Driving Exponential Value: RJ Grimshaw's Strategic Transformation of UniFi's Assets
Under RJ Grimshaw's visionary leadership, UniFi achieved a strategic transformation, culminating in an asset under management (AUM) expansion from $14M to $250M. This exceptional growth trajectory represents a remarkable 28.60% Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) over a decade, underscoring a commitment to value creation and sustained organizational capability building.
Unlocking Exponential Growth: Strategic Imperatives for Leadership Excellence
Many organizations confront the challenge of leadership teams anchored in legacy strategies, consequently ceding competitive advantage. The immense potential of their human capital often remains untapped due to conventional management approaches. The critical distinction between companies achieving transformational growth, exemplified by a trajectory from $14M to $250M, and those experiencing stagnation, is not attributed to individual superstar talent or significant capital investment, but rather to the implementation of agile, strategic leadership frameworks.
Executive Leadership Trajectory: Driving Strategic Impact
Foundational Leadership in Financial Services
Cultivated robust organizational capabilities in commercial finance, assuming pivotal leadership roles at EverBank Commercial Finance (Technology Division) and Key Equipment Finance. Focused on driving organic growth and operational excellence, building a strong foundation in strategic financial management.
Strategic Alignment & Organizational Integration
Orchestrated a critical strategic alignment by joining Bank of Ann Arbor as Executive Vice President and Chief Sales Officer. Concurrently assumed leadership of UniFi Equipment Finance, a wholly-owned subsidiary, initiating a phase of targeted organizational capability building.
Decade of Transformative Growth & Value Creation
Spearheaded a decade-long strategic transformation at UniFi Equipment Finance, driving asset growth from $14 million to $250 million. Achieved a remarkable 28.60% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR), demonstrating sustained operational excellence and market leadership.
Pivoting to Strategic Advisory: Founding Able Leadership
Transitioned from UniFi Equipment Finance after a decade of proven leadership impact. Established Able Leadership to extend strategic advisory services, focusing on embedding the growth frameworks and leadership principles that delivered UniFi's exceptional results.
Driving Enterprise Value: From Talent Retention to Innovation Engines
The Strategic Imperative: Addressing Talent Attrition and Stifled Innovation
"A critical challenge faced by leadership, as exemplified by Sarah's $30M equipment finance operation, is the departure of high-potential talent to 'more innovative' competitors. Despite competitive compensation and robust benefits, key performers experienced a lack of empowerment. This issue underscores a fundamental insight: top talent demands more than remuneration; they seek opportunities for value creation, ownership of outcomes, and strategic contributions beyond defined roles."
The Solution: Cultivating an Intrapreneurial Ecosystem
"Following the strategic implementation of an intrapreneurship framework—a core component of the organizational capability building detailed herein—Sarah's firm achieved a 40% reduction in employee turnover within six months. Crucially, this initiative empowered functional employees to generate innovative ideas, directly contributing an additional $2M in annualized new revenue streams."
Quantifiable Impact: Operational Excellence and Value Creation
"The intrapreneurship model yielded significant, measurable returns. One customer service representative identified a critical process optimization, resulting in $500K in annual operational cost savings. Concurrently, an operations manager successfully launched a new service line that now accounts for 20% of the company's total revenue, demonstrating accelerated strategic growth."
Achieving Sustainable Competitive Advantage through an Ownership Mindset
"This strategic transformation does not necessitate a change in personnel but rather a fundamental shift in organizational culture. It mandates the creation of an environment where existing teams are intrinsically motivated to think and act as owners, driving continuous innovation and operational excellence. This is the essence of the strategic transformation we facilitate."
Strategic Acumen & Recognized Influence
Strategic Industry Engagement & Best Practice Stewardship
- Provided strategic guidance to the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association (ELFA) Vendor and Captive Business Council Steering Committee, influencing sector-wide best practices.
- Contributed to critical foresight initiatives within the ELFA Foundation's Industry Future Councils, addressing emerging market dynamics.
- Held executive leadership roles within the Equipment Leasing and Finance Association, driving organizational capability building and strategic imperatives.
- Currently provides governance and strategic oversight to the Equipment Finance Cares Board, fostering industry social responsibility.
Validated Expertise & Intellectual Capital
- Authored "ABLE Leadership," a foundational text on modern leadership paradigms.
- Recognized as a leading authority on the Intrapreneurship Operating System (IOS), a framework for value creation.
- Certified to impart "The Person of Interest" philosophy, enhancing leadership capabilities.
- Actively engaged with USA Hockey as an avid coach, demonstrating commitment to talent development.
- Distinguished among "The Baker's Dozen CEOs" in the equipment finance industry for sustained impact.
Unlocking Value: UniFi's Accelerated Performance Trajectory
$234M
Significant Asset Base Expansion
Achieved a substantial increase in managed assets, scaling from $14M in 2013 to $234M by 2023. This demonstrates a robust capability for portfolio development and market penetration.
26.77%
Sustained Compound Annual Growth
Maintained a formidable 26.77% Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) in assets over a ten-year period, reflecting consistent execution and effective market strategy.
35.54%
Optimized Profitability Trajectory
Delivered a 35.54% CAGR in profitability metrics, highlighting successful operational excellence and strategic cost management initiatives.
$107M
Peak Origination Volume
Attained a peak origination volume of $107M in 2022, underscoring strong market demand and effective new business generation momentum.
UniFi Equipment Finance operates as a strategic asset within the Bank of Ann Arbor's portfolio. Its acquisition represented a deliberate move to diversify the bank's core services, leveraging UniFi's specialized capabilities in equipment finance to unlock new revenue streams and enhance overall enterprise value. This strategic transformation extends beyond traditional banking, positioning the group for sustained growth and market leadership.
Driving Superior Performance: Strategic Impact and Value Creation
Sustained Asset Base Expansion
Achieved a substantial increase in gross receivables, escalating from $20.9 million in 2013 to $239 million by 2023. This trajectory significantly outpaces industry benchmarks, as evidenced by the Monthly Leasing and Finance Index (MLFI), underscoring a robust and scalable financial model.
Optimized Deal Stratification
Successfully elevated the average ticket size to $101,030 per contract in 2022, a significant premium over the industry average of $78,505. This reflects a deliberate strategic pivot towards higher-value transactions, optimizing portfolio quality and enhancing profitability.
Robust Risk Management & Portfolio Integrity
Executed a comprehensive credit risk mitigation strategy, resulting in a remarkable 90.02% reduction in Net Charge-Off rates between 2018 and 2023. This performance highlights an exceptional capability in risk assessment and proactive credit quality management, safeguarding long-term financial stability.
Strategic Portfolio Optimization
Prioritized a quality-centric approach, culminating in 975 higher-value contracts originated in 2023. This strategic focus on selective, impactful engagements over sheer volume has been a critical driver of profitability and sustainable value creation.
Executive Leadership & Industry Recognition
RJ Grimshaw's inclusion among "The Baker's Dozen CEOs," alongside leaders from global financial institutions such as De Lage Landen, Key Equipment Finance, Cisco Systems Capital, and Wells Fargo, validates UniFi's strategic vision and executive caliber within the equipment finance sector.
Strategic Leadership: Driving Transformational Outcomes
Strategic Leadership Modalities
- Implementation of an Intrapreneurship Operating System (IOS) to cultivate agile innovation within established corporate structures.
- Pioneering "The Person of Interest" Philosophy, focusing on advanced leadership development and talent optimization.
- Leveraging the proprietary ABLE Leadership framework to drive consistent, high-performance outcomes at UniFi.
- A defining strategic commitment to quality over volume, enhancing long-term portfolio value and market positioning.
Impactful Organizational Transformation
Between 2013 and 2023, UniFi Equipment Finance underwent a strategic transformation, evolving from a nascent subsidiary into a formidable industry leader. This period was marked by exceptional growth in asset base, enhanced profitability, and significant uplift in portfolio quality, underscoring robust organizational capability building.
Upon his departure in December 2023, following a decade of impactful leadership, Grimshaw left a legacy of sustained organizational strength and a dominant market presence. His continued commitment to leadership excellence is now channeled through Able Leadership, where he disseminates the foundational principles that underpinned UniFi's remarkable success.
Strategic Pillars & Core Competencies
Driving AI-Powered Operational Excellence
As a strategic imperative for digital transformation, our focus on AI integration goes beyond efficiency gains. We enable data-driven strategic decision-making, optimize core business processes, and cultivate organizational capability in advanced analytics, ensuring a sustainable competitive advantage and enhanced leadership efficacy.
Validated Global Consulting Engagement
Our rigorous Upwork certification signifies a validated track record of delivering strategic advisory and impactful leadership solutions. This global platform serves as a testament to our proven capabilities in driving client success across a diverse portfolio of industries, fostering tangible value creation.