The Origins of Tamman’s People-Centric Approach
How Jeff’s belief in people-first business built a successful company
Jeff Tamburino, the visionary behind Tamman, has built a company on the simple but profound principle that people matter. His tagline, “Well-supported people, support people well,” encapsulates his philosophy perfectly.
Tamman’s Beginnings
From his early days at GE Aerospace to his decade as an IT consultant, Jeff has always been focused on serving clients and building strong relationships. When he founded Tamman in 2007, with his former partner Mike Mangos, he knew he wanted to create a company that prioritizes employee well-being and fosters a culture of appreciation. This approach has proven to be a winning formula, leading to consistent success and growth.
Jeff saw opportunities for a nimble agency like Tamman to provide a valuable service to the companies they served. Setting up shop in his basement (like so many promising start-ups), the company quickly bloomed. Tamman has seen consistent success despite up-and-down economies and has long-outgrown Jeff’s basement. He identified their success was primarily due to their shared core values – build a company that focuses on the employees and encourages a culture of appreciation, and the clients will be well served. Over the intervening years, Tamman has branched out beyond its IT roots to move into custom software development, digital accessibility, and team extension services.
Over the years, Jeff has developed an expert understanding of designing and deploying successful projects. His ability to navigate and negotiate across teams and systems, coupled with his deep knowledge of requirements, quirks, and common pitfalls in large enterprises, has been integral to developing Tamman’s long record of excellent projects and, more importantly, fruitful partnerships.
A People-Centric Leader
Personally, Jeff attributes the success of his work not just to industry expertise but also to trusted, long-term relationships. To him, “business is putting people first.” Even though Tamman’s clients include both the tech-savvy and the tech-averse, sometimes these lines are crossed when managers and directors are handed mission-critical technical projects. This can be stressful and often confusing, but this is where Jeff’s personal consultative touch and boots-on-the-ground experience come into play. Whether he is working directly with a client or mentoring Tamman employees, his priority is to help people understand what’s involved, how a project can work, and what will or won’t work in a given situation. He anticipates issues and problems before they ever surface. Most of all, he wants his team and clients to feel supported and confident in their work. This ethos is felt throughout Tamman.
When asked how he has honed his people skills, Jeff offers up an unexpected answer: “Over twenty years playing tournament poker. It’s a highly interpersonal game,” he notes, “to succeed, you have to study people, read the room, and notice subtleties.” Jeff feels that it’s the same in business; you learn a lot just by paying attention. While Jeff likes to say that he “always has an ace up his sleeve,” for his clients, it’s usually true. It comes in his empathic ability to read a situation, understand what people need, and provide quick strategic support for those who need a tuned-in player on their side.
As Tamman continues to grow, Jeff remains committed to building a positive and supportive work environment. He believes that by investing in his employees, he is also investing in the company’s future. And while he may eventually return to his love of poker, Jeff’s legacy will be his dedication to building a company that truly puts people first.
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