Richard McLain is the Chief Executive Officer at INE. He has been with the company for more than a decade, rising through the ranks to become the CTO/COO, and ultimately the CEO in 2018. Since becoming CEO, Richard has led the company through a private equity sale with Providence Strategic Growth (PSG), as well as a series of aggressive acquisitions, including Novodyne (2019), eLearnSecurity (2019), RMOTR (2019) and Wuvavi (2020).
Most recently, Richard has led a restructuring of internal departments, bringing in multiple new C-level executives, instructors and creating new positions within the Cary-based company to allow for experimentation and expansion. During this time, INE has seen a 21% growth in employee headcount YoY, 83% growth in Recurring Cash Bookings YoY, 62% growth in paid subscribers TTM, and 52% growth in Annual Recurring Revenue TTM.
In early June, Richard gave his (and the company’s) first Keynote Speech during an event called RedefINE 2021. In the keynote, Richard unveiled a slew of changes and improvements to the company, including the release of 5 new industry certifications, the creation of INE Community, an online forum designed exclusively for students to connect with others during the training process, and the creation of INE Live!, an online platform that will host free content including instruction videos, industry thought leadership, and community mentorship opportunities.
Throughout a time of exciting company growth, change, challenges and opportunities, Richard has continually served as a well-respected leader within the company. Within the last 12 months, Richard established monthly “All Hands Town Hall” style meetings, open to all company employees. Employees are encouraged to ask members of INE’s Executive Leadership Team any and all questions directly, fostering internal trust, communication and a sense of community. Additionally, he schedules monthly “All Hands” meetings, open to all employees, where the company at large is briefed by INE’s Executive Leadership Team on new initiatives, developments, communications and challenges.
While growing the company both internally and externally, Richard has maintained a commitment to serving the broader Information Technology community. He often mentors younger students, including Michael Hilton, who at just 17 years old is striving to become the youngest CCIE in the world. Richard stumbled upon Michael’s GoFundMe website where he was trying to raise money for training, and offered to sponsor Michael.
He has served as a mentor, financial sponsor, and personal friend to Michael, inspiring local news coverage in both the Raleigh, NC and Mission, TX markets. Michael is one in a sea of students who look to Richard for guidance and mentorship in their careers and find a gracious and enthusiastic supporter. Richard discovered a passion for technology at a young age, learning to change settings so he could conquer his favorite video games. He attended Auburn University, where he earned his MSWE in Software Engineering, MBA in Marketing, and BS in Software Engineering. Richard lives in Cary with his family.