Spotlight: Sean Curley on his career to date and vision for Charles Aris Transaction Services

Sean Curley, managing director for Charles Aris Transaction Services, joined the firm after serving in a variety of operations, sales and marketing roles. Now, he’s using this experience to build out its new deal-sourcing business.

Sean, who grew up in New Jersey until attending the University of North Carolina Greensboro at age 17, always had a strong work ethic and served in odd jobs even throughout his youth. When he was finishing high school and preparing for college, he held down three jobs while also playing varsity sports.

Upon moving to Greensboro to attend school, Sean continued to work multiple jobs as a means of supporting his education. In 1992, he graduated into a recession with a dual major in marketing and economics. He held his position at a local restaurant after graduating but soon located a manufacturing company in Greensboro where he would seek work. The organization wasn’t hiring, but Sean took this opportunity to exercise polite tenacity.

In his own words, Sean “pestered” the company to give him a shot. When this didn’t work, he offered to serve in the warehouse free of charge for two weeks. If at the end of the two weeks they still didn’t want to hire him, Sean promised he would move on. Appreciating his persistent spirit, they agreed to hire him, and he spent 10 years with the organization.

Sean advanced within the manufacturing company, moving from his original purchasing position into a sales role. He helped usher in transformative change to grow the business, but the company was eventually purchased and shut down amid the telecoms crash of 2001, and Sean found himself looking for his next big opportunity.

Shortly after, Sean found another manufacturing organization in North Carolina and joined their team in a channel marketing role. This organization experienced multiple acquisitions during Sean’s tenure, but these transactions grew the business and led the way for Sean to pursue a variety of positions and lead several integrations.

The new owners paid for Sean to complete his MBA at Indiana University Bloomington’s Kelly School of Business and then enrolled him in their 24-month executive development training. After demonstrating his value by improving factory operations and inventory management, as well as moving back into a high-exposure position as vice president of sales, the organization asked Sean what he wanted to accomplish in the balance of his career. Sean sought more international experience, so his company put him on an assignment running businesses in Canada, the United Kingdom and France.

Upon completing this assignment, he joined a different division of the business in Charlotte. From there, he was recruited to join other organizations where he led additional businesses in specialty distribution and in the water industry. Eventually, Sean’s family decided they wanted to move back to Greensboro, and Charles Aris soon entered his radar.

While Charles Aris had historically focused on providing executive search services to its clients, the organization’s founder and chairman, Mitch Oakley, had been experimenting with transaction services at the time Sean reached out. After the two connected, it became clear Charles Aris had a promising future in this space, and Sean’s experience serving in multiple roles through major company restructurings and acquisitions made him the perfect candidate to lead the charge.

When reflecting on his career and looking towards the future with Charles Aris Transaction Services, Sean says the relationships he built, which span five continents and 30 countries, have been most rewarding. He’s excited to help his clients bring their companies to the next level by leveraging the same relationships-based philosophy.

Are you looking to grow your business through acquisition? Contact Managing Director Sean Curley at (336) 217-9125 or sean.curley@charlesaris.com to learn how we can partner to support your needs.