Open to opportunities

Benjamin Coats

@benjamincoats

Executive leader scaling wealth management and operating companies through operational strategy and financial discipline.

United States

Message

What I'm looking for

I’m looking to lead and transform organizations where I can drive operational strategy, financial discipline, and people-first culture—building revenue growth, executing deals, and improving efficiency while delivering shareholder value.

I’m a dynamic, results-driven executive with a proven record of building and scaling companies across diverse industries, with expertise in operational strategy, financial management, and team development. As Managing Director of Coats Wealth Management, I founded and lead a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor serving high-net-worth families and entrepreneurs, providing white-glove family office–style wealth management and managing portfolios up to $30M+.

Previously, I partnered with the Board to raise $6M+ in equity funding and drive 50% monthly revenue growth at Happy Paws Veterinary Partners, while scaling recruiting, ops, accounting, M&A, and marketing. As CFO and Interim CFO roles, I secured $20M debt financing, stabilized $300M revenue operations, implemented ERP and AP automation, optimized working capital, and identified $8M in tax savings—always focused on people-first culture, operational efficiencies, and delivering shareholder value.

Experience

Work history, roles, and key accomplishments

Current

Managing Director

Current

Coats Wealth Management

Jan 2024 - Present (2 years 6 months)

Founded and leads a fee-only Registered Investment Advisor firm providing family-office style wealth management, including advanced tax planning, estate strategy, and portfolio construction. Manages portfolios up to $30M+ and designed a tiered fee structure with capped pricing while building a client pipeline through referrals, LinkedIn, and CPA/attorney partnerships.

Wealth Management Tax Planning Portfolio Construction ETF SMA Replication Referrals LinkedIn

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Happy Paws Veterinary Partners

Jan 2022 - Jan 2024 (2 years)

Raised $6M+ in equity funding and partnered with the Board to establish a foundation for rapid growth. Achieved 50% monthly revenue growth in clinics’ first year, doubled veterinarian headcount, built a 100+ acquisition deal pipeline, and implemented tech-enabled services including Petdesk CRM and Freed.ai charting automation.

Revenue Growth Recruiting Operations Accounting M&A Marketing Acquisition Analysis Petdesk Freed.Ai Google Ads SEO LinkedIn Recruiting

Chief Financial Officer

Ascend Software

Jan 2020 - Jan 2022 (2 years)

Secured $20M debt financing to fuel accelerated growth and designed/rolled out a Value-Based Pricing model that increased ARR growth from 8% to 43% in year one. Turned the BPO division from -39% margins to +6% in six months, improved SaaS gross margins from 72% to 83%, and increased Net Revenue Retention from 101% to 115% while presenting results and strategy to the Board.

SaaS Gross Margin Optimization Cost Optimization Net Revenue Retention Employee Engagement Strategic Planning

Founder & Managing Director

Granite Lake Partners

Jan 2015 - Jan 2019 (4 years)

Raised capital from 21 investors to pursue LBOs in the lower middle market. Built a proprietary deal pipeline across solar, dental, and pet health, improved acquisition outreach with A/B-tested email drip campaigns, and performed financial analysis using DCF, comps, and recurring revenue multiples to secure bank financing.

LBO Capital Raising Investor Relations Recurring Revenue Multiples)Financial Modeling Financing Market Analysis

CFO & COO

Berkh Uul JSC

Jan 2011 - Jan 2013 (2 years)

Drove the company to become the top-performing stock on the Mongolian Stock Exchange in 2012. Raised $3M in convertible notes via international roadshow, acted as de facto CEO for activist investor Firebird Management implementing operational reforms, improved IFRS compliance, and managed drill programs to create NI 43-101 compliant resource reports.

Convertible Notes Roadshows IFRS Compliance Drilling Program NI 43 101 Reporting Investor Reporting

Associate, Project Finance

Chadbourne & Parke LLP

Jan 2009 - Jan 2010 (1 year)

Associate in the Project Finance / Corporate Division at Chadbourne & Parke LLP.

Interim Chief Financial Officer

DaBella

Jan 2022 - Present (4 years 6 months)

Stepped in to stabilize finance at a $300M revenue home improvement services company with 33 offices and 2,000 employees. Streamlined financial reporting and forecasting, restructured debt and optimized working capital, implemented an ERP system and AP automation software, and identified $8M in tax savings through a COVID-related government tax credit.

Financial Reporting Forecasting Working Capital Liquidity Management ERP Implementation