Rick Nordvold

Summary

Changing the game was Rick’s goal when he left an executive career to start Growth Operators in 2010. For years he’d seen how high-performing business-focused finance and human resources teams could help companies grow and thrive.

Rick started Growth Operators in 2010 as a one-person consulting and advisory firm. Over the years, he’s balanced serving clients and executive leadership of the firm. As our Sr. Partner and CEO, Rick now spends the majority of his time chairing our leadership team and developing and overseeing our long-range vision and near-term growth strategy, while still serving clients from time to time.

Before starting Growth Operators, Rick spent nearly 20 years in accounting, finance, administrative, and operational roles. He began his career in public accounting at Arthur Andersen and then joined Best Buy, where he led Corporate Development and Corporate Finance. Rick then joined Golf Galaxy as CFO leading the company’s initial public offering and, later, its merger with Dick’s Sporting Goods. Thereafter he led finance and operations for privately held Griffin International Companies’ before starting Growth Operators. He’s passionate about business growth and serves on the boards of several for-profit and not-for-profit companies.

“Finance, accounting, and human resources are too often overlooked because they’re considered cost centers. They are cost centers if they’re run that way, but when they’re transformed into what they can be, they empower everyone in a company to do their best work. Every time a client sees that transformation happen, I’m reminded why I started this company in the first place.”

Industry Experience