Gary Simat didn’t mean to start a company.
He was a core contributor to an infrastructure user forum, along with a few other individuals. They were all passionate about technology and regarded as trusted experts.
Their reputations spread and turned into a business opportunity. In 2005, they became partners and opened up shop — Performive — with about $64 between them. Today, Performive partners with mid-sized companies to help them grow by providing secure, VMware-based cloud solutions and on-demand engineering resources. True to their roots, they also offer 24/7/365 devoted customer support.
Performive has helped startups turn into unicorns, and it works with every size of company in between. “We are an extension of their team, and providing that value is what we love,” Simat said.
Shortly after its founding, Performive attracted some of the largest infrastructure providers of the time. It was the first managed services provider for Softlayer, which was acquired by IBM and became IBM’s cloud.
Over the years, Performive has grown through many challenges. When faced with a problem, Simat likes to gather information and ask questions, “beating the issue up from all angles.”
“After that, I usually take a day or two and my answer emerges as a strong feeling,” he said.
Simat became a titan by clearly articulating his vision for the company in a way that motivates the team. Looking ahead, he wants Performive to save its customers one billion hours of time over the next 10 years.
“We want to deliver value by removing distractions from organizations,” he said. “We navigate the technical landscape so clients can drive their mission effectively.
“The technology or services may change, but that core value remains,” he said.
Since founding Performive, Simat has employed hundreds of people around the globe. He mentors individuals within the company and helps them grow through their own career paths. Simat also advises entrepreneurs, leaning on his experience in scaling operations, acquiring companies and raising capital.
“It’s incredibly meaningful to look back on individuals you were able to provide an opportunity to,” he said.
Of all his accomplishments, Simat is most proud of the team and culture at Performive.
“When you see individuals take initiative outside of their job description, you appreciate how much they care about the company, its customers, and co-workers,” he said. “They go above and beyond. Every award has been made possible by the efforts of this group.”
And they’ve earned numerous awards together. Performive is has earned Inc. 5000 status four times and was named an Atlanta Pacesetter three times. The company has been recognized for exceptional growth by the ACG Georgia Fast 40 and the Deloitte Technology Fast 500. TiE Atlanta named Simat a Top Atlanta Entrepreneur twice.
Simat is a technologist through and through, but he has a soft spot for animals, too. Simat has three horses, two goats, two dogs and 20 chickens.
