Software Engineering Professionals (SEP) CEO Announces Retirement
After 30 years at SEP, Jeff Gilbert is stepping down as company’s CEO
CARMEL, Ind. (Dec. 4, 2018) – Carmel-based software product design and development company, Software Engineering Professionals (SEP), has announced that founder and CEO, Jeff Gilbert will be retiring from the company, effective March 31, 2019. Gilbert will remain on the Board of Directors as Chair Emeritus for SEP, and Raman Ohri, SEP’s current president, will be stepping into the CEO role upon Gilbert’s departure.
Gilbert, along with 3 colleagues, founded SEP in 1988 after graduating from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. The top-ranked engineering college honored Gilbert with a Career Achievement Award in 2005 and the Honor Alumni Award in 2010. At SEP, Gilbert has created a culture that values employees, which was demonstrated in one of his greatest accomplishments, when he transferred ownership of his company to the employees through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).
As part of Gilbert’s succession plan, he focused on ensuring the future success of SEP by creating a strategic plan and putting the right leaders in place. This is evidenced by the low turnover in the company, with the average tenure for an employee being between 9 and 10 years. Gilbert is excited that the company will continue its people-first philosophy through Ohri’s leadership.
Ohri started at SEP as a software engineer in 1993. Since, he has held several positions within the company such as project manager, vice president of engineering, and president.
“We definitely picked the right person to lead SEP. Not only does he have an excellent skill set, but he has a deep understanding of SEP at the core,” said Jeff Gilbert, current CEO. “My entire heart has been in SEP since I founded the company in 1988. My biggest focus over the past few years, apart from providing unparalleled products and services to our customers, was to create a strong succession plan that helps SEP continue to excel for many years to come.”
“Jeff has the rare ability to get out of the way, and not micromanage. He is able to recognize rising leaders and let them take the reins. He has a futuristic vision for his company, and that’s proven by the appointment of Raman to CEO of SEP,” says Martha Walker, a member of the SEP Board of Directors. “Raman began his career at SEP and we have all the confidence that he will do a fantastic job taking the company that Jeff founded, and continuing to propel SEP forward.”
SEP has won a ‘Best Places to Work’ award every year since 2010, placing number one in 2010. Since its founding in 1988, they’ve had steady and intentional revenue and employee growth. For more information about SEP, visit www.sep.com.
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About SEP:
SEP is a software product design and development firm specializing in high cost of failure engagements. They provide powerful teams of thoughtful, full-stack developers and designers to bring ideas to life. Founded in 1988, SEP is one of Indiana’s largest software development firms with more than 130 employees. Their clients span from Fortune 100 to scale-up companies. SEP is 100 percent employee-owned through an ESOP and is consistently recognized for its great culture through awards like Top Workplaces, Best Place to Work in Indiana, Techpoint Mira, and more. For more information visit www.sep.com.