Thentia’s leadership team is a diverse and exceptional group of professionals who have brought major influence to not only the company’s direction, but to their own teams. Those teams make up Thentia’s structure, functionality, and culture and contribute to our success. In our Leadership Spotlight series, we sit down with members of our leadership team to discuss everything from the importance of powerful leadership influence in the tech industry to of course, the path that led them to Thentia.
This month, we spoke with Cassandra Isbell, Thentia’s Regional Sales Director, East.
Cassandra joined the Thentia team in 2022, after spending nearly 20 years in the public sector and supporting law enforcement. She brings fresh knowledge and a wide range of government experience, most recently working at BDO USA. Notably, she began her career as the legal aide for the U.S. Senate and since then has provided consulting services for 15 governors and 60 members of Congress.
Cassandra and her husband reside in Arlington, Virginia, where they spend their free time hanging out with their adorable Labradoodle named Harley, restoring old homes, motorcycle riding, and baking.
How do you see technology changing in state government?
Slowly! But it is happening.
There is an interest in states across the country to modernize their technology, but that sometimes varies. In more advanced areas, that means adopting a multi-cloud architecture to reach the best everyone has to offer.
In more rural areas, that may be expanding broadband access. No matter the steps taken, it’s advancement nonetheless, and it’s an exciting time for Thentia to be in the U.S. state government market because states’ interest in technology like Thentia Cloud is growing. Citizens are demanding a better user experience with government technology and states are responding.
What do you think separates Thentia from the rest of the tech world?
Thentia Cloud is purpose-built and it’s bold in all the right areas. Our solution is tailor-made for regulators, and they see that. We’re a team who understands our clients’ mission, their work, their goals, and their pain points. Not only that, but our platform meets those needs or is enhanced to match them.
From our developers and project managers, to the Thentians who once served as regulators or within executive and legislative branches of government, we have the people and expertise that differentiates us from our competitors. We have a a stand-out team! And to make sure we have a chance to share our extraordinary expertise and platform, we have the branding to get noticed.
How do you define success?
Success is making an impact. If one can say something was discernibly different from one day to the next or from one quarter to the next (because of their efforts), that’s a success.
It could be mentoring a colleague, volunteering in the community, or achieving an objective. Success happens incrementally through impact. For my success – in every role I’ve had – I strive towards saying I bettered every teammate through our time together and I made the U.S. government more efficient.
Which one of Thentia’s core principles resonates with you the most? How do you demonstrate this principle in your daily life?
The Thentia principle that resonates with me the most is: Purpose.
It should be evident daily to my coworkers – whether leadership, peers, or my team – why I’m at work that day and what I’m contributing to everyone’s objectives. If my value isn’t clear, anyone is welcome to question my involvement in that task or goal.
Purpose to me means we’re transparently additive, meaning that the value I add to a task should be visible. I also bring this principle to our prospects and customers in state government. There is a purpose to Thentia which is additive to their agency and their citizens, and I’m excited every day to share this with as many people as I can reach.
Why do you think companies would benefit from having more women in leadership positions?
Diversity is a benefit to any organization, both in leadership and throughout their teams. Women and men bring different strengths and perspectives. As does participation from people of different generations, geographies, cultures, and individual experiences. Specifically for leadership positions, representation matters. I have learned (and continue to learn) leadership lessons from men and women. But seeing successful women in leadership positions showed me, instead of told me,
I could be there too.
