Cost center managers tend to lay low during times of change, but not Stephen Mooney.

Succeeding a popular, long-term CEO is never easy, but it’s especially hazardous in the IT services industry where even the slightest change can disrupt a firm’s delicate equilibrium.

The inability to adapt to changing market conditions and client needs is a recipe for failure. So when a tsunami of mergers and regulatory reforms hit the banking industry in 2008, Max Martin had two choices: scale-up or give up.

What Bhakta and his franchisee partners may have lacked in restaurant experience was more than made up for in enthusiasm.