Charles Aris Executive Search Senior Vice President Jim Etling serves as the company’s primary practice leader for the private equity and finance and accounting practices.
Prior to joining Charles Aris, Jim spent 12 years as the chief financial officer of a global textile machinery manufacturer. As a member of the senior management team, he partnered with seven senior managers, playing a key role in directing the company through two management-led buyouts in six years with two private equity partners.
At Charles Aris, Jim provides a blend of seasoned financial expertise in the manufacturing space and deep knowledge of the intricacies of the private equity world from a portfolio company perspective. It is this blend of knowledge and experience which enables him to quickly understand the needs of his private equity clients and add significant value to each step of their search process. Jim has an additional 12 years of financial management experience in manufacturing from the CPG and chemical spaces, as well as from the software development world.
Jim earned his bachelor of science degree in accounting from Indiana University Bloomington.
Married to Karen for more than three decades, Jim has inherited her love of dogs, providing rescue and respite for countless visitors during that time. As a hospice volunteer, he attempts to combine his hospice ministry with his love of dogs, diligently working to find the time to conclude training of a certified therapy dog who, along with Jim, will provide comfort and peace to the hospice patients they will visit.