In May 2017, Tyler Coats signed a deal to become chief executive officer (CEO) of California Medical Transport (CMT), a California-based ambulance services company. Coats took the reins from husband-and-wife team Terry and Susan Smith after closing a successful, albeit lengthy, search fund process. Coats was excited about the opportunity in front of him, as he was taking over a strong company with significant tailwinds. Yet he knew that continuing CMT's momentum would require a significant amount of work. In addition, aside from a select few individuals, nobody within CMT knew that Coats would soon become the company's new CEO. The news would undoubtedly create shockwaves within the organization, and Coats knew that he only had one chance at a first impression.
