Kelli Schnieder’s first initiative when she joined Minnetonka-based SafeNet in 2018 was to integrate two offices and increase collaboration between team members in different states. Her leadership positioned her to become company president in 2019—the first person outside of ownership to take on that role. She transformed SafeNet from a strategic staff augmentation firm to an emerging tech solutions firm. With a foot in both employee and client experience, her ability to form partnerships with clients across industries has helped the company understand business needs and support the team’s ability to deliver solutions. Colleagues note her impressive work ethic.