Turnaround
Led a 35-year-established business through a turnaround
With the team’s support, rebuilt credit policy and operating discipline, moving the operation from a loss to profitability.
Entrepreneur · Intrapreneur · Operator · Author · Speaker
Building organizations where people think like owners.
I help mid-market leadership teams turn institutional knowledge into faster decisions, stronger ownership, and AI-enabled growth they can execute.
No two companies are the same. Let’s start with a 30-minute conversation about yours.
Recent publication
AI Won’t Fix Equipment Finance’s Operating Problems. Leadership WillEquipment Finance AdvisorRead article
About
Operator first.
Advisor second.
RJ Grimshaw is the founder of ABLE Leadership, a speaker and advisor who brings an operator’s perspective to AI leadership, intrapreneurship, and business growth.
“People are capable of far more than most organizations allow.”
He connects strategy, people, and execution to help mid-market leaders turn employee ideas into action and apply AI to real business challenges. Explore his speaking, advisory work, and published insights at RJGrimshaw.com.
Selected AI credentials
Anthropic Certified AI Fluency, 2025 · MIT Management Executive Education, AI Strategy · Upstart, AI & Financial Services, 2024
Experience
A record built inside the work.
Strategy shaped by operating responsibility, not observation.
New business
Built an HVAC financing vertical
Created a dealer enrollment model for a new line of business.
Execution
Delivered a one-year platform transition
Replatformed and rebranded the business while finishing below the expense budget.
Industry leadership
Built beyond the balance sheet
Former ELFA board member and founding chair of Equipment Finance Cares, with more than 25 years in equipment finance.
Testimonials
In their words.
RJ, you bring more than just innovation in AI. You bring the macro view, assisting companies that are ready for growth.
Frameworks
Methods people can carry.
01
Framework
Analyze. Build. Leverage. Execute.
02
Operating method
The Foundation Protocol
Make the founder's judgment visible, give the team a system they can carry, and build the right technology around both.