Seth Jensen didn’t join the Slim Chickens restaurant team on the ground floor, but he wouldn’t have to take too many stairs to reach his office.
Jensen, 45, was hired as Slim Chickens’ CFO eight years ago when the then 7-year-old company had seven locations in northwest Arkansas and Oklahoma. Jensen had a depth of experience running financials for restaurant chains, including a stint with Houlihan’s as it was emerging from bankruptcy.
“If you ever want to learn a business, that’s the time to do it,” Jensen said.
When co-founder and CEO Tom Gordon hired Jensen, Slim Chickens was running so lean that Jensen commuted from his home in Dallas and slept on Gordon’s couch. As CFO, Jensen had to make sure the company was financially fit to chase Gordon’s expansion goals.
This past year, Slim Chickens had 75 locations, including one in the Middle East, and annual revenue was approaching $100 million.
“Writing the playbook is more fun than running it,” Jensen said. “Growth companies have their challenges. It’s one of the most challenging things I’ve done in my career.”
Jensen, from Exeter, Nebraska, said he jumped at the chance to join Slim Chickens once he researched the company and its culture. He said he was amazed that the then-minor restaurant chain had such fervent, almost cult-like customer loyalty.
“I have a good business partner who has unbridled enthusiasm,” Jensen said. “At times, I get to be the yin to his yang. If he is the gas pedal, sometimes I have to be the brakes. As long as there is mutual respect and a healthy dynamic for debate, we’ll come up with the right answer. What is the right pace? What pace can we go at without wrecking the ship?”
See more finalists from the 2018 CFO of the Year awards.
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