James R. Cook, Jr. is responsible for Sealy’s financial, human resource, information technology and administrative/operational aspects, which he has developed and supported to help Sealy implement and achieve its strategic growth objectives. During his tenure with the company, James has been involved in commercial investment real estate transactions totaling $1.7 billion. Additionally, he is involved in the strategic analysis, financing and asset management of Sealy’s 11.1 million-square-foot portfolio, and he provides oversight of Sealy’s private equity funds: Fund I, Fund II, Sealy III and Sealy IV.
James brings to Sealy a wealth of valuable experience. Most recently, he was CFO of Praeses Corporation, a privately held telecommunications and information technology consulting company with clients such as AT&T, Accenture, Circle K, BP and numerous others. As CFO of Praeses, James was responsible for all strategic aspects of finance, accounting, human resources and administration. He also analyzed new projects and secured/managed Praeses' capital base. His management of these areas was critical to the company's impressive growth. During his tenure as CFO, Praeses experienced a 54% annual growth rate. Prior to joining Praeses, James was the practice development leader of KPMG for an emerging practice in a seven-state area. His responsibilities at KPMG included developing core processes and methodologies for the new practice in conjunction with their national headquarters, while also developing a revenue base in the Southwest area. The revenue base increased over 300% under his direction.
James received his Bachelor of Science in accounting and his Masters of Professional Accountancy from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. He is a Certified Public Accountant and has been certified and trained as a Certified Fraud Examiner. James is currently an active member of the Louisiana Certified Public Accountant and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He is also involved as a board member and officer in various civic organizations.