When trying to fuel a company’s growth and productivity, the ability to transform at scale is key. This doesn’t happen overnight. Growth is all about setting an intentional strategy and taking a balanced approach to achieve short-term and long-term goals and values. It’s a significant responsibility, and much of these efforts often fall on Chief Transformation Officers.
These business leaders make change a reality. Meticulous planning is foundational to the job – that, and having a high-functioning team that can turn strategy into well-executed implementation, leading us to predictable revenue and growth.
For high-growth companies like Keyfactor, transformation is not taken lightly. Just ask Ellen Kindley, Keyfactor’s Chief Transformation Officer. We chatted with Ellen recently and touched on a few areas, including how her team creates impactful change across the organization.
What drew you to Keyfactor?
I was really excited about getting back into the cyber space with a focus on machine identities. Keyfactor secures life-critical devices. As technology advances, more and more devices must be secured, so the market opportunity will naturally grow. The customer list was filled with Fortune 2000 companies, and generally, I was very impressed by the company’s organic growth story.
Additionally, I had worked for another Insight Partners-backed company and really appreciated their approach to partnering with their portfolio companies. So, when I was ready to start something new, I trusted any Insight investment was a good bet.
When I joined Keyfactor in May 2019 as the Vice President of Revenue Operations, the company’s growth trajectory was solid. I was able to use my previous experience in revenue operations to build some foundational go-to-market structure, which set the stage for scale — playing an important role in shaping Keyfactor into the cybersecurity leader it is today.
Tell us about your role and team at Keyfactor
What I love most about my job and my team is that we get to work with business leaders across the entire company and make their goals a reality.
The Business Transformation team is focused on making change happen. We touch everything from strategy, process, data management, and analytics to internal technologies. Our team is motivated to advance processes and plans and bring value across the entire organization. At this point in Keyfactor’s lifecycle, we’re all about growth. My team plays a big role and is responsible for creating and executing processes that are often dedicated to revenue generation — partnering with marketing, sales, global services teams, etc. We rely heavily on data analytics and business intelligence tools that drive action, and we’re big believers in the power of data, information, and intelligent insights.
The Keyfactor/PrimeKey merger in 2021 was an incredibly busy time for my team, which led the charge on the post-merger integration efforts. We were taking two fast-growing, disruptive companies and making them one – taking the best from both worlds to accelerate market capture. We relied heavily on principles of change management with a focus on people, processes, and tech to make the integration as seamless as possible.
What role does trust play in the work your team does?
We are a group that wouldn’t exist without the departments that we support. Our work would not be possible without the trust of various business leaders. Trust is rooted in everything that we do. And it’s not just our team, but trust goes a long way at Keyfactor.
How would you describe Keyfactor’s culture?
Collaborative – people want to work together. And I love that. In my job, there is never a dull moment, and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Keyfactor is fast-paced, but there is an incredible burst of energy that comes as a result of that. People want to accomplish great things together and solve problems.
Who inspires you?
I am a huge tennis fan, so I’d have to say, Serena Williams. She’s inspiring not just because of her athletic ability but how openly she talks about being a new mom. Her approach to balancing motherhood and a career gave me reassurance as I was preparing for my first child. But what really helped was knowing my incredible team at Keyfactor wouldn’t let me down. Everyone was excited about this moment in my personal life but also excited to take on new responsibilities. By the time I came back, everything we had planned to execute was completed. I was very proud.
Check back next month to get to know another member of the Keyfactor team.
