For a second year in a row James Earwicker, CFO of Mindgruve and Mindgruve Ventures, has been named a finalist for San Diego Business Journal’s (SDBJ) CFO of the Year Awards. The virtual show, scheduled for March 25, 2021, recognizes financial executives who often work behind the scenes of their respective companies bolstering their success while positively impacting the community at large. Nominees come from a variety of industries, including marketing, tech, real estate, manufacturing and defense, among others.
James brings more than a quarter century of financial management and accounting experience to the role in which he’s responsible for leading all finance and accounting operations. In 2020 alone he developed a COVID-19 cost mitigation strategy to streamline expenses, increase efficiencies and maintain profitability. He vetted and established new banking partnerships to expand credit facilities and refinance debt at lower rates. He implemented new reporting metrics designed to track efficiencies and KPIs that are critical to the success of Mindgruve and Mindgruve Ventures. While expanding the accounting and finance teams, he developed an internal management training program. He completed a forensic recasting of accrual financials. He stood up a new venture arm to begin investing in high-growth companies in and around San Diego. Finally, he helped guide multiple acquisitions through negotiations, legal and accounting functions.
James somehow finds time to also serve as a core adjunct professor in the School of Business Management at National University. He routinely teaches courses in business finance, corporate valuation and managerial accounting while mentoring students from varying backgrounds and professional levels. He even volunteers at the local YMCA, Food Bank and United Way.
Prior to Mindgruve and Mindgruve Ventures, James served as Vice President at Wells Fargo Bank for nearly 24 years. He holds a BA in Physics and English from UC Santa Barbara and an MBA in Finance from San Diego State University.
For more information about SDBJ’s CFO of the Year Award, visit https://sdbj.com/2021_CFO_Awards/.
