13 Sep Centrinex’s CFO, Jim Christiansen, to Retire Early Next Year
The countdown is on to our Chief Financial Officer’s retirement. Jim Christiansen joined Centrinex on February 2, 2009, exactly 15 years ago from his retirement date. He came to our call center after a 25-year long career at telecom giant, Sprint Nextel. Jim learned a lot in the large corporate space, moving around to different groups, experiencing different corporate cultures, and dealing with growth, decline, spinoffs and ever-changing technology. It’s his vast experience that was always so valued during his time at Centrinex.
Bart Miller, Centrinex’s CEO and Owner, explains, “We have counted on Jim to manage all the finance, accounting, payroll and receivables for the company. Plus, he has taken care of the forecasting and cash flow to ensure there’s money to expand and to keep Centrinex aligned with its projections. Having Jim on our leadership team without a doubt was one of the reasons behind our growth over the years.”
“When I joined Centrinex in 2009, we had about 60 employees and one location,” says Jim. “Today, we have five locations and 500 to 600 employees. Bart is a true leader and visionary who knows how to truly support his team. Even though I’ll remain a part owner of Centrinex and have a vested interest in its continued success, I’ll miss the daily interaction with leadership, my team, managers, and the backbone of the company, our CSRs.”
Jim spent the majority of his career in accounting and finance for the telecom industry. He’ll tell you he’s a simple man who has always enjoyed working. Being a CFO is anything but simple. Jim will spend his last few months winding down in preparation for our next CFO to take over the role. Bart adds, “I will take over the CFO role in addition to my CEO duties. While my CFO knowledge and experience are nothing close to Jim’s, he laid the foundation for Centrinex to continue our growth in the years to come.”
What’s Next for Jim? Living the Retirement Dream
Grandchildren. “My wife and I have three daughters. Three years ago, we didn’t have grandchildren. Today, we have four with another two due by the end of 2023. Six grandkids. Five boys and one girl. We’re looking forward to traveling to Tennessee, Nebraska and Arizona, spending time with them,” says Jim.
Travel. The Christiansens will finally have the time to become globetrotters and are excited to see parts of the world they’ve always wanted to see. “My job never was one that allowed being out of the country for extended periods of time,” Jim explains. First stop on their worldwide itinerary shortly after Jim’s retirement is Cartagena, a port city on Colombia’s Caribbean coast. In spring, they’re off to explore Italy and all its wine, cheese and pasta glory. Then, it’s the Czech Republic. “My wife has roots there. She has always been so supportive, making my life so much easier. I’m grateful and appreciative of that. It’ll be a meaningful trip,” says Jim.
Golf. Jim lives in a golf course community and plans on upping his game. He can be out of the house, drive his golf cart and on the green in five to ten minutes.
Home projects. Being Centrinex’s CFO didn’t leave much time to tackle home improvement projects. Ironically, the job at the top of Jim’s to-do list is improving his home office. “I’ve been in this house a few years now, yet my home office remains unfinished, and I still use a folding table as a desk,” laughs Jim.
Parting Advice
Looking back on his career and time with Centrinex, Jim shares this insight:
“Centrinex is a great environment for people who want to work hard. There is a path for customer service representatives to follow up the ladder to the executive leadership team. We promote only from within. I’ve always respected that model and will miss watching and supporting our employees’ successes.”