Accounting Leadership for a Growing Regional Painting and Contracting Company

A Broken Arrow, Oklahoma painting and contracting business servicing residential and commercial clients throughout the region with a high volume of concurrent projects and a workforce that includes internal staff and subcontractors. The organization, based on a foundation of strong craft values and a faith-based, family-oriented culture, had grown steadily and had dozens of active projects at any given time, including commercial work that lasted many months and residential work at a significant weekly volume. The growth had been consistent, but the financial infrastructure to match it had not yet been developed.

The job needed more than a senior accountant. Duties included job costing on a high volume of concurrent projects, work-in-progress schedule management, AIA billing and retainage tracking, cash flow forecasting, and a disciplined month-end close. This was controller work and finding the right person required a brief that matched.

The business needed a candidate with the real technical knowledge in construction or project based accounting, the independence to take ownership of the function from day one, and the personal character to work within a faith-based, family orientated culture where how someone worked alongside the team mattered. National sourcing was out of the question because the search was tied to the local Broken Arrow market. The right person had to be available in the region.

Keller Executive Search then held a focused regional search for candidates with verifiable experience in construction or project-based accounting environments, with the scope refined to suit the actual needs of the role. Technical competence and leadership character were equally important. The client was clear that cultural fit was non-negotiable. Candidates were assessed on their experience within full-cycle accounting functions, management discipline, knowledge of construction-specific financial procedures, and their ability to develop and stabilize finance functions independently.

Keller Executive Search provided an Accounting Manager with more than 10 years of progressive financial leadership experience, including senior roles in all aspects of full-cycle accounting, month-end close management, AR and AP oversight, payroll coordination, and team leadership across multiple business settings. The Accounting Manager the client selected was local to Broken Arrow, had the technical ability and personal values the organization was looking for, and had hands-on experience running the financial operations of owner-managed and project-based businesses. The appointment was the business’ most senior, dedicated financial hire.