New leadership addresses the growing need for Finance, Accounting and HR Consulting, Advisory and Interim Management Talent solutions in the Middle Market
MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Positioning a company for growth requires strong Finance and Human Resources capabilities, yet one-third of middle market executives say it’s either “very challenging” or “extremely challenging” to find Finance, Accounting and HR professionals with the right experience and skills, according to a recent survey (RSM, 2022). To capitalize on strong market demand, Growth Operators, a leading middle market Finance, Accounting and HR consultancy, is announcing the following executive appointments to expand the firm’s differentiated suite of business transformation services and build on its long-standing reputation for transforming Finance, Accounting and HR into functions that empower companies and private equity sponsors to achieve maximum growth and value.
The company announced today that veteran Growth Operators executive Molly Hiller has been promoted to the role of President. The company has also added two seasoned outside executives to its leadership ranks; Ron Hornbaker joined the company in the newly created role of Chief Revenue Officer, and Stephanie Laitala-Rupp has joined the company as its new Chief Operating Officer.
Ms. Hiller most recently served as Growth Operators’ Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. As President, Hiller will assume responsibility for all company operations and will report to the firm’s Founder and Chief Executive Officer Rick Nordvold. She will also continue to serve as the firm’s CFO. Hiller led the development of Growth Operators’ nextLevel® value creation tool, which is used by the firm’s consultants, (called Growth Pros), to instill best practices into clients’ finance, accounting, and HR processes. The firm will be launching a cloud-based software version of the tool in 2024. Hiller also spearheaded the creation of Growth Operators INDiGO™ platform which facilitates training and career development for the firm’s 65 employees.
“Molly joined me at Growth Operators in 2012 as our first employee,” said Nordvold. “She set our standard for excellent client service from the very beginning, and, over the years, has led countless initiatives that have driven us to where we are today. The standards and tools she has developed differentiate us and facilitates consistency and excellence in our service to our clients. Molly is an exceptional leader and innovator who has evolved into a paragon of leadership and strategic thinking in our industry.”
“I was all in with Rick’s vision for Growth Operators from the beginning,” said Hiller. “I’m proud to say that our Growth Pros not only executed on our original vision, but they surfaced opportunities to serve clients that we didn’t even envision back then. We have 65 of the most talented and committed people I’ve ever worked with, and it’s an honor to lead them into this exciting new chapter for Growth Operators.”
“Our team grew our business to record levels in 2023. It was the fourth year in a row that we grew by more than thirty percent,” said Nordvold. “This rapid growth naturally made our business more complex, so we bolstered our leadership ranks to add the depth and experience needed to continue this momentum and satisfy the increasing market demand for our services.”
Last fall, Growth Operators hired Ron Hornbaker as Chief Revenue officer to lead the company’s sales, marketing, and business development efforts. A seasoned executive with an impressive record of leading growing companies including Rockler Companies, Golf Town, Golf Galaxy, and Sleep Number, he was attracted to Growth Operators team approach, executive and growth potential. Ron will lead the expansion of Growth Operators’ client base and private equity partnerships.
Growth Operators also added industry veteran Stephanie Laitala-Rupp to its executive team in 2023 as its Chief Operating Officer to lead the firm’s client-facing efforts. Laitala-Rupp brings an impressive record and deep executive expertise as past President of Commonwealth Companies, Founder and CEO of Owl Bookkeeping and CFO Services. Stephanie has emerged as a trusted partner for clients seeking battle-tested and scalable approaches tailored to each client’s specific requirements propelling Growth Operators’ transformative services.
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SOURCE Growth Operators