The career trajectory of Michael Ehrle is more like a masterclass in strategic evolution. He was once navigating the complexities of Fortune 500 corporations. Then he started building innovative solutions that address some of the most pressing small business challenges of America.
The journey from being a corporate executive to dual company founder is more than just a personal reinvention. It is a blueprint of how seasoned leaders can leverage their experience to create a lasting impact.
The Corporate Foundation
The leadership foundation of Michael Ehrle was forged within the demanding environment of large-scale corporate operations. His tenure at Alight Solutions as a Practice Leader of Alight Benefits Guidance showcased the ability he has to scale complex solutions. This is where he could double revenue within just a period of 12 months. In the meantime, he was able to maintain focus on client solutions and organizational alignment as well. It was not just about hitting numbers. This achievement was more about developing sustainable systems that can offer consistent results.
When working for Davis Vision as Chief Sales Officer, Michael Ehrle could ensure $600 million in client retention. Moreover, he was able to lead numerous expansion opportunities, while overseeing 19 million members as well. To ensure this, he had to develop the skill of creating value for multiple stakeholders at the same time.
Out of all, the experience that Michael Ehrle has as the Vice President of Speciality products at UnitedHealth Group is impressive. This is where he could create synergy between different business units and ancillary lines of coverage. This cross-functional leadership experience eventually proved invaluable when starting his own business ventures.
The Transition Challenge
When jumping from working as a corporate executive to an entrepreneur, Michael Ehrle didn’t just have to change job titles. He needed to develop different skills and mindsets as well. However, it was not a difficult thing for him to do based on corporate experience. That’s because he was able to create a proper system for his business ventures from scratch.
The appointment of Michael Ehrle as the CEO of Click Boarding in 2021 was an important milestone in this bridging. This is where he took over an established onboarding platform. It allowed him to apply his corporate scaling practice, while learning the dynamics of smaller and agile organizations. This is where he could develop some meaningful relationships with large-scale HR technology vendors.
The Dual-Company Innovation
The most significant contribution by Michael Ehrle to dual business sustainability is his dual-company innovation. He didn’t want to build one single business to address the issues faced by small businesses. Instead, he built two businesses to attack those challenges from two different angles.
Lumity is the digital employee benefits brokerage of Michael Ehrle. Through this business venture,. Ehrle addresses the operational efficiency side of the equation. He is leveraging his expertise in the benefits industry to help small businesses optimize their largest operational expenses. In the meantime, he continues to improve employee satisfaction as well.
Finparency is his marketplace platform. It tackles the capital access and succession planning challenge. This two-sided marketplace connects small business owners with private equity firms, family offices, and strategic buyers. It addresses the gap where traditional investment platforms just focus on larger deals.
The Sustainability Blueprint
Through Lumity and Finparency, Michael Ehrle was able to create more than just two successful companies. He was able to build a blueprint for how experienced leaders can leverage their corporate experience when solving complex social challenges. This can eventually find solutions to some of the most pressing issues that small businesses in the US face as of now.
