Navigating Success: John Corley

Thought-Leadership Insight with John Corley

We caught up with John Corley – President of the Club Division at Vertus Group, to talk about his career, vertical market software (VMS) expertise, our Jonas ABC’s, M&A thought leadership and much more. Read all the insights in this interview below.

Background & Career

What Was Your Career Background Prior to Joining Jonas?

I’ve spent most of my career leading B2B businesses in technology and services with particular experience on turning around performance and/or transforming them. My primary focus has been on building strong teams, improving operational performance and creating sustainable growth. I’ve had the opportunity to work across different stages of the business lifecycle from scaling established businesses to driving transformation and navigating periods of significant change.

What has always interested me in vertical software is the combination of technology and industry expertise. You’re not just selling software; you’re helping customers run an important part of their business. That creates a much deeper relationship with the customer and, in my view, a much stronger foundation for building a great company.

Can You Describe What Your Time At Jonas Has Been Like So Far?

It’s been a great experience and frankly, a very different perspective on software leadership than I’ve had earlier in my career. What I’ve really appreciated is the combination of autonomy and accountability. Jonas gives leaders the opportunity to run their businesses, but there is also a very strong culture around performance, continuous improvement and long-term value creation.

I’ve also had the opportunity to see the Constellation model from the inside and understand why it has been so successful. There is an incredible amount of knowledge across the organization, and you’re constantly learning from other businesses and leaders. Most importantly, I’ve been fortunate to work with a very talented team and a group of customers who are deeply invested in the industry they serve.

What Attracted You to Jonas, and What Has Stood Out To You Most About Working Here?

The biggest attraction for me was the values of the company coupled with the long-term orientation. Jonas and Constellation don’t approach software as a business that needs to be optimized for the next quarter or the next transaction. The focus is on building great businesses that create value for customers and shareholders over a very long period.

What has stood out most is how decentralized the organization is. The people closest to the customer have a tremendous amount of responsibility for the business. That creates an entrepreneurial culture within a very large organization, which is a pretty unique combination.

“Jonas and Constellation don’t approach software as a business that needs to be optimized for the next quarter or the next transaction. The focus is on building great businesses that create value for customers and shareholders over a very long period.”

Industry & Leadership Insights

In Your Opinion, What Makes Jonas a Great Home for Vertical Market Software Companies?

I think there are three big things.

First, Jonas understands vertical markets. These businesses are different from horizontal software companies. Deep industry knowledge, customer relationships and domain expertise matter enormously.

Second, we provide permanence. Business owners can sell their company knowing that we’re not looking at the business with a three or five-year investment horizon. We’re thinking about decades.

And third, we allow businesses to maintain their identity and entrepreneurial culture while giving them access to the resources, expertise and scale of a much larger organization.

That combination is incredibly powerful for a vertical software company.

Here it from owners who sold to Jonas – all our acquistion stories can be found here.

How Do You Personally Stay Ahead of Industry Changes and Disruptions?

I truly believe all the right answers are in the field. They are with our clients and people closest to our clients. Customers will often tell you where the industry is going before the data does. I spend a lot of time listening to what customers are struggling with, what they’re asking for and where they see their industries heading. I also spend a lot of time with our teams. The people building and supporting the solutions often see changes in technology and customer expectations before they become obvious to everyone else. On top of that, I spend a fair amount of time at industry events where I listen to other vendors in our space and actively meet with our competitors.

“Customers will often tell you where the industry is going before the data does.”

What Are The Most Important Leadership Qualities Needed to Succeed in Vertical Marketing Software Today?

I’d put curiosity, customer obsession, change agility and the ability to build great teams at the top of the list.

Vertical software leaders need to understand their industry deeply, but they also need to challenge the status quo. Just because something has always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it should continue to be done that way. On top of that, AI has changed the pace of change dramatically. I think leaders today must be curious and willing to experiment. You don’t necessarily need to predict exactly what technology will look like 3-5 years from now, but you do need to create an organization that can adapt quickly when it changes. I believe AI, cloud technology and changing customer expectations are creating enormous opportunities, but they’re also going to separate companies that adapt quickly from those that don’t.

Ultimately, though, software is still a people business. Great leaders create clarity, hire great people, give them autonomy and hold them accountable for results and willing to make tough calls.

M&A Strategy

How Does Jonas Set Up Our Acquired Companies for Success?

One of the things that makes the Jonas/CSI model unique is that we don’t believe every business needs to look the same. We try to preserve the things that made the company successful in the first place, its people, customer relationships, industry expertise and culture while providing the support and resources that can help accelerate its growth.

There’s also an incredible amount of knowledge available across Jonas and Constellation. When you have hundreds of vertical software businesses, there is almost always someone who has dealt with a similar challenge before. The goal isn’t to change a business for the sake of changing it. It’s to make a good business, better.

What Do You See As The Most Critical Factors for Successful M&A Transactions in the Software Space?

I think the most important factor is understanding what you’re actually buying. In software, the value isn’t just in the revenue or EBITDA. It’s in customer relationships, the people, the intellectual property, the recurring revenue model, the competitive position and the strength of the product.

Also, there needs to be a clear plan for the business after the transaction. The best acquisitions aren’t simply financial transactions. They’re the beginning of the next chapter of growth. You can have a great financial deal and still destroy value if you lose the people or the customer trust that made the business successful. So, understanding the culture of a company is critical.

What Would You Say to a Business Owner Who is Thinking of Selling?

First, I would ask them to think very carefully about what they want for the next chapter of their business, not just what they want from the transaction. For many founders, the business is something they’ve spent 10, 20 or 30 years building. The financial outcome matters, but so does what happens to their employees, customers and legacy after they sell. I would suggest they choose the buyer based on their answer and perhaps not just the highest bidder. A buyer who understands your industry, respects your people and has a long-term commitment to the business can create significantly more value over time than someone who simply offers the highest price today.

“In software, the value isn’t just in the revenue or EBITDA. It’s in customer relationships, the people, the intellectual property, the recurring revenue model, the competitive position and the strength of the product.”

What’s a Key Lesson You’ve Learned From Scaling Companies That You Wish You Had Known Earlier?

A key lesson that that has probably influenced how I lead more than anything else is, one cannot scale a business personally – you must build an organization that can scale without you.

Early in my career, I thought the answer was to work harder, make more decisions and stay close to everything. However, as a business grows, that becomes a constraint. The real leverage comes from building great teams, great leaders, setting clear expectations, establishing accountability and creating processes that allow good people to make good decisions without everything flowing through the President/CEO.

Future Outlook

What Makes You Excited About The Future of Jonas?

The combination of vertical-market expertise, technology and AI makes me incredibly excited about the future. We have an extraordinary collection of businesses that understand their industries at a very deep level and have incredibly strong relationships with their customers. Now we’re entering a period where technologies like AI can fundamentally change how those customers operate and how our software delivers value.

We’re already seeing a shift from software simply being a system that records what happened, to software becoming much more proactive – helping customers make better decisions, automate work and ultimately run their businesses better. For Jonas, that creates an enormous opportunity. We have the customer relationships, the industry knowledge and the software platforms. If we combine those strengths with AI and continue investing in our people, I think the potential is tremendous.

And that’s probably the part of the future I’m most excited about.