What does it mean to be “All In”?
Ardent employees are united by the dedication to a single mission: deliver top-notch solutions to our customers’ most difficult problems. We out hustle the competition with our drive and competitive nature. We stop at nothing. Putting forth our strongest effort possible to get the mission accomplished enables us to deliver impressive innovations using pioneering technology. A collective service mindset underpins our work, a shared camaraderie to serve clients, colleagues and community sets us apart. A full commitment is to being “All In” is not just our approach, it is our standard.
Our Leadership Team
Richard Zareck II
Richard R. Zareck II is an accomplished executive with over 25 years of experience founding and leading complex technology projects and organizations. As President & CEO of Ardent, Richard sets the strategic direction, aligns the organization, rallies research toward a future vision, and advances the company toward new frontiers of innovation and growth to deliver unmatched value for our clients.
Zareck began his professional career as an active-duty Field Artillery officer in the U.S. Army, where he served in the combat arms leading and commanding troops. Highlights included a deployment to Haiti for Operation Uphold Democracy and training a unit for mobilization to Afghanistan in Operation Enduring Freedom. His commission spanned almost two decades and was recognized for distinction and valor.
Richard transitioned from military service to the private sector, where he founded a successful professional services firm. He later held several executive positions at large organizations in integration, information systems, and sales.
In 2004, Zareck founded Mission1st (www.mission1st.com), an expeditionary engineering and communications firm, on the desert sands of the Iraq War to resume serving his country in a different fashion. Mission1st spread globally over the next two decades and is now the parent company of Ardent.
Richard holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BS in Computer Science & Economics (Mathematical) from the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Mireille Estephan
Mireille Estephan is the Chief Technology Officer at Ardent, where she leads the company’s technology strategy, innovation (AI/ML), and determines technological advancements. She has over 20 years of experience in the tech industry specializing in software solutions, cloud architecture, data platforms, machine learning, and AI.
Prior to Ardent, Mireille was Head of Engineering at AWS Industrial Products, where she led software development using cutting edge technologies and cross-organizational collaboration. Before that, she was Head of Engineering for Capital One’s credit card tech division, shaping their technological strategy in Fraud detection.
Mireille has a B.S. in Computer Science and an MBA from the University of Liverpool.
Ryan Jennings
Ryan Jennings is Ardent’s Chief Ventures Officer where he leverages his extensive two-decade expertise in strategic and operational management. Ryan is the key leader and executive change agent guiding Ardent through emerging business ventures, technological innovations, and strategic investments and partnerships with a focus on driving growth and expansion. He also leads and directs the company performance management programs to ensure they conform with Ardent’s corporate goals and objectives. Ryan will also lead Ardent’s future merger and acquisition activities.
An Iraq wartime veteran, Ryan served with distinction in the Persian Gulf aboard the U.S.S. George Washington and at the Pentagon. His post-military career has seen him hold various operational roles within nonprofit & privately held organizations as well as government consulting firms.
Ryan graduated from Drake University, in Des Moines, Iowa with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science.