It was summer 2003. Kevin McGann was working for a small electronics company in New York City and looking for a better opportunity. That’s when a life-changing endorsement came along.

“I received a call from a headhunter saying there was an IT company near Midtown whose purchasing manager was retiring, and I came highly recommended,” McGann said. “But he wouldn't tell me who recommended me for the position and I've never found out."

23 years later, that mystery remains. It didn't take nearly as long to discover how special that opportunity would become.

"I could instantly tell it was the type of company culture I was looking for," McGann recalled of his interview with Adam Eiseman, the founder of Lloyd Group . "Questions ranged from my industry experience to my favorite musicians, which was not something I'd ever been asked before."

A lot’s changed since that day. The tech’s evolved, the business has changed, and Lloyd Group is now a part of NetCov – an acquisition that took place a little over two years ago.

But McGann, who now serves as Client Asset Services Manager, has remained a cornerstone.

The Early Days

McGann grew up in Sayville on Long Island's south shore, where his family kept a horse, chickens and ducks on a 3.5-acre property.

"It was a very different Long Island than people think of today," he says.

After moving to New York City in 2001, he eventually settled in Manhattan, where he still lives today.

When McGann joined Lloyd Group, the company had roughly 35 employees and managed services was still a relatively new concept.

His role focused entirely on purchasing hardware and software. Since then, he has watched the industry transform from physical servers, perpetual licenses, and antivirus software to cloud platforms, subscriptions and sophisticated cybersecurity services.

"The biggest change has been moving clients away from lots of on-premise hardware and one-time software purchases," McGann said. "Today we're helping clients manage technologies that simply didn't exist when I started."

He's also watched the company grow from a small MSP into part of a nearly 400-person organization.

"It was honestly challenging at first," he said of the transition to NetCov. "But it's also pushed me and my team to elevate our game."

Despite the growth, McGann believes one thing has remained constant.

"The technology changes, but our people don't," he said. "There's always been a strong culture built around empathy, teamwork and people who genuinely care."

Few people can speak to that better than Senior Vice President of Service Operations Justin Byrne, who joined Lloyd Group in 2006.

"I've had the pleasure of working with Kevin for more than 20 years, and he was the very first person I met when I joined TLG," Byrne said. "Kevin immediately made me feel welcome and helped build the kind of company culture that made both our colleagues and clients want to work with us."

Byrne also remembers one of Kevin's more unique traditions.

"Kevin would even take the time to find out what music you were into and lend you CDs he thought you might like."

That combination of thoughtfulness and expertise, Byrne says, has never changed.

"It's easy to forget just how much of a subject matter expert Kevin is until things get complicated and he reminds everyone why he's such a trusted resource and invaluable member of the team."

Picture This

Outside of work, McGann is an accomplished concert photographer.

Although he first learned photography in high school, he didn't seriously pursue it until around 2017, when he started bringing a camera to live shows and teaching himself the craft.

Within a few years, he was photographing festivals in Iceland and England and shooting artists including Nick Cave, Kim Gordon, Boy George and members of The Beach Boys.

"It's been incredibly rewarding," he said. "There are always opportunities to learn and improve."

When he's not working or behind the camera, McGann enjoys one of New York City's simplest pleasures: walking.

"I throw on headphones and can easily wind up doing five to eight miles," he said. "There are spots along the Hudson where you can almost forget you're in the city."

Looking Back

After more than two decades in a critical role, there’s a lot to reflect on.

For someone whose career began with a recommendation from a stranger, it's fitting that McGann measures success by the people around him.

"I'm honestly most proud of watching people grow in their roles and make their own contributions to the organization," he said. "And knowing when I'm away that everything is in good hands with capable people who care."