Aaron Cook

About Aaron Cook

With over 25 years of experience, my purpose is to develop and implement strategies that accelerate growth and increase profitability. I utilize an analytical and collaborative approach to help organizations develop top talent, streamline processes, create unique capabilities, and build differentiated products to gain new business and grow existing relationships.My experience leading Commercial, Operations, Finance, and Product teams has provided a unique perspective that allows me to identify strategic opportunities across an organization. Combined with a strong understanding of how to execute strategies to achieve exceptional outcomes, I have consistently been able to lead large teams to drive growth and transformational change. The combination of a strategic perspective and an ability to execute has resulted in positive outcomes for customers, employees, partners, and investors.Perhaps the most unique aspect of my background is the 2.5 years I spent sailing a 40-foot boat between Massachusetts and New Zealand including a year spent sailing solo. During this time, I wrote 19 magazine articles that were published in various sailing publications.My diverse experience has instilled a comfort with ambiguity and the ability to work across functions and industries. I have experience leading through a variety of business cycles including rapid growth and aggressive cost management. Further, I have played key roles in the sale of a company to a PE firm, an IPO, and a large-scale acquisition including leading the integration planning for a $2.2 billion acquisition.I firmly believe in the power of combining great people with intelligent technology to produce exceptional results and am energized by the prospect of leading organizations to new heights of success through strategic vision, operational excellence, and a relentless focus on value creation.

Experience

1. General Manager - Americas

   First Advantage

   Nov 2024 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   P&L responsibility for over $770M of revenue leading the Healthcare, Transportation, Industrials, Government, Non-Profit, Education, and LATAM verticals. Responsible for driving profitable growth and providing exceptional service for customers.

Education

• Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Marketing & Strategy

  2012 — 2015

• James Madison University

  BBA, Finance

  1995 — 1999

Skills

• Business Development
• Six Sigma
• Brand Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• P&L Management
• Marketing Strategy
• Consumer Products
• Financial Analysis
• Operations Management
• International Business Development
• Change Management
• Analytical Skills
• Pricing
• Financial Modeling
• Income Statement
• Management
• Strategic Financial Planning
• Product Management
• Strategic Planning
• Forecasting
• Business Process Improvement
• Analytics
• Strategy
• Business Strategy
• Leadership
• Customer Insight
• Analysis
• Process Improvement
• Statistical Data Analysis
• Corporate Finance