Business builder and investor. 12+ businesses founded. Exited 5. 30+ years of experience. 200K+ readers.

Building beautiful businesses. I’ve spent the last 30 years leading, building, and growing my holding company. 

Entrepreneurship done right makes the world a better place.

My track record of success:
- Employ 600+ people
- Built 12+ businesses across multiple industries
- Audience in the hundreds of thousands
- Chili's & Subaru evangelist (unpaid)

Michael Girdley

How do you turn a billion-dollar business into a disaster in just three years?
Ask Topgolf.

Topgolf is in serious trouble. Sales down 10% year-over-year in established markets. Stock dropped 40%. The company is literally splitting itself apart to survive.

Here's how it happened:

Started in the UK around 2000. Private equity brought it to the US. People loved it—especially millennials looking for group activities that weren't just another bar.

By 2019, Topgolf was doing $1.1 billion in revenue and growing 30% annually.

Then Callaway (the golf equipment company) made a massive bet. They bought Topgolf in 2020, renamed the whole company, and borrowed hundreds of millions to build 10 new locations a year.

Each location costs $15-40 million to build. But they were doing $15-20 million per year in revenue. The math looked good.

Post-COVID, things got even better. People were desperate for in-person experiences. Fresh air. Group activities. Topgolf crushed it.

But here's where it all went wrong:

Problem #1: Consumer behavior normalized faster than expected. Turns out people's COVID habits weren't permanent.

Problem #2: Inflation hit. Average spend per person is $36. They wanted $650 just to reserve a bay on a Tuesday afternoon for a corporate event. In an environment where wages aren't keeping up? That's a tough sell.

Problem #3: It became a fad. People tried it once or twice and moved on. The repeat business never materialized the way they needed.

Problem #4: Interest rates skyrocketed. All that borrowed money to build new locations? Now it's crushing their free cash flow.

Problem #5: Competitors figured it out. Guys are putting the same tracking tech in strip mall driving ranges for $100K instead of $15 million.

The lesson? You can't count on a fad to become a permanent behavior change. 

And you sure as hell can't borrow hundreds of millions betting that it will.

They're splitting up the company now, trying to save what they can.

Will Topgolf survive? Probably. But this is a masterclass in what happens when you grow too fast, borrow too much, and mistake temporary consumer enthusiasm for permanent market demand.

What's your take—have you seen this pattern play out in other businesses?

—

I run an annual conference for business owners in Sundance, Utah. It’s all owners, operators, and investors sharing real deal structures, holdco economics, and what's working now.

Join us in February!

Click the link here to check it out: https://lnkd.in/dCJnMh7i

Small private colleges are so cooked:

I literally advised my kids not to apply to my alma mater, where I had a great experience, BTW.

But this price is insane.

Speaking for well-off parents, we get no financial aid or discounts. You might get a small "scholarship," but it's a joke.

Mrs. G and I are ambivalent about our kids attending college now. The ROI has shifted from when we were young – and the world is a much different place.

How are you approaching this?

The rise and fall of Hollywood

For nearly a century, Hollywood was the global capital of entertainment — the place where dreams were made, and where 90% of the world’s box office revenue once flowed. 

But today, that empire is crumbling. The movie industry has lost a third of its workforce, and soundstages across Los Angeles sit empty. What happened?

In this video, we trace the entire rise and fall of Hollywood — from the Edison patent wars that started it all, to the golden age of cinema, to the streaming revolution that’s now destroying it. 

You’ll learn how technology, politics, and changing audience tastes all collided to end a hundred-year reign of power.

This isn’t just a story about film — it’s about how entire industries can collapse when they stop listening to the audience.

Follow for more honest breakdowns of business, culture, and media every week.

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Thinking back to when Jaguar had a 97% sales crash. One of the most spectacular brand collapses I've ever watched in real time.

Some good business lessons here:

• The Complacency Trap

For decades, Jaguar was synonymous with British elegance. Enzo Ferrari supposedly called the E-Type "the most beautiful car ever made." Their founder's motto was "copy nothing."

But heritage became a cage. By the 1970s and 80s, Jaguar was selling old-fashioned cars to old customers. Young buyers? They went elsewhere.

First lesson: Even legendary brands die if they stop evolving. Being badass for 20 years doesn't give you a free pass for the next 20.

• The Execution Disaster

When Ford bought Jaguar in 1989, they tried to copy BMW's playbook — go downmarket with a cheaper sports sedan to capture volume.

They totally screwed it up.

The X-Type was basically a rebadged Ford Mondeo wearing a Jaguar badge. Traditional buyers hated it. The younger buyers they were targeting? Not impressed either.

Lesson two: Copying a competitor's strategy without understanding WHY it worked is a recipe for disaster. They alienated their loyal customers and attracted zero new ones.

• The Brief Comeback

Fast forward to Tata Motors buying Jaguar in 2008 for just $2.3 billion (half what Ford had spent). They caught the luxury SUV wave at the perfect time. The F-Pace, E-Pace, and electric I-Pace were hits.

US sales more than doubled from 2015 to 2017. Global sales hit 180,000 in 2018 — an all-time high.

But beneath the surface, Jaguar was losing money on every car. Land Rover's profits were subsidizing the whole operation.

Lesson three: Don't let parts of your business quietly become money losers. The best operators jump in and fix it or cut it. Jaguar just let it rot.

• The Rebrand Catastrophe

By 2020, Jaguar made a radical bet: shut down ALL production, go completely electric, and rebrand as an ultra-luxury player.

Then in November 2024, they launched their rebrand campaign.

No cars. Just androgynous models in wild outfits on Mars-like settings with taglines like "live vivid." They killed the iconic leaping cat logo for a minimalist wordmark.

Even Elon Musk roasted them, asking "do you sell cars?"

The timing was brutal. They designed this campaign during peak 2020-2022 when over-the-top fake stuff was everywhere. But by late 2024? People were tired of that. We wanted authenticity.

And Jaguar delivered the opposite.

• The Final Lesson

You have to read the room. Don't tell the world something when they want to hear something else.

As a potential customer, I'd love to buy a Jaguar built with care and soul. 

Instead, they're pitching a $200,000 electric GT wrapped in the most manicured, fake, over-the-top campaign imaginable.

Their first new car launches late 2025. They're starting from scratch with burned dealers and confused customers.

I'm not sure they can pull it off.

What do you think, can Jaguar survive this rebrand?

Michael

At one company, a person stole hundreds of thousands of dollars. I’ve been robbed by people who have been with me for years.

So I asked an auditor: 

"What's the #1 way to prevent theft as a business owner?" 

He said: 

"Simple. Each month, review every transaction. Don't hide that you're doing it."

What’s your take on preventing employee theft in your businesses?

The Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Best Buy (How It Outsmarted Amazon)

Best Buy was supposed to die. Circuit City, Fry’s, RadioShack—all gone. 

In 2012, analysts called Best Buy “the next retail bankruptcy.” Instead, it pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in business history.

This video breaks down the Rise, Fall, and Comeback of Best Buy: how a tornado sparked its superstore model, how showrooming nearly killed it, and how CEO Hubert Joly turned it all around with price-matching, vendor partnerships, and the bold “stores-within-a-store” strategy.

From near-death to a $47B powerhouse—this is the playbook every operator and investor should study.

—

I run an annual conference for business owners in Sundance, Utah. It’s all owners, operators, and investors sharing real deal structures, holdco economics, and what's working now.

Join us in February!

Shoot me a DM if this is up your alley.

He knew he wasn't supposed to say it because people wanted to hear it was all. After all, he was so smart and outworked everyone else, right?

However, while that stuff was necessary, fortune plays a significant role in making any fortune.

Luck played a huge factor in this founder's life-changing outcome.

"I was at the right place at the right time near the right people."

I've talked to tons of successful founders.

Same pattern every time.

—

I run an annual conference for business owners in Sundance, Utah. It’s all owners, operators, and investors sharing real deal structures, holdco economics, and what's working now.

Join us in February!

Click the link here to check it out: https://lnkd.in/dCJnMh7i

The rise and fall of Spirit Airlines: A billion-dollar mistake.

Spirit Airlines went from flying gamblers to Vegas to becoming the most profitable airline in America by 2015.

 But less than a decade later, the same ultra-low-cost model that made Spirit a phenomenon also pushed it into two bankruptcies and a fight for survival. 

In this breakdown, we dig into the business decisions, competitive pressures, and strategic missteps that transformed Spirit from an industry disruptor into a cautionary tale.

We’ll cover how Spirit’s unbundled pricing changed air travel, why competitors copied and undercut its model, how overexpansion and fragile operations triggered its collapse, and what its second Chapter 11 filing means for the future of ULCCs. 

Whether you’re into airline strategy, business case studies, or investing lessons, this story is packed with insights about temporary vs. durable competitive advantages.

If you enjoy deep-dive business analysis like this, follow for more investing and company breakdowns every week.

How do you screw up a business that sells 30 cents of coffee for $5?
Starbucks found a way.

CEO fired. Thousands of stores closing. And somehow they're also opening thousands more.

Let me explain what's actually happening:

Starbucks grew from 4,000 stores in 2000 to 40,000 today. That's insane scale. 

And they nailed three things:

1. The "Third Place" concept — Home, work, and Starbucks. Americans lost their community gathering spots (church, Elks Lodge, whatever). Starbucks filled that void perfectly. Clean bathrooms, good Wi-Fi, friendly baristas.

2. Premium real estate domination — Starbucks outbid everyone for the best locations. When you're selling a commodity (coffee with sugar), location is everything.

3. Achievable luxury — Millennials lived through 2008. Couldn't afford houses. But a $5 Starbucks cup? That was their daily luxury flex.
This flywheel worked beautifully. Until it didn't.

What went wrong:

Not one big mistake. A series of small bad decisions that compounded:

• Menu got too complex — Prep times increased 60%. Coffee needs to be convenient. Waiting 10 minutes for a triple-shot-whatever kills that.

• Lost the "third place" vibe — Locked bathrooms. Tired stores. I stopped going to my local Starbucks because it literally smelled like an airplane bathroom. One near me turned into a homeless shelter.

• Inflation crushed their customers — $5 coffee became $7. Your salary didn't go up. Do the math.

• Competition exploded — Luckin Coffee in China. Dutch Bros raised hundreds of millions. Seven Brew. The pie got divided fast.

• Leadership chaos — CEO lasted 15 months before getting fired. That tells you everything about board panic.

The turnaround plan:

They brought in Brian Niccol. This guy fixed Chipotle when everyone thought it was dead.

Here's what he's doing:

• Simplified the menu by 30%
• Returning to the "third place" model — more seating, better vibes
• Closing underperforming locations
• Opening premium locations strategically

And here's the paradox I mentioned: Growth hides problems.

Keep the top line growing and investors give you time to fix profitability. That's why they're still building stores even while closing others. Smart.

The real lesson?

Big problems that take years to create take years to fix. You can't turn around a 40,000-location chain in 6 months.

Brian knows this. He's playing the long game.

Early signs look promising — same-store sales flattening out, international decline shrinking from -4% to -1%. Green shoots.

But they're not out of the woods yet.

Bottom line: When you're selling a commodity product, you can't let complexity, bad locations, and poor experience kill your core value prop. 

Starbucks forgot that. Now they're remembering the hard way.

What's your take — will Starbucks pull off the turnaround, or is the third place concept dead?

Follow Michael Girdley for more business content ✅

The rise and fall... and rise again of the Las Vegas Sphere

When the Las Vegas Sphere opened, it was supposed to be the future of live entertainment — a $2.3 billion tech wonder built to change concerts forever.

Instead, it became one of the biggest financial disasters in Vegas history. Between construction delays, massive losses, and an empty calendar, many thought the Sphere was doomed.

But then came the comeback no one saw coming. In this video, we dive deep into how James Dolan and his team completely flipped the script — transforming the Sphere from a money pit into one of the most profitable venues in the world. 

From U2’s residency to the jaw-dropping Wizard of Oz 4D experience that sold out for months, this is the story of how Vegas’ wildest idea was finally saved.

If you love stories about business turnarounds, innovation, and redemption, you’ll want to see this one through to the end.

Follow for more deep dives into business, tech, and comeback stories every week.

—

I run an annual conference for business owners in Sundance, Utah. It’s all owners, operators, and investors sharing real deal structures, holdco economics, and what's working now.

Join us in February!

Shoot me a DM if this is up your alley.

Here's how Dave's Hot Chicken went from a $900 parking lot popup to a $1B exit in seven years.

They rode a wave instead of creating one

Nashville hot chicken was already trending. These guys didn't try to invent something new — they just brought it to LA where people were hungry for it.

Smart move #1: Find a trend and ride it hard.

They started smaller than small

Most restaurant founders go rent a space, borrow from family, rack up debt. 

These guys spent $900 on folding tables, a tent, and a portable fryer.

No credit cards. No business permit. Just a parking lot and chicken.

First night? Made $40.

Then a food writer showed up. Next night, 70 people in line. Within weeks, they each had $10K in their pockets — more money than they'd ever seen.

They made one thing really, really well

Look at Chick-fil-A. Raising Canes. In-N-Out. They all do one thing incredibly well.

Dave's kept it simple: chicken tenders, sliders, a few sides. That's it.

When you're not complex, you can't screw up in complex ways.

They knew what they didn't know

These guys were smart enough to recognize their limitations. So they brought in:

Samuel L. Jackson (and other big names for cache)
Bill Phelps (restaurant scaling expert)
Drake (to reach younger crowds)

Then they went all-in on franchising. Sold over 1,000 locations. Let other entrepreneurs bring capital and knowhow.

By 2023: $600M in revenue. 57% year-over-year growth. Spewing cash.
This week: Roark Capital bought them for a billion dollars.

The lessons:

Start small. Perfect your product before you scale. Ride trends, don't fight them. 

Know what you're good at, then find people to fill the gaps.

And for the love of God, focus on doing one thing really well instead of ten things poorly.

What's your take on this success story?

This graph has been on my mind a lot lately.

The main reason it's so hard to build or do anything physical in this country now is that we have so many on the payroll looking to keep themselves busy by saying no or creating hurdles.

A gerontocracy doesn't want change or disruption. So, they promote many people to prevent that from happening.

What's your take on this?

A $4 billion company just lost 90% of its value and nobody's paying attention.
The entire plant-based meat industry is collapsing.

Beyond Meat sales dropped 10% last year. Their stock? Down 90% from peak. 

And look, if you're in the food business and consumption drops 10% in a year, that's not a rough quarter. That's a disaster.

Here's what happened:

Back in 2009, Beyond Meat launched at the perfect moment. Millennials were coming of age. Social media was pushing environmentalism and health trends hard. And for the first time, fake meat actually tasted... decent.

The IPO in 2019 was insane. $4 billion valuation. One of the best-performing first-day IPOs of the decade. Burger King, Carl's Jr., everyone wanted in. Big money poured in. Billions.

They scaled like crazy — 13 suppliers at one point producing their product. 

Sales tripled in a year. The party looked like it would never end.

Then COVID changed everything.

People started questioning what they believed online. The original promises started falling apart:

• Plant-based meat isn't cheaper (10-50% MORE expensive)
• Environmental benefits? Mostly debunked
• Healthier? Social media flipped on that narrative too

By 2023, sales were down 30%. The fad was over.

The business lessons here are brutal:

1. Fads go both ways. Social media created the demand. Social media killed it just as fast.

2. Never scale expecting the music won't stop. Beyond Meat went from 13 suppliers to 1. That's expensive whiplash.

3. When you're riding a trend, build defensibility fast. Because when the trend turns, you better have something real holding you up.

The reality is they built a massive business on shifting consumer sentiment driven by social media. That's sand, not concrete.

Now here's the twist — the industry might not be dead. We're raising fewer cattle in the US than any time since 1951. Population has doubled since then. If beef prices spike, maybe plant-based meat gets its second act.

But they're going to have to rebuild trust they burned through the first time around.

Bottom line: Growth feels amazing. But sustainable growth beats explosive growth that implodes.

What's your take — is plant-based meat done, or just early to the party?

Older small business owners when the most recent existential "crisis" hits the company late on a Friday. (see meme below)

--

After a few years, you learn that business ownership is very different from how it's widely regarded.

Business ownership is actually a never-ending flow of crises, f-ups, and shit storms. That's the norm. It's never "all going great." 

"Going great" is just that the crises are all known and manageable.

Ironically, the only time you should panic is when there aren't any "disasters" right now. That means there are certainly problems in the company -- you're not aware of them yet.

—

I run an annual conference for business owners in Sundance, Utah. It’s all owners, operators, and investors sharing real deal structures, holdco economics, and what's working now.

Join us in February!

Click the link in my bio to check it out.

Are you trying to deploy customer-facing voice agents/AI in your company? Want to?

I'm helping a team working on this space. We'd love to talk to you. Maybe get work done for you on the cheap, too!

DMs open or email me michael at girdley dot com!

ServicePro CFO

Managing Partner

Schlumberger

• Responsible for developing & implementing an enterprise-wide common Reporting & Planning Platform
• Enable cross functional strategy coordination between Sales, Planning, and Finance domains
• Unified Business Reporting requirements, with a focus on Valuable & Actionable analytics 
• Created Standard Interoperability Protocols, to enable the Integrated Business Planning (IBP) rollout
• Developed Business/Geography specific Operating Models, to establish Reporting and Planning requirements 
• Defined various Business System enhancements necessary to unify reporting and satisfy operational visibility
• Modified various Corporate Information Models (CIM), to enable centralized Operational Reporting
• Developed the Data & Analytics strategy and capabilities, including defining vendors and tools to build robust, integrated data sets, capabilities, and insights
• Reviewed the BI corporate and self-service strategies endorsed by the CIO, vice presidents, and business leaders

Commentary: 
Borne out of a desire to unify strategy across Finance, Sales, & Operational Planning; the role was established to enable the development of an enterprise-wide common reporting & planning platform. The output, a singular platform to 1) Convert various Demand Signals into an actionable Operating Plan 2) Enable Financialization of Operating Plan 3) Provide Postmortem Business Reporting & Insights.

Senior Finance Director | Data & Analytics

• Provide financial leadership, including global ownership for reporting, budgeting, & forecasting, ~$4B Rev per Annum
• Responsible for monthly close reporting and ensuring business compliance with internal controls (SOX & GAAP)
• Support development of new business strategy, with main levers including Business Model Optimization, NPD Rationalization, Product Cost Leadership, & Business Digitization
• Responsible for developing the business intelligence portfolio, including a team of 4 Data Scientists/BI Analysts 
• Partner with operations to develop data models, automation tools, and data visualizations to guide strategic decisions
• Established Corporate Information Models (CIM), unifying unstructured data sets to support key business decisions
• Review & support business acquisitions, joint venture set up, and partnership activity to ensure viability
• Provide overall coordination of the business tax strategy; including transfer pricing & compliance
• Review significant contracts and tenders to ensure sufficient risk mitigation strategies are in place
• Review major capital projects and ensure capital stewardship

Key Deliverables:
• Reduced global Compensation from 18.3% -> 17.1% (of revenue), an improvement of 52 Basis Points 
• Reduced global Material & Supplies expense from 7.66% -> 6.36%, an improvement of 130 Basis Points		

Commentary: 
The Fluids Business Line is comprised of Schlumberger’s Drilling Fluids, Completion Fluids, & Cementing offerings; with annual Revenues of $4B and Headcount of 7000+. As Senior Finance Director, I am personally responsible for worldwide Financial Performance, Capital Stewardship, and development of the Business Intelligence Portfolio.

Senior Finance Director | Fluids

• Responsible for company wide CAPEX planning of field Equipment across all PL’s, approx. $1B per Annum
• Actively managed the OPEX Budgeting & Forecasting process for the Technology function, approx. $3.5B per Annum
• Responsible for Asset Compliance of the Company’s fleet across all operating geographies, approx. $30+ Billion
• Developed Automated Cost of Service Delivery reporting at the Technology/Geography level
• Led the development of Job Profitability tools, leveraging both Operational & Financial Business Systems
• Supported all Product Lines in extending Maintenance Triggers, reducing maintenance events /spend
• Drafted policies on Asset Refurbishment, Sustaining Cost Recovery, & New Technology Development
• Managed a Team of Data Scientists/Engineers in developing Management Visibility Tools / Dashboards
• Developed Financial Models to compute value generated via reducing Maintenance Frequency, Intensity, Etc.
• Developed externally focused financial strategies revolving around monetizing asset health monitoring (APM)
• Drove the reduction of Idle Assets & Backup Tools via both live data monitoring and financial incentives

Key Deliverables:
• Reduced global Depreciation Expenses from 6.36% -> 5.84%, an improvement of 52 Basis Points
• Reduced global Material & Supplies expense from 7.66% -> 6.36%, an improvement of 130 Basis Points
• Delivered savings of $640M YoY in terms of reduction in Cost of Service Delivery per activity			

Commentary: 
The Technology Lifecycle Management Business Function combines Schlumberger’s Maintenance and Sustaining functions; and is responsible for technology assurance from Commercialization to Retirement. Beyond the traditional Finance responsibilities of Profit & Loss management (P&L), my primary areas of focus were reducing Cost of Service Delivery (COSD) while simultaneously increasing Asset Utilization.

Finance Director | Technology Lifecycle Management

• Led the company’s worldwide transformation initiative around asset ownership (~$20B GBV)
• Revamped the companywide accounting structure to enable virtual visibility & central asset ownership
• Redeveloped the accounting sub-system in all operating geographies to enable P&L capture and visibility
• Managed a team of 40 who performed worldwide asset demarcation, verification, and risk quantification
• Managed a team of 6 Analysts/Controllers in designing, building, and ruggedizing leasing models
• Developed the Perpetual Asset Count program, which cross referenced the ERP, Maintenance System, and actual count records; reducing the count population by ~50% while focusing on high risk populations
• Revised the month end accounting process and drafted the associated corporate Financial Procedure
• Led development of SAS based Visualization Dashboards, designed to automate workflows
• Developed the program’s corporate governance model, including reoccurring meetings with operations 
• Managed the roadmap for maintenance system enhancements 
• Deployed an automated solution which force aligned asset movements in both the maintenance and financial systems
• Ensured Fiscal compliance with cross boarder asset movements via deploying an asset transfer matrix 

Key Deliverables:
• Improved global Asset Utilization from 2.14% -> 3.53%, an improvement of 65%

Commentary: 
The Asset Lease Program was developed to convert the Asset Fleet into a Variable cost, via the use of a Leasing Model. The Program was designed with a dual mandate of improving Asset Utilization while simultaneous reducing the Cost of Service Delivery; with a project scope of $20B GBV. This journey represented a complete financial and operational transformation, including Network Rationalization, Business System Enhancements, Accounting Hierarchy/Process Changes, Operational Model Development, & Change Management.

Transformation Program Manager | Assets

• Developed the segment’s transformation strategy around inventory management (~$500M GBV) 
• Led the segment’s global inventory visibility program which required the ingestion of data sets spanning multiple business systems and operating geographies 
• Developed a statistical forecasting model to predict inventory levels by location; accounting for incoming pipeline, demand signals, projected revenue, etc.
• Designed the Inventory Risk Assessment Framework, which was deployed as part of the tender review process to quantify financial risks associated with customer T&Cs
• Involved in implementing "Intelligent" Part Numbering (iSKU) schema, enabling attribute-based inventory planning 
• Ensured Inventory & Warehouse processes/controls were in place and that inventory controls were effective
• Implemented an enhanced Inventory transfer (FMT) program, coupled with HQ incentive structure
• Managed global inventory impairment program, with specific focus on technical/market obsolescence risk 

Key Deliverables:
• Reduced global Inventory from $463M -> $314M (while maneuvering a contracting market), a reduction of $149M
 
Commentary: 
A key part of a transformation initiative at the intersection of Finance and Operational Planning. The role’s key focus was on managing the segment’s working capital and liquidity objectives, via right sizing the balance sheet while ensuring operational continuity (right inventory, right place, right place). Reducing inventory levels while maneuvering a contracting market environment was both challenging and rewarding, with the result being an effective inventory reduction of ~$150M.

Global Controller | Inventory

• Lead several region-based audit engagements spanning all business units. Responsible for all aspects of project execution including scoping, resource allocation, implementation, and drafting of final deliverable 
• Performed several IT focused reviews (ex: Oracle Procure to Pay) assessing process & system controls
• Engaged in both Due Diligence and Post Acquisition Reviews of several acquired businesses
• Developed key performance indicators to facilitate predictive analytics and quantitative risk assessments
• Managed worldwide business reviews, including global inventory assessments & balance sheet tests
• Developed the Engineering, Manufacturing, & Sustaining audit methodology and work programs
• Utilized KPIs to build visual management dashboards, highlighting key areas of concern 

Commentary: 
Designed as a management fast track program, with the intention of affording team members high level visibility of Schlumberger’s various business segments, operational activities, & executive team.

Corporate Internal Auditor

• Conducted a landmark study on the true cost of internal machining capacity considering the current cost structure, machine availability, and employee efficiency/utilization 
• Negotiated a new transfer scheme in which pricing was a function of capacity utilization
• Engineered a new standard costing paradigm which included revisiting all product routings, revising absorption rates (via activity based costing), establishing minimum order quantities on high-volume/low-risk parts, and developing a mathematical model for raw material pricing
• Managed/Approved capital expenditure spend in excess of $10 Million
• Conducted a thorough review of all “At-Risk” inventory and its associated obsolescence provision in order to quantity exposure
• Developed new management P&L’s (per product line) via utilization of a modified account structure

Commentary: 
Out of the frying pan and into the fire, this role required a substantial shift in approach as I went from being responsible for a start-up operation to the largest fully integrated manufacturing center in the company (10 times the size). As a result, my focus during the course of this job has been less deployment and more improvement via strengthening existing controls, process change management, and team building. Major areas of interest include inventory management, shop floor control, and product costing.

Center Controller | Engineering, Manufacturing, & Sustaining

• Deployed the site ERP system (MFGPro) and managed associated training of site staff  
• Drafted and deployed the localized standard financial practices (in order to ensure an across-the-board implementation of standard finance practices)
• Implemented all financial controls (segregation of duties, P2P standard, authorization matrix, etc.)
• Analyzed and controlled investments (Capex, Inventory, Projects, DSO) 
• Performed monthly reviews of Profit & Loss and Balance Sheet accounts
• Prepared and presented monthly variance analysis by job 
• Undertook financial planning, forecasting, and monitoring of results versus objectives 
• Established relations with the regional supplier base (due to a lack of a mature Supply Chain function)
• Trained and developed both the Finance and Supply Chain teams
• Assisted with the planning & implementation of the IT infrastructure
• Managed the entire legal registration process with local authorities (Registration, Licenses, & Zoning issues)
• Assisted with the development of the business model & transfer pricing in order to ensure tax efficiency
• Directly engaged in tax planning (royalties, shared cost allocations) and local tax preparation (fiscal books.)
• Participated in SOX audits of other regional manufacturing centers (Inventory Lead)

Manufacturing Controller

• Streamlined the finance reporting process in order to eliminate non-value added work
• Conducted a review of inventory levels, past & future usage, and obsolesce reserves to gauge accuracy  
• Established and analyzed budgetary figures for the 3 legal entities associated with the site
• Completed review of Labor & Overhead rates
• Implemented controls on procurement activity in order to validate firm demand before placing orders

Backfill Controller

• Analyzed company-wide Absorption methodologies and their potential implications on pricing/tendering 
• Established & analyzed year budgetary figures for the entire segment
• Built Ad-Hoc reporting tools for the Finance Community (via Access and VB)
• Reviewed/Audited reporting methodologies of various centers (inconsistencies in financial reporting)
• Assisted with identifying currency exposure issues related to foreign currency expense

Senior Financial Analyst

• Reviewed balance sheet accounts, reconciled and prepared associated balance sheet notes
• Analyzed Profit & Loss variance and reviewed detailed revenue and cost transactions
• Controlled and prepared general ledger entries including prepaids, accruals, allocations, etc
• Controlled inventory including evaluation of product cost, material accuracy, period physical inventory, etc. 
• Established standard overhead rates
• Established standards of control over material and finished goods movements.
• Coordinated with Purchasing, Materials and Operations Management on issues of product cost
• Supported implementation of manufacturing accounting and control systems

Senior Cost Accountant

• Prepared necessary month end journal entries and account reconciliations as required
• Analyzed and reported to Management spend activity of the plant versus budget and forecast
• Assisted Plant Management in the development of the Annual Budget
• Performed general ledger reconciliation and analysis
• Reviewed standard cost of manufactured products

Cost Accountant

Albemarle

• Conducted timely monthly closing including budget variances and key performance indicators
• Prepared weekly and monthly results of operations to management
• Performed Year end closing functions
• Prepared, coordinated and managed budgets and forecasts (daily, weekly & monthly)
• Analyzed and interpreted financial and accounting information

Assistant Controller

IT Quest

• Performed accounts payable entries
• Compiled and analyzed financial information to prepare entries to accounts.
• Prepared financial statements

Accounts Payable/Bookkeeping Clerk

As the Managing Partner at ServicePro CFO, I specialize in elevating trade firms on ServiceTitan through targeted Accounting and CFO services. My expertise, cultivated over two decades in finance, is in transforming complex data into actionable insights that drive business growth and profitability.

My focus is on employing advanced technology and analytics to redefine financial management and performance for our clients. This approach not only streamlines operations but also ensures strategies are data-driven and future-proof. At ServicePro CFO, it's about offering more than just financial oversight; it's about delivering comprehensive solutions that foster sustained growth and operational excellence.

I am committed to leveraging this expertise to assist trade firms in navigating their financial journeys with confidence, ensuring every strategy implemented is impactful and aligned with their goals. At ServicePro CFO, we don't just manage finances—we strategically enhance them, setting our clients on the path to success.

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Michael Girdley

Jawad Olabi

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taplio

The Battle

Michael Girdley

Jawad Olabi

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Michael Girdley's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreMichael Girdley's LinkedIn Performance