BROADCASTS.com

Inside the middle market today, it\u2019s not uncommon to find a seasoned private equity executive serving as CFO of one his or her firm\u2019s portfolio companies. Such an arrangement provides the business leader with a coveted split-screen view that buffers the investor\u2019s demands with real-world operational insights.

CFO Steve Coughran, who last year entered the C-suite at EMJ Corporation, of Chattanooga, TN, enjoys a similar split-screen of the business. However, this time the other half of CFO Coughran\u2019s screen belongs not to a private equity executive but a strategy adviser and author. \u201d I was initially hired by EMJ to help them to develop and execute a client experience strategy. I entered their offices and helped them to develop tools and processes to help its leaders understand how they could enhance the client experience, but as I got into the engagement, I realized that the corporate strategy was not aligned with the customer and that there was a big disconnect,\u201d explains Coughran, who stepped into the CFO office a year ago following a number of changes inside EMJ\u2019s finance function.

In the meantime, CFO Coughran\u2019s strategy itch has seldom waned, and the split-screen CFO can still be found delivering keynote and seminar presentations for conferences across the country on topics focused on strategic growth, innovation, and financial management.

\xa0

NOW SUBSCRIBE: The Quarterly Digest of CFO Strategic Insight http://bit.ly/2Wfv291 (25 CFO Profiles Every Issue).