Steve Stagner

Steve Stagner is the Chief Executive Officer at Crete Professionals Alliance ("Crete PA") with a focus on value creation initiatives enabling the growth of Crete PA network firms. Crete PA is an Accounting focused professional services platform that partners with ambitious practices across tax, assurance and advisory services catering to clients in the United States and around the world. Crete PA was founded in 2023 by ZBS Partners and is backed by strategic investors Thrive Capital and Bessemer Venture Partners. Steve maintains an Operating Partner role in the LightBay Capital's Operating Performance Group, supporting Clarion Home Services Group and Infinity Home Services Group as a board member. Most recently, Stagner was Executive Chairman and Interim Chief Executive Officer of Clarion Home Services Group, leading execution and growth in the residential HVAC services platform. Additionally, he held positions as Executive Chairman of Infinity Home Services Group, Foundry Brands, and Alliance Animal Health. Stagner was the former Executive Chairman and CEO of Mattress Firm. In this role, he was responsible for the strategic vision of the Company as well as all of its core functions, including sales, marketing, merchandising, finance, and operations. Stagner joined the company as a franchise owner in 1996 with a dream to build Mattress Firm into the leading national specialty mattress retailer in the U.S. He was promoted to President and Chief Executive Officer in February 2010. He oversaw Mattress Firm’s initial public offering in 2011 and guided the Company’s growth from $400 million in sales to over $3.5 billion in pro forma sales in 2015. Stagner has also served in various capacities with the Mattress Firm Foundation, including as its President since January 2011 and director from January 2007 until December 2010. He also serves as director of the C.T. Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston and the Rusche College of Business Advisory Council at Stephen F. Austin State University. Additionally, he serves on the Advisory Board for the Translational Genomics Research Institute as well as the TGen Foundation Board.