Proven Leadership Across Finance and Operations

Operator Mindset. Institutional Discipline.

James LaRusso is a senior growth operator known for transforming founder-led businesses into scalable, high-performance enterprises. His work sits at the intersection of institutional discipline and real-world execution, bringing clarity to complexity and converting growth potential into measurable results.

James began his career in global finance, serving as Vice President of Investments at JPMorgan Chase, where he oversaw strategic performance across top-producing banking relationships. He was an award-winning advisor at Merrill Lynch in one of the firm’s largest territories and also advised high-net-worth clients at Morgan Stanley, operating within elite, top-performing teams. Across each role, he built a reputation for driving performance, strengthening relationships, and delivering consistent, quantifiable outcomes.

He later founded and scaled a multi-state luxury services company into a high seven-figure enterprise. In doing so, he built the operational infrastructure, leadership teams, and execution systems required for sustained growth and market expansion. This firsthand experience as a founder gives him a distinct advantage. He understands not just strategy, but the realities of execution, scale, and pressure.

James has also contributed to regional business development as a Certified SCORE Director, Mentor, and Chair of the Business Development Committee for SCORE Manasota, supporting entrepreneurs and growth-stage companies throughout Sarasota and Manatee County.

Most recently, he served as Business Development Director at Berlin Patten Ebling, where he led firm-wide growth initiatives across five offices spanning St. Petersburg, Tampa, Sarasota, Venice, and Lakewood Ranch. In this role, he developed and scaled multi-million-dollar referral pipelines with top financial advisors, strengthened strategic relationships for attorneys across all offices, and expanded the firm’s presence across multiple counties, driving accelerated revenue growth and a significant increase in qualified client opportunities.

As Founder of LaRusso Partners, James works directly with business owners and professional service firms navigating growth inflection points. His focus is straightforward. Stabilize operations, engineer predictable revenue systems, and build the infrastructure required for scale. Clients engage LaRusso Partners for execution. They gain a clear path forward and, when needed, a partner who steps in to lead it.

His approach is disciplined, results-driven, and rooted in one objective. Helping businesses move from fragmented growth to structured, scalable performance.