ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...-logo

ROI’s Into the Corner Office Podcast: Powerhouse Middle Market CEOs Telling it Real—Unexpected Caree...

Business & Economics Podcasts

The road to the middle market CEO corner office is paved with mile markers that guide in surprising, unpredictable, and some might even say “mysterious” ways! But how do you get such a widely coveted position? This is the question often heard during decades of ROI’s executive search interviews, conducted with top-level executives. ROI’s Into the Corner Office podcast is a new inspiration and answer platform which premieres visionary tales of adventure with great endings and highlights, from powerhouse CEOs driving the formidable success of the U.S. economy’s middle market sector. The CEOs behind this impressive growth reveal insights which equipped them to lead their organizations. Showcasing dynamic leadership stories, Into the Corner Office dives into the heart of what informed and formed these CEOs. Guests share their backgrounds, talk about their early years, and explore what shaped them before they were known for their successes in growing, developing, and leading extraordinary mi...

Location:

United States

Description:

The road to the middle market CEO corner office is paved with mile markers that guide in surprising, unpredictable, and some might even say “mysterious” ways! But how do you get such a widely coveted position? This is the question often heard during decades of ROI’s executive search interviews, conducted with top-level executives. ROI’s Into the Corner Office podcast is a new inspiration and answer platform which premieres visionary tales of adventure with great endings and highlights, from powerhouse CEOs driving the formidable success of the U.S. economy’s middle market sector. The CEOs behind this impressive growth reveal insights which equipped them to lead their organizations. Showcasing dynamic leadership stories, Into the Corner Office dives into the heart of what informed and formed these CEOs. Guests share their backgrounds, talk about their early years, and explore what shaped them before they were known for their successes in growing, developing, and leading extraordinary mi...

Language:

English


Episodes
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Brandon Acker, CEO, Titan Abrasive Systems

7/29/2025
Brandon Acker is CEO of Titan Abrasive Systems. Bio: I acquired Titan Abrasive from my uncle in 2013, after working with him for years learning the industry. I had two main goals in the early days. One was to keep costs low for customers by selling direct to them versus through a huge distributor network. I had seen the challenges – including the long lead times and meeting quotas versus providing the best system. Second, I wanted to solve some of the legacy industry challenges, such as blast cabinet legs that crumbled at the mere bump of a fork-lift and energy inefficient equipment. I wanted Titan blast equipment to meet the rigorous demands of companies blasting on a daily or even 24/7 basis – while providing unmatched performance benefits. The Titan team has achieved all this and more. Today, the Titan name is synonymous with rugged, high performance blast equipment that’s custom engineered to solve tough application challenges. What’s in our future? Like you, we’re navigating supply chain challenges and rising costs. We’re redesigning our media reclaim system, and want to take another look at our dust collector. We’ve begun our move into more complex application challenges in the nuclear, aerospace, and energy industries. And, we want to expand our team. But one thing will never change: You deal with us. No reps, no middlemen, no waiting weeks for an RFQ. You get intelligent engineering, product advice, and friendly customer service that can’t be beat. That’s the Titan difference.

Duration:00:40:18

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Jeff DeBoer, CEO, The Real Estate Roundtable

7/15/2025
Jeff DeBoer is the founding President and CEO of The Real Estate Roundtable. He has been at the forefront of national policy affecting the real estate industry for the past 40 years. The Real Estate Roundtable represents the leadership of the nation’s top 150 privately owned and publicly-held real estate ownership, development, lending and management firms, as well as the elected leaders of the 18 major national real estate industry trade associations. Roundtable member portfolios contain over 12 billion square feet of office, retail and industrial properties valued at nearly $4 trillion; over 5 million apartment units; and in excess of 6 million hotel rooms. The 18 national trade associations participating with the Roundtable represent more than 3 million people directly employed in the real estate industry. Mr. DeBoer also chairs the National Real Estate Organizations, a 17 member real estate trade association coalition focused on industry communication, advocacy and diversity efforts as well as the Real Estate Industry Information Sharing and Analysis Center (RE-ISAC), an organization dedicated to enhancing communication between the industry and federal policymakers on terrorism threats, building security, and major incident reporting. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Coalition to Insure Against Terrorism (CIAT) and for several years he co-chaired the Advisory Board of the RAND Corporation’s Center for Terrorism Risk Management Policy. Mr. DeBoer previously served on the Advisory Board of Washington DC’s Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Conservation Biology Institute. Mr. DeBoer has discussed real estate and economic policy issues numerous times in Congressional testimony as well as on FOX News, Bloomberg Television, MSNBC and CNBC; and his editorials have been published in the Wall Street Journal and USA Today. In 2010, Globest.com named Mr. DeBoer a “top 10 Industry Newsmaker of the Decade”; in 2013 Commercial Property Executive named him one of the “30 most influential people in real estate”; in 2016 Real Estate Forum honored him as the “Voice of the Industry” and one of the nation’s top CRE bosses; in 2017 Washington Life Magazine included Mr. DeBoer in its “Power 100” list of Washington DC’s most influential unelected, non-governmental people; and since 2017, The Hill has placed Mr. DeBoer on its annual list of the top lobbyists in Washington DC, a list it called: “the players at the top of their game, known for their ability to successfully navigate the byzantine and competitive world of federal policymaking.” In 2024, in recognition of his positive influence on national public policy, Commercial Property Executive presented Mr. DeBoer with its Lifetime Achievement award. Mr. DeBoer earned degrees from Washington and Lee University School of Law (JD) and Yankton College (BA).

Duration:00:49:51

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Bill Remy, CEO, TBM Consulting Group

7/1/2025
Bill Remy is the CEO of TBM Consulting Group and serves on the TBM Board of Directors. His career expertise includes deep knowledge of operational performance improvement, site transitions, acquisition integration, new product development and supply chain management. Expertise His leadership roles span complex, multi-faceted manufacturing and supply chain operations across industries such as aerospace and defense, railway, industrial and agricultural equipment, technology and process automation. Bill Remy is both an accomplished business executive and leader who is frequently called upon for his credible voice, honesty, pragmatism and for his ability to leverage operational excellence and continuous improvement for long term profitable growth. He is highly competitive, has a bias for action and strongly believes that speed wins every time. Bill encourages his organization and his clients to accelerate their capabilities for driving change, increasing flexibility, and incorporating responsiveness into everything they do. As former president of Thayer Aerospace, Bill doubled revenue in six years, expanded into Mexico, improved profitability and increased inventory turns. He integrated the supply chain into a web-based pull system, consolidated divisions and implemented an ERP system. Earlier in his career, Bill held progressively responsible roles in operations including Vice President of Continuous Improvement at Invensys, Vice President of Operations at Learjet/Bombardier, Production Manager Lockheed Arizona Missile Facility, and Materials Manager at Allied-Signal Aerospace. Bill holds both a Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees in Industrial Engineering from Oklahoma State University. He serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Pancon Corporation and on the Oklahoma State University /deans Advisory Board for the College of Engineering. He has over 25 years of leadership experience in general management and manufacturing operations.

Duration:00:48:32

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David Stanford, Founder, RealFoundations

6/18/2025
David Stanford is a founder and Enterprise Managing Consultant with RealFoundations and brings over 35 years of experience providing strategic financial and operational improvement services to clients in the property and building industries. David is the Chief Growth Officer of RealFoundations, with the primary responsibility to initiate new solutions and grow the RF Network of people, partners, clients, and industry participants. He is also responsible for the corporate development activities of the firm. Additionally, he is responsible for implementing the global presence and alliance program of RealFoundations. David is highly experienced in providing large-scale operational and digital improvement services to private and global real estate owner/operators and institutional investors. He has directed client teams in the execution of large business improvement projects, long-range digital capital plans, packaged technology selections, and solution implementations. David is also highly experienced in assisting management teams with strategy, development, and operating model transformations. Some of his clients include the most respected real estate organizations in the world, including Blackstone, GIC, J.P. Morgan, Greystar, Walmart, KIMCO, Hines Interests, Brookfield and Invitation Homes. Prior to founding RealFoundations, David was a Partner of Ernst & Young’s real estate practice in Dallas. He also worked in the Transaction Advisory group of Kenneth Leventhal & Company. David graduated from Baylor University with a BBA in Finance & Accounting.

Duration:00:49:16

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Re-Release: Buzz Bradley, CEO, Zpacks Corporation

6/3/2025
At the time of this recording, Buzz Bradley as CEO of Zpacks Corporation. He is now the CEO of True Access. A natural at sales, marketing, and helping clients maximize product and service offerings, Buzz Bradley has an extensive career helping grow and lead middle market manufacturing organizations. From Account Manager to Sales leadership roles and up through the executive suite, Buzz’s strong customer service focus, eye for details, and innovative, entrepreneurial spirit have allowed him to adroitly manage production, people, and profits. Buzz has been the CEO of Zpacks Corporation, an industry-leading manufacturer of ultralight backpacking equipment since 2015. Buzz lives in Gilbert, Arizona with his family and is passionately invRe-olved in charitable service.

Duration:00:30:08

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Bob Knakal, Chairman & CEO, BK Real Estate Advisors

5/20/2025
Bob Knakal also known as "BK" has been a broker in NYC since 1984. Over that time, he has brokered the sale of over 2,348 buildings having a market value of approximately $22 billion. For 26 years of those years (1988-2014), he owned and ran Massey Knakal Realty Services, which sold more than 3x the number of properties as the #2 firm in NYC from 2001-2014. Running the firm with a Servant Leadership management style, focusing on empowering everyone on the team, intensely training them, and building their self-esteem, led to this overwhelmingly dominant platform. The firm was sold to Cushman & Wakefield in 2014 for $100 million. The Massey Knakal Legacy is illustrated by the fact that today in the New York City investment sales market, there are 30 companies, or divisions of companies, that are either owned by, or run by, folks who learned the business at Massey Knakal. Bob is a prominent thought leader in the commercial real estate business, frequently writing about the market, lecturing on the market, and appearing on podcasts and national television shows on networks like Fox, CNBC and MSNBC. He is also the Chairman & CEO of BK Real Estate Advisors.

Duration:00:43:32

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Re-Release: Chris Ford, Managing Partner and CEO of the Canadian Region, Capco

5/13/2025
At the time of this recording, Chris Ford was the Managing Partner and CEO for the Canadian region at Capco. Chris has been focused on strategy and implementation of technology transformation services in the Canadian market for almost 20 years. He is a senior professional with experience leading architecture, business delivery, development, functional and non-functional and infrastructure work streams. Chris’ engagement experience spans customer-facing online channels, business process management (BPM), content management, payments and paper-based item processing for financial services. He is a software engineer by training and is a published author on Performance and Availability for enterprise financial services platforms. He also speaks regularly on technology and innovation in financial services. Chris Ford is now the CEO and Managing Partner at Electric Mind.

Duration:00:43:45

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Nick Schneider, President & CEO, Arctic Wolf

4/15/2025
As President and CEO of Arctic Wolf, Nick Schneider brings more than 15 years of experience in building global, high-growth technology companies spanning both emerging and established markets. As a veteran in the security industry, Nick has developed expertise in creating best-of-breed technology platforms and world-class sales organizations, which have been the driving force behind Arctic Wolf’s explosive growth and leadership position in the security operations market.

Duration:00:48:03

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Norman Radow, Founder & CEO, RADCO

4/8/2025
Norman J. Radow is the founder and CEO of RADCO, established in 1994 out of his passion for improving people’s lives and revitalizing neighborhoods. RADCO’s first major project involved the redevelopment of a distressed 53-story hotel, office, and condominium tower in Atlanta, which later became the Four Seasons Hotel. This transformative project helped put RADCO on the map. Since then, the company has completed over 150 successful real estate projects, establishing itself as a fearless and flexible leader in the industry, most notably in the multifamily sector. During and after the COVID-19 pandemic, RADCO expanded into hospitality, acquiring twelve hotels. The company manages its owned multifamily assets and offers a thriving third-party management service. For seven consecutive years, RADCO has been named one of the "Best Places to Work in Multifamily," based on anonymous feedback from its employees. RADCO is known for its people-first culture, valuing team member feedback and continuously striving for improvement. Norman has a long history of service and philanthropy, largely focused on the importance of public education. He served as Vice Chair and then Chairman of the Kennesaw State University (KSU) Foundation Board of Trustees for five years. In recognition of his significant contributions, KSU named the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Norman and his wife, Lindy Radow, are dedicated supporters of education and social equity, which is exemplified through the creation of The Radow Institute for Social Equity (RISE) at KSU. Their commitment extends to the Lindy Radow Scholarship, the Paul & Beverly Radow Lecture Series on Jewish Life, and “The Bev,” a dedicated social gathering and study area in the Social Sciences building lobby. Norman remains involved with New York Law School where he serves on the board and the Radow Lecture Hall is named in honor of his dedication and service to the school. In addition to his work in real estate, Norman is a dynamic speaker and respected industry expert. He shares his insights on real estate and life in his long-running and popular blog, “Coffee with Norm.” Norman holds a Juris Doctor from New York Law School (1981) and a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY Plattsburgh. Norman was awarded an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters by the Georgia Board of Regents in December 2023.

Duration:01:06:27

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Re-Release: Tim Murphy, CEO, Boomers Parks

3/25/2025
Tim Murphy is the CEO of APX Operating Company LLC, dba Boomers Parks, owned by Cerberus Private Equity ($60B AUM). Boomers Parks operates six family entertainment centers and two water parks in California, Florida, and New Jersey. Since becoming CEO in 2020, Tim led Boomers Parks from bankruptcy to profitability within a year, amidst a global pandemic. Initially operating at a $10 million loss, he revamped the customer experience and introduced new revenue streams, resulting in a 180% revenue increase in 2021 and continued growth through today. Tim began his 35+ year career at Walt Disney World and has worked with over 150 entertainment, restaurant, and food & beverage brands at more than 10,000 locations in senior roles. He is also a Board Director at Coney Park & Happy City, part of The Carlyle Group ($426B AUM), which operates 100+ family entertainment centers in Latin America. Tim's expertise includes top brands like Disney, Darden Restaurants, Jimmy John’s, Applebee’s, and Sonny’s. He has managed over 35 transactions involving 1,200+ locations, negotiating deals from $11 million to $350 million+. He is a member of IAAPA, CAPA, FAA, AAMA, NRA, CRA, WWA, ICSC, and IFA, and is a licensed commercial real estate broker in Florida. Tim holds a BS/BA in Accounting from the University of Central Florida and an MBA in Finance from Orlando College. Connect with Tim at Tim@BoomersParks.com and on LinkedIn at TimMurphyCEO.

Duration:00:45:23

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Andy Hilliard, CEO, Accelerance

3/18/2025
At age 26, Andy Hilliard had a quarter-life crisis that changed the trajectory of his life. In an effort to find himself, Andy joined the Peace Corps in 1988. On assignment in Costa Rica, he fell in love with the culture—and the woman who became his wife. The experience led Andy to dedicate himself to enriching businesses and individuals through valuable cultural exchange. As CEO of Accelerance, Andy helps companies find the talent they need to scale high performing, globally distributed software engineering and product development teams. Andy and Accelerance travel the world, assessing and certifying development partners with a proprietary matching system, so clients can connect with confidence to the top 1% of outsourcing partners worldwide. The Accelerance team also helps clients optimize their outsourcing partner relationships through mutual understanding, communication, and effective management. Previously, Andy founded the groundbreaking nearshore software development services company, Isthmus Costa Rica. He began his global software services career as a Division Manager at Cognizant Technology Solutions during its formative years. Currently living in Kenwood, California, Andy has visited more than 60 countries. He holds an MBA in International Business, Finance, and Marketing from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern.

Duration:00:45:23

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Re-Release: Brian Will, Leader, Entrepreneur, and Author

3/11/2025
Brian Will is a Serial Entrepreneur, a Two-time Wall Street Journal Best Selling Author, and an industry-leading Business and Sales Management Consultant. Brian has created or co-created seven successful companies in four different industries during his career. These companies were worth over half a billion dollars at their peak. He has also done multiple turnaround projects for companies from startups to Fortune 500, and helped those organizations drive billions of dollars in sales. His multifaceted background allows him to understand and teach agile processes and principles and articulate their implications from multiple perspectives, from the development team to the executive board. Today, Brian Will owns a growing chain of restaurants in the Atlanta area and a residential and commercial Real Estate business in Georgia and Florida. He also serves on the city council in his hometown of Alpharetta, Georgia.

Duration:00:39:45

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Thomas Rivera, Executive Director, Xcel Mentoring Network

3/4/2025
Thomas Rivera is the Executive Director for Xcel Mentoring Network in Florida. Xcel furthers the ability to educate youth holistically through hands-on career training & certifications, mentoring, apprenticeship, and job placement. Tom began mentoring in early 1990 by helping the poor, the afflicted, and the abused. He reached out to gang members and those who seemed to have no hope with a message of hope and grace. He later began serving as an Associate Pastor in one of the largest Hispanic churches in the Chicago metropolitan area. He worked in the inner city bringing a message of restoration and hope. Tom also traveled to Latin and South America on several missions to help and bring hope to the hopeless. Tom moved to South Florida and continued his mentoring and spiritual counseling through his work in recovery centers as well as mentoring those he coached in fitness centers. Six years ago, Tom joined Xcel Strategies Inc. as a Regional Director and expanded its operations to South Florida. In 2023, Tom incorporated Xcel as Florida Mentoring Network, DBA Xcel Mentoring Network (an affiliate of Xcel Strategies Inc.) and is now serving as the Executive Director. Tom has an extensive counseling education. He attended the Florida Theological Seminary and received a master’s degree in theology. Tom also hosted the radio program, Second Chance, which aired in 2012, delivering a message of hope to the hopeless, deliverance to the oppressed, and love to the rejected. Key Messages: I believe that every kid should have the opportunity to pursue secondary education. It is my mission to educate youth on the multiple career path options and provide them with the opportunities and resources to obtain such.

Duration:00:42:48

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Re-Release: Dale Wills, Owner & Founder, Centra Companies

2/25/2025
Dale Wills is the owner and founder of Centra Companies, a group of land development, real estate, and construction companies based out of the Twin Cities. Since 2011, he has overseen the completion of more than $500 million in new construction across 50+ projects spanning 28 Twin Cities suburbs, ranging from new home construction to apartment rehab and commercial building. With more than 35 years of experience in property redevelopment, Dale Wills has taken Centra Companies to new heights opening several divisions, including Centra Homes and Centra Capital Partners, under his leadership. About Centra: We Build Homes and Communities We take pride in building the places where memories will be made Centra Homes is one of the largest residential property developers in Minnesota. We’ve built dozens of communities throughout the North Metro, giving thousands of people a beautiful place to call home. We are focused on creating thriving communities that offer all the best amenities in prime locations. Enjoy a place to work and play in the house you’ve always wanted.

Duration:00:38:52

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Jeff Holman, Founder & CEO, Intellectual Strategies

2/18/2025
As the Founder and CEO of a pioneering fractional legal team, I specialize in delivering tailored legal solutions that drive growth, reduce risk, protect intellectual property, and navigate complex regulations in the fast-paced worlds of SaaS, Ecommerce, and emerging technologies. With a background that spans engineering, business, and law, I bring a multifaceted perspective to the table. I began my legal career as a patent attorney, where I honed my skills in protecting groundbreaking inventions and guiding companies through the intricacies of intellectual property law. Today, I combine that experience with a deep understanding of business strategy to lead a dynamic team of attorneys who operate cohesively and collaboratively as a FRACTIONAL LEGAL TEAM that integrate seamlessly with our clients’ operations. We effectively operate as a fully-staffed in-house legal team, although on a fractional budget, that scales with our clients' needs and circumstances. My approach is simple: I build legal teams that function as an extension of your business. We’re not just advisors; we’re partners in your success, committed to delivering the legal support you need to innovate and grow. Whether it’s navigating the complexities of corporate governance, safeguarding your data privacy, identifying and protecting your IP, negotiating technology licenses, or helping you resolve disputes, we have the expertise to help you move forward with confidence. At the core of our practice is a deep understanding of the unique challenges that startups and scaling companies face. We tailor our services to meet your specific needs, offering the flexibility and strategic insight that traditional law firms often can’t provide. Our goal is to empower you to focus on what you do best—building your business—while we handle the legal complexities. Let’s connect if you’re looking for a legal partner who understands the demands of scaling a business and is ready to help you achieve your vision.

Duration:00:44:47

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Re-Release: Jonas Bordo, CEO and Co-Founder, Dwellsy

2/11/2025
About Jonas Bordo Jonas Bordo is the CEO and Co-Founder of Dwellsy, the free residential rental marketplace that makes it easy to find hard-to-find rentals. Prior to co-founding Dwellsy, Jonas was a senior executive at several leading real estate firms including Essex Property Trust and Bentall GreenOak and was with the Boston Consulting Group after graduating with his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Jonas has had the good fortune to build, re-build and lead amazing teams across the multifamily and commercial real estate operational and strategic spectrum, manage large P&Ls, deliver big profit increases, orchestrate the sale of several businesses, develop a strategic plan for one of the world’s leading symphony orchestras, implement a Toyota production system and create more than 40 brands. He is husband to Rosalind and father to Bailey, Zach and Thea, an avid hiker, a lifelong learner and a maker of things, sometimes out of wood. About Dwellsy Dwellsy is a comprehensive residential home rentals marketplace based on the radical concept that true, organic search in a free eco-system creates more value than the pay-to-play model embraced by all of the current rental listing services. Indeed, while barely more than a year old, Dwellsy has more residential rental listings than any of the major listing sites—as well as the most diverse set of listings—including both affordable and higher-end properties. Dwellsy’s entirely different approach to residential rental listings focuses on presenting houses and apartments based on features renters need and want — not based on how much landlords pay to show their listings. Dwellsy investors include Blackhorn Ventures, Anne Wojcicki, Stanford Professors, and a number of residential real estate industry insiders. Jonas and the Dwellsy team have also recently launched their own podcast, Rent Matters, available wherever you listen to podcasts!

Duration:00:48:43

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Craig Barber, Past CEO, Restaurant Growth Services

2/4/2025
Craig Barber is the past CEO of Restaurant Growth Services, with several years of experience as a C-level executive for a multi-concept franchisor along with owning a franchise while serving as board chair for the franchisee association provides unique insight into the opportunities (and challenges) of franchise relationships. Have served on the boards of a public company, private equity-owned companies and the franchisee association of a large (1,500+ unit) mid-scale restaurant concept.

Duration:00:44:21

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Jorge Titinger, Founder & CEO, Titinger Consulting

1/21/2025
Jorge Titinger is a seasoned executive and board member with over 35 years of experience in the high-tech industry, focusing on strategy, corporate transformations, and leadership development. As the founder and CEO of Titinger Consulting, Jorge provides strategic advisory services, guiding companies through complex M&A processes, digital transformations, and cultural alignment initiatives. His expertise is sought after by organizations ranging from multi-billion-dollar corporations to innovative startups. Jorge has an impressive track record of board service across public, private, and non-profit sectors. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Board at Axcelis (NASDAQ: ACLS), where he also chairs the Compensation Committee and was a member of the Audit Committee. In addition, he is an independent board member at FormFactor (NASDAQ: FORM) and Ichor Systems (NASDAQ: ICHR), leading key committees including Nominating & Governance, Compensation, and Cyber Security & AI. He has been recognized for his Board service as one of the NACD 100 in 2023 and 2024. His past board experience includes roles at CalAmp, COHU, HTGC, Xcerra, SGI, Verigy, Electroglas, and Thermawave, where he has played pivotal roles in governance, strategic planning, and corporate oversight. Jorge’s contributions to board governance are well-recognized, particularly his leadership in Compensation/Human Capital, Nominating and Governance, and Cyber Security committees. Jorge's board involvement extends beyond the corporate realm into the non-profit sector, where he has served on the boards of the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, the Stanford Children’s Hospital, Innovate Public Schools, Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and Valor Academy. His commitment to community service is further reflected in his role as Chairman of the Board at the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley, where he led initiatives to improve the lives of the Hispanic community in Silicon Valley. Jorge’s executive leadership experience includes his tenure as President, CEO, and Director of Silicon Graphics (SGI) and Verigy Inc., where he successfully led turnarounds that culminated in high-value acquisitions. His strategic leadership has been instrumental in driving operational excellence, fostering innovation, and building high-performing teams. An award-winning author, Jorge co-wrote "Differences that Make a Difference" with Pedro Espinoza, capturing insights from over 100 top executives on the positive impact of diversity and inclusion on business success. His expertise in DEI, innovation, and corporate strategy makes him a sought-after speaker and thought leader in these areas. Jorge holds a B.S. and M.S. in Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Engineering Management and Business, all from Stanford University. A former accomplished athlete, Jorge captained both the Stanford Varsity soccer team and the USA national indoor soccer team. He remains passionate about education, leadership, and contributing to the success of businesses and communities.

Duration:00:42:21

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Greg Ward, Founding Partner, Ward Law Group

1/14/2025
Greg Ward stands as the entrepreneurial force behind Ward Law Group, a Miami-based personal injury firm distinguished by its empathetic engagement with the community, client-centric values, and a progressive strategy that has fueled its swift expansion. His journey began in 2012 when he, alongside his partner and wife, Jany, laid the foundation for Ward Law Group. Starting in a modest office with nothing but a folding table and a laptop, they quickly expanded their team and set their sights on serving the Hispanic communities in South Florida, focusing on car accident victims. Under Greg's leadership, the firm has evolved from a humble two-person operation into a prominent legal entity in South Florida, now boasting over 120 dedicated team members. This growth trajectory is a testament to Ward's entrepreneurial spirit and his commitment to providing Spanish-speaking clients with unparalleled legal representation. Ward's legal prowess, backed by a juris doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law and over two decades of experience, has been instrumental in securing more than $250 million in compensation for clients in Miami/South Florida and New York. His strategic vision has propelled the Ward Law Group to achieve an impressive annual growth rate of over 40% in the last eight years, alongside securing 22 settlements of over $1 million each. A standout achievement includes a landmark settlement exceeding $100 million, marking one of the nation's largest of its kind. Greg's entrepreneurial journey is decorated with numerous accolades recognizing his innovative business practices and legal expertise. He has been honored by the National Trial Lawyers, the South Florida Legal Guide, Florida Trend Magazine, Super Lawyers, and Best Lawyers in America, among others. Beyond the courtroom, Ward is an influential voice in the entrepreneurial community, frequently sharing his insights on news programs, conferences, and podcasts nationwide. His discussions span a range of topics, from business growth strategies and systemization to personal development and faith-based entrepreneurship, showcasing his multifaceted approach to leadership and success in the legal sector.

Duration:00:53:16

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Haresh Patel, CEO & Co-Founder, Mercatus

1/7/2025
As CEO and Co-Founder of Mercatus, I grew a dining-room-table idea into the largest private market investment platform, managing $1.5 trillion in assets across real estate, infrastructure, and energy sectors. Following its acquisition by State Street, I successfully guided the integration while doubling revenue and maintaining less than 2% employee turnover. Before Mercatus, I spent 25 years in the semiconductor industry, driving growth and innovation at market-leading companies like Texas Instruments, Fujitsu, PMC-Sierra Agilent Technologies and WJ Communications. These global head of sales and marketing roles honed my expertise in navigating complex markets, scaling teams, and delivering operational excellence. Advisory and Board Expertise in Fintech AI, SaaS Platforms, and Semiconductor technologies, with experience in: -Strategic growth and scaling: Proven ability to align people, processes, and priorities to create exponential growth. -M&A and integration: Hands-on expertise in acquisitions, ensuring seamless transitions while maintaining momentum. -Corporate governance: Seasoned in board-level decision-making, stakeholder engagement, and fostering accountability and transparency. -Culture and talent development: Building high-performing teams and creating cultures that drive innovation and execution. What Others Say About Me "Haresh has an exceptional ability to foresee trends, identify opportunities, and navigate challenges with confidence and precision." "A revenue-driven leader who harmonizes all aspects of a business to deliver aggressive, sustainable growth." "His focus on culture, transparency, and integrity sets him apart as a board member and trusted advisor." Let’s Connect I’m passionate about leveraging my experience to help early and mid-stage organizations achieve their full potential. Whether as a board member, advisor, or consultant, I’m eager to work with leadership teams and investors to drive growth, help execute a critical pivot, and achieve product market fit. and solve challenges.

Duration:00:40:09