About Michael Kerris

I founded Kerris Operating Partners to help owners build companies that run better, carry less risk, and become more valuable over time.

I bring more than three decades of experience across company-building, operating leadership, investing, law, finance, and restructuring. That range gives me an integrated view of how businesses grow, where they lose value, and what it takes to improve performance, strengthen control, and navigate pressure well.

Most business problems are not confined to one function. Execution affects financial performance. Weak visibility creates risk. Poor structure slows growth. Important decisions often sit at the intersection of operations, finance, leadership, and risk. I help leadership see the business more clearly, make better decisions, and build stronger operating discipline.

My background includes experience as a founder, operator, investor, in-house counsel, and senior business leader. I have analyzed thousands of emerging growth companies across industries, worked inside founder-led businesses, helped lead operating and financial decision-making, and managed complex distressed lending situations in commercial banking.

As a result, I bring more than operating advice. I bring experienced judgment shaped by how companies are built, financed, evaluated, protected, and, when necessary, stabilized under pressure. I understand both the internal realities of running a business and the external perspective of lenders, investors, counterparties, and buyers.

My work is practical, direct, and tailored to the company. I help leadership build stronger visibility, clearer accountability, better discipline, improved follow-through, and greater operational control in ways that support performance, resilience, and long-term enterprise value.

I work with a small number of companies at a time so each engagement receives serious attention and direct senior involvement. Clients work directly with me.

Kerris Operating Partners is built for owners and leadership teams who want experienced help inside the business, not generic consulting from the outside. My philosophy is straightforward: focus on what matters most, tell the truth, create clarity, strengthen discipline, and drive follow-through. My role is to help leadership build a company that is less founder-dependent, more resilient, and better positioned for long-term value creation.

Outside of business, I have pursued ultra-distance running, Ironman triathlon, and high-altitude mountaineering. Those experiences reinforced qualities that also shape my work: preparation, discipline, resilience, calm under pressure, and the habit of pushing beyond assumed limits with focus and sound judgment.

Relevant Experience That Shapes My Work Today

The work I do today is informed by decades of direct experience as a founder, operator, investor, attorney, and senior business leader. The examples below reflect the kinds of situations that shape how I help leadership teams improve performance, reduce risk, and build stronger companies.

The FrameWorks Group
Co-founded and helped lead a New York City real estate development and investment firm through rapid growth, capital formation, premium brand building, and increasing operational complexity. Worked across transactions, investor relations, operations, and finance, helping the business scale into a middle-market company in a demanding, high-expectation segment.

Axiom Communications
Co-founded a telecommunications company and helped build the financial, operational, and governance infrastructure needed to support growth. Led or supported key aspects of operations, finance, capital activity, and the acquisition and integration of four companies, culminating in a sale to a public company.

Valley National Bank
Managed complex distressed lending situations involving covenant pressure, maturity risk, borrower underperformance, liquidity challenges, and difficult negotiations. Worked at the intersection of financial, legal, and operating issues to assess risk, evaluate alternatives, protect value, and help move situations forward under pressure.

Emerging Growth Company Investing
As a hedge fund analyst and portfolio manager, analyzed and invested in emerging growth companies across a wide range of industries. Developed a deep understanding of how businesses are evaluated, what tends to drive value, where execution and growth can break down, and how risk is often missed until it becomes more serious.

You can view my full professional background on LinkedIn here.