James Schellhase

James Schellhase has dedicated over 25 years to high-level executive roles, including CEO, Board Chairman, and Director for various influential companies. His tenure in these roles is marked by his adeptness at enhancing shareholder value through strategic initiatives that spur revenue growth, streamline operations, and lead to successful corporate exits. He has a reputation for transforming organizations at different stages—mature, emerging, or static—into industry leaders, thus broadening their market presence by rethinking established paradigms.

With a keen understanding of the essential levers of business, market trends, and customer engagement, Schellhase has guided companies along paths of substantial growth. He is proficient in managing complex financial structures, spearheading business development efforts, and elevating sales processes. This expertise makes him a trusted advisor to private equity and venture capital firms and multinational corporations intent on strengthening their market foothold.

Noteworthy Career Contributions

Schellhase has consistently shown a capacity to evolve initial concepts into fully operational and profitable businesses, build dynamic teams of talented individuals, and direct major capital-raising ventures, including IPOs and secondary public offerings. His career includes significant stints as COO and CFO at publicly listed companies and as Board Chairman at various esteemed organizations.

At the helm of Breakwater Solutions as its founder and CEO, Schellhase secured exclusive rights to several essential IBM information governance products. He led his team to develop a cutting-edge open architecture solution significantly bolstered by a strategic consulting service. This service customized offerings to fit client needs through in-depth domain knowledge, automation enhancements, and superior operational practices, successfully addressing common sales challenges and achieving significant client ROI.

Academic Achievements and Leadership Impact

In the realm of mergers and acquisitions and organizational fundraising, Schellhase has been instrumental in establishing companies with substantial international presence. His strategic oversight at McCarthyFinch resulted in a profitable acquisition by ONIT, with impressive returns realized quickly during a primarily pre-revenue phase. His leadership at DiscoverReady drove significant revenue and profit margin increases, culminating in a beneficial sale to Consilio that delivered high returns for its investors.

Boards and Community Roles

His illustrious career path also includes:

Initiating funding and stepping into the leadership role at StoredIQ before its eventual acquisition by IBM.

Holding critical executive roles at various venture capital firms.

Guiding numerous startups and business revivals to success.

Schellhase is academically credentialed with a Master of Professional Accounting and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin, further solidified by his CPA certification.

Committed to leveraging his deep industry knowledge and leadership capabilities, James Schellhase continues to assist organizations in reaching their full operational potential and achieving sustainable success. His track record of fostering significant organizational growth and profitability establishes him as a strategic asset to any client navigating the complex terrain of today's business environment.