TiTi McNeill
President/CEO
Email: titi.mcneill@trantech-inc.com

Personal History
TiTi Tran came to the United States from South Vietnam in April 1975, the same time the country fell under communist control, leaving her parents and six brothers and sisters behind. She arrived in this country as a political refugee with a few dollars in her pocket, and her little sister in tow. Shortly after arriving in this country, using the computer operations training she received in Vietnam, TiTi found a job as a keypunch operator in suburban Virginia. She loved the job and worked hard at it, working until 2AM almost every night. Hard work was nothing new to TiTi---being the oldest of eight children, she helped her mother run the family restaurant and babysat her brothers and sisters while her mother and father were at work.

In 1977, TiTi found a better computer operations position with greater potential for career growth at a large software engineering company in Alexandria. She again worked long hours and did the best she could to prove herself. With this exposure to the computer profession, she set her sights on moving up the ladder to the next step---a job as a computer programmer. TiTi began taking night classes in data processing at Northern Virginia Community College. She was fascinated with computer programming and worked tirelessly at it every night until the school closed the computer center doors at 10 PM. In 1979, her employer promoted her to a junior computer programmer position, at a starting salary of $5.25 per hour. Shortly there after in 1981 TiTi married Captain Patrick McNeill and took his name.

TiTi has always been a goal-oriented person, and the next goal was to continue to develop her formal education. TiTi continued to work as a computer programmer for various software companies while going to school part-time at night. It took over ten years, but she eventually received a Masters Degree in Technology Management in 1988 from American University in Washington, D.C.

By 1987, TiTi McNeill was an independent software consultant specializing in Oracle software applications for large businesses. In December 1989 she incorporated as TranTech, Inc., (Tran – her maiden name) providing high-end IT consulting services in areas ranging from Oracle database design and development to local and wide area network management. She continued consulting by day and worked out of her home at night, putting in long hours of “sweat equity” to make her dream of a large and vibrant TranTech come true. Many nights, she worked until the wee hours. One of TranTech’s early clients noticed the late hours on the faxes TiTi sent him and asked if she always worked so late. She replied that she had programmed the fax machine to send documents at late hours. Actually, she had programmed herself to work late to build TranTech into a successful company and to achieve her goal. She strongly believed in herself and all along believed that her company would be big some day.

In July of 1994, TiTi had grown TranTech to a staff of six full-time employees, when she took that next big entrepreneur risk --- quitting her highly paid consulting job to run her company full-time. TiTi got her first line of credit for $25K from George Mason Bank (now United Bank) using her personal CD as collateral. She paid herself a menial salary, and sometimes even had to forego it to ensure TranTech had enough cash to make the payroll and pay the taxes. Her work schedule was brutal--70 to 80 hours a week, as she threw herself into every task with vigor. Everything required care and attention: marketing, recruiting, proposal writing, contract negotiations and management, employment agreements, labor laws, taxes, operating capital, daily operational crises.

TranTech is built on the “Search for Excellence” model of unrelenting service to clients. TranTech takes special pride in our highly qualified technical management capabilities, responsiveness to client needs, integrity, impeccable ethics, and sensitivity to the dynamic needs of clients. TranTech responds quickly to difficult requirements and assignments, and in solving them maintains solid, professional relationships with clients and personnel, whether working as a prime or subcontractor. The company demands of its management team the highest standards of management, administrative and technical performance.

Due to TiTi’s tremendous energy, desire to succeed, perseverance, and the hard work, in January 1997 TranTech was ranked #8 on Washington Technology’s Fast 50 list with revenue of $3.4M in sales and a growth rate of 3,864%. Since then, TranTech has continued to receive numerous national, regional and local recognitions for growth and performance, including the Washington Technology’s Fast 50 Awards, Deloitte & Touche's National Technology Fast 500 Awards; Virginia Technology Fast 50 Awards, and Inc. Magazine’s Inc. 500. TiTi received the Women in Technology Leadership award in May 2001, the 2001 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year in June 2001, the Top Minority-Owned Federal Contractor Award, the Finalist from Fairfax Chamber of Commerce IT Solutions award, and the Minority Enterprise of the Year from Dept of Transportation.

>> Click here to view our awards page.

Personal and Corporate Philosophy
TiTi McNeill’s personal and corporate philosophy is summed up in three words—perseverance, integrity, and attitude—and this philosophy is known, ingrained, and practiced throughout the company. Perseverance: Never never quit. Persistence never loses. Integrity: You never get lost taking the straight path. Attitude: Where there is a will, there is a way. Remember, “The race is not always to the swift, but to those who keep running.” The competitive road ahead will be very long, rough, and winding. TiTi’s philosophy is that you will fall flat on your face now and then, but that’s given. If you don’t fall once in a while, you will never learn. But the key to this is that if you fall, don’t stay down. Get up and keep going, no matter how hurt.

While running a multimillion-dollar company, TiTi takes time to communicate regularly with employees in the field by email and phone. She personally visits the clients on a regular basis to collect feedback and comments from them on the performance of the projects.

TranTech hosts a company Christmas party to bring all employees and their spouses together and to formally award and recognize those with outstanding performance and service. There is also an annual summer picnic for all employees and their families, as well as business and social events throughout the year.

TiTi also gives back time and resources to the community. As a board member of NVTC, TranTech donated money to support them. The NVTC Foundation provides a means for the region's technology community to contribute to and be recognized for advancing futures in technology, supporting educational opportunities, and encouraging the pursuit of a better tomorrow through technology with the needs of area children.

TiTi epitomizes all that we look for in aspiring entrepreneurs, combining ambition, education, hard work, risk, and market opportunity to create a growing vibrant corporate organization. Her accomplishments, coming to this country 25+ years ago as a penniless political refugee, putting herself through school, and growing a small consultancy into a vibrant corporation, epitomize what being an entrepreneur is all about. She serves as a shining example that America is truly a land of opportunity for those that have the desire to succeed.

>> Click here to read more trade journal articles about TiTi McNeill



Education

• M.S., Technology Management, American University, Washington DC, 1988
• B.S., Technology Management, American University, Washington DC, 1984
• AAS, Data Processing, Northern VA Community College, Alexandria VA, 1982

Awards

• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, 2001
• Women in Technology Leadership Award, 2001
• Top Minority-Owned Federal Contractor of the Year award, 2001
• Fairfax Chamber of Commerce “Executive of the Year” finalist, 2003

Affiliations/Memberships

• Board Member, Northern Virginia Technology Council (NVTC) since 2002.
• A member of Industry Advisory Council (IAC); Women in Technology Industry (WIT); AFCEA, and TEC CEO.
  A sponsor and supporter of March of Dimes, USO, United Cerebral Palsy, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Diabetes Society, Fairfax County schools.

Community Service/Support

• Keynote Speaker, Asian Pacific American Heritage Conference, Woodbridge, Prince William County, May 31, 2002. The purpose of this conference is to share the stories about the struggle, success and hopes of the Asian entrepreneur in our communities and to share the challenges, concerns and expectations of community leaders and other resources affecting Asian businesses. The conference also offered an information exchange / networking fair for participants, entrepreneurs and groups interested in displaying educational and cultural information for the public’s consumption.
  
  
• Keynote Speaker, 3rd Annual Professional Development and Economic Empowerment Conference, Organization of Asian Americans, Greater Washington, DC Chapter, October 5, 2002, Arlington VA. The purpose of this conference is to help individuals become more aware of corporate dynamics, as well as those wishing to explore the entrepreneurial path. The conference is open to all, and aimed at professionals who are interested in preparing themselves to move ahead in challenging economic times and changing career paths.
  
  
• Speaker at the Girls in High Tech program, sponsored by Women In Technology (WIT), March 2003. A networking event sponsored by the Washington chapter of Women in Technology, the program’s goal was to start a dialogue between girls with some interest in technology and women who had built their professional lives around it. One of the most common refrains teenage girls heard at the event was this: It is a man's world out there. Women still account for only 20 percent of technology professionals.