There are a number of things that flag for us when a company is growing with intent, #doingitright and succeeding along the way. Case in point? The news that IronArch had rebranded; added Seth Finkel as new Chief Operating Officer and Hayden Deckard as Director of BD; that it was named among the Federal IT Firms Recognized on the Inc 5000 2024 List of Companies that Put Their Employees First; was named to the Official Awardee List: $2.4B VA Secure, Performant, Reliable, and User-Centered Experiences (SPRUCE) IDIQ; and that its JV with Ad Hoc was awarded a VA Resilient Improvements to Systems and Experience contract and beat out 7 to win VA Agile Product Design and Delivery Services task on SPRUCE.
Here we connect with Joe Punaro, CEO; Seth Finkel, COO; Fahima Vakalia, Vice President of Growth; Meghan Foley, Vice President of Delivery and Customer Experience; Dan Miller, Vice President of Digital Services and Angela Palm Hopkins, Vice President of Marketing and Communications to find out more about this team’s winning ways and what’s ahead.
Intentional from the Outset
Coming out of the Marine Corps, having seen and experienced challenging times, Joe launched IronArch with intent, focused on ensuring Military personnel, Veterans and their caregivers were supported in the best way. That intent has translated into mission and purpose, and something that is shared amongst and that drives the entire team forward to make an impact.
Another aspect of that intent has been establishing and maintaining a good corporate culture. “We’ve been recognized with many awards over the years for growth and so on but what we are most proud of is our eight awards as a Best Place to Work”
Noting a guiding Marine leadership principle that emphasizes knowing and looking after those on your team, IronArch places a high value on understanding their team members as individuals, and who they are outside of the office. “Another huge accomplishment for us is that over 30 percent of our workforce are Veterans. That percentage gets even higher if you count military spouses.”
Recognizing that Veterans bring discipline, integrity, and valuable perspective, IronArch not only prioritizes hiring them onto its teams, but also recognizes the need to help Veterans bridge their military experience in making the leap from service to the business world, so that intent to know its team takes on new meaning. “Our work supporting DOD and the VA means our team is able to continue providing value, support, and meaningful contributions to those who serve.”
Taking care of its people, ensuring that as a team there is a focus on delivering excellence, on doing things the right way, the mission and the company’s values become part of every conversation, beginning with the very first interview. “Ingraining that in what we do, in how we view things, understanding the why behind it all, has helped move our organization forward in that goal of making a difference.”
A Focus on Transformation
Over the last decade the team notes that government stopped prescribing what was needed and started asking for input from industry on best practices, alternatives and alternative ways forward. That shift was not a change for IronArch but rather, the formalization of what it had always done.
“We have always worked with that sense of commitment, of collaboration and creativity to take a starting idea and evolve it into a transformative solution because of our people, our processes and the best practices we had ingrained.”
Bringing that focus of viewing a requirement as a starting state that can be improved upon, the team takes a unique view of problem solving – seeing a stagnant solution as a problem that can be solved – aka improved upon.
“True problem solving involves being an active listener to really understand what the problem is, or perhaps what someone thinks the problem is and then looking for a better way. We have formalized this into a program we call PRISM (PR – problem – I – IronArch – SM – solving mindset). Like a prism, problem solving can have a lot of dimensions and really beautiful outcomes if done the right way.”
Some of the results of true problem solving? Success in the face of underfunded activities, unachievable timeframes, or changing perception from doubtful to positive. “We’re working to make this a consistent, progressive capability that serves as a differentiator in our delivery.”
Culture Through Growth
That doubling down also includes its commitment to culture, to connecting its team wherever they are from the very moment they begin their engagement with the company. A recent example of the kind of follow-through that can take was an all-hands meeting that opened up a Q&A. “Afterwards, there was an organized look back at what was asked, confirmation that answers had been provided, that actions were on the table where needed.”
Another? Showing up as a subcontractor to meet with clients, meet with people working on contracts, wherever in the country they were. “Joe is always getting out, meeting with the team, with clients, making sure they know him, have that touchpoint, that he is asking for and getting feedback on how things are going. It may seem like a basic form of leadership but it isn’t something everyone does. For our clients that means checking on them as we would the team, making sure they are ok, personally and professionally.”
Across the executive team there is constant communication, a constant loop of feedback to ensure everyone is on the same page. “Then across the company we implement and really use employee surveys. Feedback is a gift and where people take the time to offer input to make things better, we work to be agile, to hear, and to respond.”
Modeling the behavior that feedback is welcome; being public about input received and acted upon; coaching people in positive ways to make change helps everyone across the organization improve. When it is established and evident at the top, it naturally permeates throughout.
Knowing its team and what is important to them, IronArch operates an employee charitable gifts program so when the team donates to an organization important to them, the company will match that donation to a set amount, marking a tangible ‘we’re here for what’s important to you’ moment.
Partnership
Avoiding transactional relationships, IronArch seeks companies whose cultures align, who share a view of empathy, problem solving, and taking care of their people. “As a SPRUCE Prime, our joint venture with Ad Hoc, Peregrine Digital Services, is a prime example. Leveraging this partnership, both sides are committed to bringing the best outcomes to our clients through our expertise, talent and shared desire to have an impact.”
The company’s recent rebrand was a chance to refocus, to commit to moving the needle, to better represent the innovation and modernization projects they have across their client base, and it brings with it an interest in greater engagement, partnerships with other firms, and a doubling down on its values, skills and intent.
“We’re making sure we have the capabilities to deliver and that we can scale quickly when we receive new awards. That means ensuring a cadre of partners who are value aligned, who can help us pivot and be ready to move forward.”
With SPRUCE, GSA MAS and OASIS+, there is ample opportunity to support VA, but also to look to other agencies as well. “We’re not going after anything and everything. We have a strategy and we are going to follow that strategy for 2025 to the best of our abilities, but we’ll emphasize being nimble as we look to the administration’s objectives and direction to deliver more value and faster.”
Looking to small business who are agile and able to move quickly, leveraging methodologies and processes focused on best practices and a high focus on communication, seeking opportunities to work collaboratively, the team will look ahead to supporting government in reducing cost, proving decision making and accelerating outcomes in a demonstrable and auditable way. “We’re about delivering big value at competitive rates and we look for partners who have a similar mindset. It’s about the value we can bring at a cost value for the client.”
What’s Ahead
While there is much influx at the moment, IronArch views today as an opportunity for growth. “The value justification we are hearing is so aligned with who we are that we don’t need to change what we are doing. We do need to get to know more people; to look for complementary partners who see this the same way and are ready to move ahead as we expand our digital services portfolio and clientele.”
Looking at what good the team can do today, tomorrow and further afield will set the path. Inviting others into the circle to move forward as a unit will help make a greater impact, and grow the good happening both internally and externally. “We’ve got to focus on the things we can control and that’s what we’re doing and the rest of it will work itself out in knowing that we’ve got a great team and we have each other’s backs.”
Not Yet a Premium Partner/Sponsor? Learn more about the OS AI Premium Corporate and Individual Plans here. Plans start at $295 annually.