Meet Deb Alderson, President & CEO at ViaPath Technologies. A woman CEO whose leadership is transforming the mission of a leading technology company serving the traditionally male-dominated corrections industry by prioritizing  innovation, transparency, and social impact.

1. As CEO of ViaPath Technologies, how do you balance your business goals to provide best-in-class, innovative technology solutions with your social impact mission to break the cycle of incarceration? 

Our business goals and mission are fundamentally intertwined. Our mission is to break the cycle of incarceration through impactful connections. By offering the most innovative technology solutions, ViaPath facilitates connections to community, education, and programs that create more positive outcomes for incarcerated individuals and their families, and also for the correctional facilities we serve.

Focusing on purpose-driven initiatives both positions ViaPath for continued growth and expands our social impact. Our technology solutions enable incarcerated individuals to maintain vital connections to their loved ones through phone calls and video visits at the lowest prices available in the industry. The programs we offer through our tablets foster mental wellness and life skills that can help reduce recidivism. Our education programs have delivered millions of hours of high school equivalency, vocational certifications, secondary education, and other training that returning citizens need to secure employment post-release. 

For our correctional system partners, leading-edge products like our secure forms processing and augmented investigation services help not only to reduce costs but also to create healthier, safer environments for correctional staff, incarcerated individuals, families, and communities.

2. Both the technology and corrections industries are male-dominated, especially at the C-Suite level. As a woman CEO in this space, what unique challenges or obstacles have you faced? Conversely, how has being a woman shaped your leadership style and helped you transform your company’s mission and reach its goals?

Being a woman CEO in the tech and corrections sectors hasn’t always been easy, but constantly facing obstacles has forced me to figure out how to confront and overcome them. Experience has taught me that the best way to prove myself is by delivering results that speak for themselves. Successfully shepherding companies through acquisition and rebranding, being recognized as a Top Workplace USA, helping customers keep their facilities safe and realize cost-savings, and giving returning citizens a second chance are metrics that are hard for anyone to argue with. 

Undoubtedly, my perspective as a woman in male-dominated workplaces has shaped how I approach achieving those results. Being talked over and ignored in the past made me a better listener. I start every new role with a 100-day plan, most of which I spend out on the road meeting with employees and customers –  listening and learning. To me, that’s a no-brainer, but you’d be surprised how many executives never leave their corner offices to seek out those conversations. How can you lead and serve people if you don’t take the time to understand what’s important to them and nurture those relationships?

Having my “strength" questioned as a woman in leadership played a role in steering me toward mission-driven work, where I can demonstrate the powerful impact that having a unified cause has on organizational growth and success.

Navigating gender barriers has honed my leadership style into one that prioritizes results, relationships, and mission. At ViaPath, I’ve found a place that lets me apply my unique approach to better serve all of our internal and external stakeholders.

3. How would you describe the company culture of ViaPath Technologies? How do you lead in a way that models and shapes this culture?

I smile whenever I get asked this question because culture is so important to me. I confidently describe our company culture as innovative, inclusive, and impactful. ViaPath is able to attract, retain, and motivate top talent and ensure that our customers receive the very best products, support, and service because we have a clear shared mission.

I’ve always had a hard time just being the messenger. I have to have a passion for the mission to be a successful leader because it’s my job to set the tone and lead by example. That means really, truly walking the walk when it comes to putting people first. When I first got to ViaPath, our mission statement was all about revenue. The first thing I did as CEO was listen to our employees and customers in order to develop a new purpose-driven vision.

For ViaPath to succeed in investing in providing meaningful connections that make a difference in people’s lives, we first have to make sure that our team is invested in us. By collaborating, I was able to cultivate a workspace where teamwork is celebrated. By being transparent, I was able to build trust. By modeling a mindset of pushing the boundaries of what's possible, I inspired commitment to making a positive impact.

4. Can you describe one or two anecdotes from your personal or professional history that have influenced the work that you do and how you do it in the present day?

Like far too many in our country, my nephew fell prey to the opioid epidemic and was incarcerated due to his drug issues. While he was incarcerated, I helped him in the best way I knew how by funding the communications account that let him stay in touch with his family and friends by phone. At the time, my gut feeling told me that the only way my nephew could bear the challenges of incarceration and eventually reenter society with a solid shot at a second chance was for him to stay as connected with his loved ones as possible. My instincts proved to be true. Fortunately, with the support of his family and friends, my nephew was able to successfully reintegrate post-release.

Flash forward a couple of years, and I was approached about the CEO role at ViaPath—then known as Global Tel Link (GTL). It turned out that GTL was the provider of the services my nephew used to maintain the connections that were so vital to his success as a returning citizen. As I was considering whether or not GTL was the right career move for me, I consulted with my nephew. While he confirmed that his GTL-enabled connection to his family was a lifeline and critical factor in his successful reintegration, he was also honest that the system left much room for improvement. He described the frustrations of waiting in long lines to use a wall phone and the fear of gang members who controlled their access.

That’s when I knew I wanted this position, and my vision for transforming the company began to take shape. As CEO of ViaPath, I could invest in technology to have an even greater impact on real people like my nephew. And that’s what I did.

5. With 20 years of C-suite experience under your belt, what are one or two accomplishments that you are most proud of?

When I think about my accomplishments, my track record for scaling companies comes to mind. As President and CEO of Sotera Defense Solutions, I led the company through its sale to KeyW Corporation and during my time as EVP and COO of SRA International, I oversaw four operating groups with more than 6,000 employees.

But I’m probably most proud of transforming ViaPath’s mission because it’s the most personal to me. With a great team, we grew and expanded to support the entire lifecycle of incarceration, including families, education, wellness, and job placement resources. We pushed the boundaries of technology to offer new services and systems that were customized to the unique and complex security concerns of correctional facilities and incarcerated individuals. Innovations like our Inspire tablets were pivotal to realizing our mission of providing connections to community, education, and other critical supports that lead to better outcomes. 

Our rebrand to ViaPath Technologies in 2022 reflects our commitment to this mission moving forward. So far, we’ve connected incarcerated individuals to 29 million video visits and more than 20 million hours of e-learning, given over 300 second chances to returning citizens, and helped correction systems close 12,000 security cases – and counting. 

6. What advice would you give to young women who are just entering the workforce? What advice do you have for women in business who are working hard to move up and join the C-Suite?

My advice for young women entering the workforce is straightforward: find your purpose and pursue it with passion. My leadership ethos wasn’t shaped by men in the boardroom; it was shaped by my mother. From a young age, she taught me the importance of leading with a shared mission and treating people with dignity and respect.

Take the time to figure out what matters to you and then find ways to align your skills and strengths with what you love doing. Finding meaning in what you do will allow you to forge your own path to success and fulfillment.

It is so exciting to me to look around and see more and more women leaders in tech and corrections every day. By recognizing and nurturing what sets you apart, you’ll allow yourself—and those you lead—to thrive.