About Dr. Phillip Hearn
Dr. Phillip Hearn
Partner, The Proper Group
Dr. Phillip Hearn is a private equity operator, multi-unit CEO, and strategic advisor with over two decades of experience spanning acquisitions, infrastructure, civic innovation, and leadership development.
He is the CEO of Helix Management Group and Family Business Properties, where he has led 30+ M&A transactions, post-merger integration strategies, and public-private infrastructure projects. As a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and doctoral graduate in organizational leadership, he brings rigorous systems thinking to every engagement.
Dr. Hearn is also a trusted civic advisor, nonprofit board leader, and former adjunct professor of strategic management at St. Louis University. At The Proper Group, he serves as a Fractional Chief Strategy, Growth & Civic Innovation Officer—helping clients scale with purpose across sectors.
Comprehensive Offerings
Dr. Phillip Hearn: Strategic Growth, Civic Innovation & M&A Leadership
Fractional Chief Executive, Strategy, Growth & Civic Innovation Officer | The Proper Group Partner
Strategic. Scalable. Systemic.
Strategy by Design
- Business model design + market differentiation
- C-Suite advisory for strategic alignment + innovation
- PE-backed integration and leadership design
CEO by Design
- Interim/Embedded CEO leadership
- Founder transitions and integration architecture
- Executive coaching and growth culture building
Civic by Design
- Grant development + administration
- RFP navigation and public procurement strategy
- Government partnership and community economic growth
Revenue by Design
- Sales system mapping + CRM optimization
- New market entry and revenue modeling
- Cross-departmental revenue integration
People by Design
- DEI strategy + inclusive hiring models
- Executive coaching and change readiness
- Talent design aligned to strategy
Voice + Marketing by Design
- Brand voice, narrative, and positioning
- Communication strategy + stakeholder engagement
- Cross-channel brand consistency
Experienced Leadership Your Organization Needs to Grow
Is your organization at an inflection point where, if leveraged well, you unlock new opportunities, exponential growth, sustainability, and/or further your mission—but if mishandled, risk the opposite?
Opportunity moments like:
- Leadership gaps during scale or transition
- Operational complexity outpacing organizational capacity
- Misalignment between strategy and execution
Your organization has inflection points all the time. Unfortunately, the traditional ways of meeting that moment have broken down.
Ways to meet the moment are broken:
- Executive hiring takes 6–9+ months
- Consulting firms deliver strategy but rarely own execution
- Fractional leaders operate in isolation
