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Overview

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Speaker

Mike Cairnes is a serial business builder who has led multiple turnarounds and transformations. His multi-sector experience started at Texas Instruments where he became the youngest manager in the organization and was subsequently selected to be part of a team that spearheaded one of the company’s biggest initiatives - collapsing 24 semiconductor marketing organizations into one central marketing organization. He went on to be an award-winning sales representative and later one of TI’s top regional managers.

After joining wholesale distributor Larson-Juhl, Mike assumed an international executive leadership position growing the company from $100M to $250M prior to the company’s sale to Berkshire Hathaway. He later became President of Michaels subsidiary businesses including the custom frame “store in a store” business which he re-invented doubling market share from 18% to 37% and exceeding $250M in profit contributions. His work here completely changed the custom framing sector and enabled Michaels to IPO.

Mike then moved to Tennessee to join Kirkland’s where he held COO and CEO positions leading a holistic turnaround strategy and vision that transformed the troubled company from a brick-and-mortar centric retailer to a profitable omni-channel home décor retailer. At its height, market value increased twentyfold!

Mike serves on the Board of Directors for Williamson Inc, Special Olympics of Tennessee (facilitated their 3 Year Strategy), and he is Chairman of the Board of BrightStone (in the process of massive transformation) that serves special needs adults while at the same time consulting with various businesses.

Moderator

Prior to founding Tortola and Capstan in 2009, Steve spent 20 years as an entrepreneur in industries ranging from music publishing, mortgage and SBA lending, and financial services.

Steve has navigated operational and financial restructurings of companies ranging in size from $1 million in revenue and 20 employees to half a billion in revenue and a thousand employees. Specialties include retail, printing, aluminum smelting, manufacturing, real estate, construction, trucking, scrap metal, restaurant/hospitality, wholesale food, automotive, healthcare, oil and gas, and financial services. He has served as Interim CEO/Chief Restructuring Officer for multiple businesses, assisted law firms in investigating cases of fraud and check kiting, and provided expert testimony in State and Federal cases. Steve also has advised investors who have deployed capital into circumstances that have fallen into distress, worked through multiple distressed acquisitions, and helped distressed companies sell to 3rd parties.

At Capstan, Steve has sourced, negotiated and led private equity investments in the manufacturing, retailing, consumer products and other sectors.

Steve is a graduate of Wake Forest University.

Remarks

Becky Sharpe’s passion is helping people grow. As the CEO/Owner of International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Collegiate Sports Data, and WatchGameFilm, her focus is effective leadership and innovation via continuous growth. Becky makes vision a reality through building effective organizations. 

In addition, she serves on two corporate boards. Gobbell Hays Partners is an engineering firm. ISTS is one of Nashville’s Top Workplaces and has been awarded the When Work Works award for exemplary workplace practices and has made Inc. magazine’s list of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America three times.

Her community non-profit-board work includes: Vistage International, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Girls Scouts, Sister Cities, Nashville Sports Council, The Private Directors Association, Nashville Coaching Coalition, and Walk Bike Nashville.  Becky has twice been named as a recipient of the Nashville Business Journal’s Women of Influence Awards. Becky is married to Michael and they have 3 children.

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