Allen Hatton

Interim CEO, COO

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Allen Hatton is widely recognized as a creative thought leader and analytical problem solver. Allen has forty years of business experience coupled with thirty-five years of humanitarian service. His business experience includes having held positions in privately held firms as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Executive Officer. He is the founder and President of Hatton Group LLC, an Interim executive, coaching and management consulting firm.

Allen has led, coached and consulted for Entrepreneur’s, CEO’s and Executives in business, defense, aerospace, computer integration, healthcare, hospitality, construction, state government, education and nonprofit. He is often called upon by other coaching and consulting firms to help develop strategies and solutions for difficult and seemingly impossible situations.

SELECT INTERIM EXPERIENCE

Company Stage Focus: Private Equity Backed, Turnaround/Distressed, Private, Family Owned

Interim Executive Director (CEO) 3+ months – $3M operating budget and $10M assets

• Implemented Management Accountability and Employee Engagement system to solve problems and have employees participate in management decisions which resulted in rapid improvement in morale and increased productivity.
• Restructured Admissions and Patient Technician departments resulting in increased census and improved patient care.
• Secured funding to replace all computer hardware and software for a medical records system.
• Established with the Board the need for cost accounting in a non- profit and presented them with pros, cons and methodology of three possible pathways for the future: 1) downsize, 2) properly invest in growth or 3) sell. They chose to invest in growth.
• Generated a savings of $35,000 after reviewing existing consultant contracts.

Interim CEO 6 months – 150 employee, $10M privately held commercial landscaping firm

Originally recruited by a client and owner of the business to turnaround one division and improve overall profitability for Company to be sold. Company was successfully sold to a national firm.
• Reduced overhead by $400,000
• Increased sales in core business by 15%
• Implemented a management accountability system
• Hired key management positions
• Reduced owner dependency

Interim CEO and turnaround 14 months – $50M contract furniture and office supplies company

• Implemented major restructure, split company into two divisions and sold the office supplies division. Sold Office Supplied division for $10 M and negotiated with buyer to allow sales force to continue the split for 3 years.
• Replaced all sales managers and implemented a sales program enabling us to forecast potential salesperson failure without waiting for long term results.
• Implemented “Critical Path Timeline based operations.
• Analyzed existing contracts and determined that the company was losing money on its multi-million dollar contract with T. Rowe Price and others.
• Solicited and received one million dollar offer for 100,000 square foot headquarters building located in the ghetto . Ownership refused deal. Recommended termination of their long time controller (glorified bookkeeper). Ownership refused . Advised ownership that this was an untenable situation and they would go out of business. It was only a matter of when, not if. I left and they remodeled headquarters building, kept the controller and went chapter 7.

Interim CEO 4 months – $2M family import company with national sales force

Was hired as interim CEO to maintain an “almost perfect operation” and to develop and implement a growth plan. Company controller was a family member who was really an inexperienced bookkeeper. From what I could see the “ almost perfect company” was in need of a turnaround.
• Brought in controller to get “the number”, when discovered financials were in disarray
• Acted as sales manager for an inexperienced sales force. We increased sales by 12% within 4 months.
• Implemented a new purchasing and follow up system.
• Flew to Poona, India to meet with major suppliers.
• Revamped customer service and brought in a professional warehouse and receiving manager.
• In the end, “the number” was insurmountable for the financing available. I took the owners to a bankruptcy attorney.

Interim CEO turnaround ( fraud recovery) 15 months – $3M offset printing company

• Increased sales by 27% and reduced debt. Restored financial integrity.
• Established key accounts such as Marriott Corporation, Bureau of National Affairs and Campbell Ginn Advertising.
• After fraud recovery we presented plan to take company in a new and progressive direction (digital printing). Owners did not want to finance the new equipment acquisition. Sold the company.

ACCOMPLISHMENTS

•My non business focus has been humanitarian service to which I have dedicated a tremendous amount of time. My pro bono experience available on request

BOARD EXPERIENCE

• United Way of Howard County Maryland

CREDENTIALS/EDUCATION

•University of Baltimore – BS in Business Administration with minor in Marketing and Sales
• Coach University Certified
• Corporate Coach University
• Harvard Business School e program “Coaching for Results”
• Alternatives to Violence prison project

Years Executive Experience: (24)
# of Interim Roles: (8)
# of Board Roles: (1)
Company Size: ($5M-$50M)

SPECIALTIES:
• Building a Management Team
• Corporate Negotiation
• Corporate Development
• Budget, Cost, & Internal Controls
• Turnaround: Distress, Liquidation
• Operations: Cost
• Operations: Distribution
• Outsourcing
• Process Improvement
• Client Relations Management
• Direct Sales
• Sales Management
• Partner Programs
• Pricing Strategies
• Sales Forecasting
• Sales Force Training/Assessment/Recruitment
• Company Sale
• Acquisition Integration
• B2B Marketing
• Brand Management

INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
• Aerospace
• Construction
• Computer Integration
• Defense
• Education
• Healthcare
• Hospitality
• Import/export
• Landscaping (commercial)
• Non-Profit