Craton and The Whole Group partner to accelerate transformative outcomes on the ServiceNow platform.

Excerpt from the Montana High Tech Alliance article, "The Art of the Restart," published April, 30 2024 by Christina Henderson. 

Nearly one year after leaving ATG Cognizant, Missoula tech executive Tom Stergios has come full circle. With the launch of his new venture, Craton Consulting, Stergios and his colleagues at The Whole Group, an affiliated company, now share an office on the second floor of Missoula College – occupying the same space where ATG started the groundbreaking Aim Higher program in 2018. Developed in partnership with the University of Montana, Aim Higher trained transitioning workers from fields like logging and food service to become technology consultants in just 12 weeks.

For Stergios, the former classroom is an auspicious location to pursue the next phase of his two-part vision – bringing high-paying tech jobs to Montana and helping hardworking people across the state find onramps to satisfying careers.

The Whole Group is a consulting company focused on delivering ServiceNow technology solutions to business and government clientele. Established by Peter Goodman in London, UK and Paul Andrew in Charlotte, North Carolina, the startup has a main office inside Missoula College and a goal of making rewarding tech careers available to Montanans. Many top leaders at The Whole Group are former ATGers.

“We firmly believe that a key pathway to wealth creation and community prosperity lies in accessible technology careers, especially those in a high growth platform category like ServiceNow,” said Holly Colbert, Vice President for Workforce Development and Delivery Excellence for The Whole Group. “We have a steadfast commitment to co-creating curriculum for individuals from all walks of life, from high school to those in later stages of their careers. We're committed to making this pathway accessible to as many Montanans as possible.”

The Whole Group Co-founder Paul Andrew was introduced to Tom Stergios through Salesforce while working at a previous company in Europe with a fast-growing Quote to Cash practice.

“When I decided to start a new business, I immediately spoke to Tom and looked at building a team in Montana,” Andrew said. "Culture, talent, and work ethic are critical in a software firm. There is something truly special about people in Montana, and it’s simply a great place to build a team.”

Stergios introduced The Whole Group founders to Montana Governor Greg Gianforte and University of Montana President Seth Bodnar, as well as partners at the Montana Department of Commerce, Montana Department of Labor, Montana Department of Indian Affairs, Accelerate Montana, Missoula College, and Helena College among others.

“Tom is one of the best hosts you will ever know,” Andrew said. “Working with Tom is a pleasure, and you’ll get to know Montana and its people well. That is priceless.”

Stergios views ATG Cognizant’s fast growth through rapid training of a quality Montana workforce as a playbook for what other companies can achieve, one that fills a crucial gap in the sector.

“Where the industry has focused on technology and business model change, there seems to be little focus on innovation in talent development,” Stergios said.

His formula for success is strategic and skills-focused, working with partners to develop programs for students and career-changers to learn about varied careers in the tech field and earn credentials that will help them get a job. Stergios then leverages his personal network to help match those trained job seekers with growing companies who need talent.

Stergios says he now spends his days reaching out to some of his 5,000+ LinkedIn contacts - innovative technology companies, Montana-based partners, and investors - who share his vision for creating opportunities for people.