The MassTLC Tech Top 50 celebrates tech companies and leaders across the region who have made a significant impact in the community during the past 12 month. This year, we are excited to recognize winners across 8 categories: Best Pivot to Meet the New World, Business Accomplishment, Company Culture, Inclusivity Impact, Leadership, New Company of the Year, Tech for Good: Social Responsibility, and Tech to Watch.
Forty-nine honorees were chosen across these categories, with the final recognition, the Mosaic Award, given to Chevalier “Chevy” Cleaves, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer of MIT Lincoln Laboratory, for his work creating access and opportunity for future leaders. View the full list of winners, here.
Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be sharing more about each of the recipients to spotlight their accomplishments and their impact on customers, partners, employees, and the broader community.
Today, meet Yogesh Gupta, CEO of Progress, one of this year’s honorees for Leadership.
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How did your CEO lead or support their team in a unique way?
Once the pandemic hit, the chief concern for Progress CEO Yogesh Gupta and the Senior Leadership team was making sure every “Progresser”—together with their families—was safe. They made the quick and early decision to transition the entire global employee base to work fully remotely, beginning March 13, 2020. To provide them with everything they needed to feel comfortable and productive, Progress provided each employee with a $350 stipend to create a own home office. Our CEO then continued to virtually nurture a culture of openness by hosting monthly All Hands meetings, where he updated employees on the business and answered any questions raised. This is in addition to instituting weekly communications to give up-to-the-minute updates employees needed to stay safe and healthy. As a “thank you” to the Progressers for their adaptability and resilience despite the challenges posed by remote work, Progress announced June 5 and September 25 in 2020 as company-wide non-working days.
What measurable outcomes exist because of the support and leadership this CEO provided?
Yogesh’s steady leadership was a calming force amidst difficult times. Despite the global pandemic, Progress retained all its employees, met all product roadmap milestones, met and/or exceed the financial guidance for the year, all while keeping the Progress community safe and active. Moreover, the company continues to grow with the recent acquisitions of Chef and Kemp, both market leaders in the fields of DevOps and application experience management, respectively.
But even more important, following Yogesh’s example, the company culture has remained friendly, inclusive and supportive despite the pandemic. An internal survey showed 94% of the respondents said their team members respected their opinions and that they collaborated well to get their jobs done. These stellar results stood apart, earning praise and a coveted spot on the Boston Business Journal’s 2021 Best Places to Work list. Additionally, Forbes Magazine included Progress on its list of America’s Best Midsize Employers.
What does it mean to have your CEO recognized with the other Tech Top 50 honorees?
We are proud to have our CEO, Yogesh Gupta, highlighted among the recognized leaders as it gives the rest of the community insight into the outstanding leader we see every day. His leadership has been crucial to the well-being of Progress and its employees, both before, but especially since the start of the pandemic. We hope his business acumen and empathetic approach inspire other local leaders to make a positive change in their organizations and local communities.
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Learn more about Tech Top 50 and meet all the winners, here.
