About Jim Sexton
Operator. Business Owner.
Executive Coach. Trusted Peer.
Based in Raleigh, I've spent my career helping businesses and leaders turn strategy into execution—from owning and operating a successful company to leading sales, finance and operations, coaching CEOs and executives, and helping leadership teams navigate growth and change.
Today, through The Convergent Group, Vistage Triangle and CFO-Circle, I bring those experiences together to help leaders gain perspective, make better decisions and build stronger organizations.
I've Sat In the Chair
20+ YEARS
Business Owner, COO & CEO
Owned and operated the largest Toledo Scale distributorship in North America headquartered in Tampa, Florida with six (6) regional offices.
11+ YEARS
Vistage Chair & Executive Coach
Facilitated confidential peer advisory groups and one-to-one coaching for 50+ executives in the Triangle and Piedmont.
FRACTIONAL COO
Operator to family-owned businesses
Hands-on operational leadership helping ownership translate strategy into execution, accountability and results.
CROSS FUNCTIONAL
Enterprise Level Experience
Sales | Marketing | Operations | Finance | Leadership
The Road Wasn't a Straight Line
I didn't start out with a plan to launch an encore career.
But here we are.
I grew up the son of a career military officer and a stay-at-home mom. Moving was part of life, and so were some fairly straightforward expectations: integrity, responsibility, accountability and discipline. I also learned early that if I wanted to build something, I would probably have to take some risks along the way.
My career began on the factory floor at Toledo Scale in Worthington, Ohio. I quickly discovered that industrial sales and systems were a better fit for me than the manufacturing floor. That realization eventually took me to Tampa, Florida, where I joined an independent Toledo Scale distributorship.
Then came the opportunity that changed everything.
I became an owner.
Over the next 20+ years, my team and I built the business into the largest Toledo Scale distributorship in North America, headquartered in Tampa with six regional offices. Being an owner taught me lessons no business school could fully teach; how to make payroll, develop people, manage cash, win customers, recover from mistakes and make decisions when there isn't an obviously right answer.
After selling the company, my career took another series of turns—technology, logistics, enterprise sales and executive leadership. Each chapter broadened my perspective on how organizations grow, why they get stuck and what separates strategies that look good on paper from those that actually get executed.
Eventually, Vistage entered my life.
What began as another professional chapter became something much more important. I discovered that some of my most valuable experience wasn't simply operating businesses—it was helping other leaders think through theirs.
That's ultimately what brought me here.
What I've Learned along the Way
STRATEGY
Where are we going here?
Clarity about where you are going--- and why--- comes before everything else.
EXECUTION
How will we get there?
Strategy only creates value when people, priorities and accountability turn it into action.
TRUST
Will people follow?
Leadership ultimately depends on whether people trust the leader, the direction, and one another.
I've learned that success happens at the convergence of strategy, execution and trust.
How I Put That Experience to Work Today
Today, I bring that experience to leaders in three distinct ways—helping them turn strategy into execution, gain perspective on consequential decisions, and become stronger leaders.
FRACTIONAL COO
Turn Strategy into Execution.
I work alongside business owners and CEOs to translate vision into priorities, accountability and operating results.
VISTAGE TRIANGLE
Better Leaders. Better Decisions.
I facilitate confidential peer advisory groups where CEOs and business owners challenge assumptions, work through consequential decisions and grow as leaders.
CFO-CIRCLE
Better Perspective. Better Decisions.
I bring CFOs and senior finance leaders together to challenge assumptions, gain perspective and navigate the decisions that come with the CFO seat.