For a fourth year 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. This award 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 various industries, including marketing, tech, real estate, manufacturing and defense, among others.
James is a versatile leader with more than 25 years of experience and expertise in financial management, business planning, sales management and business development. His leadership at both Mindgruve and Macarta has contributed to both companies being recognized on the Inc. 5000 list consecutively for the past four years. Widely recognized for identifying critical issues and implementing effective solutions, James’ expertise and thought leadership have made him an outstanding CFO at Mindgruve Holdings and Mindgruve Ventures.
Since assuming the role, James has implemented meaningful change at a rapid pace with the support of executive leadership. He’s been instrumental in training accounting staff to tighten and streamline processes while fostering engagement. For instance, he leveraged the cash collection cycle to substantially increase margins, which, combined with savings, yielded a 15% increase in bottom-line revenue and streamlined financial reporting for multiple entities. This enabled real-time, data-driven decision-making, driving a significantly positive impact on performance.
James is also committed to his community. He serves as a core adjunct professor in the School of Business Management at National University, teaching courses in business finance, corporate valuation and managerial accounting while mentoring students from varying backgrounds and professional levels. He volunteers at the local YMCA, Food Bank, and United Way. Additionally, James worked with Mindgruve’s corporate foundation to engage in targeted philanthropic efforts and was instrumental in building the foundation for a multi-year giving effort.
Before 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.
As a testament to James’ contributions, our President, Dan Hellbusch, said that James’ expertise has been invaluable to Mindgruve. He’s a seasoned finance expert and a trusted leader in our company.
