Meet Mark Ingle, IT Director
Building a Stronger Technology Foundation at McGill
McGill Hires a New Technology Leader
Behind every successful engineering project is effective technology infrastructure. Keeping teams connected and information secure and accessible is crucial to success. That's why McGill is excited to welcome Mark Ingle as the firm's new IT Director.
With more than 30 years of information technology experience spanning manufacturing, aerospace, government, and enterprise environments, Mark brings a practical approach to technology leadership. Throughout his career, he has focused on helping organizations work more efficiently while creating IT systems that can be maintained and scaled over time. That experience stood out immediately during McGill's search for its next technology leader.
According to Vice President Mark Cathey, Ingle approached the interview process with genuine curiosity about how the firm’s professionals serve communities.
"From the very first time I met Mark, he was genuinely interested and very inquisitive in understanding exactly what McGill does," Cathey said. "He interviewed us just as much as we interviewed him to make sure we were a good fit for him and that he could be a resource for McGill."
Mark’s intentional approach demonstrated a desire to align technology investments with the firm’s goal of shaping communities together and its future growth.
What Makes Mark Tick?
Mark has a natural curiosity about complex systems, and he enjoys getting to the root of the problem at hand. The challenge and constant evolution of the IT field have kept him engaged throughout his career. "It's never the same day twice," Ingle said. "There's always something different, always something new coming down the pipe."
To continue rising to the challenges of his career, he has earned intensive certifications from leading organizations in the field, including Dell, Microsoft, Cisco, and Arista. These support his expertise in networking, cybersecurity, infrastructure management, and IT operations.
Outside the office, Mark loves riding his motorcycle. Riding through the mountains of Western North Carolina, he completely loses track of time and his to-do list. He also enjoys photography, graphic design, and developing multimedia content, including short videos for his church.
Technology is a Key Driver of Client Success
While clients may never directly interact with the IT department, Mark understands that technology plays a critical role in McGill’s project delivery, including:
Accessibility
Our team relies on secure data, collaboration tools, and on-the-go access to be effective. Mark sees his team as a resource to keep McGill focused on clients’ needs instead of technology. Communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams, secure file-sharing platforms like Egnyte, and resilient network infrastructure help McGill’s project teams remain connected across offices and at job sites where large files may be difficult to download.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is just as important to protect both company and client information. Since joining McGill, Mark has improved the information security posture of the organization by bringing best practices from larger organizations he has worked for to McGill.
Reducing Downtime
After Hurricane Helene, where McGill lost access to both its primary servers in Asheville and backup servers in Georgia, the firm recognizes that technology downtime is no longer just a minor convenience. Mark has extensive experience supporting organizations where technology downtime directly impacts people’s day-to-day work. Throughout his career, he has managed critical infrastructure and led network modernization efforts requiring strategic project management.
To avoid impacting large user populations during routine and / or necessary updates, he has developed proactive technology strategies designed to minimize disruptions before they occur. When disruptions do occur, he solves the issues as expeditiously as possible. During a critical outage that halted checkout operations across a large supermarket chain, Mark dedicated 36 consecutive hours to working with his team and the client's staff to diagnose multiple underlying issues, lead recovery efforts, and bring the systems back online.
Putting Clients First
Technology is ultimately about people – when IT systems fail, organizations need leaders who remain calm under pressure, methodically work through complex challenges, and stay focused until the problem is solved.
Vice President Keith Webb, who has known Mark for nearly two decades believes that Mark’s experience closely aligns with McGill's responsibility to its public-sector clients. "Throughout the years, I have shared how important McGill is to our public clients, especially communities, to meet the ever-changing demands of their residents and the services these communities provide," Webb said.
Ingle’s Leadership Style
When asked about the most important lesson he has learned throughout his career, Mark looks to communication: "Spread the news early!" he said. “Keep leadership informed, even when news is difficult.” This is a principle that shapes how he leads.
"Almost every action he takes is intentional and professional," Cathey said. "IT maintenance and health for a company our size must be intentional and proactive, always asking 'What if?' Mark was a natural fit to promote the future health and growth of our IT Department at McGill.”
Cathey’s philosophy aligns closely with McGill's own approach to serving clients. Just as engineers anticipate challenges before construction begins, Cathey believes technology leaders should proactively identify risks and prepare for future needs before issues arise.
What's Next for McGill's New IT Director?
Navigating Change
Mark understands that successful technology support requires listening first and remembering that every employee's workspace and workflow matters. Ingle recognizes that technology changes can be frustrating. He believes effective support starts with patience, empathy, and a willingness to meet people where they are, which helps them navigate change with confidence
Helping People Succeed
For Mark, technology is ultimately about helping people succeed. Whether supporting a project team in the office or enabling field staff to access critical information on a job site, his goal remains the same: build reliable systems that allow others to do their best work.
As McGill continues to serve communities across the Southeast, Mark's experience, integrity, and service-oriented leadership will help strengthen the technology foundation that supports every project at McGill.
