I created Outliers after discovering countless lower middle market private equity and family office backed portfolio companies struggling to understand and manage their financial risks and opportunities. For many lower middle market investors, it can be challenging finding top-tier CFO and and financial management services – particularly those who can help those same investors grow their investments.

Outliers solves this problem by providing fractional CFO services (also known as interim CFO or part-time CFO services). Our corps of seasoned, proven CFOs are able to hit the ground running, filling the voids in the portfolio company’s financial management programs as the business proceeds through its life cycle.

I have spent the previous 14 years of my career working in private equity backed companies and spent nine years at the Riverside Company as the first Group CFO for the Riverside Micro-Cap Funds, one of the first private equity funds targeting lower middle market companies. In addition, I’ve held senior financial and operational leadership roles at Novar Plc (now part of Honeywell), Flowserve Corporation (NYSE:  FLS), Aeroquip-Vickers (now part of Eaton Corporation), and KPMG.

My Outlier

Bo Schembechler, former head coach of the University of Michigan Wolverines football program, epitomizes what Outliers is all about. Midwestern born and bred, Bo was a direct communicator, hardworking, forthright, honest, who sought to make his players successful not only in football, but in life and contributors to society.

Bo was a consummate leader who emphasized the need to really get to know people to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and motivations in order to help make them successful. Bo constantly emphasized the importance of the team over the individual, and is perhaps best known for his “The Team, The Team, The Team” rallying cry. We value the Midwestern work ethic, integrity, honesty, and emphasis on the team as was core to Bo’s being – and strive to emulate these traits daily.

Data Points

Bachelor Business Administration, majoring in accounting – University of Toledo

Master of Business Administration – Ross School of Business, University of Michigan

Certified Public Accountant (inactive) – Ohio

Home base: Chelsea, Michigan

Industries

Aerospace/defense, construction, energy efficiency technology, software (SAAS business models), B2B services, manufacturing, and distribution.

I have over 30 years of leadership team experience driving profitable growth and building ownership value. My leadership positions range from CFO, COO, CEO and Board member. I started my career with a series of finance and accounting positions of increasing responsibility at a large corporation. Over the last 15+ years I have been almost exclusively at private equity owned companies, where I have helped multiple organizations set challenging goals and achieve them.

I have worked at businesses in a variety of situations including; business start-ups, high organic growth, acquisitions and turnarounds. I believe that over communicating a clear strategy, building high performance teams and developing a detailed plan to drive execution works in all settings. I really enjoy taking my experiences and collaborating with a new team to win.

My Outlier

Jack Welch, former Chairman and CEO of General Electric. He came from humble Boston area beginnings, attended the University of Massachusetts and joined GE out of school. His focus on leadership and value creation allowed him to ascend to the CEO position of a major global corporation after only twenty years of experience. Once there he transformed a bureaucratic organization, becoming nimbler and more aggressive, increasing shareholder value 4,000%…a true Outlier. His leadership principles of having the best human talent and holding them accountable, communicating a clear vision and aggressively pursuing that vision, changed leadership around the world.

Data Points

Bachelor Business Administration, major in accounting – University of Massachusetts

Master in Business Administration, concentration in corporate finance, Bentley University

Certified Management Accountant

Home base: Boston, MA

Industries

Medical technology, manufacturing, distribution and services

I have spent the last 12 years of my career working as a CFO for lower middle market private equity portfolio companies, particularly in the healthcare industry. My experience includes working seven years as the CFO for Riverside Company portfolio company Specialized Medical Services. I also have extensive experience with due diligence assignments on both the buy and sell side.

In addition, I have held senior financial and operational roles for healthcare and pharmaceutical businesses including multi-national Fortune 50 and start-up companies (Cardinal Health, McKesson Drug Company, Apotex Corp and MAX IT Healthcare). I enjoy change and leading teams through the sometimes significant challenges inherent as a lower middle market company transitions to private equity ownership.

I’m experienced in helping to quickly turn around operations and integrating acquisitions to improve productivity and profitability, I enjoy getting my hands dirty and jumping in to the details.

My Outlier

My Outlier is Ted Williams. Ted was a true student of the game, authoring a book entitled “The Science of Hitting” and was the last player to hit over .400 for a season. Ted took a very data centric approach to hitting, being decades ahead of the emphasis on metrics and data gathering now dominating baseball. Ted’s focus tracking and monitoring his batting average for every portion of the strike zone is reminiscent of the approach we take at Outliers in working with our clients; gain consensus on the key metrics, gather data and track results, and take corrective action when needed.

Data Points

Bachelor Business Administration – Accounting;   American International College

Master of Business Administration; Western New England University

Home base: Venice, Florida

Industries

Healthcare, manufacturing, distribution and service industries.

I am a results-oriented financial executive with experience in all facets of financial and operational management. I started my career in public accounting and held senior finance and accounting positions. For public, private and private equity owned companies. Over the last 13+ years I have been exclusively at private equity owned companies, as a CFO, an interim CFO or engaged for special project work. I have been employed or engaged as a contractor for 5 different private equity firms.

I have worked at businesses in a variety of situations including; business start-ups, high organic growth, acquisitions and turnarounds. I believe that over communicating a clear strategy, building high performance teams and developing a detailed plan to drive execution works in all settings. I really enjoy taking my experiences and collaborating with a new team to win.

My Outlier

My Outliers are my parents. A key goal of my parents was for us to get a college education. My father was the first one in his family to go to college and my mom was the only one of her siblings to do so as well. They put the 7 of us through undergraduate school while they were working full time and getting post graduate degrees themselves. Between the 7 of us we earned; 7 bachelor’s degrees, 4 master’s degrees, 1 PhD, 2 JD degrees, an Occupational Therapy degree and 2 CPAs. Thanks to their love and sacrifices we were able to go to college and obtain advanced degrees and certifications. They taught us strong values and work ethic that we are passing on to the next generation.

Data Points

Bachelor Science-Business Administration, majoring in accounting – Ohio State University

Master of Business Administration, concentration in finance – New York University

Certified Public Accountant

Home base: Atlanta, GA

Industries

Industry experience includes; consumer products, animal feed and food safety, recycling, SaaS, service business and public accounting. Global experience including overseeing subsidiaries in Mexico, Brazil, England, China and Malaysia.

Over the past 15 years, I have been in the CFO role for several private equity groups, including The Riverside Company’s acquisition of a lower middle market portfolio company, participating in the full spectrum of installing a new ERP, implementing enhanced reporting, budgeting and KPIs, build out of the management team, driving significant organic growth through improved sales and marketing, implementing strategic planning to trim and divest portions of the business, and making several acquisitions, leading to a very successful realization process and transaction.

Post sale, I stayed on with the portfolio company, through the subsequent private equity group’s hold, further driving the growth of the business, culminating in another very successful exit transaction. Then stayed on with the new private equity group, re-initializing the business through strategic planning and implementation of initiatives.

Previously I was a senior financial officer for a NYSE-traded company, and prior to that, held foundational accounting roles with several companies. In depth industry/area experience includes B2B services, subscription-based products, publishing, digital transformation, virtual and in-person events, and distribution; also supply-chain, manufacturing, custom packaging, e-commerce, and banking.

I operate in a value adding manner, focusing on business improvements and implementation of strategic initiatives, while working with management, and training staff, to drive results, yet keeping sensitive information as confidential as possible, through being hands-on where it matters.

My Outlier

As one of the first astronauts, Colonel John Herschel Glenn Jr. was the first American to orbit the Earth (piloting Friendship 7) and made history again as the oldest man to fly into space (aboard the space shuttle Discovery). As a Marine Corps aviator, served extensively in World War II and the Korean Conflict, with many decorations. Not only an outlier in actions and deeds, but according to the film The Right Stuff, had extraordinary abilities to control respiratory functions, and sustain g-forces. He was also an avid engineer, astute businessman and inspirational (or excellent) politician. An Ohio native, he continually represented Midwest values, in his demeanor, work ethic, and service. As a lasting tribute and honor, the airport in Columbus, Ohio has been named The John Glenn Columbus International Airport. Like John Glenn, Outliers seeks to utilize their experiences and abilities to provide diligent service to all those we interact with, while maintaining utmost integrity.

Data Points

Bachelors of Science – Accounting (Cum Laude); Franklin University

Certified Public Accountant – Ohio

Home base: Dublin, Ohio

Industries

B2B services, distribution, manufacturing, e-commerce

I initially trained with KMPG for 6 years (NZ, Australia, England), then performed a further 6 years of high-level international finance projects (NZ, Australia, England), before moving stateside in late 1996 [my wife is a local St. Louis native]. Then 8 years with a Thyssen Krupp subsidiary in St. Louis (a precision machining company) starting as Controller and promoted to CFO. From 2005 I have performed mid-market private equity CFO and interim CFO roles, starting with 2-roles with Czura-Thornton, 2- roles with the Riverside Company, and subsequent roles with Pamlico Capital and LLR.

I combine the experience of successful add-ons, integrations and exits; with successful working relationships with CEO’s, Senior Management teams, PE teams, and Board of Directors; with heavy project and systems background; with data extraction and reporting strengths, with unified company KPIs-Budgets-Strategy; with distressed company and shutdown experience; with rolling sleeves and getting things done.

I am driven on focus, integrity, building structure and best practice, providing solutions, eliminating complexity, optimizing systems and data, along with building a finance team that can do the same, to ultimately support the Company, CEO, Board, and increase Enterprise Value.  And always keeping in mind that preparing for an exit starts now. No job to big or too small.

My Outlier

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Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, planetary scientist, author, and science communicator. He is a leading world educator on science including how science discoveries are embedded with today’s modern commerce and business technologies.

Education and science will continue to be instrumental in shaping our next generations personal wealth, and our commerce world of tomorrow. The level of investment made today in education and science will drive by how much our commerce world grows tomorrow.

Science the engine of economy: Neil deGrasse Tyson

Data Points

Bachelor of Commerce Degree, major in accounting, University of Otago, New Zealand. [ The University of Otago ranks alongside the premier Colleges in the United States in world rankings ]

C.A.  Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand

Part of the Global Accounting Alliance, the C.A. qualification is international equivalent to CPA, and represents close to 800,000 of the world’s leading professional accountants in over 165 countries including Canada and the U.K. The CA membership requires “Continuing Professional Development”. I was an active and paid up Member for over 20 years.

http://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com.au/

Linked in Profile

Home base: Denver, Colorado

Industries

Software (SAAS business models), Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing

My Outlier

I have two Outliers whose philosophies I have combined to guide my approach to business.

This first is Tom Landry, former head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.  Love or hate the Cowboys, people universally respected Tom Landry for his character, leadership and innovation.  He revolutionized professional football with the spread offense and flex defense.  Landry believed that in order to be successful in the NFL, he must constantly evolve and innovate.

The second is Stephen Dubner, co-author of the Freakonomics series of books and creator of the Freakonomics Radio Network.  Dubner, along with his co-author Steve Levitt, strive to “explore the hidden side of everything”.

In business, when we lead with character and constantly innovate by questioning everything: from people, systems and processes to strategy, we maximize the potential for creating stakeholder value.

Data Points

Bachelor of Business Administration, major in Accounting – Texas A&M University

Master of Business Administration, major in Finance – University of North Texas

Certified Public Accountant – Licensed in Texas

Home base: Dallas, Texas

Industries

Manufacturing, Construction, Multi-unit Retail, Distribution, Transportation & Logistics, Telecom, Energy Services, Healthcare, Software/SaaS, InsurTech, Business Process Outsourcing