Employee Spotlight: Finance & Accounting Business Development Manager Gray Katigan Named 2022 NextGen Under 30 Honoree in Oklahoma

A telltale sign of an excellent employee is when one’s colleagues recognize them. Gray Katigan, Business Development Manager in the Oklahoma City office, shines so bright in his career that the state of Oklahoma took notice. On August 20, 2022, Katigan was recognized as an honoree of the NextGen Under 30 award program.

The annual award program highlights young professionals in dozens of professions and from over 350 organizations across Oklahoma, each of whom is nominated for the award, typically by a colleague or peer. The intent of the program is to recognize the achievements of bright professionals and leaders under the age of 30 who invest commendable time and effort towards their careers in the state.

Katigan’s admirable achievement tops a noteworthy list of Addison Group employees from the OKC office to be awarded this honor. In the past eight years, a whopping seven Addison Group employees have been selected for the award, out of more than 8,000 total nominees over the years.

What does it feel like to be recognized as an honoree of the NextGen Under 30 award program?

I feel very honored to be recognized as an honoree for the NextGen Under 30 program. I have an amazing team here at Addison Group that pushes me forward every day while keeping work a fun and encouraging environment. I also feel very excited to join the past honorees in our office including my manager, Ryan Judd. Ryan has helped me grow as a leader and has always been there to help answer questions and guide me through the many difficult situations that we experience daily. My fiancé is also an honoree this year and it has been amazing to go through the experience with her.  

What are you most proud of during your journey with Addison Group?

I am extremely proud of how much our team has grown since I started at Addison Group in June of 2021. Not only have we grown by adding 4 members in one year, but we have also grown in confidence and productivity. I am proud of our team for hitting both individual milestones and team all-time highs. When we saw a big decline in contract business near the beginning of the summer, our team found a way to book an all-time high in perm. This speaks to our resiliency as a group to find a way to succeed no matter what.

What is one thing you want your clients and candidates to know about Addison’s culture?

Addison Group is notorious for having a “work hard, play hard” culture where we understand and respect the grind of this industry while also making sure to celebrate the wins and milestones along the way. One thing I want our clients and candidates to know is that we genuinely care about them and appreciate their trust in us. Our FAC and FAD teams joined together to host a “Dine & Dash” event earlier this month which was an awesome way to show our clients and candidates how much we appreciate them as well as giving them a glimpse into our culture.

What drew you to the profession of being a recruiter?

I would say that the recruiting industry picked me. Out of college, I was looking for my career path forward, and was contacted by Addison Group as an option for my next opportunity. Fast forward and recruiting is my career and I love it! Sometimes you don’t know exactly what the right fit is until you try it.

Is there a placement that had a lot of meaning for you?

There is a placement that always sticks out to me. It was a Friday around 3 pm and I received a call from one of my clients saying that they needed two temporary high-level accountants to start on Monday. We knew that we were in a major rush for time and these positions were a little bit unique also. By 4:30 pm we had both candidates confirmed and ready to start on Monday at 8 am. This placement really showed me how much trust and confidence our team has in one another which is why it is so meaningful to me.

What are you doing to give back to your community?

Being from Oklahoma City, I take a lot of pride in giving back to the community. I am a member of the Young Professional Board for Cleats for Kids (C4K) which is a nonprofit that equips and empowers kids through sports. C4K provides brand new or slightly used sporting equipment free of charge to young athletes across the state of Oklahoma to level the playing field. Sports had a great influence on my life growing up and it is amazing to see the impact that C4K is having on the next generation of athletes. Addison Group also encourages us to give back to the community whether that is volunteering at the Arts Festival, spending time at the Food Bank, or hosting various donation drives within the office.

What is the biggest career lesson you’ve learned so far?

Something that my manager has told me many times is that nothing we do in this business is life or death. Although it seemed simple at first, it has become a common phrase that runs through my mind prior to speaking with my clients. As everyone in this business knows, mistakes can happen regularly. The most important thing is to not let mistakes hold you back but rather use them as lessons and continue moving forward.

Gray Katigan is from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where he earned both an undergraduate degree and a Master’s in management. Upon graduating from SMU, he moved back to Oklahoma City and began his time at Addison Group in June 2021.

Katigan began as a Finance & Accounting Recruiter for a few months before being promoted to Business Development Manager in August 2021. He has learned a lot over his first year in the staffing industry and has built great rapport with businesses across Oklahoma. Gray is excited to see his team continue to grow in both size and confidence while they attack new businesses throughout the state.