ACG WI: Dan Weinfurter, Author

Dan Weinfurter is a builder of businesses. As an author, motivational speaker, and serial entrepreneur, he brings more than 25 years of wisdom and experience creating successful companies with him wherever he goes – from lectern to board room. Dan excels at helping companies achieve more rapid organizational growth by focusing on improving the sales process. He firmly believes that investing time and effort to improving effectiveness by recruiting the right people for critical roles, and coaching a superior team that is aligned, engaged, and committed to success will pay big dividends. As the founder and CEO of three private equity-backed businesses, Dan has provided consulting and interim management to a variety of startups and large public companies. His favorite phrase is “grow or die.” 

Dan Weinfurter is currently the Chief Operating Officer for Delivery Drivers, Inc. (DDI). DDI is an Irvine, CA based exponentially growing firm with a focus on bringing technology-enabled HR services to the 1099 independent contractor world.  DDI has a well-established position in the last mile delivery world, but the services of recruitment, on-boarding, pay, insurance and compliance are well suited for any independent contractor business model. 

Prior to DDI, Dan was the Founder and CEO of GrowthPlay, LLC, an integrated sales effectiveness services business. GrowthPlay grew rapidly from start-up in 2014 to 140 people in six physical offices by 2017. The company provides a holistic suite of sales effectiveness solutions that helped their clients deliver more consistent execution of the business strategy at the point of sale. GrowthPlay’s rapid growth catapulted the Company to be ranked #22 on the 2017 Inc. 500 list of the fastest growing private companies, and the company achieved the #1 overall ranking in the Business Products and Services category the same year.  

Prior to forming GrowthPlay, Dan was the co-founder and CEO of Capital H Group, LLC. He formed the company after founding and launching Parson Group, LLC, an international firm that focused on providing consulting services for the finance, accounting and business systems areas of large organizations. Parson Group grew rapidly from its start-up in 1995 to be ranked #1 on the Inc. Magazine 500 in October of 2000. Before forming Parson Group, Dan was the number two executive for Alternative Resources Corporation (ARC). He joined ARC during his second year of business as head of field sales and operations, and was responsible for organic expansion that grew revenues from less than $3 million dollars in 1989 to over $100 million in 1994. ARC became a public company in May 1994 and became the 2nd best-performing IPO on NASDAQ for that year. 

Dan started his career at General Electric, where he entered the sales training program after graduating from college in 1979. During his eight years with GE, he served in a variety of sales and management roles in four different US cities. 

Dan received a BS and MBA from Marquette University. He has served as Director of Tablescapes, Brill Street + Company, Direct Fit Inc., TalentDrive, Corporate Technology Communications, ThermoFluids, Inc. and CPRi. Dan was also the Chairman of the President’s Advisory Council for the YWCA of Chicago and a mentor with the Clinton Foundation’s Institute for Entrepreneurial Excellence.  He sits on the Marquette University Sales Center Executive Board of Advisors. 

His book, Second Stage Entrepreneurship: Ten Proven Strategies for Driving Aggressive Growth is a useful guide for any entrepreneur making the transition from start-up to sustainable growth. It was published in late 2013 by Macmillan/Palgrave.  

Dan is widowed with two grown daughters. He lives in Corona Del Mar, CA, but maintains a residence in Belgium, WI. When he’s not traveling and working, you might find him on his bicycle, riding along the Pacific Ocean or trails in Southern California, or pedaling through the tranquil Wisconsin countryside.