Co-Founder Rick Nordvold to continue as executive chairman
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Growth Operators® today announced that Co-Founder Molly Hiller has been named Chief Executive Officer (CEO), marking the next chapter for the middle-market consultancy she co-founded alongside former CEO Rick Nordvold in 2010. The announcement comes as the firm broadens its platform beyond the back office and marks a sixth consecutive year on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America.
The transition builds on Hiller’s more than 16 years helping shape Growth Operators, including serving as President, CFO and COO, and formalizes her leadership of the firm’s operations for the past two years. Nordvold will remain closely connected to Growth Operators as Executive Chairman while focusing on his role as Chairman and Managing Partner of North Partners™, the private investment partnership he co-founded with Hiller in 2026. As the long-term controlling owner of Growth Operators, along with the firm’s employee Partners, North Partners invests in and partners with companies and leaders to support leadership development and long-term value creation.
“Since the beginning, we have built Growth Operators alongside an incredibly talented team,” said Molly Hiller, Co-Founder and CEO of Growth Operators. “I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together and excited for the opportunities ahead. We’ll continue building on that foundation, expanding our capabilities and finding new ways to support our clients as their needs evolve.”
Company’s First Female CEO
As Growth Operators’ first female CEO, Hiller steps into the role at a moment of deliberate expansion. Over the past year, the firm has added capabilities in Strategy & Execution, Talent Intelligence, Strategic IT, and Decision Intelligence & AI, building an executable value creation agenda, aligning structure and talent to the growth plan, modernizing the platforms that power performance, and turning data into faster, better decisions. Each is delivered through the firm’s proprietary nextLEVEL® assessment and embedded model, pairing cross-functional teams with fractional and interim executives who step into leadership gaps and lead initiatives to completion alongside the business.
“Molly is a natural leader,” said Rick Nordvold, Co-Founder of Growth Operators and Executive Chairman. “I’ve seen her impact firsthand since we founded the firm, and her dedication to our employees and clients has been central to Growth Operators’ success. Through North Partners, along with our employee Partners, we’re committed to this firm and its people for the long term.”
The firm was named to the 2026 Inc. 5000 list for the sixth consecutive year, recognized for 51% three-year revenue growth, and has earned its third consecutive Minnesota Top Workplace recognition from the Minnesota Star Tribune along with a 2026 Top Workplaces Culture Excellence Award.
Before co-founding Growth Operators, Hiller began her career at Arthur Andersen, held financial management roles at Target, and founded and led her own entrepreneurial venture. She earned her undergraduate degree in accounting from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.
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