17. Coalfire
Headquarters: Westminster, Colo. Number of Billable Consultants: 400 Client Industries Served: Technology, Healthcare, Financial Services, Retail, Federal/State/Local Government, Higher Education, Hospitality and Utilities. Consulting service lines: Financial Consulting, IT, Cyber Risk Management
Coalfire is a newcomer to the Best Firms to Work For list. The Westminster, Colo.-based firm makes its debut based on the strength of its positive morale, which is "fueled by the fact that the work we do is critically important to our nation and the companies we serve," says CEO Tom McAndrew. "We focus on addressing the world's most challenging cyber problems; so employees are passionate about their projects and often have a strong sense of purpose tied to their work at Coalfire."
McAndrew says the firm's customers are continuing to take advantage of advancing technologies, such as cloud services, AI, and IoT. They are looking to experienced advisors to help them remain secure as they embrace these capabilities. "We have built strong services suites to support customers in cloud migration and maturity assessments, as well as offering broad security compliance and assessment services to enable customers to leverage innovation with confidence, while remaining aligned with multiplying regulations," he says.
Ask McAndrew about his priorities over the next 12 months and he'll point to three things—drive focus, build leaders, and expand the business. "The cyber industry changes all the time, and we have to focus on serving our clients today and anticipating their future needs," he says. "We must ensure we have strong leaders to drive high-performing teams. And last, we want to advance our business in as many areas as we can, like hiring and productivity, so that we're as prepared as we can be for what the future brings."
On the survey, the firm excelled in the areas of Work/Life Balance and Leadership. McAndrew says he wants to ensure employees do their best work every day, and they can't do that if they're burned out or have to miss another one of their kid's school events. "We encourage all our employees to take time off when they need it."
When it comes to leadership, he says the executive team listens to its people. "We have conversations, and we learn; we make changes if needed," McAndrew says. "I don't ever want to be a CEO that sits in a corner office with his door closed all the time. It's not who I am, and it's not who I want my staff to be."
As far as making its debut as a Best Firm to Work For, McAndrew says that employees are proud to represent Coalfire with clients and within the cybersecurity industry, which is critical in today's environment of growing cyber risk. "Knowing we've been identified as a Best Firm to Work For will reinforce that sense of pride at Coalfire," he says. "I think for our clients, it will be further validation that they made the right choice to work with us. When you're in professional services, your people are your product, and reputation is everything."
Were there any programs that contributed to you being one of the Best Firms to Work For?
McAndrew: It's hard to point to just one program. We're al-ways looking at new ways to engage our people, while keeping in place what works well. One of my favorite programs is our Coalfire Communities. These formal and informal communities have strengthened relationships among employees at Coalfire. For example, our CoalGives community is our way of giving back to the community, whether it's volunteering at the food bank, stuffing backpacks with school supplies, or raising funds for charitable organizations. We also have communities focused on women in cyber and veterans.
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