Home: Schaumburg, IL. Age: Forty-something. Birthplace: Park Ridge, IL. Title: Chief Financial Officer. Alma mater: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Recent recognition: Featured in a finance leadership publication discussing the evolving role of CFOs in private equity-backed firms. Recent professional development: Completed an advanced executive finance program focused on M&A integration and corporate turnarounds. Latest accomplishment: Mentoring emerging finance leaders, helping them navigate complex financial strategies and leadership transitions. Latest contribution to others: To a nonprofit focused on financial literacy, equipping young professionals with the skills to manage wealth effectively. What’s been your big (or biggest) leap? Transitioning from a traditional corporate finance role into private equity. Recent travel or adventure: Hawaii, exploring the islands’ diverse landscapes, from hiking volcanic craters and waterfalls to snorkeling with sea turtles. Recently viewed and recommended: The Playbook, which highlights leadership lessons from elite coaches across sports and how their principles apply to business strategy.
Personality profile: Strategic, decisive, relentless, adaptable, solutions-driven. Moral compass: Would I be proud to explain this decision on the front page of The Wall Street Journal? How do you define a perfect friendship? Loyal, challenging and built on mutual respect. Someone who pushes you to be your best while having your back. How do you define an ideal business relationship? High trust, results-oriented and mutually beneficial. One where both sides create and capture value. What is your greatest joy? Seeing a strategic vision come to life, whether in business, personal growth or mentoring others to success. What is your greatest fear? Wasting potential, personally, professionally or in the investment of my time. What occupation, other than your own, do you most admire? Elite military special operations, where leadership, strategy and execution under pressure define success. What is your favorite place (or way) to spend money? Investing in experiences, e.g., travel, fine dining or unique adventures.
What was your favorite college course? Corporate Strategy, where finance met real-world decision-making and long-term value creation. What’s the best advice you received growing up? Never be the smartest person in the room; always surround yourself with people who challenge you to grow. What’s the best advice you received in your career? Numbers tell a story, but leadership determines the ending. Finance is just one piece of value creation; execution is everything. What modern technology innovation do you most appreciate? The evolution of AI-driven financial modelling and predictive analytics.
What is your big idea?
Revolutionizing financial decision-making with AI-driven predictive analytics—giving CFOs real-time and scenario-based strategic insights.
What message do you want to send out into the world? Relentlessly pursue excellence, control what you can control and never let short-term thinking dictate long-term outcomes. What widely held belief do you reject? That Risk and reward are always proportional. The best investors and operators understand how to systematically de-risk high-upside opportunities. What mega-trend most excites you? The intersection of AI and financial strategy. What mega-trend most concerns you? The commoditization of decision-making; over-reliance on algorithms without human strategic oversight.
How would you choose to spend tomorrow, if you knew it was your last day on earth? On a private beach with my closest family and friends, great food, deep conversations and a final toast to a life well-lived. What advice would you give your younger self? Play the long game; success isn’t about speed, it’s about direction. If you could, what skill would you master instantly? Negotiation, where every deal, decision, and outcome is optimized to create outsized value. What period in your life would you do differently, if you could? My early twenties. I would take more asymmetric risks and double down on personal development even earlier.
Personal mission: To create lasting impact, whether through building stronger businesses, mentoring future leaders or helping those around me achieve more than they thought possible. Personal motto: Control what you can control and make the absolute most of it. Favorite quote: "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts" (Winston Churchill).
