With the nationals just around the corner, the GMSDC was proud to host current and past Regional Supplier of the Year honorees, Ken Taunton of The Royster Group, and Namita Tirath of Pyramid Consulting on the Let’s Talk Small Business radio show.
Some of the most prolific and award-winning MBE firms anywhere in the world are headquartered or have a significant presence in Georgia, and this interview was both a celebration of two of our most high-achieving MBEs, and an exclusive discussion of their “secret sauce” to success.
“Every year – just about – we’ve had award winners coming out of this council, said show host and GMSDC president and CEO, Stacey Key. “We’re pretty big and bad here in Georgia.” Discussion topics included the NMSDC awards process and tips, as well as, trends and opportunities in the health and IT industry. Listen in now to hear from two small business greats, and continue to wish Ken Taunton well.
Namita Tirath / Pyramid Consulting, Inc.
Ken Taunton / The Royster Group 
Ken Taunton is President and CEO of The Royster Group, a premier executive search and medical services staffing firm with clients across the continental U. S. and Hawaii.
In 2001, Ken Taunton leveraged his proven track record of leading mid- to senior-level executive searches and medical staffing projects in the public and private sectors. He is passionate about finding creative solutions to solve a client’s human capital needs and pursues all avenues from permanent placement, temporary project staffing and program management. Prior to establishing his company, Mr. Taunton was a Senior Associate with Korn/Ferry International, a leading executive search firm and held various recruiting and sales positions at one of the top pharmaceutical giants, Merck & Company.
Mr. Taunton’s business acumen was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration when he was selected to participate in the SBA’s Emerging 200 Initiative, a federal training initiative that specifically focuses on executives of businesses poised for growth in historically challenged communities. Recently, The Royster Group was ranked #1927 on the prestigious Inc. 500|5000 list, an exclusive ranking of the nations fastest-growing private companies. Among other recognitions, The Royster Group was featured as a top growing minority business in Atlanta Tribune’s “Fabulous Five Over Five” article on entrepreneurs having weathered the storm and triumphed in the first five years of business. He is currently part of the Mentor Protégé Connection 2014 Georgia Mentor Protégé Program where Grady Health System is currently mentoring The Royster Group.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and earned a Masters of Business Administration degree from Mercer University’s Stetson School of Business. In March 2013, UAB’s National Alumni Society, in partnership with the Birmingham Business Journal, presented him with the inaugural UAB Excellence in Business Top 25 awards and #3 Fastest Growing Business Award.
