Team
Seasoned leadership has placed CTC at the forefront of the transition arena. We’ve taken on complex divestitures, mergers, acquisitions and other assignments, and can say confidently that many lives have been changed for the better. Over the years, many nationally recognized organizations provided the learning platform for us; and now we bring that understanding and experience to clients coast-to- coast.
Joseph Wisniewski – President/CEO
Many people who know Joe best call him “The Wiz” because they’ve seen him in action -- executing and crafting complex deals and matching wits with the best merger and acquisition experts at large corporations. But his virtuosity is definitely not wizardry. Preparation is. His BS in mechanical engineering from Western Michigan and MBA in finance at Notre Dame began a jam-packed, award- winning career. That career began as a mechanical engineer with Steelcase and he quickly moved to a company acquisition team that assimilated companies profitably. His corporate background included executive positions with CV Industries, HON, Kimball International, Harpers, Shaw Walker and Haworth. In summary, he was chief executive for privately held and publicly owned manufacturing, marketing, distribution and retail companies ranging in annual sales from $325M to $1.8B. This experience equipped him to evaluate, negotiate, market, sell and buy companies. He executed turnarounds of eight divisions ranging in sales from $72M to $230M, and negotiated the purchase of companies ranging in annual sales from $25M to $140M. His preparation broadened as he created strategic alliances and joint ventures with Japanese, Philippine, German and French-owned firms. And along the way toward creating CTC, Joe has helped buyers and sellers work with state governments, universities and the federal government in the transition of ownership, while maintaining or improving profitably.
David Zimney – COO and Managing Director, East
For over 30 years, Dave has worked with senior management of clients to transform existing business models into more highly effective, competitive organizations. He is the ultimate pragmatist, with the dogged determination to create comprehensive analyses of complex business issues. He then uses his executive management background to assimilate realistic solutions that can be implemented and financed. A USAF officer veteran, Dave joined IBM in sales and marketing, and was a pioneer in launching IBM consulting -- a service that grew into a $40B business with nearly 140,000 consultants. As an executive, he specialized in working with senior management of small and medium businesses in nearly every market segment. As a key member of the IBM team that grew mid-market consulting services revenue from $70M to $600M, he was recognized as the “Top Mid-Market Consulting Services Executive” in 2002. Dave earned his undergraduate degree from Saint Thomas and attended CFO and CEO summer sessions at Babson College. He co-authored the White Collar Shuffle published by the American Management Association -- a business book that described proven methods for ‘right sizing’ organizational structures and improving productivity.
Steven P. Deis – Managing Director, Business Development
CTC recruited Steve 10 years ago to do what he does best -- convey difficult concepts to owners and families that relate to the succession or perpetuation of their businesses and to future generations of family or management. He has charted more than 20 years in the financial services industry, with an emphasis in project finance and the development of business relationships with closely held corporations. On their behalf, his goal is to work tirelessly to educate all parties involved from the beginning of the transaction to successful completion. Merrill Lynch was Steve’s training ground where he specialized in constructing complex financial designs for high net worth business owners and their families. He subsequently moved on to Wachovia/Prudential and Smith Barney/ Citigroup. Steve’s strong suit is in succession planning and corporate finance issues that confront closely held corporations, including project financing and Section 1042 design for owners of “C” Corps. It’s true his financial and business background are key assets, but his attention to detail and understanding of the non-financial aspects of succession make him a valuable asset to our client relationships. Steve received his BS in business administration at Cal State/Fresno with an academic emphasis in business law and finance.