R.J. Safranek

R.J. Safranek is an accomplished business leader with a unique blend of executive business acumen, financial and operational knowledge, and leadership capabilities. With over 20 years of hands-on experience enabling growth through start-up, integration, and change strategies, R.J. has proven his ability to build, structure, and organize for execution and results. He has cross- functional and executive leadership experience in sectors ranging from logistics to industrial.

R.J. began his career as a logistics and inventory analyst with Caterpillar Logistics and was quickly nominated to Caterpillar’s Fast Track Executive Management Program. A few years later, he joined Axiom, Inc. and held both the CFO and CEO roles during his tenure there.

In his role as CEO, R.J. led strategic growth initiatives that transformed the company’s cost structure and increased revenue by 70% from $16M to $27M in five years. During the growth period, he led two add-on company acquisitions, two CRM implementations, and a new accounting platform integration. He also facilitated the company’s turnaround in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, reducing costs by 45% in one year with his critical assessment of the strategy, revenue, and people most necessary to the company’s long-term, sustainable success.

As a leader, R.J. is adept at aligning teams and optimizing their performance. A lifelong athlete, his approach to business was shaped by his experience on the football field. He coaches teams to pursue every challenge with focus, hard work, and perseverance. He inspires them to be unafraid to fail and motivates them to emerge better, stronger, and smarter.

R.J.’s expertise includes transforming companies into differentiated, high-performing organizations. He works with them on aligning strategy, strengthening operations, accelerating growth and market expansion, turnaround management, small business management, and organizational development and culture, including building management teams. He is respected as a trusted business advisor and proactive partner anchored by strong values of

integrity, knowledge, and success.

R.J. is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with an MBA in Operations Management and an MBA in Information Technology Analysis & Design. He received his undergraduate degree in Cell Biology from the University of Wisconsin, Whitewater. R.J. lives with his wife, three children, and dog in Hartland, WI.