About Jim Sexton

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 thankfully, a stay-at-home mom. A "military brat" if you prefer. For those of you who were raised like I was, it was family/duty/honor. And not always in that order. What was crystal clear were our values: integrity, responsibility, accountability and discipline. In my case, I added one. It's always about the desire to build something on my own (and succeed).

After graduating college, I started my career in manufacturing at the old Toledo Scale Company in Worthington, OH. I loved the factory floor but quickly pivoted to industrial scales and systems sales. I "carried a bag" and left for FL to an independent Toledo Scale distributor based in Tampa. I got married, and together with my incredible wife, raised 2 children and got my MBA. While there, I steadily rose through the ranks selling, managing salespeople, and general management only to be rewarded with owning and operating the company! With the immense contributions of my teammates, we grew it to be the largest of its kind in North America. I later sold it to Mettler Instrument in 2000 moving from Florida to North carolina in the early 00's. 

I sat on the sidelines for a while, didn't get any better at golf and being too young to retire, I became a seed investor and rainmaker for a startup supply chain logistics provider MercuryGate (now Infios). After a short stint, I became a passive investor. Through the years, MercuryGate became one of the bigger transportation management software technology companies in the supply chain & logistics space. 

Retail and industrial scales/systems, laboratory balances and automation were still in my blood. After my non-compete expired, I went to work as SVP of Sales & Marketing for Great Lakes based Rice Lake Weighing Systems in Rice Lake, WI. Since cold weather isn't my friend, RLWS allowed me to commute from Raleigh-Durham. With the help of my outstanding teammates, we doubled sales there in about 5+ years. Telecommuting and being on an airplane/hotels five days a week and about 45 weeks a year frankly wore me down a bit.

VISTAGE came calling in about 2010 and this is where I discovered my true calling in business and in life. Without VISTAGE, I never realized that we're naturally born with blind spots. We all have them, some more than others. I certainly had mine and through VISTAGE identified and dealt with them. What's yours?

Helping small to mid-sized businesses through accretive perspectives gained via a peer advisory board make all of us better leaders, help us make better decisions gain clarity and achieve better results. Always with a wayward eye on the blind spots! The first time around as a VISTAGE CHAIR, I lead almost 50 CXO leaders. 

During COVID, I had an itch to return to the front lines, so I joined a couple of my VISTAGE members as their Fractional COO. Thoroughly enjoyed that experience where the founders taught me the nuances of commercial real estate development, construction, trades and project management. We were able to grow that portfolio across 3+ years about 3X. 

I stepped back for about 1.5 years and enjoyed the sabbatical. However, I can say with confidence that for me, and as I have few hobbies to occupy my mind, retirement is boring. Now, I've come full circle, "returned home" and consistent with one of my earlier virtues, I've decided to build something on my own. I'm once again "hanging a shingle" and plying my trade as a Fractional COO, CFO-Circle Chapter Director and VISTAGE Chair. 

It's all about legacy now and continued relevance. I'm right at home rolling up my sleeves, being front-and-center with CEOs, CFOs, COOs and business owners, whether embedded inside the organization or in a larger group of peer contemporaries. We talk confidentially about their biggest concerns, challenges and together we WIN.

That's my legacy so far; what's yours?

Jim Sexton, The Convergent Group, LLC Founder