As the summer months prove to be busier than ever for executives, we decided that for our June/July edition of the McHenry Advisor we would give PEO executives a break and instead bother one of our very own executives. Matt Claus is a Principal of Claus Advisory Group, and Practice Leader for McHenry Consulting’s Mergers and Acquisitions Division.

In all fairness, I kind of cornered Matt last minute to participate, and he couldn’t really decline; he rarely says no or that he is too busy. He is the kind of guy that always looks at things positively and is ready to jump into any project.

Claus comes to the PEO industry with a strong background in mergers and acquisitions, healthcare and overall business development practices. Claus spent six years as Ceridian’s Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions where he oversaw portfolio of acquisitions, divestitures and strategic agreements.

As Principal of Claus Advisory Group, his goal is simply to help clients increase the value of their business, which after speaking to Matt over the years and reading his articles, I think is more of a personal motto than a business objective.

At McHenry Consulting, Matt is the M&A Practice Leader, teaming with McHenry to bring his expertise to the unique advisory approach McHenry takes with its clients to determine whether a PEO is properly positioned to maximize their value, starting from the question “Why”? This approach is a based on a deep commitment to the industry as well as all client’s meeting their full potential.

Whyman:

Thank you so much for agreeing to this interview.

Claus:

You’re welcome, and please call me Matt or Claus – either work for me.

Whyman:

Thanks I will use Matt, that feels better, a little more casual. I hope you are having a good summer thus far.

Claus:

I am and hope you are enjoying your newest family addition!! How is little Klara anyway?

Whyman:

Klara is almost two already, she is good! So, Matt, what would you say first attracted you to this industry?

Claus:

I started looking closely at the PEO industry while I managed the M/A office at Ceridian. I had just divested the Retirement Administration business and was on track to acquire in the PEO market as our next strategic move. It was the right choice at the wrong time – this was 2008 and the great recession put a wrench into that plan.

Whyman:

I would think that wrong choice of time, in time, became a positive, in giving you such great insight into the market from the low point to where it is today and all that transition in the middle.

Claus:

That is an interesting observation Erica. Yes, I would say that the industry has come a long way since then!

Whyman:

What do you think, that over time, has contributed to your success?

Claus:

Number one: I enjoy it. To me, this is the most essential thing to achieve success – no matter how one defines success. Our work with clients is always a challenge because each company, person, situation, etc. is very unique. There is never a case of applying a standard response or service. I like this type of environment because I think I can outperform most – not because I am any smarter than anyone, but because I absolutely love the challenge and get huge personal satisfaction when my client succeeds. I take it personally if my clients struggle.

Whyman:

Because I know you, I can certainly attest to that. It seems like an easy piece of advice to follow, yet so many get it wrong.

Claus:

I don’t know if anyone gets it wrong and would never judge anyone else’s perspective. Judgement is an unhealthy thing, in my opinion.

Whyman:

Ok, I will not judge, but will say at times I have not followed that sage advice. How important do you think human capital is to an organization’s success?

Claus:

It is of supreme importance. In some of my writing I think my perspective has been viewed as a little “tough” on this issue, based on the constructive input I have received. I will stick with my positions, though because in my opinion it is at the heart of a company’s ability to get to where they want to be. It is pretty clear to me: Set people up to succeed, challenge them, coach them and measure success. If it is not working, let’s both find a better fit.

Whyman:

I could not agree more, in fact, I could probably get on a soap box about this topic, but I will save that for another article, ha!

I always like to know what people in high stress positions do to unwind, do you have any hobbies or passions?

Claus:

I play golf. It is not just a sport; it is a “life choice”! I say this because it is so darn hard and takes a substantial commitment to enjoy the game. My handicap is single digit and each year it is a bit harder to keep that status – age is good for wisdom but not necessarily great for a golf swing. Fortunately for me, my wife Mary’s father was a golfer, so she was not shocked at what this looked like!

Whyman:

You are always such a modest guy, so I am going to put you on the spot, brag a little and tell us about a recent success?

Claus:

OK, I am hesitant, but will mention one thing. A large part of our value proposition is being able to utilize our insights and deep knowledge of industry participants to identify items of opportunity and “watch outs” that may be otherwise be shrouded. We have used these things to the benefit of our clients and in one recent example – enabled them to make a lot of money via a strategic transaction. I think this is simply the premise of always trying to go “above and beyond” the standard.

Whyman:

I think that was still a touch modest, but I will take it. Mr. Claus, as always I have enjoyed our time together.

Claus:

You’re welcome, and thank you.