Tiffanny Gates, president and owner of Emerging Technologies Group USA

Tiffanny Gates has come a long way since her early days as a signals intelligence officer with the Navy. In 2001, she started her own company, Emerging Technologies Group USA — this at a time when there weren’t many companies with critical skills in computer forensics and technical analysis serving the government or customers in the commercial and legal fields. Today, ETG has over 60 employees, with just over $12 million in revenue last year, and counts the Department of Defense, Department of State, and Department of Justice, as well as the intelligence community, among its clients. In the following Q&A, Gates shares her tips for retaining top talent, and weighs in on hot trends in the field of data security.

What is your background and why did you start the company?

Tiffanny Gates: I’m a 1995 graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy. In the Navy, I was a signals intelligence officer stationed in Florida, Hawaii, and Maryland, responsible for briefing the station commander on daily intelligence. I worked at the National Security Agency, in close contact with other agencies in the intelligence community, and after the Navy as a consultant on a range of information operation issues. We started our company in 2001, pre 9-11, when we realized there were not many companies with the needed critical skills in computer forensics and technical analysis serving the government or, for that matter, customers in the commercial and legal fields. I then ran the operations of ETG when we started; until elected President in 2004. I would have to say that my Navy background has significantly aided me in the corporate world. Hence our small business status today as a WO (SB), SDVO (SB).

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