Gray Stone’s leadership team brings years of practical experience in senior leadership and operating positions in public and private enterprises in the USA, Australia, Peoples Republic of China, Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and United Arab Emirates (UAE).  Our approach is fact and reality-based utilizing a no-nonsense, direct, hands-on approach.  Gray Stone has offices in Knoxville, TN and Columbus, OH with affiliates in San Francisco, CA, Olympia, WA and Hilton Head Island, SC.

Jim Lara, Principal

Jim Lara, principal of Gray Stone Advisors, has extensive experience working with emerging, medium and larger companies. He provides in-depth experience and an approachable leadership style that promotes knowledge transfer in a direct, yet non-threatening manner.

Jim’s unique ability is bringing leadership, calm, order and confidence to chaotic environments while coaching individuals into high performance teams aligned with the goals of the entire enterprise or organization.

Jim’s broad experience includes senior corporate executive positions in publicly and privately held organizations with local, national and global influence. He has successfully created and led cross-functional teams to achieve strategic goals and initiatives. Jim is currently listed or has served as a board member of numerous companies and corporations. In addition, he is an engaging and enterprising entrepreneur. As an advisor/mentor to business leaders at all levels, Jim facilitates 'best in class' performance on an individual and corporate level.

He is noted for his uncanny ability to quickly recognize the truly relevant, “game changing” issues. He is also widely recognized for his skill in guiding the formation of highly effective teams to resolve systemic problems. Many underperforming or failing organizations have righted themselves and become successful employing the approaches he teaches.

Jim is a graduate of San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and an emphasis in Computer Science. Post-graduate studies include work at prestigious institutions including Stanford University, Southern Methodist University, Northwestern (The Kellogg School), Thunderbird University and the University of Virginia (The Darden School).

He is also an Airline Transport Pilot, type rated business jet captain and aircraft owner/operator with over 11,000 flight hours. While Jim travels to corporate locations across the globe, he maintains his business headquarters, and family home, in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA.

To schedule a meeting or discuss speaking engagements, please contact Jim directly at 865.357.5077 or jlara@graystoneadvisors.com.

Steve Brechter, Senior Advisor - Operations

Steve Brechter is a seasoned senior executive with expertise in leading organizations through transformation and change. He has implemented operational improvement, business planning and leadership development processes in numerous organizational settings with sustained results. He has a passion for achieving business results through the zealous development of people.

Steve has multinational operating experience in the industrial and luxury service sectors, including operating responsibility for NetJets, Inc., a $2.5 billion unit of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.

Steve began his career at United Technologies Corporation (UTC) in 1974 at its Pratt & Whitney engine division, where he held increasingly responsible positions in engineering and manufacturing operations. While at UTC, Steve was named executive assistant to the president of Pratt & Whitney and executive assistant to UTC’s Chairman and CEO. He also held the positions of vice president of quality and environmental health & safety at UTC’s Hamilton Sundstrand unit.

In 1996, Steve was named vice president and general manager of UTFlight, UTC’s corporate flight operation. Under his leadership, UTFlight became the first corporate flight department in the world to become registered to ISO9000, the internationally recognized standard of operating excellence.

In 2000, Steve joined NetJets, Inc., in Columbus, Ohio, a Berkshire Hathaway company, as its first chief operating officer, where he was responsible for the daily operation of the company’s 400+ fractionally?owned business jet aircraft. Under his leadership, significantly improved levels of operating profit were achieved, the company embarked on an enterprise?wide business operating system and an employee leadership development process. He was subsequently president and CEO of Waypoint, Inc., a start?up air taxi company.

Upon earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Steve received a Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering and a MBA degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. In 1999, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute named Steve a Distinguished Alumnus. He is also a certified consultant for the Birkman Method, a personal development assessment tool.

Having served several years on the Campaign Cabinet of the United Way of Central Ohio, Steve is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the Columbus Association of the Performing Arts (CAPA) and the Shubert Theater in New Haven, Connecticut. He is a past board chair and trustee of the International Bluegrass Music Museum in Owensboro, Kentucky and in 2002 was named a Kentucky Colonel for his work in the development, completion and opening of the International Bluegrass Music Museum.

Richard Stone, Senior Advisor - Leadership & Finance

Rick Stone is a seasoned business leader of Gray Stone Advisors, having successfully served in Fortune 500 public firms as well as advising start-up private enterprises.  During his distinguished 33+ year professional career, he has held the positions of President, Chief Executive Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Controller and public accounting auditor and CPA.  He was also a participant in the extended Harvard Business School Program for Management Development, 1994.

Rick combines being a quick study of issues and challenges, matched with his ability to identify the associated financial implications, while leveraging his skills as a collaborative leader.

His professional portfolio includes serving as the President of the Sea Ray Boat Group for 4 years and it’s CFO for 11 years.  He also served for 5 years as CFO for the entire Brunswick Boat Group, comprised at one time of 26 brands and annual turnover in excess of $3.0 billion.  Rick has extensive operational and financial experience in:

• Durable goods manufacturing;
• Wholesale distribution and marketing to a non-captive marketplace, and:
• Global retail marketing of discretionary purchase luxury brands, navigating effectively through many varying economic cycles.

His unique and highly personable operating style builds strong and durable relationships at all levels of an organization as well as with that firm’s key external stakeholders.  Rick effectively guides the integration of new brands, either for his clients or as an operating executive, through careful yet swift planning, using ‘whole systems thinking’.  His collaborative leadership style enables the ‘right-sizing’ of manufacturing capacity and overhead structures, while simultaneously producing excellent financial performance and achieving the desired goal of enhanced market share.

Rick is adept at working with ‘owner-operator’ entrepreneurial clients as well as those in the C-Suite of large publicly held firms.  He has successfully participated in numerous acquisitions, dispositions, startups and significant corporate turnarounds.  He assists enterprises at the appropriate level where the full spectrum of his highly developed skills can be leveraged for the client’s benefit, thus enabling them to achieve their operational and financial objectives.

Rick balances his professional pursuits with his community involvement, including serving for many years on the boards of the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra (Knoxville) and the Historic Tennessee Theater.

Jay S. Povlin, Senior Advisor - Marketing & Analytics

Jay Povlin joined Gray Stone Advisors in the spring of 2011 and brings with him a wealth of executive business leadership experience from both domestic and international markets.  His  extensive background in financial management, communication, strategic planning and execution have led multinational operations to the attainment of double digit revenue improvements and significant expansions of global market reach in challenging, competitive industries.

Jay has held numerous senior leadership positions with a Fortune 500 company and in those roles provided strategic direction for business unit financial performance, manufacturing operations, sales and marketing efforts, and product development initiatives.  In each area, he consistently delivered on the goals and objectives of business divisions that spanned multiple market segments across the globe. 

In one of Jay’s more recent corporate assignments, he held the position of President overseeing a business unit.  Jay had full accountability for P&L oversight, strategic planning, change management, cost containment, and corporate interactions. Thanks to his ability to use Lean Six Sigma principles in the planning and execution of business and operational strategies, Jay's tenure was successful as reflected in significant improvements to the business unit’s financial and operational performance. With this broad knowledge base, Jay has recently provided start-up expertise to a diverse group of new corporations in the areas of financial strategy, asset utilization, business metrics, communications, and analytics. 

Jay brings a unique perspective to the safety and security issues of corporations.  Having spent five years with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he understands security issues and can leverage this experience to benefit Gray Stone’s clients.

A graduate of Middle Tennessee State University, Jay holds a Bachelor of Science degree in International Relations.  His commitment to lifelong learning includes further studies at Northwestern and the University of Chicago in the areas of marketing, finance, and leadership.

Gregory Jordan, Information Technology Advisor

Gregory Jordan leads Gray Stone Advisors information technology department. With high level expertise, he develops initiatives and resolves hardware, application and all network issues. In addition, he provides ongoing first line technical and application support in corporate network environments.

In addition to his responsibilities with Gray Stone, Greg works as a LAN technician for one of the world’s largest credit card processing companies. There he is responsible or correcting PC and network issues for over 2700 local Windows based PCs. Greg is also responsible for the software configuration of more than 4000 personal computers in North America. His diverse background includes experience in global payment solutions, aviation, science, engineering and automotive industries.

Upon starting his career with the United States Air Force in 1983, Greg first served as a Munitions Systems Specialist with the 81st EMS at RAF Bentwaters, England. In 1987, Mr. Jordan returned to Lackland AFB TX to begin training as an Electronic Communications and Cryptographic Systems Specialist. As a secure Communications Technician for the Air Force, 1839th EIG Keesler AFB MS, Air Force Reserve for the 63rd CS Norton AFB CA and California Air National Guard for the 148th CCS in Ontario CA, Greg provided installation, troubleshooting, testing and repair of all cryptographic data and voice communications equipment. He ended active duty in 1989 with an Honorable Discharge, moved to inactive reserve with the closure of Norton AFB in 1992 and, received an Honorable Discharge from the California ANG in 1998.

In 1989, Greg began his civilian career with Northrop Corporation’s Aircraft and Electronics divisions. He maintained records that accounted for communications security (COMSEC) equipment assigned to Northrop in accordance with National Security Agency guidelines.

In 1993, Greg moved from secure communications to PC, network and telecom support. In subsequent contract and employment positions with IBM, Southern California Edison, Canon, TRW, and Gulfstream Aircraft, he installed and repaired voice and data networks; resolved hardware and software issues for PCs and Macs; performed quality assurance testing for network hardware and software and served as a project manager during the installation of a new LAN for 14 steel facilities located throughout the United States; negotiated equipment savings in excess of $60,000 annually for ARC Automotive; and created the Disaster Recovery software configuration for Elavon North America.

Greg graduated from Pellissippi State Technical College in Knoxville, Tennessee with an Associate of Science Degree. He resides in Tennessee with his wife, two children and eight rescued pets. He is actively involved in the Smokey Mountains Hiking Club, Tennessee Trails Association, and the University of Tennessee Oak Ridge Arboretum.

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