Craig Coleman

PARTNER

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Craig is a highly experienced entrepreneur and chief executive. Over a 20-year period, Craig has built and grown successful companies in both the finance and payment processing industries.  Craig believes that the key to success at an individual as well as the organizational level is combining passion with focus and discipline.  He is also a true believer in the value of coaching, having been a client for six years before joining CEO Coaching International as a coach himself.

Professional Highlights

  • Co-founded ForwardLine Financial, a nationwide small business lender, and ForwardLine Payment Services, a nationwide full-service payment processor.
  • Served as ForwardLine’s CEO for 15 years achieving 15 consecutive years of growth and steady profitability after the 4th year.
  • Grew operations to $100 million in loan volume and $300 million in payment processing volume.
  • Led the successful sale of the ForwardLine businesses to a private equity firm in 2015.
  • Raised a combined total of more than $125 million in capital over the course of his career.
  • Prior to founding ForwardLine, Craig served as COO of a boutique finance company specializing in bridge loans and minority equity positions in emerging companies.  Led fundraising from limited partners as well as all aspects of the investment process including due diligence, initial investment, and exit transactions.
  • Began career as a corporate attorney for O’Melveny & Myers, as well as Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom.  Legal experience included mergers and acquisitions, recapitalizations, public equity offerings, syndicated leveraged borrowings, formation of legal entities, and preparation of public company reporting documents including proxy statements, 8-Ks, 10-Qs, and 10-Ks.
  • BA in economics with high honors from Boston College
  • JD with honors from Georgetown University
  • Vistage member from 2006 to 2017
  • CEO Coaching International client from 2011 to 2017

Personal Highlights

  • Happily married to his wife Molly since 1998.
  • Proud father to three sons Jack, Bill, and Jim, as well as a chocolate Labrador named Buzz.
  • Served on the Corpus Christi Parish School board, as well as the Western Los Angeles County Council for the Boy Scouts of America.
  • With beach volleyball no longer a realistic option — enjoys hitting the gym and getting outdoors for skiing, ocean kayaking, sailing, and camping, among other pursuits.
  • Other hobbies include travel, reading- particularly on the topic of U.S. history, and just enjoying time with family and friends