Tag Archive: subject matter expert

  1. Executive On Demand: A Core Catalysts Special

    Leave a Comment


    Leadership Experience, Objectivity, and Credibility

    Core Catalysts excels in providing interim and fractional C-Suite executives with the power to help in complex, business-critical situations.

    Our deep bench of Executives on Demand (EODs) can immediately bring experience, objectivity, and credibility to your leadership team, acting either as catalysts for rapid business performance improvement or as subject matter experts, focusing on specific functional issues or mission critical business projects and priorities.

    We Hit the Ground Running

    Our EODs are skilled in hitting the ground running. They do this by:

    • Quickly integrating with the operational leadership team, with a focus on keeping operations running smoothly
    • Rapidly understanding the current state of the business (financial, operational, priorities, etc.)
    • Swiftly reviewing the most pressing short-term risks and “quick win” opportunities
    • Proactively identifying the underlying causes of business issues and key initiatives for the ultimate decision makers to consider
    • Prompt transition from analyzing problems to developing and implementing solutions

    Capability and Deep Experience

    Core Catalysts’ EODs are a well-known quantity. Every EOD is a senior-level operating executive who has been closely vetted and has already completed work for Core Catalysts’ clients.

    Core Catalysts’ nationwide reach means that our EOD pool is composed of experts across the full range of industries and business challenges, ensuring best-fit individuals or teams for your unique issues and needs.

    C-Suite Advisory Services

    Many C-Suite members of privately held, growth-stage companies say they could benefit from an advisor who has sat in their seat, understands their challenges, and can help them achieve the success they envision with less risk, effort, and challenges.

    Core Catalysts’ EOD team includes people just like this who can act as allies and sounding boards to help your C-Suite navigate the challenges of setting strategy, operating day-to-day, and achieving your vision for the company, tapping into the broader firm resources of Core Catalysts if needed. In addition, our EODs can tap into our pool of consultants as well as our knowledge bases to get information that they may not know or have at their fingertips.

    Examples of past Core Catalysts EOD projects include:

    • Interim CFO, CIO, and CHRO positions
    • CFO profitability analysis and improvement
    • CFO / CEO acquisition strategy, targeting, and integration
    • COO support, fixing operating problems and broken processes
    • C-Suite support after private equity investment

    Find out more

    If you would like to find out more about our Executive on Demand offering, please reach out to us today!

  2. The Gig Economy and Subject Matter Experts

    Leave a Comment

    The popularity of a “gig economy” is continuously increasing. According to the American Staffing Association, many Americans view this as a relatively new way to describe non-traditional work, but actually this concept has existed for a while.

    This term is often used with musicians, referring to a performance as a “gig.” A musician provides short-term, specialized entertainment for its audience, fulfilling an important role that not everyone can do.

    In a similar manner, Core Catalysts fulfills the need for a gig economy by providing short-term, just-in-time Subject Matter Expertise (SMEs) that have extremely focused skill sets. While we provide consultants in a variety of other ways, this option is perfect for teams that know what needs to be done but have neither the time nor the skills to do it.

    These resources typically fill a resource gap for our clients,  a gap where an extremely talented person can quickly step into a role where our client has a void in either the number of resources needed or the skillset desired.  In this situation, our client knows what they need done and our resources are given specific directions and are often guided by client project management resources.  We carefully vet resources that desire to work in this manner, and we surround them with the appropriate project management and intellectual property protection mechanisms to ensure a positive experience for our clients.

    In the short-term SME area, the typical skill set we have available can be described in the following ways:

    • Technical IT infrastructure skills – AWS and Azure development, integration, configuration, and optimization. And the ability to modernize legacy systems.
    • Software development skills – more common areas include API development and .Net developers. Also includes LoCode applications and mobile development.
    • Business Process Automation – requires process minded people teamed with developers and third-party software. Can also include AI/Machine Learning in some cases.
    • Systems integrations – including commercial platforms (CRM, CMS, LMS, ERP and Logistics)
    • Data analytics – building and integrating systems, leveraging data for business impact.
    • Experienced Project Managers, Business Process Improvement and Business Analyst resources.

    Our process includes finding people that work in the short term SME space, vetting them for their technical and professional skills, performing appropriate background investigations, providing them a secure environment for document and code development, document storage, managing them through the specific project, and providing performance feedback, all as needed.

    Call us for more information at 913.752.9406 or visit our web site at www.corecatalaysts.com.

    Jim Wadella, Owner/Founder