Denver, Colorado
Paul Samek
Independent Director & Advisory Board Member
Paul brings more than 40 years of financial, governance, operating and transaction experience to boards and executive teams navigating growth, transformation, capital decisions, M&A and enterprise performance. He is a CPA and SEC Financial Expert.
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About
What Paul brings to the boardroom
Paul began his career in audit at Deloitte, then spent four decades in finance leadership at Motorola, Concurrent Computer, Allsteel, Nash Engineering, Spectranetics and CellStar. Since 2005 he has led PCS Solutions, a governance, executive advisory and CFO services firm. That path lets him connect financial stewardship to strategic execution, because he has been accountable for both.
A FOUNDATION IN AUDIT AND GOVERNANCE
Paul's career began at Deloitte & Touche in Chicago (1976–1983), where he audited public and private organizations across manufacturing, technology, healthcare, consumer products, retail, distribution, financial services and construction. That grounding in financial reporting, internal controls and risk assessment shaped every role that followed.
BUILDING AND SCALING BUSINESSES
At Motorola he was a founding member of the executive team that built a global microwave telecommunications business out of a carve-out joint venture, growing it to $100 million in revenue before its sale in 1992. He went on to serve as CFO or chief accounting officer at Concurrent Computer, Allsteel, Nash Engineering, Spectranetics and CellStar, across technology, industrial, medical device and consumer businesses.
FROM OPERATOR TO INDEPENDENT ADVISOR
Since 2005 Paul has led PCS Solutions, a governance, executive advisory and CFO services firm. He advises public, private and growth-stage organizations on governance, capital strategy, M&A, risk management, financial reporting and organizational effectiveness, and serves as an independent director and advisory board member.
WHY IT MATTERS IN THE BOARDROOM
Paul has been accountable for the numbers, the controls, the capital and the outcomes. He brings that operating judgment to boards and CEOs who want financial rigor tied to strategic execution, and to transitions such as IPOs, restructurings, acquisitions and system transformations.
GOVERNANCE & FINANCIAL OVERSIGHT
Corporate governance, audit committee expertise, financial reporting, internal controls, risk management and compliance.
STRATEGY & ENTERPRISE VALUE CREATION
Strategic planning, performance management, operational improvement, restructuring and transformation.
CAPITAL & TRANSACTIONS
IPOs, debt transactions, fundraising, M&A, due diligence, integration, divestitures and investor relations.
OPERATING & TRANSFORMATION LEADERSHIP
CFO leadership, organizational effectiveness, global operations, systems implementation and business re-engineering.
BOARD GOVERNANCE + FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP + STRATEGIC EXECUTION + ENTERPRISE VALUE CREATION
Global Experience
Operating experience across more than 30 countries and six continents
Paul has led finance for global organizations, including operations documented in Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong and Mexico City (CellStar); Brazil, China, Korea and Canada (Nash Engineering); Europe (Spectranetics); and 17 countries (Concurrent Computer).
MANUFACTURING
- Technology
- Consumer
- Industrial
- Medical devices
DISTRIBUTION
- eCommerce
- Direct / indirect
- Retail / wholesale
- Government, hospitals and clinics
SERVICES
- Telecom / wireless
- Engineering, construction / real estate
- Healthcare / medical
- Software / SaaS, supply chain / BPO
Leadership
Executive operating experience and board advisory experience
EXECUTIVE OPERATING ROLES
CFO, interim CFO or chief accounting officer at Concurrent Computer, Allsteel, Nash Engineering, Spectranetics, CellStar, Squan Holding and Alliance Reality Group, after finance leadership at Motorola. Public company and private equity-backed environments.
BOARD & ADVISORY ROLES
Independent Director: PopuTrust, Inc. and Empathy Holdings, LLC. Advisory Board: ARG, Inc. and Targetscope, Inc. Board of Directors and President, STAR-Denver (2014–2018). Executive Mentor, University of Denver Executive Mentor Program (2013–2014).
Board & Executive Advisory
Counsel for boards, CEOs, investors and owners
Paul works with boards, CEOs, executive teams, investors and owners on governance, strategic planning, financial strategy, enterprise performance, capital formation, M&A, transformation, turnarounds, organizational effectiveness, risk management, financial reporting and internal controls.
BOARD ADVISORY
Fiduciary oversight, enterprise risk, capitalization and long-term planning for boards and leadership teams.
BUSINESS TURNAROUND
Restructuring, cash optimization and operational improvement for organizations under pressure.
BUSINESS PLANNING
Strategic and operational plans with financial models that management and boards can act on.
M&A TRANSACTIONS
Due diligence, deal structuring, integration and divestitures.
ERP SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION
Aligning systems with process design so finance and operations gain real visibility.
IPO & DEBT TRANSACTION RAISING
Capital formation, IPO readiness and Sarbanes-Oxley planning.
CURRENT BOARD & ADVISORY ENGAGEMENTS (VIA PCS SOLUTIONS)
Independent Director: PopuTrust, Inc. and Empathy Holdings, LLC. Advisory Board: ARG, Inc. and Targetscope, Inc. Earlier community and mentoring service: STAR-Denver, Board of Directors and President (2014–2018); University of Denver Executive Mentor Program (2013–2014).
Career Experience
Four decades of finance and operating leadership
Open any role for its documented achievements.
PCS Solutions: President2005 – PRESENTGovernance, advisory, CFO and operational services
- Board and executive advisory; CFO and interim CFO leadership
- Strategic and operational planning, financial modeling, M&A
- IPO readiness, SOX planning, capital formation, cash optimization
- Financial reporting, internal controls, compliance, risk management
- CrossLink-D (medical devices): completed the first strategic and operational plans and advised the board on governance and capitalization
- DigitalGlobe ($700M NYSE-listed technology company): coached and mentored the CFO
Alliance Reality Group: CFO2015 – 2017Early-stage commercial real estate investment and advisory firm, Chicago
- Led operational planning to support investment decisions and growth
- Supported transaction management through risk assessment of commercial real estate investments
Squan Holding Corporation: Interim CFO2014 – 2015Newly recapitalized, private equity-backed wireless construction services company
- Directed financial strategy, reporting and performance management
- Improved forecasting, cash management and financial controls
- Partnered with private equity stakeholders on value creation priorities
CellStar: SVP, Chief Financial Officer2003 – 2004Nasdaq-listed, $2B global supply chain and consumer products
- Directed the IPO of Asian operations on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
- Completed Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 certification
- Restructured a $124M asset-based credit facility
- Led restructuring of international operations, divesting non-core subsidiaries
Spectranetics: Chief Financial Officer1999 – 2002Nasdaq-listed global medical device company
- New business strategy delivered the first annual operating profit in 17 years
- Established an institutional investor relations program
- Reorganized European operations to first-time profitability
- Completed an acquisition in Brescia, Italy
Nash Engineering: Chief Financial Officer1998 – 1999$200M global vacuum pumping systems manufacturer
- Developed a global growth and acquisition strategy
- Delivered $6M in cost reductions through restructuring
- Built the first global treasury function: foreign currency exposure down 80%, cash flow up 20%
- Directed a $4M BAAN ERP program
Allsteel: VP Finance & Administration, CFO1994 – 1997$200M multi-plant office furniture manufacturer
- Restructuring reduced costs by $18M and restored profitability after six years
- Directed a $20M syndicated debt financing supporting two new facilities
- Implemented a $5M JD Edwards technology program
- Lowered break-even by 32%; completed the largest 1996 industrial real estate lease in Illinois
Concurrent Computer: VP, Controller / CAO1992 – 1994Nasdaq-listed $350M technology company, 17 countries
- Key leadership on a secondary offering that raised $60M in equity
- Delivered $6M in cost reductions through ERP and planning improvements
- Secondary offering helped retire debt and reduce interest expense by $11M
- Managed worldwide finance and administration across 17 countries
Motorola: VP Finance & Administration1983 – 1992Founding executive team, global microwave telecom business
- Secured a $40M syndicated working capital facility; business became self-funding in its first year
- Led Telesciences merger integration: $8M profit improvement, 50% better debt-to-equity
- Built finance, HR, IT, legal and customer service functions; business grew to $100M and was sold in 1992
Deloitte & Touche: Audit Manager1976 – 1983Audit and assurance across public and private organizations
The technical accounting and governance foundation for everything that followed.
- Managed audit and assurance engagements for public and private clients
- Advised executive teams on financial accuracy, controls and risk
Expertise
Areas of expertise
GOVERNANCE & BOARD LEADERSHIP
- Corporate governance, board advisory
- Audit committee & financial expertise
- Risk management, internal controls
- Compliance, financial reporting
STRATEGY & VALUE CREATION
- Enterprise value creation
- Strategic planning, turnarounds
- Business transformation
- Performance management
CAPITAL & TRANSACTIONS
- Capital markets, fundraising, IPO
- Debt transactions
- M&A, integration, due diligence
- Divestitures, investor relations
FINANCE & OPERATIONS
- Financial strategy and modeling
- Cash flow, working capital
- US GAAP, SEC filings, Sarbanes-Oxley
- Forecasting, corporate finance
SYSTEMS & TRANSFORMATION
- ERP implementation, SAP
- Business re-engineering
- Change management
- Operational improvement
GLOBAL EXPERIENCE
- 30+ countries, six continents
- Manufacturing, technology, wireless
- Medical devices, healthcare, SaaS
- Distribution, eCommerce, construction, real estate
What Colleagues Say
Recommendation
Bill Mortimore describes Paul as a warm and engaging executive whose refined instincts and advice come from years of financial and operational leadership.
Summary of the LinkedIn recommendation by Bill Mortimore · View on LinkedIn
CREDENTIALS
Certified Public Accountant, State of Illinois. B.S. Accountancy, Northern Illinois University. Audit Committee qualified; SEC Financial Expert. Motorola University training in Total Quality Management, Six Sigma, Lean Manufacturing, Continuous Improvement and Kaizen.
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