SurePoint, an organization that gives follow administration, monetary and shopper relationship merchandise for mid-sized legislation companies, in the present day introduced the appointment of a brand new CEO, Eric Thurston, a veteran business-transformation chief with greater than twenty years of expertise scaling and main high-growth software program and providers corporations throughout a number of verticals, together with authorized.
Enterprise investor Mike Suchsland, a veteran of the authorized expertise business and the previous president of Thomson Reuters’ authorized enterprise, had been serving as interim CEO since October after the departure of Tom Obermaier, who had been CEO since 2018. Suchsland, who has served on SurePoint’s board since 2018, will now develop into chair of the board.
Primarily based in Austin, Tex., Thurston most lately served as president and CEO of TCP Software program, a workforce administration answer supplier. Throughout his tenure, TCP doubled its income, acquired 5 corporations, launched quite a few merchandise, together with a collection of built-in workforce administration options, and garnered prestigious awards.
Previous to TCP, Thurston was CEO of Personify, a supplier of expertise options to associations and nonprofit organizations serving to them higher interact their members and maximize income. From 2011 to 2013, he was president of Mitratech, a expertise supplier for company authorized departments. In 2019, Ernst & Younger named Thurston a finalist for the Entrepreneur Of The Yr award in Central Texas.
Learn more about SurePoint at the LawNext Legal Technology Directory.
Both Rising or Dying
At SurePoint, Thurston instructed me in an interview Friday, his focus shall be on taking the corporate to its subsequent stage of professionalism, customer support and development.
“There are phases in an organization similar to in something,” he stated. “SurePoint is at that stage of evaluating how does it do a greater job of assembly the wants of its prospects and the way does it proceed to develop. I inform folks you’re both rising or dying.”
That can embody persevering with to develop the next-generation of SurePoint’s Authorized Administration System (LMS), constructing on SurePoint’s acquisition last year of acquired Coyote Analytics, an organization that gives follow administration, monetary administration and enterprise intelligence software program for legislation companies.
On the time of that acquisition, SurePoint had stated that customers of each LMS and Coyote would start to see the perfect of every system rolled into the opposite, with each merchandise persevering with to exist, however every constructing on the strengths of the opposite.
“We are able to construct an awesome firm, have an awesome tradition, and we are able to present an off ramp for the present buyers and on ramp for the subsequent ones,” he stated. “We’re going to run the enterprise taking a look at what we have to do for our prospects within the business and simply preserve going.”
Does that imply that creating that off ramp shall be one in every of his targets? In 2021, the non-public funding agency Aquiline Capital Partners acquired a majority possession stake in SurePoint.
It isn’t, he stated. “My marching orders are to come back in and to run the corporate in a good way, and the place there’s areas to enhance, let’s repair these, and positively let’s not break issues which are working properly.”
Alternative for Progress
Thurston, who had comparatively transient expertise working within the authorized business via his time at Mitratech, stated he’s trying ahead to returning to the authorized vertical.
“What I like about this market is you will get your arms round it — it’s large enough that there’s good alternative for us to develop, nevertheless it’s additionally not so huge and so open ended that you just’re attempting to determine which verticals you need to serve, what’s your go to market. We are able to come at this market very crisply, very concisely, and be an awesome supplier to the market and meet our development aims.”
He was drawn to SurePoint, particularly, by its established model status and its mid-market focus. “It’s a very good model, with good recognition within the market.”
Mid-sized U.S. companies will stay SurePoint’s focus as the corporate seeks to additional refine its merchandise and herald new prospects, Thurston stated. “The plan proper now could be largely natural development.”
He stated the corporate will even have a look at further acquisitions, constructing on its acquisitions final yr of Coyote and, earlier than that, of ContactEase client relations management software.
Studying Tour
As he steps into the job beginning in the present day, Thurston stated his quick aim for at the very least the subsequent 90 days is to study, each from prospects and staff. He shall be beginning prospects calls this week and plans to spend at the very least every week a month for the subsequent 4 months touring to satisfy with prospects.
“I want to listen to the voice of the shoppers. What are they pleased with? What are they annoyed with?”
Equally, he plans to satisfy with as many staff as he can and study as a lot as he can from them in regards to the enterprise. That shall be a problem, he admits, as a result of the corporate continues to function remotely, however he needs to concentrate on constructing a robust firm tradition even with staff working nearly.
I requested Thurston whether or not he’s involved about getting into this job at a time when the economic system is in disaster.
“CEOs have been coping with one disaster after one other for the final 10 or 15 years, and it’s important to study to roll with it and never overreact to it,” he stated.
“We’ve received a enterprise to run. If we care for what’s in entrance of us, servicing our prospects, doing an awesome job, we’ll be positive.”