AFFIRM - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Founder
• Principal Consultant

Dennis Hough founded Affirm Consulting to realize his passion to help companies succeed. His background as a degreed industrial engineer and business process expert grew to include responsibilities for executive leadership, production management, engineering, quality assurance and program development for diverse, multidisciplinary companies. His experience leading business operations and coaching companies through growth is the cornerstone of Affirm's reputation as a strategic hands-on partner to small and mid-sized firms. Dennis is a results-oriented leader who has been successfully guiding businesses throughout his career. His diverse leadership roles and project management experience includes budgeting, profit and loss responsibilities, daily operations and domestic and international business coordination for both manufactured goods and service-based businesses. He also has successfully led enterprise-level cross-functional teams, strategic planning and business development in diverse markets. Dennis has a strong background in quality systems and continuous improvement including ISO9000, NQA-1, Lean Principles and Six Sigma. Known as a strategic thinker, knowledgeable coach and creative problem-solver, Dennis Hough is a valued partner to any company interested in fostering their continued growth and development. "Dennis is a forward thinker, who helps organizations integrate strategy into current business practices. He has the unique ability to mesh key strategic leadership principles with real-world experience making them practical and effective for your business." - Steve Coats, Leadership Development Expert and Author

Job Titles:

• Strategy & Operations Consultant

Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Douglas Nickelson brings a unique perspective to clients based on his more than 40 years of military and commercial industry experience. He has spent his entire career leading multi-organizational teams and managing in-the-field operations, including extensive experience in regulatory compliance and an emphasis on mission assurance and efficient operations. An expert in evaluating strategic plans, analyzing business operations and developing winning teams, Doug provides clients with a diverse knowledge base to guide their company's success. Doug's distinguished military career includes twenty years as a commissioned officer, award of the Bronze Star Medal, multiple tours in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, and various leadership positions, including Battalion Commander. Doug's commercial industry experience includes leadership and project management roles for a large Midwest utilities provider, overseeing high-risk operations and managing capital projects in excess of $25 million. A degreed mechanical engineer with a master's in business administration (MBA), Doug has been teaching business management courses such as "Principles of Management" and "Strategic Management" for more than a decade. He has many published works, including papers on leadership philosophy and organizational development. He currently serves as an adjunct instructor with Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri.

Job Titles:

• Executive
• Project Consultant

Holly Barrett has been providing executive-level accounting expertise to clients for more than 20 years. She holds an active Certified Public Accountant license and a master's in business administration (MBA) degree from the University of Washington with concentrations in finance and operations. As a project consultant, Holly often performs the role of controller for small to medium-sized companies, assists clients in establishing internal financial reporting and provides year-end financial reporting services. She offers in-depth knowledge of and experience with QuickBooks, Peachtree, ProSeries Tax, ProSystem Tax, Quicken and Turbo Tax. Holly is also a certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor. Holly also prepares financial statements for third-party and internal use; completes multi-state corporate, partnership, non-profit, and individual tax returns; handles complete payroll processing and reporting; and assists with structuring new business start-ups. Holly will establish an accurate Chart of Accounts, train employees in daily input and reporting and set up payroll processing, including employee deductions, direct deposit, tax liability payments and governmental payroll reporting. Holly's professional experience includes serving as a virtual controller for various companies, including a high-tech manufacturing firm. She is a business expert in preparing companies' financial statements and general ledger transactions, internal control procedures and fixed asset tracking, and supervising the accounting and management information systems departments. She also has extensive experience maintaining a company's cash position, cash forecasts, analysis of past expenditures, and budgets of more than $10 million in revenue.

Job Titles:

• Business Coach & Consultant

Kris Rajan is an innovative thinker with proven experience in growing small businesses. Kris founded CoGrow, a business development platform which utilizes a unique system of management science and business modeling. The primary purpose of the CoGrow platform is to guide small business owners through the business growth process. Kris serves as Business Coach and Mentor helping shape clients' corporate policies, strategies, organizational development and coaching of key executives for increased profitability and sustained business growth. With more than 30 years of leadership experience in information systems and business management, Kris also has an extensive education in Management and Computer Science, including Cost & Management Accounting and Auditing. Kris is results-oriented with highly-effective skills in consulting and engagement at all levels of an organization. He is a team builder with proven leadership in planning, developing and implementing strategic plans for significant business transformation.

Job Titles:

• Business Coach and Organizational Development Consultant
• Integrated Business Coach & Organizational Development Consultant

Roberto Rinaldi is a business coach and organizational development consultant with decades of experience guiding international businesses. As founder and partner of the consulting and coaching firm BizFit Brazil and Bizfit America, Roberto has directed projects for companies such as Diebold, Sky TV, Hill International, Gillette, Ecorodovias, Nokia, Florida Christian University and Soar Global Institute. His executive experience spans a variety of industries including IT development, customer and professional services, finance, non-profits, education and energy. In Brazil, Roberto was founder and board president of Association of Principled Education Schools and served in leadership roles with the Sao Paulo Stock Exchange, AT&T Brazil and NCR. He also previously worked for Digital Logic in England. Roberto has a strong educational background in marketing, leadership, quality and engineering. He helps companies organize a set of integrated frameworks for business, operation and management, which can then be aligned to bring consistency, efficiency, growth and sustainable value. "We hired consulting services from Roberto and his team more than once, when we faced challenging organizational or go-to-market issues that required external expertise. As always, time allowance was short, and expectations high, but were duly accomplished".

Job Titles:

• Employee Engagement Trainer & Consultant
• Organizational Development Consultant

Susanne Dalton Dupes is an organizational development consultant who specializes in employee engagement. Susanne is the owner of the Dalton Dupes Agency in Knoxville, Tennessee. She helps businesses recruit, retain and reconnect with employees who feel disconnected from their company's mission and vision. She helps organizations and teams understand individual differences and varying communication styles so they can work together more effectively. Susanne brings a wealth of expertise from more than 25 years in the communications industry. She has earned multiple awards in communications and public relations and is one of only a few Tennesseans to be accredited by both the International Association of Business Communicators and the Public Relations Society of America. In addition, Susanne is certified as a professional analyst of behaviors, motivators, acumen and emotional intelligence. These certifications recognize her experience in training, education and practical application of behavioral models, including the DISC model, the six hierarchies of human motivation, the five dimensions of emotional intelligence and the six aspects of acumen. In addition to being a successful business owner, Susanne devotes extensive time to women's leadership development and is a co-founder of Mountain Laurel Leadership, a women's leadership training company serving the East Tennessee region. She also serves on the board of Tennessee Economic Council on Women Foundation and the East Tennessee Women's Leadership Council.