James Schellhase

About James Schellhase

James Schellhase brings over a quarter-century of top-tier executive leadership, marked by his tenures as CEO, Board Chairman, and Board Member across several high-profile companies. He is recognized for propelling revenue growth, spearheading strategic overhauls, and securing profitable business exits. With a keen ability to boost the stature and market share of mature and emerging businesses, he has consistently challenged the status quo to drive substantial growth.

He possesses a deep understanding of the key business levers, market forces, and what drives customer decisions, allowing him to foster remarkable growth paths for the businesses under his guidance. His skill set covers intricate transaction structuring, business development, and sales, making him an invaluable resource to private equity and venture capital firms and large corporations looking to cement a robust market presence.

James Schellhase boasts a solid history of transforming business concepts into successful realities. He has constructed and led teams with top-tier talent and spearheaded key fundraising initiatives, including initial public and secondary market offerings. His portfolio of senior leadership roles includes positions as COO and CFO at publicly traded companies and as Board Chairman at multiple prestigious firms.

As the entrepreneurial force behind Breakwater Solutions, he was crucial in securing exclusive licenses for several key IBM information governance products. Working closely with his team, he directed the development of an innovative open architecture solution. This strategic move enriched the business offering, coupling it with a high-caliber consulting practice tailored to mesh neatly with client needs through expert domain knowledge, automation, and operational excellence. This initiative overcame frequent sales challenges and generated significant return on investment for their clientele.

He has also been pivotal in mergers and acquisitions and fundraising efforts that have established companies as significant players on the global stage. His leadership was instrumental in the rapid growth and subsequent acquisition of McCarthyFinch by ONIT, which resulted in a remarkable return in just 14 months of mostly pre-revenue operations. His period at DiscoverReady was marked by considerable growth in revenue and profits, eventually leading to a lucrative sale to Consilio, greatly benefiting the stakeholders involved.