Jerry Curtis

photography by Adam Fish

Burt & Associates is a U.S. and international provider of back-office, financial, and risk management services to Fortune 500 clients. Over the last three years, the Plano-based company has experienced 1,030 percent growth, enough to earn them a spot on Inc.’s 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies list. But such speedy growth wasn’t always the case, when after more than two decades in business, the company’s numbers fell flat. In 2004, Jerry Curtis took the reigns as CEO and worked to develop proprietary software that tripled sales within a year. Last year, their sales totaled $80.8 million.

Age: Ageless
Title/Company: President and CEO, Burt & Associates
Tenure: 2 years in this position, 36 years in the industry.
What was your first job?
Working long days on my family’s farm in North Texas.
What was your worst job?
As a cook at a Howard Johnson. I’m a real good cook now.
If you couldn’t say “the people I work with,” what would you say is the best part of your job?
Seeing my clients become more successful because of our company’s efforts.
What’s been the biggest challenge as a business owner?
Finding and retaining the right talent that enable us to keep growing.
On weekends, where will people find you?
On the farm, with my wife, Judy, and our three beautiful grandchildren: Alexa, Cole, and Cade.

photography: Simon & Garfunkel by CBS Photo Archive; Peanut Butter by Foodpix

What book is currently on your nightstand?
S.C.O.R.E. for Life by Jim Fannin, America’s ZoneCoach.
What’s your favorite TV show?
Anything on the Discovery Channel.
What three Web sites do you visit most frequently?
Google, CNN, and Weather.com.
What’s your biggest personal achievement?
Raising a wonderful family that shares the same values and convictions.
What’s the best advice anyone ever told you?
To not settle for second best, a philosophy my company practices every day.