Case Study:
Building Confidence and Continuity with the Right IT Partner
Case Snapshot
- Client: Engage FI — consulting firm, ~100 employees, fully remote Microsoft-centric workforce
- Partnership since: 2024
- Trigger: Unexpected CTO departure created immediate leadership and capacity gap
- Engagement type: Co-managed IT partnership
Key Outcomes
- Zero downtime during leadership transition
- Consistent frontline support coverage including during staff vacations and off-hours
- Internal team shifted from Tier 1 tickets to security architecture and strategic planning
- Improved security visibility and measurable Microsoft Secure Score increase
- Positive end-user experience with faster response times
Client Testimonial
— Damon Sipe, CTO, Engage FI
“Our clients trust us as advisors, and having a partner we trust to support infrastructure, security, and IT operations is a huge win for credit unions.“
About Our Client
Engage FI is a consulting firm headquartered in Florida with approximately 100 employees, the majority of whom serve as client technology advisors. The firm specializes in helping banks and credit unions optimize operations across core banking systems, digital banking, payments, vendor strategy, and long-term technology alignment. With a fully remote, Microsoft-centric workforce and a lean internal technology team, Engage FI relies heavily on stable, secure, and well-managed IT operations to support both its consultants and the financial services clients they serve.
Business Challenge
In late 2024, Engage FI faced a sudden shift when its CTO exited the organization. With one person handling system administration, security, and help desk responsibilities, the departure created an immediate gap in capacity and leadership support. The challenge was not broken technology — it was ensuring stability, security, and sustainability without overburdening internal staff during a critical transition.
Key challenges included:
- Single person responsible for system administration, security, and help desk — no redundancy
- CTO departure created immediate leadership and capacity gap
- Needed continuity, risk mitigation, and backup coverage without disrupting operations
Katalyst's
Solution
Katalyst was brought in quickly to provide immediate operational support alongside Engage FI's internal team. Katalyst integrated into Engage FI's existing support workflows so end users experienced no disruption. As stability was established, the engagement expanded into security posture improvement and advisory services.
CONNECT — INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONNECTIVITY
- Microsoft 365 tenant management and administration
- Cloud firewall management and configuration
PROTECT — SECURITY AS AN OPERATING DISCIPLINE
- Managed detection and response (MDR) using Microsoft Defender
- Security posture improvements and audit remediation
- Ongoing security gap analysis and advisory
OPERATE — ONGOING ACCOUNTABILITY FOR OUTCOMES
- Co-managed IT support and help desk services
- Integration into existing support workflows with zero end-user disruption
- Internal team freed for higher-value strategic work
SUPPORTS RECEIVED
Business
Results
Engage FI's partnership with Katalyst has delivered measurable impact across internal operations, security, and team sustainability. With consistent frontline support and proactive security guidance, Engage FI has been able to reduce risk during a leadership transition, strengthen its technology foundation, and give its internal team more time to focus on strategic priorities.
Continuity and Coverage: Consistent frontline support ensuring reliable help even when internal staff are unavailable
Time Reclaimed for Strategic Work: Internal team shifted focus to security architecture, documentation, and long-term planning
Improved Security Visibility: Faster audit finding remediation and increased Microsoft Secure Score
Positive End User Experience: Faster response times and more consistent support
Ready for a Technology Partner You Can Count On?
Schedule an IT Strategy Call to discuss your current technology challenges and opportunities to improve security, reliability, and performance. Or take our Digital Backbone Assessment to uncover hidden vulnerabilities and digital blind spots across your organization.