Jay Coughlan

Jay Coughlan is a confident and inspiring leader who fosters a culture of high-integrity and openness, having served as CEO of such industry leaders as Lawson Software and XRS Corporation. As chairman and CEO of XRS Corporation, Jay led the company’s transformation from a hardware-based business to the transportation industry leader in mobile fleet optimization. Jay successfully positioned XRS for a successful acquisition for $178M all-cash transaction by Omnitracs, the leader in fleet management solutions. Prior to joining XRS, Jay was president and chief executive officer of Lawson Software, one of the country’s largest enterprise software companies. Jay began his career at Lawson in 1987 as an account executive. He moved quickly to vice president of the Health Care Business Unit (Lawson’s first vertical market), where he increased market share and oversaw triple-digit increases in license-based revenue and new accounts. During his tenure as CEO, the company completed a $200 million initial public offering (IPO), while growing revenue from $200 million to $430 million.

Jay’s story is about hope, motivation, personal growth, faith and forgiveness. He shares with you how not to have circumstances define your life, but puts you on a journey to have your choices define your life.

Jay has built a national reputation as a keynote speaker, a CEO and a mentor to aspiring business leaders. And he also is a convicted felon, having spent time in prison. During this dark part of his life, Jay began developing a framework for dealing with the troubles that life inevitably brings. Jay uses lessons from his own missteps to help change the paths of individuals and organizations.

Jay is an active regional business advocate and has served on the board of directors for several business and currently Board Chairman of non-profit organization Minnesota Adult and Teen Challenge. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. Jay has been married to his wife, Jule since 1987. They have three kids and currently reside in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.