WINNER – Technology
Harry Herington
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board
NIC Inc.
When asked about his leadership style, NIC Inc.’s chairman and CEO, Harry Herington, explains that he prides himself on leading by example and having high expectations of those around him.
Herington makes it clear that working at NIC can be tough, and it takes individuals with a high degree of passion to be successful.
Herington believes a leader has many qualities distinct from other roles. A leader is one who can make decisive, informed decisions as he sets the tone and strategy for the company.
Herington leads in that fashion because he believes it is essential to the success of his company.
The degree of difficulty associated with the success of both Herington and NIC is high. Not only is NIC operating in an industry that is driven by automation and technology, the company is marketing to risk-averse customers — state and local governments.
NIC creates official websites, online services and secure payment processing solutions for more than 3,500 federal, state and local government agencies.
Governing bodies are often slow to innovate and slow to adapt. Yet, under Herington’s leadership, NIC has achieved a high level of success and continues to grow at an impressive rate.
Herington has met the challenges facing his company by focusing on the people his customers serve — in this case, the state and local government constituents who use NIC’s services.
In addition, NIC has found a revenue model whereby the citizens pay a processing fee for the convenience of allowing the government to self-fund the project and avoid budgeting or procurement concerns.
That is all on top of Herington’s leadership of NIC throughout the recent recession. He made the decision to aggressively invest in the company, allowing it to not only survive but also emerge stronger than ever.
HOW TO REACH: NIC Inc., www.egov.com
