Jim Clayton
Chairman & CEO
Jim co-founded InfoWorks in January 1997, and serves as Chairman and CEO. Under Jim’s leadership, InfoWorks has built a reputation for outstanding client service, employee satisfaction, and sustainable profitable growth. During InfoWorks’ 20 years in business, Jim has balanced company growth with employee and client satisfaction in a controlled manner that has purposely avoided layoffs and maintained its strong cash position.
In 2010, Jim sold a portion of his stock to establish an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP). Two years later, Jim and the company’s other shareholders sold the remainder of their stock to the ESOP resulting in InfoWorks becoming 100% ESOP-owned. The ESOP allows InfoWorks employees to fully participate in the future financial results of the company as owners.
Since becoming 100% ESOP-owned, InfoWorks has experienced a five-fold growth in stock price and a doubling of revenue with an increase in EBITDAE in excess of 250%.
Jim’s philosophy is that high employee morale leads to superior client satisfaction, and he makes hiring decisions based on the integrity, attitude, and aptitude of prospective employees. In 2014, the initial year of the award and each year since, InfoWorks has been awarded the Tennessean’s Top Workplaces award. Since 2007, InfoWorks has been named one of the Best Places to Work in Nashville by the Nashville Business Journal 10 times.
Prior to forming InfoWorks, Jim spent 32 years with IBM in Nashville in various management and marketing positions.
Jim is very active in the Nashville community and currently serves on several boards:
- Watkins College of Art Commissioner and Board of Trustees, and prior Chair of the Board of Trustees
- Nashville Black Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors
- Saint Thomas Health Fund Board of Directors of which he is a prior Chair
- Jim was previously President of the Board of Directors for Tennessee Special Olympics
