create new and inventive answers.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
2021 was all about building out the finance organization and creating common systems. The focus in 2022 will be to continue to train, improve and streamline processes across finance and the entire organization.
In addition to refining processes, another primary focus area going forward is building out a consolidated and integrated pricing model for Two Six’s proprietary product lines so we can continue to share our solutions where needed. Our work provides innovation solutions for critically important missions and the most complex national security challenges that the U.S. government has.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
At Two Six, we promote a strong corporate culture built upon a foundation of innovation, technical expertise and mission focus. We value the individual and try to provide high levels of both support and flexibility to our talented staff, enabling them to develop new skills and take on additional challenges and new risks.
Encouraging the next generation of government and industry leaders with this foundation allows for the ability to try something new and different that breaks out of the box of the status quo.