Our Business Coaches
Arthur J. Miller - TAB-Certified Facilitator
Art Miller is a Partner in Infinite Solutions Group, a leading turnaround consulting firm located in the Oklahoma City area. He specializes in working with small and medium-sized businesses that have performance issues. His areas of expertise include financial projections, cash flow and working capital management, cost controls, private placements of debt and equity, mergers and acquisitions, as well as financial systems and procedures. In addition, Mr. Miller has extensive business planning and strategic planning experience, both as a prerequisite to raising capital and as an effective tool for prioritizing and making progress toward business and personal goals.
Art sat in the Chief Financial Officer’s chair at First Capital Corporation, a leading national provider of asset based loans up to $5 million in size. It was at First Capital that he closed the first ever securitization of the small asset-based loan asset class—a $100 million deal. He also oversaw the information technology area of First Capital’s business. Most recently, before joining Infinite Solutions Group, Art was CFO of a venture financed software development firm, and raised both debt and equity capital for that business to finance new product development and market growth.
Art has a diverse financial background that includes positions in banking, mortgage banking, investment banking, asset-based lending, factoring, mezzanine capital, and venture capital. As a provider of funds in those many layers of the capital structure, Mr. Miller is uniquely qualified to advise companies with financial challenges on how best to improve their capitalization to reach growth and other critical business goals.
During Mr. Miller’s work as a venture capitalist and later as an advisor to many small and growing businesses in both a consulting and fund raising capacity, he has formed formal boards of directors, advisory boards, as well as non-profit boards. Therefore, Art is thoroughly familiar with sound board practices that add value to a business, and he is deeply appreciative of the positive attributes and disciplines that result from a strong Board or group of advisors.
Art brings a lot of “gray hair” to his consulting assignments, resulting from over 30 years of diverse business experience as a manager and a business owner, as well as a consultant and confidential advisor. He earned an undergraduate business degree with a concentration in accounting from Bucknell University. Art holds an MBA from the Colgate Darden School at the University of Virginia, where he was recognized with the William Michael Shermet Award and the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence. Mr. Miller also holds professional designations as a CPA and as a Certified Information Systems Auditor.
Tra C Pippin - TAB-Certified Facilitator
Tra Pippin is a results-oriented, Partner at Infinite Solutions Group, a turnaround management firm in the Oklahoma City area. He has extensive experience as a President and CEO, with emphasis in manufacturing and sales/marketing fields. Since forming a turnaround management firm in 1997, his expertise in mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, capital acquisition and capital management has resulted in over 20 companies raising over $400 million. He uses the skills of over two dozen premier consultants to provide financial, marketing, sales, human resource, management and strategic planning services for his nationwide base of clients. Prior to forming his consulting firm, Tra held President/CEO positions in several local companies. Companies that Tra led include Perfection Equipment Company, Jetta Corporation, Paxin Mortgage Company, National 60-Minute Tune and Lube, and Velocity Graphics, Inc. During Tra’s tenure at Perfection Equipment Company the company was recognized as operating one of the single most profitable companies in the truck parts and equipment industry. At Jetta Corporation his leadership resulted in the company going from an annual loss of over $1 million to a profit within 12 months.
Tra is one of the few consultants in the area to combine strategic and practical hands-on experience. He has strong analytical and budgetary skills, but combines this skill set with well-developed interpersonal communication abilities. His real world management and team building ability allow business leaders to examine their organizations from a different perspective. He assists and coaches them as they revisit and clarify their personal and business visions/ goals and helps them translate these into success.
Tra leverages his Juris Doctorate and M.B.A. to assist owners of family and closely held companies in recognizing and understanding the personal and family issues that may be negatively impacting their business and how to take the necessary steps to correct these issues. As a university-level adjunct professor, Tra can communicate the action steps necessary to grow a business and ultimately improve the bottom-line.
Tra brings over 25 years of experience to each engagement. His ability to get the most out of organizations has been a recognized result at nearly every company he has helped. He has an undergraduate economics degree from Oklahoma University and juris doctorate and masters in business administration from Oklahoma City University. He is a member of the Turnaround Management Association, Oklahoma Bar Association, and many civic and charitable organizations. |
