Joe Graci – B2B Business Builder

My Origin Story:

My story starts with bicycles and the game of monopoly. Growing up north of Toronto, these two childhood passions afforded me the freedom, autonomy and ability to learn how to get around independently, learn the art of business and learn from new & different experiences. I was also obsessed by speed & efficiency – always looking for faster & better ways to get stuff done. That’s how I became one of the first kids in school to buy a PC (1989). I was so fascinated by its powerfully efficient ways that I had one built & sold it to a classmate. Ugh, Michael Dell was really onto something!

Fast forward a few years to the start of my professional career working for a top 5 Canadian bank where I was promoted 8 times in 10 years, building on new & different experiences. From being the youngest ever Service Manager running a 13-person team & $100M book of business (1997) to developing one of the first mobile payment applications (2000), to rolling out one of the largest corporate ATM deals with Shell Canada (2004). Technology, partnerships, speed of execution and client ease of business were always at the heart of business-building. After I was done with the financial services industry, I focused my attention on the technology distribution industry (2005) – from overseeing a $300M networking technology portfolio to starting up a mobility division and growing it from zero to $100M revenue in 3 years (2008). I was recruited by a small fix-me-upper competitor (2011) where I doubled down early on the cybersecurity trend and grew the business from $40M to $100M with 10x EBITDA growth before exiting to spend some time with early stage technology companies (2020). All of this with the strong desire to learn, grow, build great cultures and apply new skills in a rapidly evolving environment where mature industries desperately need tech-savvy leadership to capitalize on the market shifts we see today.

EXECUTIVE ROLES

CEO - Transitions & Rebuilds

Over 10 years experience leading several technology companies through transformational changes in mature industries and cultivating high performance cultures.

2011 - Present

Advisory Board/Coach

Early stage technology company advisor with expertise in distribution channels, corporate development, product roadmap, scalability & investment.

2018- Present

Board Director/Investor

Over 10 years experience serving on various boards of SMB companies and non-profit organizations providing governance, strategy, cybersecurity, and funding support.

2010 - Present

CEO Peer

Active member of CEO Global Network - learning from smart & talented business owners and entrepreneurs. A lifetime student of business supported by a personal CEO coach that raises the bar on performance & accountability.

2012 - Present

industry expertise

Joe’s professional journey has a central theme – the ability to see big shifts in mature B2B industries and applying new business models & innovation to accelerate growth. From financial services to distribution to software, Joe’s creative problem-solving skills are always ready to unlock new opportunities in old industries.

Distribution Channels

Marketplaces /eCommerce

Cybersecurity

Fintech & Payments

AI & Machine Learning

Business Profile

<$100M

Revenue

100’s

Technology & Channel partners

$1M-5M

EBITDA

Operations Expertise

US & Canada

Professional Highlights:

Completed a turnaround (2012-2013) in the technology distribution industry resulting in 2x EBITA, re-organized & aligned team structure, restructured ownership, exited unprofitable product lines and doubled down on cybersecurity growth (which paid off for years to come)
Built a strong team & service-centric culture (2012-2020) that delivered 8 consecutive years of growth, high employee & client satisfaction, highly profitable vendor partnerships and converted to 100% digitized operations
Invested & built industry-first AI enabled marketplace platform for the industrial metals industry (2019-2021)
Applied General Manager toolkit & business acumen to capitalize on emerging technology trends and built solid businesses around them several times over in the last 20 years
Created many first-to-market opportunities to deliver new innovative products & services - multi-company, multi-industry, repeat offender!
Advised hundreds of technology vendors on their channel growth strategies, programs, pricing, support, and partner recruitment & enablement plans
Built strong, scalable operational foundations for new business units within large enterprise, mature SMB, and technology startups - team & culture-building, established processes that mitigate business risk, streamlined operations for faster decision-making & service delivery, technology selection & implementation, established financial processes, KPI visibility & management, backup & redundancy, and flexible vendor contracts

What’s it like working with Joe

"Creative, profitable and trustworthy leadership...During Mr. Joe Graci’s years as the President at Interwork Technologies, he completely transformed the operations, systems and most importantly the corporate culture of the company. I personally had a front row seat, as a vendor partner, to observe curiously this transformation. Mr. Graci’s handiwork took Interwork Technologies from “The little engine that could” to “ The little engine that did”. Joe’s new Interwork organization gave them the strength to compete at the highest levels with the largest of the industry’s go-to-market distribution companies. Competing at these levels, with a fraction of the budget available, demonstrated clearly how Joe’s innovative approach paid off handsomely. While this successful transformation certainly turned heads inside the industry, it was Joe’s day to day business clarity and transparency which provided the framework for my personal interaction with Joe and his team. With the new Interwork Technologies fully operational, we were able to provide customers with innovative security solutions and meaningful business agreement which were both profitable and easy to implement. Of particular mention was the very high level of trust which we shared. This mutual trust allowed us to seamlessly execute the predictable rhythm of our business transactions as well as navigate tough situations which inevitable occur. There is no substitute for high levels of trust. If you find yourself in the position to do business with Mr. Graci, do it. It's an investment with high returns."

"I had the pleasure of working under Joe Graci for 9 years at Interwork Technologies. Joe was a steady leader for the organization, always seeing the big picture and always working to define the next big idea. Joe places great emphasis on developing meaningful relationships with his business partners. A phrase he used often, “The Interwork employee is a connector”, still resonates with me. Practicing that philosophy helped enable me to develop and maintain countless long term relationships in my business." Joe was instrumental in developing a great culture at Interwork; one of teamwork, selflessness, and innovation. He empowered his employees to be resourceful to complete a project or task, and never hesitated to step in to solve a problem. Over the years, we saw process and resource improvements that helped the business become much more efficient. Joe also had a consistent practice of going out of his way to ensure his employees’ contributions were recognized. He made sure to individually thank his team members for a significant sales achievement, a process improvement, or an end to a successful quarter. His genuine effort made for a better employee, and ultimately, a stronger company.

"I have worked closely with Joe Graci for the last four years as his CEO Coach. Joe has been a role model for other members of our CEO Global Network executive peer group. Joe has excellent business acumen, is a terrific leader, and is a life long learner who strives to get better every day. He seeks to learn from others and is generous in sharing his time and thoughts with our members."

"I first met Joe through CEO Global Network at one of the speaker events where he attended with his leadership team. What I saw was an extremely motivated leadership team that enjoyed their jobs and working with each other. Subsequently, I became his executive coach from 2017-2018. Working with Joe close up had given me a real insight into Joe’s strengths as a CEO – from planning and strategy to execution, from understanding and motivating people to organizational design. He is open to criticism and feedback and strong enough to forge his own path. On a personal and business level Joe is high integrity, high principle and is a wonderful role model for his hard work and ability to set priorities in his life and keep those priorities. I have to mention Joe is one of the leaders in the Group that is willing to put his vulnerability on the table for ideas and advice from the rest of the group. His suggestions are welcomed in return when others bring out their issues or concerns. Joe has consistently increased sales and profitability of the company and this growth was recognized by a number of external awards & recognition."

"Joe encompasses the true definition of a leader. Working for Joe for almost 7 years I have to say that I have yet to see another leader live up to the same values he has. His transparency in his work as well as his teaching and promotion of his team is something that I was able to see first hand. Joe was never one to take credit for his own hard work but instead turned it onto his team for their efforts. As a result of being under Joe's leadership, I have been propelled to be a top producer and expert in my field. Joe's integrity, honesty, and character are reflected in everything he does."

"I had the privilege of working with Joe for his last three years at Interwork. He is so even-keeled and is the finest of leaders. Joe took the time to clearly articulate how we could help him. Our staff had only good things to say about working with Joe and his team. He sought results but was eminently fair in how he worked with his people. He proved his business acumen by growing Interwork into a very attractive acquisition target. Congratulations on your successes Joe!"

"I have known Joe Graci as his business coach and executive mentor for over 5 years. Joe possesses a much sought-after ability to manage the 'big picture' while also continuing to pay attention to the myriad of details that generate strong results on both the top and bottom lines. Always ready to make the difficult decisions, Joe is a business builder who understands the need for prioritization and focus. In addition, Joe is an enthusiastic executive who really gets the difference between ‘leading’ and ‘managing’."

"As Vice President of North American Sales of Interwork Technologies, I have had the privilege and pleasure of working under Joe Graci’s leadership for nine years. Joe is a high-performing, influential and impactful President who always seemed to steer Interwork to next-level achievements year over year. When Joe first took over the President role, he inherited the responsibility to turn around a company that was going through a rough patch with revenue growth, employee morale and operational efficiencies. With his leadership, he built a highly engaged workforce through restructuring/aligning business units, developed a purpose-driven culture, executed numerous system enhancements to create efficiencies and had the foresight to pivot our business to focus on Cybersecurity. That decision to shift our business resulted in nine years of consistent revenue growth, taking Interwork from $40M to $100M. Joe is one of those rare individuals who can quickly analyze situations, recognize issues and execute successful solutions to capitalize on market opportunities. His integrity, passion, empathy and mentorship has inspired his employees to be the best version of themselves."

"I worked closely with Joe for 2 years when my PE Fund purchased Interwork Technologies in 2018. Throughout the due diligence process and beyond, Joe demonstrated to be a thoughtful leader who consistently delivered financial results that met or exceeded plan. Beyond the numbers, Joe built a highly robust and technology-driven operation supported by an exceptional service culture. Joe was driven to build the business by establishing new business partnerships, capitalizing on market shifts, and executing the company's vision & mission with precision. Joe remains a friend of ours at FirePower and is admired for his professionalism, honesty and commitment he brings to everything he does."