MCFARLIN STANFORD - Key Persons
With over fifteen years in the Green industry and experience ranging from operations to human resources and recruiting on local and national levels, Ben has worked within highly successful firms and recruited top talent for all areas of an organization in multiple markets. Ben believes strongly that a successful organization is driven by successful individuals, which begins with having the right people in the right roles and empowering them to achieve and exceed their goals. The commitment to finding the right people that fit and enhance your culture, coupled with providing continued leadership and development for them, is the most important investment a company can make and it offers the greatest returns!
Prior to joining McFarlin Stanford, Ben was an Executive Search Consultant for two leading national search firms - Jefferson Wells and The Lucas Group. While working with both these groups, Ben specialized in working with a wide range of companies - oil & gas, construction, food & beverage, software and maintenance - throughout the U.S. in providing permanent placements in the area of Finance and Accounting. Earlier, he worked for F'real foods as their Sales Manager for the Northeast region and Canada. In all of his roles, Ben consistently ensured seamless client service, while meeting and exceeding sales and hiring quotas.
Ben has a B.S. from DeSales University and lettered four years for their NCAA Men's Lacrosse Team.
Job Titles:
- Director - Accounting Services
Carla has almost 10 years of experience with Accenture, a global consulting firm, where she developed a love for helping clients change to be more successful. At Accenture, Carla was involved in implementing accounting, billing, and invoicing systems at a variety of clients.
Carla also has a creative side. She later started and managed her own interior design company, utilizing a variety of software platforms including QuickBooks. She interfaced with many landscapers during the design process and has a great appreciation for beautiful spaces. She knows that sound financial reporting is one of the foundations for a successful business and enjoys partnering with clients to help them achieve accurate financials.
Carla graduated from Saint Louis University with a Business Degree in Marketing and Management Information Systems.
Job Titles:
- Director - Talent Acquisition
With over 15 years in staffing, Carlos brings a breadth of experience and demonstrated history of success having worked in the F&A, Information Technology, Medical and Specialty Services industries. He is core skilled in Permanent Placements, Contract Placements, Executive Search, and Technical Recruiting and takes pride in having cultivated lasting relationships with every Fortune 100 client for which he has overseen operational delivery. He also strives to continuously innovate the Recruiting Practice while ensuring delivery of a memorable recruiting experience to candidates and clients alike.
As an alum from the University of North Texas, Carlos acquired his bachelor's degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in HR Management and Organizational Behavior. Prior to his staffing career, Carlos served 8 years in the US Marine Corps with the 26th Marine Air Group with several notable humanitarian and joint task force deployments during Operation Enduring Freedom.
Originally from the Northeastern United States, Catherine is a junior at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. She is double majoring in Accounting and Applied Mathematics with minors in Advertising and Statistical Sciences. She has always loved numbers and is excited to use her skills to add value to our clients. Catherine will be working with both Bookkeeping clients and ACE Peer Group members.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Principal
- Vice President
Chris leads Construction Operations and Sales
Chris leads the Landscape and Construction Management Coaching Practice with emphasis on Sales Execution. Chris has twenty years of Professional Green Industry experience, driving business development efforts for large firms and has been consistently awarded accolades for his achievements within those organizations. He has the credibility and confidence to highlight where companies need to improve their sales and customer relationship management activities. Chris provides coaching and feedback on existing sales strategies and focuses efforts on refining sales process in order to drive desired revenue targets. Chris believes that consummate sales professionals are the face of an organization that must take ownership for doing whatever it takes to drive a brand - No Excuses!
Chris Sumler: Bookkeeping Chris is originally from South Korea and graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas. He has a Bachelor of Science in Corporate Finance and is an aspiring CPA. Chris is very passionate about the day-to-day operation of any business and, more specifically, the financial aspect. He believes that keeping track of…
Daniela earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Management from Texas Tech University. Her undergraduate experience propelled her to foster a background in luxury hotel properties where her focus was elevating the customer's experience and building client relationships. She actively listens to clients, understanding their needs while creating a plan to make it happen and is always looking ahead to find solutions to fit the customer's needs.
With over 25 years of HR executive experience, a bachelor's degree in Engineering with a Field of Study in Organizational Behavior and Leadership, and a master's degree in Management, David brings a depth of expertise to McFarlin Stanford clients. As a U.S. Army officer, he was an advocate for helping organizations achieve success through their people. As an Executive Coach for McFarlin Stanford, he helps clients gain the alignment, engagement, resilience, and optimization of their teams to achieve their business vision, purpose, and strategy. Guiding clients through the transactional and transformational aspects of human resources and employment-related matters, David helps clients balance risk and achievement with their people and talent.
David has authored a business and HR improvement book, Disrupting HR: An Introduction to a New HR Doctrine. He is a decorated combat veteran he was awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his combat service and an Army Commendation Medal with "V" Device for heroism in combat. He previously held a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification and holds certifications from the Stagen Leadership Academy-Integrated Leadership Program, Gallup Trained Clifton StrengthFinders Coach, Stanford University- Advanced Project Management and DDI Targeted Selection Administrator.
David brings thirty-five years of executive leadership experience with small to midsize private businesses in manufacturing and service industries.
David's experience includes working with and handling the eventual sale of a family-owned manufacturing business that grew from 25 to 1,000 employees over 25 years. As a result, he has hands-on experience in operations, strategic planning, leading cross-functional teams, new market development, strategic sales, and P&L responsibility. During that time, he helped navigate the company through several rapid growth cycles while mitigating risk during lean years. David understands the dynamics of a family-owned business and the pressures placed on a CEO during both good and challenging times. He is a firm believer in business planning, hiring good talent, accurate financials, Total Quality Management, and outsourcing when practical.
David has Undergraduate and Executive MBA degrees from Southern Methodist University. He has been on the SMU Cox School of Business Associate Board for twenty years, where he mentors and coaches MBA candidates on academic, career, and life issues.
An alum from Texas Tech University, Jake graduated with a degree in Natural Resource Management. He then went on to work with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality where he focused on helping water operators across Texas find solutions to problems and meet federal regulations. In turn, it provided him the valuable customer-oriented skills to meet client demands while simultaneously delivering a quality experience which he now brings to the McFarlin Stanford Team.
James leads the Executive Coaching Practice.
As a Founding Principal of McFarlin Stanford and Leader of their Executive Coaching Practice, Jim brings over twenty-five years of executive leadership experience from within the professional services industry and as the former COO of a Professional Landscape firm. In addition, Jim has held leadership positions as Director of International Sales & Marketing at FedEx and Vice President of Sales & Marketing at The Regus Group among others. He has served as the Chairman of the Governmental Affairs Committee of the National Association of Landscape Professionals, is an Executive Coach with The Grow Group and has served in many other leadership roles within the green industry. Jim is an architect of innovation and has successfully grown green industry businesses as a hands-on professional and proven mentor. Jim has been there, knows how it feels and regularly helps drive green industry leaders to achieve their best results.
Jane graduated from Baylor University with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication and a minor in Business Administration. She has always had a heart to want to make other peoples' lives easier because she understands the difficulties that come with finding the right career. Recruiting has given her a chance to walk alongside the people who are looking to improve their Quality of Life or provide someone with a new path to progress their careers. Jane is excited to share the floor with like-minded peers and is confident her ability of effective communication will translate to new opportunities for everyone she works with.
Jason leads the Operations Leadership Practice.
With over twenty years in the Professional Green industry and as a Founding Principal of the company, Jason, an Executive Coach at McFarlin Stanford leads Operational Effectiveness for the firm. Jason's background as Vice President of Garden Management at multiple high-end and successfully growing landscape companies as well as his experience at The Brickman Group has positioned him as a true operational expert in driving results in leadership. He has led the Education Committee and served on multiple councils for the National Association of Landscape Professionals as well as other local and state green industry organizations. As an Executive Coach, he helps mentor and prepare upcoming leaders in landscape for success and what lies ahead in the green industry. It is Jason's strong belief that building high performing, empowered, and effective teams enables business leaders to work on the strategic growth of the company. At the core, Jason has always been about making short term changes for long-term value, driving transformation and achieving results, but most impressively he enjoys sharing his experience and knowledge working with others, ultimately creating a winning culture.
Jennifer Murray leads the Valuation & Financial Advisory Practice.
With over 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, including 15 years on Wall Street, Jennifer brings a unique set of skills to McFarlin Stanford clients. From her years as a banker at Chase and Morgan Stanley to her experience in private equity as an owner of challenged businesses, Jennifer understands the critical link between operations and financial success. She has worked with hundreds of companies to analyze their financial performance, build equity through internal growth and acquisitions, and optimize capital structure. She believes that clients who understand financial health, capital alternatives, and potential sources of risk will make better decisions for themselves, their employees and their firms. She loves helping companies create and grow value.
Jennifer has an MBA from Columbia University and a BBA from Baylor University. She teaches graduate-level seminars at SMU's Cox School of Business and has taught finance courses at UT Dallas and University of Dallas.
Jessica Mejia: Executive Recruiter Jessica comes from a background in Real Estate and Lighting Commercial Sales. She provides quality service to build relationships with clients and maintain them by communicating effectively. She values learning from others as well as establishing supportive environments for others to grow within.
Josh comes to McFarlin Stanford as a dedicated professional with over 7 years of experience in the staffing industry. His tenured skills are honed and developed in the areas recruitment, client relations, and business development. He successfully built and supported long lasting relationships with Fortune 500 clients within the F&A, IT, Manufacturing, Engineering and Insurance industries while exceeding all metrics and expectations.
Josh graduated from Texas Tech University with a bachelor's degree in Marketing. His education sparked his passion in connecting with the community striving to help others to reach and exceed their professional goals, providing a positive experience.
Job Titles:
- Manager - Client Relations
- Manager - Client Services Bio Coming Soon!
Kylee has 3 years of recruiting experience originating from the hospitality industry. She values genuine connections, learning from others and helping people find their passion - which is her main goal for our clients. She puts others first, always tries to see the whole picture in any situation and looks forward to many years of relationship building at McFarlin Stanford!
Job Titles:
- Vice President
- Vice President - Financial Services
Liz Helton leads the Bookkeeping & Financial Solutions Practice.
With over twenty years of experience in financial services, plus four years running her own residential construction business, Liz Helton leads our Bookkeeping & Financial Solutions Practice. Liz focuses on processes to streamline and automate the financial mechanisms of Green Industry clients. She believes that sound business decisions cannot be made without accurate and timely financial statements, so she focuses on the numbers while allowing our clients to spend more time doing what they do best. Liz's goal is to save our clients both time and money, and she loves to watch their businesses grow as a result of incremental financial successes. She holds our clients accountable for training their team members and adhering to best practices.
Liz earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Duke University and a Masters in Accounting from Rice University. She is both a Certified Public Accountant and a Certified Financial Planner.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Executive
- Gallup Certified Strengths Coach
Megan's experience spans over two decades and includes deep-dive leadership coaching of successful business leaders looking to ‘up their game' and become better managers and leaders. She has coached both individuals and teams ranging from publicly traded Fortune 50 companies to privately held companies, military leaders and non-profit organizations.
Megan is a Gallup Certified Strengths Coach, and has worked with numerous ACE members and their leadership teams. Her areas of coaching expertise include leadership development, coaching for managers, setting a team vision and strategy, delivering difficult feedback, and emotional intelligence. She has a passion for helping organizations design solutions to increase employee engagement, satisfaction and retention.
Megan is currently a Career & Leadership Coach for the MBA Program at UNC-Chapel Hill. She earned a B.A. in Journalism & Mass Communication from Iowa State University, and a M.Ed. in Higher & Postsecondary Education from Arizona State University.
Megan Parker: Executive Coach Megan's experience spans over two decades and includes deep-dive leadership coaching of successful business leaders looking to ‘up their game' and become better managers and leaders. She has coached both individuals and teams ranging from publicly traded Fortune 50 companies to privately held companies, military leaders and non-profit organizations. Megan is…
A lifelong entrepreneur, Michael Bosco has founded, sold, purchased and merged a handful of businesses. This journey has provided him with fifteen years in the green industry, and over twenty years of pest control experience. Having built high growth service companies, Michael has learned that delivering excellent customer service is best achieved through transparent, open book management where the team is the number one priority. Great teams accomplish great things and that requires intentional actions to build a positive team culture. Michael understands the strain of making payroll and wearing every hat in an organization. Decisions affect lives, and as an Executive Coach, Michael mentors leaders to find opportunities to make a positive impact on their team and their families.
Giving back to the pest control and green industries has always rewarded Michael in new friendships and knowledge. He currently serves as the Legislative Committee Chairperson and Vice President of the Texas Pest Control Association.
Tommy has over 20 years of green industry experience with a diverse background in Landscape Design & Installation, Civil Construction, Interior Plant Care and Outdoor Services. His discipline is in developing and implementing simple, clean processes that are proven to deliver bottom line results. Through his coaching, he personally demonstrates the importance of consistent team and client communication in day to day operations. Through his actions, he fosters a healthy company culture and leverages it's influence in driving a team's success. Tommy has a broad breadth of leadership experience with proven successes, and as a result, he provides our clients with tactical daily habits that move their teams to the next level. The teams he coaches can deliver operational excellence, handle significant growth and create an exceptional client experience.
Job Titles:
- Coach
- Executive
- Leadership Coach for the Executive
With over 20 years of corporate and start-up leadership experience and a master's degree in Executive Coaching and Organizational Behavior, Tracy brings a unique perspective to McFarlin Stanford clients. From her early days in advertising to executive roles in marketing, she has been an evangelist for testing, measuring, learning, and applying the results to increase short terms gains and long-term value. Her engagements as an Executive Coach for McFarlin Stanford are similarly goal-oriented, helping clients tap into the actions, attitudes and authenticity of their teams to see new possibilities for their individual and company success. Giving clients both the "tough love" of a head coach and the encouragement and positive reinforcement of a head cheerleader, Tracy focuses on asking the right questions and creating a safe place where clients can unlock the answers within themselves and discover the ways that they can achieve - and exceed - their goals.
Tracy also serves as a Leadership Coach for the Executive, Online and Full-time MBA programs at the prestigious University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School. She earned her ACC certification in 2017 from the International Coach Federation.