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"I've worked closely with John Cracken and John Harkey, and I've come to trust their judgment in evaluating companies. They are very thorough in the conduct of due diligence and creative in structuring a win-win transaction for all involved. I hope to work with John and John on many acquisitions in the years to come." — Greg S. Feldman, Managing Partner, Wellspring Capital Management L.L.C.
"John Cracken embodies many of the requisite qualities that make entrepreneurial companies succeed — strong leadership and vision, results-driven execution, and endless stamina. If John focuses his time and energy on a project, it has a strong likelihood of success." — Michael Rolnick, Partner, ComVentures, Palo Alto, CA
"John Cracken possesses a unique combination of extraordinary vision and a capacity for detailed strategic planning. John has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to recruit talented management and provide the leadership necessary to uncover and execute against all of the operational initiatives necessary to achieve the goals he sets out for the team." — Guy Hoffman, Partner, TL Ventures, Dallas, TX
"John Cracken is one of the most directed and energetic executives with whom I have ever worked. Having worked with lots of startup and emerging companies, I have found that one of the main difficulties these enterprises face is 'distraction'... Keeping the team's eye on the ball is never a problem when John is in the loop. John is one of the most effective leaders I have seen at communicating the direction and goals of the work and letting everyone in the process understand how they relate to those goals." — Kevin Meek, Partner, Baker Botts, L.L.P., Dallas, TX
"John Cracken and John Harkey are a unique combination of relentless entrepreneurial energy and cool logic from a voice of experience — a balance that can add tremendous value to establishing the 'right' DNA for startups in their most critical phase." — Bill Tai, General Partner, Charles River Investments, Menlo Park, CA
"John Cracken is a pleasure to work with — diligent, honest and resourceful in achieving whatever objectives he undertakes. He's constantly moving toward closure of his objectives." — Mark Shank, Partner, Hughes Luce, L.L.P., Dallas, TX
"John Cracken is the master at what he does. He has extraordinary passion for his work, never losing sight of the goal. He's visionary, yet practical. He inspires and executes. He listens intently and is open and honest in his communications. People trust him and want to be a part of his success." — Ed Francis, Partner, Accenture, Chicago, IL
"John Cracken and John Harkey provide the two critical ingredients for growing a business: finding exploitable new market opportunities, then rapidly building a world-class team of people to pursue them. Combining these unique skills with their personal commitment and involvement makes them a world-class resource for any company focused on growth." — Peter Vescuso, Vice President of Market Development, Brooktrout Technology, Needham, MA
"John Cracken is an innovator with an uncanny ability to execute his vision, and he is relentless in obtaining his goals. I like having John on my side in a deal." — Marc Still, Chief Executive Officer, Aspen Advisors, L.P., Dallas, TX
"John Cracken is the prototypical entrepreneur. His passion, energy, and zeal are essential ingredients to enable a great idea to become a business success. John Harkey has a keen insight into business and a great financial mind. He is a tremendous asset to our Board and will be key to our success going forward." — Pat Collins, former Chief Executive Officer, RLX Technologies, Inc., The Woodlands, TX
"I've enjoyed being an investor with Cracken Harkey and advising them during the initial phase of their work on early-stage companies. They are unique in their direct and intense hands-on style." — Gordon Bell, Senior Researcher, Microsoft Corp., San Francisco, CA
"I joined El Chico in 1984, and John Harkey and his firm bought our company in 1998. From the outset, John's experience and leadership skills made our transition from a public to private company a reasonable one. Further, John's expertise in leading highly leveraged companies has proven vital to Consolidated Restaurant's success over the last four years. No one else in our organization understood the special demands of operating in a highly leveraged environment, and John ensured we were (and remain) equipped to succeed in that environment." — Mark Lamm, President, Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc., Dallas, TX
"Few people understand how to operate well in a highly-leveraged environment, and John Harkey is one of those rare individuals. In less than one year at the helm of Consolidated Restaurants, John has refocused this company on initiatives to best ensure its long-term vitality. We've implemented more than a dozen new and innovative operational initiatives that are driving sales on the one hand, while at the same time reducing operating expenses and G&A by more than $3 million (2% percent) on the other — the right combination. During my career, with more than 20 years of financial management experience and 15 years in the restaurant industry, a good portion of which has been in highly leveraged environments, I have worked with many talented executives and leaders, but clearly John has the best overall leadership skills and is the most talented turn-around executive with whom I've worked." — Paul Hargett, Chief Financial Officer, Consolidated Restaurant Operations, Inc., Dallas, TX
"John Harkey became CEO of Consolidated Restaurants at a time when we felt much uncertainty due to the eroding National and local economies. John established the critical path to stabilizing our operations in a recession, and he remains hands-on everyday in assisting us in maximizing our return on assets and growing those assets. I enjoy working with John, and I find his style of leadership very effective in motivating our team to succeed." — Don Dungy, President, El Chico Restaurants, Inc., Dallas, TX
"John Harkey has positioned Consolidated Restaurants to succeed during these tough economic times, and he's won the support of our entire leadership for his proposed changes. When we needed new vision and stronger leadership, John stepped in as our CEO, took responsibility for every important decision that followed, and I believe he's leading us to build a stronger, sustainable business. His passion is evident, contagious, and has invigorated the organization. His business judgment is outstanding." — David Wierman, President, Spaghetti Warehouse Restaurants, Inc., Dallas, TX
"John Harkey is a financial wizard and a superb manager with the vision to plan and accomplish tough goals. In any transaction or business, John quickly sees what needs to be done and does it. John Cracken distinguishes himself with his focus and follow through. John devotes all of his time, attention, and energy to a project, and this is reflected in his ability to address the details of a transaction without losing sight of the big picture." — Chuck Reeder, Partner, Locke Liddell & Sapp, L.L.P., Dallas, TX