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

Kevin Akeroyd, CEO, Sovos

Kevin Akeroyd is CEO of Sovos.

From a small town in Missouri to Stanford business school and 3-time CEO, Kevin Akeroyd is not the proverbial polished CEO. A man who is not afraid to go off message and proclaims, be “overt, loud and challenging” to get things done. A CEO who declares it his mission to “keep business leaders out of jail” by helping companies traverse the complex and sometimes dangerous waters of compliance. A leader who puts his money where his mouth is and approaches diversity not with PR platitudes but by personally funding an annual college fund for underprivileged youth.​

​With countless mergers and acquisitions under his belt and having worked for small venture-backed endeavors to being a division head for industry heavyweights like Oracle and Salesforce, Kevin is a builder who works to understand where companies are stagnating, where to innovate and find their break-through potential and ultimately how to move from point solution to platform. ​

Kevin built the enterprise stack for the Chief Communications Officer at Cision, the Chief Human Resource Officer at Magnit and now is working at Sovos to deliver the global compliance system of record for the Chief Financial Officer. The Sovos Compliance Cloud is the first and only platform to bring together tax compliance and regulatory reporting into a single view for business. At Sovos he is building a new category, a new line of business for compliance, and taking the industry on a journey to conquer the complexities and challenges of compliance.​

​Kevin’s leadership philosophy is that it’s not enough to be brilliant. Transparency and communication are paramount and it’s the job of the CEO to look around corners and see what’s coming. Bad CEOs let things happen and good CEOs make things happen and at the end of the day, everything is your fault. Kevin brings this level of accountability to his customers, partners and employees. His mission at Sovos is to evolve compliance from its current state of being a painful requirement for business to being a force for growth in every company, in every industry and in every country.

Herb Coglino, Founder, Aspire Growth Advisors

Herb Cogliano leads his own advisory practice, Aspire Growth Advisors, leveraging the Scaling Up Performance Platform, described in Verne Harnish's award-winning book, Mastering the Rockefeller Habits-Scaling Up.

As an International Business Coach, experienced CEO Scaling Up Practitioner, and Professor of the Scaling Up Masters Business Course, he has learned firsthand what it takes to overcome many business challenges. Herb is pursuing his passion of working with leaders of growth companies to achieve more freedom by helping them create industry leading strategies, a culture of accountability, flawless execution along with a healthy cash flow within their organizations.

Herb was formerly CEO of Sullivan and Cogliano Designers, a 53-year privately held family owned, Technology Staffing and Workforce Solutions firm and in 1993, he also founded the Sullivan and Cogliano education business.

Sullivan and Cogliano joined a select group of companies that have appeared on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Company list multiple times. The Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth over a four-year period. This achievement puts us in a unique position, especially if you consider that over 27 million businesses are registered in the USA.

His firm was a Multiyear recipient of Boston and South Florida Business Journal Best Places to Work Award. This honor recognizes Sullivan and Cogliano achievements for changing the business landscape, in creating a positive work environment that attracts and retains employees through a combination of employee satisfaction, working conditions and company culture.

Herb serves on the Carroll School of Management Board of Advisors at Boston College. He has served as a Board of Director of the American Staffing Association. He is past president of the Massachusetts Association of Staffing Services, and previously served on the boards of Employment Resources, Inc. and Junior Achievement.

He received his BSBA from Boston College in 1987 and his MBA from University of Massachusetts (International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma) in 2016.

Re-Release: Jeremy Macdonald, CEO, Bonney

Jeremy Macdonald is the CEO of Bonney Plumbing, Electrical, Heating and Air where he and his team are on a mission to build the most trusted home services company in California.

Prior to joining Bonney, Jeremy worked as an entrepreneur in South Africa’s rapidly evolving telecoms industry. Jeremy moved to the US with his family 5 years ago in search of better opportunities and adventure. At Bonney, Jeremy Macdonald is focused on constantly improving company culture, hiring and developing talent and pursuing sustainable growth.

Manos Kalaitzoglou, Co-founder and CEO, Arcweave

Manos Kalaitzoglou is the co-founder and CEO of Arcweave and is a Greek founder originally from Crete, Greece. Before becoming a founder, Manos studied architecture in the National Technical University of Athens, then switched to becoming a web designer as he was always fascinated by design, tech and storytelling. He worked with various startups in design lead and consultancy roles, which eventually led him to realise he and his teams were not efficient with the existing collaboration tools for interactive experiences. He founded Arcweave to help lower the bar of game design and development and allow everyone to take their first steps in this fascinating industry. 

Nick McLean, Co-Founder and Partner, Four Pillars

Nick is a Co-Founder and Partner at Four Pillars, a Private Equity firm that partners with entrepreneurs and investors to purchase and operate lower middle-market businesses ($20M to $250M in sales) with an untapped potential for growth. Four Pillars isn't your typical PE firm. We take a relationship-first approach and aren’t about financial engineering or extreme cost-cutting. Instead, we leverage our experience as entrepreneurs to help grow companies in terms of revenues and employees. 

So far, they have invested millions of dollars in seven businesses, including Southwest Steel Fabrication, the longest-operating steel fabricator in the Kansas City region, involved in projects like fencing around the White House and work on bridges and dams nationwide. To make these purchases, Four Pillars has worked with well known capital providers including Capital for Business (nearly $1 billion in portfolio company revenue) and Peninsula Capital ($2 billion in assets under management).

Nick has 15+ years of experience as a private equity investor and is highly regarded in the PE community for his ability to find and invest in businesses that last far into the future. Over at Four Pillars, most of Nick's activities revolve around fundraising as well as deal origination and execution. He also runs a popular YouTube channel with over 250K+ views, where he regularly shares knowledge about the ins and outs of private equity investments with his growing audience of over 1,700 subscribers.

 

Re-Release: Todd Stewart, President, Gulf Winds International

Todd Stewart is President of Gulf Winds International. He graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.S. in Marketing and immediately joined Gulf Winds International in 1996. Beginning as a fork-lift operator, he has served within or led every department within the company, leading to his current position of President.

Todd is primarily responsible for working with key stakeholders to establish and maintain a culture that reflects the mission, values and overall strategic "world class" vision for the organization.

Through being an active C12 Group member, Todd Stewart continues to learn how Gulf Winds International is here to serve a greater purpose and holds strongly to the biblical servant leadership model that empowers team members to grow personally, professionally and spiritually. He is passionate about how the gospel of Christ can restore hope in local and global communities. In 2017, this led Todd to found More Than The Move Foundation which exists to aid life-changing non-profits such as International Cooperating Ministries, Steiger International and Ground Wire via corporate generosity, corporate volunteerism and corporate advocacy.

Gulf Winds International, Inc. is a second-generation family-owned business that was founded in April 1996 near Port Houston. With a mission to glorify God by providing world-class logistics services through continual investment in people, clients, community and the world Gulf Winds continues to have a clear direction and a broad horizon.

Two things that separate Gulf Winds from other logistics companies is its authentic core values and common sense business strategy.

Driven by Values

Gulf Winds is driven by values and those values are intentionally and continually instilled in every employee in the company.

John Clancy, CEO, Planet Fitness Midwest

John Clancy is the founding and managing member of Planet Fitness Midwest. PFMW currently has 50 stores throughout the Midwest and Southern United States. PFMW has an additional 10 stores currently under construction, with the rights to build another 15 stores. In 2015, PFMW was named “Franchisee of the Year” by Planet Fitness.  Mr. Clancy focuses on the real estate site selection, development, lease negotiations, marketing and financing. He sits on the Independent Franchise Association committee for real estate and development for the Planet Fitness franchise system. 

Mr. Clancy is also the managing member of Smoothie King Midwest, a developer and operator of 30 Smoothie King units in NY, OH, KY, IN, and AL. 

As the managing member of Cornerstone Properties, Mr. Clancy has developed a retail real estate portfolio valued in excess of $100 million with an additional $50 million currently under development. 

Mr. Clancy serves in a board capacity for multiple non-profit organizations and charities that assist in spreading The Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mr. Clancy, his wife Regina, and their three children are active members of Christ Fellowship church.

Mr. Clancy was born and raised in Massapequa NY. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the State University of New York’s Business School at Plattsburgh.

Gonzalo Zubieta, CEO & Founder, Emet Partners

Gonzalo Zubieta is a CEO, founder, and disruptive transformation expert with more than 15 years of experience in leadership and strategy consulting. He is the head of Emet Partners, a consulting firm that helps Fortune 100 companies redefine their value proposition, strategic design, and value chain creation. He has a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University, a Certificate in Developmental Entrepreneurship from MIT, and a Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship from Harvard Business School.

As a speaker, mentor, angel investor, and advisor, Gonzalo is passionate about transforming the lives of those who lead organizations. He has worked with CEOs and executive teams in various sectors, enabling them to increase their competitive edge, improve their corporate climate, and foster a culture of honor in their organizations. He is also a recognized resource and facilitator for YPO, a global network of young business leaders. He has published a book on the analysis behind the trap of choosing the "right" decisions and speaks three languages: English, Spanish, and French.

Re-Release: Corey Lindley, CEO, doTERRA

For over three decades, Corey has been engaged in the global world of direct selling. He has lived and worked in Hong Kong, Japan, China, Australia and, of course, the United States, solving complex business issues. Corey has worked in senior C-level positions for two billion dollar-plus consumer product companies that market products through direct selling–one being doTERRA. Developing competent and loyal teams has been the hallmark of Corey’s professional career. He holds a BS degree in accounting and an MBA degree, and began his professional career in 1987 working for one of the world’s largest public accounting firms prior to beginning work in the direct selling world in 1990. He loves all sports, especially golf, but Corey is quick to point out that his favorite pastime is being with his amazing wife, Janis, along with his eight children and their families including 20 grandchildren doing whatever it is that they want to do.

About doTERRA:

doTERRA sources, tests, manufactures, and distributes pure essential oils and natural wellness products to over nine million Wellness Advocates and customers. Our products are shipped to 86 countries and counting.

Through industry-leading, responsible sourcing practices—Co-Impact Sourcing^®—doTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity, and sustainability in partnerships with local growers around the globe. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation^®, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, offers resources and tools to sourcing communities and charitable organizations, raising self-reliance, increasing access to healthcare, promoting education, advancing sanitation, and fighting against human trafficking. With our social impact mission to triple our impact by 2030, doTERRA is helping the world heal—one drop, one person, one community at a time.

To offer everyone the best personal essential oil education and experiences around the world, doTERRA uses the power of people via our modernized direct selling model. This approach allows distributors to work with customers, which allows people to learn about and experience essential oils from somebody they know and trust. This model also creates the opportunity for individuals and families to achieve their dreams of self-reliance.

Over three million Wellness Advocates now use and sell doTERRA products around the world.

 

Ray Higdon, CEO, The Higdon Group

Ray Higdon is the CEO of the Higdon Group. Ray shows Network Marketers how to Grow their Team, Skills & Profits with Simple Faith Driven Strategies. Since 2017 Ray has helped sales teams generate over 300,000 new customers and recruit over 70,000 new sales reps.

Ray has shared the stage with world renowned thought leaders, including Tony Robbins, Rachel Hollis, Les Brown, Brendon Burchard, Robert Kiyosaki, Bob Proctor, Gary Vaynerchuk, Grant Cardone, Magic Johnson and many more. Ray is currently co-mentoring with best-selling author and leadership expert John Maxwell in the Higdon Maxwell Mentorship Program, an elite mastermind group for high achievers.

Ray's podcast, Home Business Profits, has over 10 million downloads and his company, the Higdon Group, has been recognized as an Inc 5000 company, and hosts live and virtual events where thousands of people gain knowledge and sharpen their skills every year.

Please note: some listeners might find some of the details in this episode difficult.