Chief Financial Officer ABOUT THE COMPANY  Milwaukee Electronics (MEC) was founded in 1954, offering services in circuit board design and PCBA assembly to the mining industry in the Wisconsin, USA, region. Michael Stoehr purchased the company in 1985 with the mission of creating a business that would put customers first and be a fulfilling place to work for the employees serving those customers. MEC has since grown into an international organization with locations in Wisconsin, Oregon, Mexico, India, and Singapore, serving a multitude of industries and customers from Fortune 50 companies to small, privately held organizations. Jered Stoehr is the second generation to take the Chief Executive helm, carrying on his father’s customers-first legacy and ensuring that MEC maintains the entrepreneurial spirit that has allowed the company to continually expand its range of services, maintain decades-long customer relationships, and provide careers for many dedicated employees. Our services include: End-to-end electronics manufacturing services, including PCBA, box build, and test Program management, including supply chain and logistics management Quick-turn prototype and on-demand manufacturing Our Mission is Acceleration. For customers, we bring innovations to life from prototype to production. We turn their vision into reality and accelerate what’s possible through partnership, a commitment to quality, and flexible processes. For employees, we create opportunities to grow and change. Through continuous learning programs, internal promotions, and a culture of personal care, we accelerate the cycle of abundance for our people and our communities. Our 70+ years in electronics innovation is powered by our incredible people, from the factory floor to the corporate office, who bring this mission to life each day. POSITION SUMMARY The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) reports directly to the CEO and is a key member of the executive leadership team, responsible for all aspects of financial management, strategy, and performance. The CFO partners closely with operations, supply chain, and commercial leaders to align financial goals with manufacturing objectives while ensuring compliance, efficiency, and sustainable growth. This role requires an experienced finance leader with strong knowledge of manufacturing operations, cost accounting, and global business practices. The CFO will provide strategic financial guidance, manage risk, and ensure the company has the resources and insights to achieve its objectives. Essential Duties and Responsibilities Strategic Leadership Serve as a strategic partner to the CEO, President, executive team, and board of directors, providing insights on growth, profitability, and sustainability. Develop and execute financial strategies that support long-term business objectives. Provide recommendations on operational efficiency, capital allocation, and expansion opportunities. Maintain a strong relationship with financing partners. Development of financial plans and forecasts, capital expenditure plans, budgets, cashflow forecasts and covenant forecasts. Financial Management & Reporting Oversee domestic and international financial operations, including accounting, reporting, tax, and treasury functions. Ensure accuracy, timeliness, and compliance of financial reporting under U.S. GAAP and local statutory requirements in Mexico, India, Singapore, and other jurisdictions. Lead preparation and presentation of financial results, KPIs, and dashboards for executive leadership and stakeholders. Work with the outside CPAs for successful financial audit and tax reporting. Operations & Cost Management Partner with manufacturing leaders to monitor operational performance and key cost drivers. Oversee cost accounting, inventory valuation, and margin analysis to support informed decision-making. Drive initiatives that enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve profitability across global operations. Lead the relationships with the benefit providers, 401k, self-insured health and dental, disability and life. Maintain a competitive benefit package that is cost-effective. Contracts, Risk & Compliance Manage and negotiate the business insurance package. Negotiate, review, and manage NDA’s and contracts with customers, vendors, and service providers. Ensure compliance with federal, state, and international financial and tax regulations. Strengthen internal controls and risk management practices across the organization. Team Leadership & Development Lead and mentor the finance team, including a Director of Finance, Corporate Controller, and the corresponding accounting teams. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Develop team capabilities to support evolving business needs. Global Responsibilities Oversee domestic and international financial operations, ensuring compliance with U.S. GAAP and local statutory requirements in Mexico, India, Singapore, and other jurisdictions. Manage global tax strategy, including transfer pricing, cross-border compliance, and coordination with external auditors and advisors. Drive consistency in financial practices, systems, and reporting across all locations while respecting local requirements. Collaborate effectively across diverse geographies, time zones, and cultures to ensure alignment and accountability. KEY PARTNERSHIPS The CFO will collaborate across the organization to bridge finance with operations, including: Operations & Manufacturing – Partner with Plant General Managers, Supply Chain, Logistics, and Quality teams to manage production performance, cost drivers, and efficiency improvements. Engineering & Product Development – Collaborate with R&D and Process Engineering on new product investments, process improvements, and automation initiatives. Commercial Functions – Support Sales, Business Development, and Program Management with pricing strategy, contract terms, revenue forecasting, and customer profitability. Corporate Services – Align with HR on labor costs and workforce planning, IT/ERP on systems and reporting integration, and Legal on contracts, risk, and compliance. Executive Leadership & Board – Partner with the CEO and board of directors to provide insights on financial performance, growth opportunities, and long-term strategy. QUALIFICATIONS Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, or related field required; CPA with 5+ years of professional experience required. MBA or CMA strongly preferred. 15+ years of progressive finance experience, including 5+ years in a senior leadership role. Proven expertise in manufacturing finance, including cost accounting, margin analysis, and operations support. Demonstrated success in contract negotiation, risk management, and global financial operations, including multi-site, international entities. Experience in mid-sized companies ($100M–$250M revenue) and familiarity with scaling finance across multi-site global operations preferred. Strong executive communication skills with the ability to influence across functions, geographies, and cultures. Hands-on, detail-oriented leader with a strategic mindset, adaptability, and integrity in a fast-paced environment. Key Competencies Strategic, financial, and analytical thinker with proven ability to align financial strategy to business goals Deep understanding of manufacturing operations, cost structures, and operational performance drivers. Strong business acumen with demonstrated negotiation and partnership skills. High integrity and commitment to ethical practices Collaborative leadership style with a focus on developing people and building high-performing teams. Advanced data analysis skills and systems expertise, including ERP and CRM platforms, business intelligence tools, and Excel, with the ability to translate data into actionable insights. Interested in Learning More? 180one has been retained by Milwaukee Electronics to manage this search. If interested in learning more about the opportunity, please contact Tom Haley / 503.334.1350/ tom@180one.com .

Hiring executives from large, high-performing organizations is one of the most common and most misunderstood moves smaller companies make. The logic is simple: if someone has seen “good” at scale, they should be able to bring it with them. In practice, that translation is far less reliable than most boards and CEOs expect. External executive hires, especially those coming from larger or more prestigious companies, fail at high rates. Numbers vary by study, but many put it around the 40–50% range within the first 18 months, with many more underperforming relative to expectations. The issue usually isn’t raw capability. It’s a mismatch between what made someone effective in their last environment and what this environment actually requires. The appeal of “importing excellence” Boards and CEOs often look externally when they want a step-change. A well-known resume signals ambition and can feel like a shortcut to stronger execution. The hope is that leaders from big companies bring: Repeatable operating patterns Experience with scale and complexity High standards and disciplined cadence That logic can be right in moments like rapid growth or expansion, but it breaks when we assume success is automatically portable across contexts. The portability problem Executive transitions fail most often because of context. What “good” looks like is shaped by culture, incentives, decision norms, and informal power, things that are hard to see from the outside. Big-company leaders can bring frameworks and processes, but they can’t import the conditions that made those tools work, mature systems, brand leverage, deep benches, and established trust. When the environment changes, the old playbook can fail. Why external hires fail When an external executive hire goes sideways, the causes are usually predictable: Cultural mismatch: misreading decision-making, conflict, and what’s truly rewarded. Weak relationship ramp: focusing on strategy before building alignment and trust. Over-reliance on prior supports: assuming budgets, systems, brand, and staffing that aren’t there. Misaligned expectations: different assumptions about mandate, pace, resources, and autonomy. Organizational resistance: skepticism of outsiders magnifies early mistakes. A flawed premise (on its own) In reality, what counts as “good” is highly situational. It’s shaped by a company’s stage, structure, market position, and culture. An executive who thrived in a large, stable organization may struggle in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment - not because they lack skill, but because the definition of success has changed. This doesn’t mean hiring from large organizations is a bad strategy. It means the strategy is often applied too simplistically. When it works (how to hire successfully) External hires tend to succeed when there’s a genuine match between past experience and current needs, not just in industry or function, but in context. Leaders who have navigated similar stages of growth or similar organizational constraints are far more likely to adapt effectively. Smaller and earlier-stage companies require different “muscles”: operating with constraint, making decisions with incomplete data, and building systems from scratch. Hiring from large organizations can be a great strategy if you also screen for those portability skills. Success also depends heavily on onboarding and integration. Companies that treat executive transitions as a structured process, focused on relationships, context-building, and expectation alignment, see much better outcomes. Perhaps most importantly, both sides need to approach the transition with humility. Executives must be willing to question their assumptions and adapt their playbooks. Organizations must recognize that even highly capable leaders need time and support to understand how things actually work. The takeaway Hiring executives from large organizations isn’t misguided. But the belief that success can simply be transplanted is. Leadership effectiveness is not just about what someone knows; it’s about how well they can interpret and respond to a specific environment. Without that alignment, even the most impressive resumes can lead to disappointing results. The real challenge isn’t finding leaders who have seen excellence. It’s finding those who can recreate it under entirely different conditions.