TJ is a cofounder of Red Gate and has been a crucial part of the company since 2006.  A military veteran and corporate executive, TJ has over 20 years of experience in organizational and business transformations, as well as the development of technical capabilities and business practices to support critical organizational programs.  

Prior to joining Red Gate, TJ served as a program integrator at In-Q-Tel, where he evaluated and integrated new start-up technology firms on behalf of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), and the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA).  

Additionally, TJ served as a combat engineer officer at the United States Army Engineer Corps and holds a bachelor's degree in economics with a major in mathematics and a minor in computer science from the United States Military Academy.

”It is truly an honor to serve as the CEO of Red Gate.  As a founder of this organization, I have witnessed firsthand the development of this very special company.  I have been part of the maturity into a company dedicated to the delivery of excellence in every market we touch.  I am committed to continuing the tradition of continual improvement as well as the focus on culture and teamwork.  Red Gate is truly a reflection of all those who have and still work here today.  I am excited for the opportunity to lead this company into the next phase of our growth and value the trust put in me to do so."

​Red Gate is proud to announce we have received our first Great Place to Work® Certification.
 
The prestigious recognition is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Red Gate. In fact, 94 percent of employees said it’s a great place to work – 35 points higher than the average U.S. company.

“Great Place to Work Certification™ isn’t something that comes easily – it takes ongoing dedication to the employee experience,” said Sarah Lewis-Kulin, vice president of global recognition at Great Place to Work. “It’s the only official recognition determined by employees’ real-time reports of their company culture. Earning this designation means that Red Gate is one of the best companies to work for in the country.”
 
Red Gate strives to provide the best work environment for personal and professional growth to employees. From ensuring competitive benefits packages, assisting employees during financial hardships due to COVID-19 or any other personal circumstances, to investing for employees to have access to free on-demand online training courses, travel insurance at no cost to employees, and more.

“We are thrilled to become Great Place to Work-Certified™ as we consider employee experience and corporate culture a top priority every day,” said Red Gate chief executive officer, Ernie Benner. “We know that we can’t bring bold solutions to our clients’ most critical problems without happy, healthy and dedicated employees. We celebrate and thank them for all they do to earn this incredible recognition.”

According to Great Place to Work research, job seekers are 4.5 times more likely to find a great boss at a Certified great workplace. Additionally, employees at Certified workplaces are 93 percent more likely to look forward to coming to work, and are twice as likely to be paid fairly, earn a fair share of the company’s profits and have a fair chance at promotion.
 
Great Place to Work® is the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.

Looking to grow your career at a company that puts its people first? Click here to visit our Careers page and check out our latest open positions.

Red Gaters joining our team possess one of the traits we look for as we recruit for new talent – the desire to perfecting their capabilities and skills every day. Ongoing learning plays a critical role in personal and professional development – particularly with remote working and the desire for personal fulfillment. We must engage in continuous personal learning to be adaptable and flexible to stay competitive and relevant.
 
In fact, executive coach Monique Valcour highlights why being a good leader requires a continuous personal development journey in a recent Harvard Business Review article. She also brings up the need to encourage proactivity, develop learning agility, and facilitate learning to encourage proactive problem-solving in a team.
 
Aligned to our corporate values, self-growth is key to living a fulfilling life and having a successful career. We develop and grow thanks to our ability to learn. Continuous learning is essential to continue strengthening our corporate culture to improve performance and innovation and accomplish employee satisfaction and retention. 
 
The capability of lifelong learning recognizes that humans have an innate drive to explore, learn and grow. It encourages us to improve our quality of life and sense of self-worth by paying attention to the ideas and goals that inspire us.
 
One of the Financial Times’ latest polls among chief learning officers (CLOs) stated that 82 percent of respondents considered leadership the top learning priority identified for executive education, followed by change management at 57 percent. Other priorities included digital transformation, strategy, and innovation brought up by more than two-fifths of respondents.
 
How Red Gate Supports Employee Self-Growth
 
Udemy
Udemy is an online resource Red Gate offers for free to all our employees immediately upon joining the team. It has a wealth of information to further boost their career from a strategic management and technical perspective, including courses about software development, program management, among many others. Our leadership team carefully selected the most applicable topics aligned to the nature of Red Gate’s business.
 
One of our team members recently used Udemy to build from scratch a data-driven business tool to generate a recruiting dashboard that will help further enhance the company’s recruiting efforts, analyze its progress, and consequently enable improved performance decision-making tools for the leadership team.
 
Vistage Executive Training
The leadership team also participates in the company’s self-growth efforts. Every month, they attend remote meetings with Vistage, a senior executive peer mentoring membership group, learn about the latest leadership and management industry trends, and find creative ways to solve business challenges. Red Gate’s CEO has applied some of the concepts he has learned during Vistage conversations, including how personnel decisions are made, strengthening our business strategy, integrating quality management, and boosting our company’s differentiators.
 
Most recently, Red Gate president T.J. Iak was recognized with Vistage’s Impact Award for being a member who asks deep questions and provides the most valuable feedback.
 
Quarterly Business Development Virtual Training
Employees have access to learning the latest insights and trends on doing business with the U.S. federal government. With primer sessions and tips shared by chief growth officer Rob Cordray, Red Gaters have access to learning how to participate in the company’s business development efforts.
 
Professional Development Tuition Assistance
Red Gate offers undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate tuition assistance to full-time employees looking to learn new skills or perfect their current skills. This program is done in partnership with accredited universities, such as George Mason University. Courses that are part of the program are relevant to employees’ positions at Red Gate.
 
Also, Red Gaters benefit from industry-recognized certification reimbursement benefits providing them with additional resources not available at the company. These qualified certifications allow Red Gaters to enhance their professional skills or get the training required for a specific position.
 
Tips When Looking to Join Red Gate
 
As candidates are looking to join our team, Red Gate president T.J. Iak shares, “Staying current in the trends and advances of your profession and making a list of goals of what you would like to learn or be able to do next is greatly beneficial as you aim to perfect or learn new skills.”
 
Thanks to the fast pace of today’s knowledge economy, organizations are seeing lifelong learning as a core component in employee development. At Red Gate, we are committed to encouraging and supporting our team in maximizing their management and technical skills and boost their performance which in turn become vital elements that greatly complement the ongoing growth and success of our organization.