About this speaker
Jay Laabs is a noted technology and professional services entrepreneur, executive, early-stage investor, and advisor to many Fortune 500 CFOs and CIOs.
Jay founded Spaulding Ridge in February 2018 after being inspired by a humanitarian trip to Nicaragua he took with his mom. Watching the women who built and ran the community center and their commitment to the good of the community drove Jay to found a company with the same principles.
Under his culture-first leadership, Jay has scaled the firm to more than 500 employees globally in just over five years. These principles have led to workplace recognition from major media outlets, including Consulting Magazine, Inc., and Gartner.
Headquartered in Chicago, Jay plays bass guitar with fellow entrepreneurs in their band Forum Confidential. Also a passionate reader, Jay listens to audio books regularly, sharing reviews and recommendations with bandmates.
Prior to Spaulding Ridge, Jay gained industry distinction by founding Blue Stone International (BSI) in 2005, scaling the firm to one of the largest Hyperion/Oracle firms in the world. In 2013, he sold Blue Stone International to Huron, where he stayed on to grow the Oracle business by 5x in both people and revenue.
During this time, Jay was recognized by Consulting Magazine as a Top 25 Consultant globally in 2016.
Jay has extensive experience with mergers and acquisitions, the most recent being Spaulding Ridge’s acquisitions of Plan Rocket Consulting and Buan Consulting. Post the successful merger of BSI with Huron/Oracle, Jay oversaw acquisitions of ADI Strategies, Cloud 62, Threshold Consulting, and Rittman Mead India.
His earlier resume includes time spent at Davis Capital, Societe Generale, and The Alcar Group.
Outside of his businesses, Jay has actively worked with entrepreneurial leaders to scale their businesses through project work and executive coaching for years. He has previously served as an advisory board member and/or mentor for Acliviti, Lev, Mavens Consulting, Ignite Journeys, and One North Interactive. He is also a member and officer of Young President’s Organization (YPO) and Hyde Park Angels.
Laabs graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Finance and specialization in International Business. He is a member of the School of Business Dean’s External Advisory Board.
