J. Mark DeNicola remembers the day he truly arrived as a business executive. It was 1989 and he was the CFO of Round Mountain Gold Corporation, a coal mining organization. Three companies held ownership stakes, which meant the firm was being guided by numerous execs from the three concerns. DeNicola was 30, still considered quite young by business standards. But he had a seat at the table.
It was both an honor and a humbling notion. It was responsibility and power wrapped up in one title. And DeNicola knew he was up to the task.
“I realized that at a relatively young age, I had ideas that were respected by and implemented by these captains of industry who had 20-plus years on me,” said DeNicola, a 2024 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “I learned the art of negotiation, how to listen, discuss ideas, brainstorm, and frame questions in a non-threatening way. In fact, I could contribute at the highest levels of business with those people at the top of their game. It gave me the confidence to contribute at every level of business.”
Truth be known, DeNicola is a numbers guy by trade and a people person at heart, and teammates quickly took notice of the distinction. He remembers riding around the Round Mountain Gold mining site during his interview with the president of the partnership. The president said he did not seem like most accountants he’d encountered during his career, which DeNicola took as a compliment.
Abiding Values
DeNicola’s guiding maxim for his personal and business life comes from Matthew 7:12, commonly known as the Golden Rule. It reads, In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. It dovetails with the values espoused by Centriworks, his professional home for nearly 32 years.
“In my business life, Centriworks has helped me live to that maxim because our core values and mission statement embody its ideals,” he said. “I can say, with no reservations, that every decision we make has to be congruent with our core values and mission statement.”
Subscribing to the belief that the success of a team is predicated on the triumphs enjoyed by its cast of employees, DeNicola sets about helping them become more self-aware of their capabilities. To help with the actualization process, he’s leaned on the teachings of Don Clifton’s seminal “Now, Discover Your Strengths” book. In it, Clifton recognizes 34 strengths and helps individuals pinpoint their top five strengths. The purpose of the exercise is to eschew focusing on addressing limitations/weaknesses, instead encouraging individuals to leverage those strengths that may lie dormant.
“The book helps them identify their talents, develop them into strengths, and enjoy consistent, near-perfect performance,” added DeNicola, who also pointed out Centriwork’s success in developing a highly-regarded culture is evidenced by numerous Top Workplace recognitions.
A graduate of Thiel College, with degrees in accounting, economics and business administration, DeNicola toiled for a series of mining companies throughout Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Nevada and Tennessee during the 1980s and early 1990s. When the coal industry foundered and his most recent employer shuttered, he pivoted hard and took what he believed to be a temporary gig with Centriworks, a company whose annual revenues were a fraction of the once-heavy hitters in coal.
Thirty-plus years later, this temp position continues to pay dividends, and along the way he’s garnered awards including 2017 CFO of the Year by Corporate Vision Magazine, and 2012 CFO of the Year by the Greater Knoxville Business Journal and Financial Executives International.
Pump the Brakes
A review of DeNicola’s influences would be incomplete without citing Steve Sumner, owner of Centriworks. It was Sumner’s influence and management style that enabled DeNicola to elevate his own game, and the pair have complementary operating styles. Once a plan has been identified and developed, DeNicola doesn’t like wasting one minute before implementing it.
“Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead,” he joked.
Sumner keeps him in check by peppering him with relevant and insightful questions after a plan has been introduced. “[That] makes the plan better when explored and answered,” DeNicola noted. “He has made me slow down, anticipate those questions, and have the answers to move forward. The wisdom: make sure you have all your ducks in a row.”
It’s safe to say that 2023 provided its share of success for both the dealer and DeNicola. Centriworks enjoyed record revenue, exceeded its net-new client sales goals by 32%, and posted a Net Promoter Score of 96.5. As for DeNicola, a health and cardio enthusiast, he achieved an average of more than 14,000 steps per day, which translates to seven miles.
Big changes are in store for Centriworks, not the least of which is Colebee Sumner taking the leadership role from her father, Steve, in the coming years. DeNicola will play a significant role in the transition. He’d love to live another 40 years and watch the company continue to thrive. Still, there’s the matter of his own retirement and second act.
“[I’m hoping] to maintain a healthy lifestyle that will enable me, God willing, to live a fun, quality life, help my daughter thrive, and continue to have fun with my wife after I retire from Centriworks,” he added.
Unrelenting Quest
One of DeNicola’s biggest goals is to realize more success in the realm of managed services. While Centriworks has turned the corner, he notes “improvement for me would be a thriving managed technology services business.” That’s a must-have before DeNicola makes plans to retire.
On the personal side, little did DeNicola know that he would meet his future bride, Connie, when he was 12 and she was 10 (her family attended the same church where his father was the minister). They’ve been married 43 years. Their daughter, Elise, graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in May—receiving her JD in six years—and recently took the bar exam. She will be working as an associate attorney at the Watson, Roach law firm in Knoxville.
Back during the 1990s and 2000s, the DeNicolas played a substantial amount of tennis, including team play and tournaments. They have since converted to pickle ball. Given their love of those sports, it’s not surprising that they love vacationing in Hilton Head, South Carolina—a mecca for golf and tennis.
DeNicola’s passions are numerous: history, reading historical fiction, woodworking, playing trumpet in the church orchestra, and performing Taps at Patriot Grave Marking Ceremonies (15 to date). On the woodworking side, he completed a flintlock rifle and is currently working on a pistol. He also served on a number of boards, including Trinity Health Foundation of East Tennessee, Baptist Health Foundation and the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce.
