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

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

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 middle market companies and teams. Telling their own stories – straight up and right Into the Corner Office.

  1. 1 HR. AGO

    Marc Mlyn, President & CEO, RaySearch Americas

    Marc Mlyn is the President and CEO of RaySearch Americas, a wholly owned subsidiary of RaySearch Laboratories AB in Stockholm, Sweden.  Marc began work in medical physics doing research as an undergraduate in the late 1980's, and went on to become a certified medical dosimetrist (https://www.medicaldosimetry.org/about/medical-dosimetrist/). He worked in Radiation Therapy hospitals until 1997, when he went to work as a customer service specialist for ADAC, which was soon acquired by Philips Medical System in 2000. He worked as a senior service manager, traveling the world and working with distributors, sales staff and customers all over the globe.  In 2007 Marc went to CIVCO and became the vice president of Marketing, developing software and hardware systems for radiation therapy. When RaySearch Laboratories released a new software platform in 2011, he was asked to start up the Americas organization to provide sales, support and training.  RaySearch Americas grew from three people to fifty people over the next few years, and has built a successful organization with offices in New York City and Santa Clara California. Marc has an MBA from the New York Institute of Technology, and an MS in Cybersecurity from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

    39 min

  2. OCT 29

    Dale Wills, Owner & Founder, Centra Companies

    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 has taken Centra Companies to new heights opening several divisions, including Centra Homes and Centra Capital Partners, under his leadership.

    39 min

  3. OCT 22

    Re-Release: TJ Jiang, Co-Founder & CEO, AvePoint

    Dr. Tianyi Jiang (TJ) co-founded AvePoint in 2001 and has served as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer since 2005. A recipient of Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award in New Jersey in 2010, TJ received both B.S. and Masters in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Cornell University, and a Master of Philosophy and Ph.D. in Data Mining from the Department of Information Systems, Operations Management, and Statistics, Stern School of Business, New York University. About AvePointA five-time winner of the Microsoft Partner of the Year award, AvePoint offers the only full suite of SaaS solutions to migrate, manage and protect data in Microsoft 365. More than 8 million cloud users rely on our solutions to make organizations more productive, compliant and secure. Our SaaS solutions are also available to managed service providers, so they can better support and manage their small and mid-sized business customers. Our multi-tenant solutions are available from over a dozen distributors in more than 100 cloud marketplaces worldwide. In 2001, our founders were busy preparing to bring our first product to market — a backup solution for Microsoft’s email service, Exchange. Shortly after, their focus quickly turned to providing a backup solution for a new Microsoft product that offered site-based collaboration: SharePoint 2001. Today, our full suite of data management solutions for Microsoft 365 is hosted across 13 global datacenters for unmatched scalability, and to support data sovereignty requirements. Our cloud platform is certified against leading security accreditations and boasts one of the largest SaaS userbases in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem. We have pushed the boundaries of enterprise digital collaboration with first-to-market technologies for two decades. More than half of our workforce – including our senior leadership team – are technologists.

    49 min

  4. OCT 15

    Jeff Helfgott, CEO, Boardroom Styling Lounge

    Jeff Helfgott loves scaling businesses by focusing on what makes them special – their people. Jeff is currently the CEO of Boardroom Styling Lounge, an upscale men’s grooming franchise that spans 46 locations across 8 states. Previously Jeff was the CEO of Empower Aesthetics (a rapid growth medspa platform backed by Shore Capital), which scaled 3x through M&A and de novo growth, COO of Excel Fitness (a Planet Fitness franchisee which grew from 17 to 92 locations) and Chief of Staff of Alamo Drafthouse. Jeff is a proud US Army veteran.About Boardroom Styling Lounge:  We’ve created a connected space in a relaxing environment where you can grab a beer, sit back and let our expert stylists help you express your personal style or create an entire new one that goes beyond your expectations. Style can be transformative and it isn’t reserved for a select few, it’s available to every single one of us, every single day. And we believe that everyone who walks through our doors should leave feeling as great as they look. That's why we are proud to offer The Boardroom Experience across 8 states and over 45 locations and counting.

    43 min

  5. OCT 8

    Ambassador Ken Hackett, Former Ambassador to the Holy See and Former President of Catholic Relief Services

    Ambassador Ken Hackett was nominated by President Barack Obama on June 14, 2013 to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. The United States Senate confirmed Ambassador Hackett on August 1, 2013, and he was sworn in on August 20, 2013. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Hackett was President of Catholic Relief Services (CRS), an international humanitarian agency supported by the U.S. Catholic community, from 1993 to 2012. As President, Mr. Hackett led 5,000 CRS employees in over 100 countries. He joined CRS in 1972, starting his career in Sierra Leone. Mr. Hackett also held CRS assignments overseas in the Philippines and Kenya. As regional director for Africa, he led CRS’s response to the Ethiopian famine (1984-1985) and supervised CRS’s operations during the crisis in Somalia in the early 1990s. It was under his leadership that CRS responded to recovery efforts such as those following the Rwanda genocide, the Bosnian and Kosovo emergencies, the Asian tsunami, and the Haiti earthquake. Equally notable was CRS’s work during his tenure as President on behalf of people living with HIV/AIDS. After a 40-year career with CRS, Mr. Hackett joined the University of Notre Dame’s Institution for Global Development in 2012 where he served as an advisor. Prior to joining CRS, Mr. Hackett served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ghana. Mr. Hackett served on the Board of Directors of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (2004-2010), a U.S. foreign aid agency dedicated to fighting global poverty. He was also a member of the Global Poverty Task Force led by the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships. From 1996-2004, Mr. Hackett was Vice President of Caritas Internationalis, the confederation of Catholic humanitarian organizations. He has also served as a Member of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum – the Vatican body that coordinates the Church’s charitable work – and on the Boards of the Africa Society and Jesuit Refugee Services. Mr. Hackett holds many distinguished honors. In 2004, he was named a Knight Commander of the Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great, one of the highest papal honors. He holds 16 honorary doctorate degrees from various U.S. universities and was the 2012 recipient of the Laetare Award from the University of Notre Dame, the oldest and most prestigious award for American Catholics. Mr. Hackett has received recognition for his humanitarian work from foreign governments, including the National Order from the Republic of Benin (2008) and the National Medal of Honor from Sierra Leone (1998). Mr. Hackett, originally of West Roxbury, Massachusetts, earned his undergraduate degree from Boston College.

    48 min

  6. OCT 1

    Mark Bischoff, President and CEO, Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership

    Mark Bischoff is the President and CEO of Starnet Worldwide Commercial Flooring Partnership, the leading marketing network of independent commercial flooring contractors in Canada and the United States. His career in building products and construction services spans 32 years overall and 29 years in the commercial market. After a start at Sears in flooring retail, he spent most of his career at Johnsonite and Tarkett where he was part of the team driving Tarkett to industry-leading organic growth.  While at Tarkett, Mark served in various roles such as Business Manager, Product Manager, Director of Strategic Partnerships, and Vice President of Sales. He went to the Mohawk Group for a brief period as Senior Vice President of the Healthcare and Senior Living end user-focused segment. Due to his long history as a trusted vendor contact to the Starnet cooperative, he was recruited by the Board of Directors to provide the organization with a successful staff transition and leadership succession in 2018. In 2019 Mark became President and CEO of Starnet. Mark Bischoff and his staff have dramatically expanded the visibility and thought leadership impact of Starnet in the construction industry. Starnet members now generate more than $4 Billion in product and installation sales.  His team has also led the member-owned marketing cooperative to record returns for the shareholders and record purchasing levels for their supporting vendors.

    38 min

  7. SEP 24

    Norman Wolfe, Founder & CEO, Quantum Leaders

    With over 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬 of work experience in various organizations from Fortune 500 to technology startups, I view each one as something that can uncover new possibilities for growth and development. Through encountering different perspectives, I am able to share my expertise in the following areas: ✔️ Leadership and Strategy ✔️ Change Adoption ✔️ Process Improvement ✔️ Organization Design In my book, 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐫𝐠𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, the process of flawless execution is being emphasized and highlighted which requires a deeply held purpose, efficient business processes, and enhanced talents, energy and maturity of people. 𝐐𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 help CEOs determine the critical issues blocking flawless execution bringing their senior executive team to new standards of performance just by using The Living Organization Model for success. Before it began, I worked as a turnaround agent in the systems engineering, administration and sales organizations and was labeled as a 15-year veteran of Hewlett Packard. Later on, I became the head of Administrative Operations for the Western Sales Region, and was highly acclaimed for taking a failing $1.2 billion operation and setting new standards of productivity and customer service. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘂𝘀? 🔹 We mainly focus on identifying new opportunities for accelerated growth. 🔹 We develop a sound executable roadmap that produces short term results with long term growth. 🔹 We provide execution improvement road-mapping that can define the areas that block flawless execution. 🔹 We assist executive teams with process improvement, organization redesign, and change adoption to ensure successful implementation of the strategic initiatives. 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬: 📍 Chairman of the Governance and Nominating Committee of the Board for National Technical Systems, a NASDAQ traded company 📍 Chairman of the Board of Directors for Web Wise Kids, a non-profit agency educating youth on the safe and appropriate use of the Internet 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: 💻 : www.quantumleaders.com

    41 min

  8. SEP 17

    Stephen Strome, Former Chairman and CEO, Handelman Company

    Stephen Strome retired as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Handleman Company, a New York Stock Exchange-listed corporation, in November 2007.  Mr. Strome served as Chief Executive Officer for 17 years following his election in 1991. He was elected Chairman of the Board in 2001.  He became a member of the Handleman Company Board of Directors in 1988. Handleman Company was one of world’s largest distributors of music CDs with operations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom with annual sales of $1.3 Billion. Before being named President in 1990, Mr. Strome served as the company’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for two years.  Before being appointed COO, he was Executive Vice President and President of the company’s video and home computer software division.  In 1985, he pioneered the home video “sell-through” business to the mass marketplace.  The home entertainment industry recognized Mr. Strome for this accomplishment by electing him to the Video Hall of Fame. From 1974 to 1978, Mr. Strome was employed as a Regional Manager of Labor Relations for Fruehauf Corporation.  He began his career with Kmart Corporation in 1968, holding positions of increasing responsibility until 1974. Mr. Strome was elected to serve on the Board of Directors of AmerUs, a NYSE-listed life insurance and annuity company with over $26 billion in assets, from 2003 through 2007, when the company was sold.  He served as Vice Chair of the Corporate Governance and Nominating Committee and a member of the AmerUs Compensation Committee. After retiring, Mr. Strome was appointed Executive in Residence at the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University. In that position, he worked with the Career Planning and Placement Office perusing additional firms to recruit at the business school. He also mentored students to help them achieve their career goals. Mr. Strome also consulted for a small growing internet distribution company seeking to grow its online business. Mr. Strome was and remains an active board member for several tax-exempt organizations. Currently, he a board member and serves as treasurer as well as chair of the finance and audit committee for the Federation of Greater Naples. Mr. Strome also serves as past chair on the board of the Holocaust Museum of Naples.  Previously, he served as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Detroit Public Television and remains an emeritus board member.  He also served as the former Chairman, and is an emeritus board member of the Board of Visitors of Wayne State University’s Ilitch School of Business Administration. He is also an emeritus board member of the Wayne State University Foundation. Mr. Strome served as a Vice Chair of the Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion (formerly the NCCJ) and was a board member of the Child Abuse and Neglect Council of Oakland County. Mr. Strome earned his Masters of Business Administration from Wayne State University and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Hillsdale College.

    43 min
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About

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 middle market companies and teams. Telling their own stories – straight up and right Into the Corner Office.

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