2016 Washington Brava Award Winner Kathryn Freeland, A-TEK, Inc.
Kathryn Freeland
President and CEO
A-TEK, Inc.
Location: McLean, VA
Founded: 1996
Industry: Government contracting
A-TEK, Inc.’s founding vision was to be a leading hardware and software reseller, but its focus subsequently shifted to selling equipment, with services such as installation. A-TEK ultimately evolved into two divisions: a facilities integration and maintenance division and an IT services division. The facilities and maintenance division was divested in 2006 and, as a result, the company became a services provider to federal agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Department of Agriculture, National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Department of Justice.
Quick Tip: “To achieve our goals, I lead from the front, but also walk side by side with my team. There is nothing I ask my team to do that I won’t do.”
A-TEK’s performance has been steady, despite the challenges of doing business in the competitive federal marketplace. Over its 20 years in business, A-TEK has outperformed many companies who were unable to weather the tumultuous currents of the market. The company has maintained several of its customers, including DHS and NIH, for most of the past two decades.
President and CEO Kathryn Freeland joined A-TEK after acquiring the company from its founder nearly six years ago. Her immediate challenge was to break down barriers and gain the confidence and commitment of the staff. “I shared my story, including the obstacles and setbacks I had overcome in my first business and the lessons learned that shaped me as a female leader in a male-dominated business,” says Freeland. “By extending myself in this way, my employees better understood [me as a] person.”