Jim Braselton is a distinguished executive whose career spans more than three decades of transformational leadership across B2B industrial sectors in building materials, construction, industrial manufacturing, logistics, commodity trading, and strategic consulting. Throughout his career, Jim has consistently demonstrated an exceptional ability to develop growth strategies, build high-performing commercial organizations, and lead complex business transformations that deliver measurable financial results. Recognized for combining strategic vision with operational discipline, he has earned a reputation as a trusted advisor capable of helping organizations navigate growth, restructuring, market expansion, and organizational change. Pricing strategy and execution as well as novel segment based go-to-market implementation are at the heart of his revenue expertise. His know-how extends across public corporations, private equity-backed ventures, multinational enterprises, entrepreneurial start-ups, and small/mid-size family-owned businesses making him an exceptionally versatile executive and board candidate.
Jim currently serves as Principal of Magellan Materials, LLC, where he provides strategic and operational consulting to organizations throughout the North American concrete and cement industries. His advisory work focuses on market evaluation, mergers and acquisitions, revenue enhancement, offshore sourcing strategies, and the development of deep-water bulk material terminals throughout the United States and Canada. Through Magellan Materials, Jim helps organizations identify opportunities for expansion, optimize commercial performance, and successfully execute growth initiatives in highly competitive industrial markets. His consulting work reflects decades of executive leadership and provides clients with practical, results-driven solutions rooted in extensive operational experience.
Prior to establishing Magellan Materials, Jim was one of the two founding executives of McInnis Cement, a landmark private equity-backed start-up that established a new North American cement company – a very unusual event in a highly oligopolistic industry controlled by large global publicly traded firms. Serving as Senior Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Logistics, he played a central role in developing the company’s business strategy, fundraising efforts, commercial model, terminal infrastructure, and go-to-market execution. Jim helped secure financing exceeding CDN$1.4 billion while leading the creation of a multimodal distribution network across major deep-water ports throughout the United States and Canada. His leadership contributed directly to the successful operational launch of the business in 2017, demonstrating his ability to build organizations from concept through commercialization.
Earlier in his career, Jim spent sixteen years with Lafarge, one of the world’s largest building materials companies, where he held numerous executive leadership positions of increasing responsibility. As Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for North America, he oversaw commercial operations for a business exceeding $2 billion in annual revenue while leading more than 250 professionals across multiple business units. During his tenure, Jim drove more than $600 million in pricing improvements over four years, increased market share through innovative specialty product strategies, and successfully integrated major commercial organizations following acquisitions while reducing operating costs by approximately twenty percent. Simultaneous with this lead commercial role he was General Manager of the specialty products business ($225M revenue). His leadership consistently balanced revenue growth with organizational efficiency, positioning the business for long-term competitive success.
Jim’s executive journey also includes leadership positions and Columbia National Group and The BOC Group, where he managed large-scale commercial operations, product portfolios, and strategic market initiatives across North America. His experience spans metals, industrial gases, commodity trading, recycling, logistics, chemicals, and manufacturing, providing him with a uniquely broad perspective on industrial markets and supply chain dynamics. Throughout these roles, he consistently delivered measurable improvements in profitability, pricing strategy, organizational effectiveness, and business development while leading complex operational transformations.
One of Jim’s defining professional strengths is his ability to connect strategic planning with commercial execution. He has led numerous enterprise-wide initiatives involving pricing transformation, ERP and CRM implementation, customer segmentation, value-based selling, organizational restructuring, and commercial excellence. His leadership philosophy centers on creating sustainable competitive advantage by aligning sales, marketing, operations, logistics, and technology into integrated business strategies that maximize shareholder value. His ability to identify opportunities, simplify complexity, and execute ambitious growth plans has distinguished him throughout his career.
Beyond corporate leadership, Jim has contributed significantly to advancing the building materials industry through innovation and collaboration. As a founding member and Co-Chair of the Concrete Sustainability Hub at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he helped launch an industry-funded initiative dedicated to sustainability research and innovation. The program continues to influence public policy and industry best practices by promoting lifecycle cost analysis, environmental stewardship, and sustainable infrastructure development. His involvement reflects a broader commitment to helping industries evolve through research, education, and long-term strategic thinking.
Jim has also established himself as a respected thought leader through numerous professional publications and industry case studies. His work has appeared in respected publications including The Wall Street Journal, Selling Power, Marketing Management, ExecSense, Forrester Leadership Board, and the Corporate Executive Board. His published insights focus on value-based commercial models, sales transformation, organizational change, pricing strategy, and customer-centric business development. These contributions have positioned him as an influential voice within commercial leadership and strategic management, sharing practical frameworks that continue to benefit organizations seeking sustained growth and competitive advantage.
Jim holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and Marketing from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a Bachelor of Science in Materials Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. This combination of technical engineering expertise and advanced business education has provided the analytical foundation that underpins his strategic leadership style. Combined with decades of executive experience, international market exposure throughout the United States and Canada, and extensive board-level interactions, Jim brings an exceptional blend of financial acumen, operational insight, commercial expertise, and governance readiness. As he continues to pursue board service opportunities, he offers organizations an accomplished executive capable of guiding growth initiatives, supporting strategic decision-making, strengthening commercial performance, and helping leadership teams navigate increasingly dynamic and competitive markets.
Character:
Jim is recognized as an ethical, dependable, and collaborative leader who builds trust through integrity and consistent execution. He approaches every leadership opportunity with humility, accountability, and a genuine commitment to helping organizations and people succeed. Identifying and mentoring promising young women and men has been a hall mark of his management tenure.
Knowledge:
His extensive expertise spans strategic planning, commercial leadership, industrial operations, logistics, private equity environments, mergers and acquisitions, and organizational transformation. Decades of executive leadership across multinational corporations and entrepreneurial ventures provide him with a uniquely broad and practical business perspective.
Strategic:
Jim excels at identifying growth opportunities, aligning organizations around clear business objectives, and executing strategies that deliver measurable financial performance. He consistently combines long-term vision with disciplined execution to create sustainable competitive advantages and lasting enterprise value.
Communication:
Communicating complex business concepts with clarity, credibility, and confidence, enabling executives, boards, customers, and stakeholders to align around strategic priorities. His experience as a published thought leader and executive presenter reflects his ability to educate, influence, and inspire diverse audiences.
