Tammy Cooper says Irvine-based Technologent, which has enjoyed more than 20% growth in annual revenue in recent years, is strategically hiring and investing to make the IT firm recession-proof.
The new hires include some of those who have been hit by the wave of layoffs elsewhere in the tech industry.
“We strategically hire for a need,” Cooper told the Business Journal on May 12. “That’s why we’re not doing cutbacks.”
She added: “We have plans for investment and growth, hopefully recession-proof.”
Cooper was one of five honorees at the Business Journal’s CFO of the Year Awards on May 11 at the Irvine Marriott, and received an award in the Lifetime Achievement category.
Her company provides edge-to-edge information technology solutions and services for Fortune 1000 companies.
Cooper, who is also the company’s CEO and chairman, is responsible for overseeing all financial operations, including budgeting, forecasting, and financial reporting.
Women in Business
It’s the second recent Business Journal accolade for Cooper; last October she was one of the honorees at the 28th annual Women in Business Awards.
The firm’s headcount is now 265 employees, according to Cooper. Ninety of them are in Orange County, she said, with the rest at various locations.
Technologent’s headquarters are at the 100 Spectrum Center Drive tower. In addition to Irvine, it has 13 offices in the U.S., including San Diego and Las Vegas.
It has international locations in seven countries, including Canada, Mexico and India.
Despite the recent batch of awards, she stays almost modest about her achievements.
“I’m just working behind the scenes to help my company,” according to Cooper, who became CEO and CFO simultaneously in 2020.
Cooper has six children, all of them out of the house, and she summarizes the advice she has always had for them.
“Pick a goal and everything is achievable if you work toward it,” Cooper said. “Don’t think anything is impossible. Work your way and go for your dreams.”
She acknowledges that her industry is still dominated by men.
As of May 17, Technologent had nine job openings posted on its website, including Red Hat administrator in Phoenix and Senior System Engineer in Portland, Ore.
Global Provider
The 21-year-old Technologent helps clients outpace the new digital economy by creating IT environments that are “agile, flexible, efficient, transparent and secure,” using a variety of hybrid infrastructure, automation, security and data management products.
Owner Tom Gallaway founded Technologent as a Sun Microsystems reseller, selling $9 million in its first year with a single sales representative.
Cooper holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in accounting from Cleveland State University and later moved to Orange County.
She began her career as an accountant working in the steel industry in Cleveland and rose through the ranks over the years prior to moving to Irvine.
She is also involved in philanthropy by participating in Girl Scouts at a local and national level, Jeremiah Society and Meals on Wheels.
