Who We Are

Praveen Singalla is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Diaconia. He has spent the last two decades delivering successful programs across both Private and Public sectors. His core expertise is rooted in developing innovative, fact-based, realistic solutions and performance based operating models to bridge business demands with robust IT strategies.

Prior to founding Diaconia, Praveen supported various small, mid-size and large organizations where he held executive positions with a focus on growth, partnerships and client engagement. He is a PMI certified Project Management Professional, Certified Scrum Master and Certified Six Sigma Green Belt Professional. He earned his bachelor’s in computer science engineering from Anna University (India) and currently pursuing his EMBA at Kellogg School of Business (Northwestern University).

As an avid enthusiast and advocate for ‘Meaningful Mentorship’, where the emphasis is more on a holistic mentoring approach focusing on both personal and career transformation, Praveen spends his free time conducting seminars, boot camps and workshops on various business, IT & personality development topics focused on empowering individuals with the will and desire to succeed in life.

Collin Chung is the Chief Information Security Officer of Diaconia. Collin has spent the past decade building cyber security, privacy, and compliance programs in both the private and public sectors. He leverages his strengths of ideation, communication, command, significance, and futuristic, when exercising his core expertise developing high-functioning teams and building programs that seek to make security a capability/feature.

Prior to joining Diaconia, Collin consulted with a wide variety of organizations across multiple industries including healthcare, chemicals, insurance, digital marketing, higher education, etc. As a subject matter expert in cyber security, Collin possesses numerous security certifications including the CISSP, CRISC, and CISA. Collin also specializes in project management and is a CSPO and CSM.

Collin graduated from the University of Georgia, with a Bachelors in Management Information Systems and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management with an MBA. Collin is further pursuing an additional Masters degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in Cyber Security Global Policy. Prior to starting the Master’s program at Georgia Tech, Collin developed the cyber security curriculum for professional education there and taught as an adjunct professor. Outside of his work with Diaconia, Collin continues to teach at the University of Central Florida.

Collin is passionate about fostering growth whether it is growing himself or others. Collin is at the forefront of two non-profit organizations championing cyber security and developing curriculum at two extreme ends of the spectrum: high school and in the boardroom.

Kimrey Tefft is the Chief People Officer for Diaconia. She is a results-focused facilitator, expert team strategist, coach and confidante with more than 25 years of progressive leadership and team development experience. She is known for her ability to connect and collaborate with individuals at all levels in order to maximize employee engagement, retention and performance.

Prior to joining Diaconia, Kimrey’s background includes 20 years in the lodging and hospitality industry, having held key executive positions in Operations, Sales & Marketing, Loss Prevention and Human Resources. For the past decade, she has owned and operated a private consulting company that designs and delivers customized solutions to teams that are seeking to achieve breakthrough results.

Kimrey received a bachelor’s degree in Human Resources from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC, with an emphasis on organizational development and psychology. She is a certified facilitator for the Gallup Organization, Vitalsmarts and The Culture Works in the areas of strengths development, critical communication skills and employee motivation. She is a strong proponent of strengths-based organizations and believes that people are every company’s greatest asset.

Kimrey is most passionate about inspiring and empowering others to achieve higher levels of achievement. She does more than listen. She provides consultation, education and support to individuals that want to improve their quality of life - both at work and at home. She is a strong supporter of mental health initiatives and provides compassionate coaching to people in need.

Srikanth Swaminathan (Sri) brings over 25 years of Information Technology experience with over 18 years in leadership and management roles in management and technical consulting to his role as Vice President, Federal Accounts. Sri has successfully delivered transformational projects for federal and commercial clients to drive down operating costs, reduce time-to-market, and improve quality. He has a proven track record of implementing the necessary business development strategies to accomplish business objectives while creating unique market-entry strategies, managing business relationships, building credibility, and establishing trusted relationships with clients and teaming partners.

Proven technical and management leadership skills in the areas of Business Strategies, Managing multiple large & complex programs across Global and Cross Cultural Teams, Contract & Sub-Contract Management, Financial Management, Technical Program Management and Systems Integration.

He is a PMI-Certified Program Management Professional (PMP), a Certified ITIL Expert and a Certified Scrum Master.

Arthur Hall serves as the Senior Director of PMO Operations at Diaconia, bringing over two decades of specialized expertise in optimizing Project Management Offices across both private and public sectors. With a robust background in orchestrating high-performing agile teams, Arthur leverages cutting-edge technologies including NextGen, Fintech, and AI to spearhead digital transformations and enhance digital PMO integration. His strategic approach has successfully facilitated the transition from project-focused models to product ownership, implementing large-scale programs using agile methodologies and PMO best practices.

An award-winning Operations executive, Arthur has consistently demonstrated excellence in aligning strategic business goals with technological advancements to boost operational efficiency and achieve organizational objectives. His professional certifications include PMI Certified Project Manager, Certified Scrum Master, Six Sigma Black Belt, SAFe Certified, Certified Agile Coach, Certified AI Specialist, and a Stanford University Certified Program Manager. Arthur holds dual master’s degrees—one in Information Systems Management and another in Global International Finance from The George Washington University.

Before his tenure at Diaconia, Arthur amassed significant experience in the Financial Services sector, focusing on credit risk, securitization, loss recoveries, risk transformation, and PMO operations. His notable contributions include roles at E*TRADE and Fannie Mae during the critical periods of the mortgage crisis, as well as pivotal involvement in a startup logistics company in developing their operational, security, and agile frameworks. Arthur's unwavering commitment to driving tangible results and empowering teams to excel underscores his passion and leadership commitment.