Our Leadership

Tom Stockton - Chairman & CEO

Industry advocate, family man, sports fan

Tom Stockton serves as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; he is recognized throughout the receivables industry for his numerous contributions.

Tom holds ACA International Scholar and Fellowship degrees and the International Federation of Certified Collection Executives (IFCCE) professional designation from ACA. He has served ACA of Texas and ACA International as a board member and President; he has received the Al Knox (2006, 2017), Ken Harris (2010-2016), and Chris Croly awards for outstanding service in Texas and the ACA Beacon (1998), ACPAC Ambassador (2016), and Member of the Year (2018) Award from ACA International.

His vision became reality when he established the Industry Advancement Fund to provide resources for ACA to be prepared to advocate wherever necessary. The Fund supported ACA during the historic ruling in ACA v FCC would not have been possible without Tom’s contributions and determination.

Tom is a veteran and after his honorable discharge from the U.S. Navy, attended broadcasting school before beginning his sales career.

Carrie Finney - President & Chief Financial Officer

Client advocate, dog lover, movie enthusiast

Carrie Finney is the President and Chief Financial Officer for The CMI Group. Carrie began her career with CMI in 1998 as Accounting Manager and through the years has held the position of Controller, Vice President of Finance, promoted to CFO in 2008, and in January 2012, named President. Carrie came to CMI with seven years of corporate accounting experience. Carrie is active in the American Collectors Association (ACA), serving on various committees and having served as a director for the Texas unit. She received her Bachelors of Science degree from the University of Texas at Dallas and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Matt Ernst - Chief Information Officer

Technology wizard, Illinois native, work-aholic

Matt has more than 25 years of technology experience with customers in the banking, insurance, telecommunications, and cable industries. His background includes custom solutions while providing outsourced services utilizing various technologies with a strong focus on business intelligence. Matt graduated from Millikin University with a Bachelor of Science degree.

Chris Meier, Esq. - General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer

Attorney, Hogs Fan, Outdoor enthusiast

Chris Meier serves as General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer to The CMI Group and is responsible for managing all legal aspects of the company's operations as well as ensuring compliance with all relevant laws and regulations. He joined the company in 2008 after working for an insurance defense firm in Dallas that specialized in defending collection agencies against FDCPA and FCRA lawsuits. Chris is an active member of ACA International and ACA-Texas and has served as a guest presenter at several conferences covering topics such as Legislative Reform and In-House Litigation Strategies. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Arkansas and received his Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

Linda Wright - Chief Human Resources Officer

Employee sponsor, mom, knitter

Linda leads and assists in human resource issues, employee relations, recruiting, benefits, payroll and administrative functions. She has been with The CMI Group since 1995 starting as a collector and Supervisor for the call center while completing her degree at the University of Texas in Arlington. Once the opportunity to move into Human Resources presented itself, she jumped into the role of corporate recruiter and HR generalist for three years, later Director and most recently as Vice President. Her experience of having worked either in or directly with all areas of the company gives Linda a unique insight into the hiring needs and challenges each manager faces daily.