Jake Ruatti learned the value of hard work from his grandfather while baling hay on his farm in the summers. That work ethic translated well when he started his career at Baker Tilly as an intern. He moved to Boldt in 2015, becoming CFO three years later.
Ruatti “stepped into the fire right away” as 2018 was a down year due to some project losses.
“The main focus was on cash management, communication and training,” he says. Just 15 months later, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. “Our business saw a 20% downturn, but we navigated through that with successful planning and a steady hand and kept everyone working.”
Ruatti saw the company bounce back, with revenue growing from $1.02 billion in 2018 to more than $1.6 billion in 2023. He says the firm also doubled net income margins during the same period.
Ruatti, this year’s Community Service Award recipient, reinvigorated Boldt’s employee engagement in the United Way Fox Cities campaign since becoming involved in 2015. Giving is up by more than 300%, and employee engagement has increased from 33% to 83%.
Ruatti has volunteered with a number of nonprofits that “help make home a place where I want to live and raise a family,” he says.
