Our very own Rich Pankow was recognized as a finalist in the Small Private Company division by
Nashville Business Journal's 2011 CFO Awards.
Rich arrived at
Goodall Homes in 2009 to become the company's CFO. During the recent housing crisis, Goodall has grown from the 13th largest area homebuilder by market share to 5th. Pankow is also responsible for leading Goodall's executive team through its strategic planning process.
WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS A CFO? Right now, it's balancing the many land opportunities in the market and growing in a down economy while at the same time managing our debt levels. We have managed this by transitioning from developing 100 percent of our own lots and communities to purchasing finished lots from third-party developers on a takedown basis.
DESCRIBE YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE. Goodall Homes practices open book management and the entire company meets on a weekly basis and reviews the current and projected financial performance. Part of my responsibility is keeping the team aware of where it stands in meeting our financial and operational goals. I would say that I lead through eaching the team how business works and hwo to be busines leaders. We spend time reviewing practical, rubber-meets-the-road applications of how we can improve our business for sustained long-term profits.
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PERSONAL LUXURY OR BIGGEST SPLURGE? My 14-year-old, cloth-interior Nissan Pathfinder with 210,000 miles.
ON THE HOMEFRONT, IS IT A BLESSING OR A CURSE TO BE A CFO, AND WHY? My wife and I agreed when we married that I would make all the big decisions and she would make all the small decisions. Since then, there has not been one big decision.
COMPLETE THIS SENTENCE WITH SOMETHING FROM YOUR OWN LIFE: "YOU WON'T BELIEVE THIS, BUT..." I earned straight Ds the first quarter of my freshman year and was still selected as one of
Nashville Business Journal's 2011 CFO Awards finalists."
WHAT IS NEXT FOR YOUR COMPANY? The most exciting thing on the horizon for
Goodall Homes is our partnership with
Operation Finally Home and
LP Building Products to build a home for Middle Tennessee soldier, Shaun Meadows. Operation Finally Home is a 501 (c)(3) organization with the mission to provide custom-made, mortgage-gree homes to wounded and disabled veterans and the widows of the fallen.
(Compliments of the Nashville Business Journal.)
