- In HR and human capital leadership
29 yrs
In HR and human capital leadership
- Acquisitions led in at KONE
5
Acquisitions led in at KONE
- Employees across 16 states he supported at KONE
2,000
Employees across 16 states he supported at KONE
- Certified Exit Planning Advisor
CEPA
Certified Exit Planning Advisor
About.
Stephen is the Founder and President of GrowFast Advisory in Jacksonville, which tests whether a company's value actually transfers through a change in ownership, leadership or how work gets done. He works on the sell side and buy side of M&A, PE and owner deals, serving founder-led firms, family businesses and PE-backed companies with $2M to $30M in EBITDA.
His approach comes from nearly three decades leading people strategy inside large companies going through major change, including KONE, The Coca-Cola Company, Pepsi Bottling Group, International Paper and Ocado Group. He has lived through consolidations and acquisitions from the inside, and he focuses on the leadership continuity, operating rhythm and institutional knowledge that decide whether deal value holds after close.
Track record.
- Built GrowFast Advisory around two frameworks, Valuation-Grade Succession and Day-Two Ready
- Senior HR Director at KONE for 2,000 employees across 16 states in the Western U.S., leading in 5 acquisitions
- Led The Coca-Cola Company's West Region HR through the acquisition of CCE's North American business
- Led human capital strategy for Ocado Group in North America, scaling operations in a highly automated, robotics-driven model
- Chief negotiator of a contract extension that enabled an International Paper divestiture to a private equity firm
Experience.
Founder and President
GrowFast Advisory
2025 to Present · Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Proves enterprise value transfer for middle-market deals.
Vice President, People - North America
Ocado Group
2022 to 2023 · North America
Scaled business operations and HR teams in North America.
Senior Human Resources Director
KONE
2013 to 2022 · Ponte Vedra, Florida, United States
Senior HR leader for 2,000 employees across 16 western states.
Regional Human Resources Director
The Coca-Cola Company
2008 to 2013 · Greater Los Angeles Area
Led the West Region through a major industry consolidation.
Human Resources Director
Pepsi Bottling Group
2005 to 2008 · Los Angeles, California
Led 8 HR managers supporting 1,500 employees.
Human Resources Leader
International Paper
2002 to 2005 · Kaukauna, Wisconsin, United States
Led HR for 1,200 employees at a pulp and paper mill.
Labor and Employee Relations Specialist
International Paper
1997 to 2002 · Memphis, Tennessee, United States
Chief negotiator for collective bargaining agreements.
What you can ask Stephen about.
- Finding where enterprise value is at risk and proving it
- Transferring seller value in a deal event
- Diligence plans that survive a transaction and perform for a buyer
Education.
Michigan State University
Masters, Human Resources and Labor Relations
University of Florida
Masters, Sociology
Furman University
Bachelors, Sociology
Nobody builds alone.
Send Stephen one specific question. It goes straight to their inbox.