CEO MONTHLY / MOST INFLUENTIAL CEO AWARDS 2023 81 CEO MONTHLY / ISSUE 5 2023 19 Cathilea Robinett - Empowering Government and Education Founded 40 years ago, e.Republic is the nation’s leading data, media, and events company focused exclusively on state and local government education. As pioneers of the gov tech market, the company is dedicated to serving as a go-to source for guidance, innovation, ideas, and meaningful connections, empowering government and education in the process. e.Republic is led by CEO Cathilea Robinett, who was recently awarded Most Influential Government Media and Research Company CEO of the Year 2023. Here, we talk to Cathilea about the company and her methods of leadership. Created with the goal of fostering a technology-enabled government, e.Republic enables its private sector clients to showcase their IT solutions and best practices to its extensive network of public sector leaders and decision-makers. Built on decades of data and millions of engagements, the company has developed a unique market acceleration platform which is designed to propel clients’ businesses to new heights. Supported by the leading knowledge management private equity firm, Leeds Equity Partners, e.Republic bridges the gap between the public and private sectors, enabling them to collaborate and create solutions to a range of complex challenges. State and local government IT leaders and decisionmakers rely on e.Republic for news coverage, networking events, trusted guidance, best practices, and innovative solutions to complex problems. As well as this, the company’s industry partners rely on its expertise to help them crate content, discover opportunities, build brand awareness, learn about the gov tech market, and connect with the right people. Additionally, e.Republic has two research and business intelligence advisory institutes, the Centre for Digital Government and the Centre for Digital Education. The centres are home to the widely cited Digital States Survey as well as the Digital Government Navigator, which is a subscription-based market intelligence tool for companies targeting businesses in the public sector. e.Republic is headed by CEO Cathilea Robinett, a dedicated leader with over 25 years of experience in the state and local government technology and policy industry. She is responsible for the management of the company’s day-to-day activities, crafting its vision and guiding its strategic direction. Cathilea oversees the operations of e.Republic’s award-winning media platforms: Governing, Government Technology, and Industry Insider, and is also in charge of its websites, conferences, events, and advisory institutions. She comments, “I am highly engaged in every aspect of the business, which is a result of my experiences in running various parts of the company as well as my “serial entrepreneur” mindset. Not only can I be a high-level strategist, but I can also be process-oriented across the entire organisational chart.” With such a pivotal role in the management of the company, it is crucial that Cathilea is equipped with the leadership tools she needs to drive her team to success. Over the years, she has grown and developed as a leader and has found that the most effective leadership involves empowerment and genuine concern for employees in all areas of the business. Cathilea is a highly collaborative leader, encouraging a team environment where all employees have a shared purpose. “I empower my teams to deliver on strategy and vision, but regularly roll up my sleeves as we navigate new areas and more strategic directions, such as our pivot to virtual working during the pandemic,” she explains. “In these situations, I am always by their side, coaching, sharing insights, and making sure they have the executive support they need to accomplish the project at hand.” At e.Republic, all staff are truly valued and cared for, which is reflected in its high rates of employee retention. Cathelia understands the importance of ensuring members of staff can maintain a good work-life balance. The virtual workforce model that has been in place since the Covid-19 pandemic facilitates this, ensuring flexibility for all. With a now fully remote team, Cathelia believes that internal culture is extremely important, now more than ever. In order to keep lines of communication between her and her employees open, she regularly attends each department’s online meetings and holds weekly office hours in which staff can share their ideas and concerns with her. In addition to this, to further promote a positive internal culture, e.Republic has created a diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) group, and also hosts “Task Force For Fun” get-togethers where employees can enjoy activities such as trivia and Halloween costume competitions. As a result of her inspiring leadership skills that drive the success of e.Republic, Cathelia Robinett has won Most Influential Government Media and Research Company CEO of the Year in the Most Influential CEO Awards 2023. Cathelia is extremely passionate about what she does and has dedicated time to mentoring the next generation of women leaders through the “Women in Government” programme. She continues to expand on her wealth of industry knowledge by connecting with other professionals and CEOs through Leeds Equity Partners and Outsell, an executive advisory firm. In the coming year, e.Republic focuses on building and maintaining its world class team, improving its customer service, driving revenue growth, and continuing to achieve its mission of empowering government and education. Cathelia comments, “We like to call ourselves a 40-yearold startup, because in many ways, we still feel like we are just getting started.” Mar23055 Contact: Mark Androvich Company: e.Republic Web Address: https://www.erepublic.com/
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