There’s a certain “Don’t worry about a thing,” Bob Marley-like quality to the attitude Travis Lemke has embraced throughout his professional career in the world of accounting and finance. While it may not be the most nerve-wracking discipline, numbers-crunching can be intensive and exacting, the source of many a gray hair, particularly when the math doesn’t add up.
The philosophy traces back to a prior professional experience at an accounting firm, where a self-deprecating manager made a pithy observation about their line of work. The bon mot: nobody dies doing what we do. That notion resonated with Lemke. Now, as the vice president of leasing, he echoes that wisdom while guiding a team of 21 people.
“It just helped put things into perspective for me,” said Lemke, a 2026 ENX Magazine Difference Maker. “I try to pass that on to my teams. While there are always high-leverage and high-stress situations around us in our day-to-day work, staying grounded about what really matters keeps us in a good place and allows us to help each other in a more calm and productive way.”
The holder of a BBA and master’s degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lemke landed at Gordon Flesch Co. (GFC) in 2014 following a four-year stint with a midmarket tax/consulting services provider. It was during those early years, serving in finance roles at GFC, that he had the opportunity to sit in on monthly sales leadership meetings. That high-level view impressed upon Lemke that he felt aligned with not only management, but also the team members he worked with on a daily basis.
The work hard, play hard mentality embraced throughout the organization also made him feel at home professionally. “Seeing month-in and month-out, both the tenacity of the group to grow the business and the expectations being set from the top at an extremely high level, made me feel like this is the place for me,” Lemke noted. “Those expectations flow throughout the company and make it a very high-output organization.”
He’s had a hand in shaping the future of GFC’s growth by evaluating acquisition prospects. Lemke has also flashed his innovative side by quarterbacking the dealer’s customer self-service invoicing and payments portal launch in 2024, while more recently guiding his teams through a massive software overhaul.
The day-to-day task of collaborating with GFC’s account representatives on new leases—whether it’s pricing, paperwork or devising a unique structure—provides a great deal of satisfaction for Lemke. He relishes being the point person between the customer, account rep and the company.
“It makes me feel like I’m as close to the action as possible,” Lemke added.
He credits current CFO Kelly Dolphin and former CFO Keith Breunig for paving a path at GFC. Dolphin was instrumental in his arrival at the dealership, and he’s long been impressed with their attention to detail. The pair saw great potential in Lemke, and their faith was and is quite meaningful to him.
“They had a way of connecting the small picture of what I was working on at the time to the bigger picture of the company and what I’m impacting on a larger scale,” Lemke said. “Somehow, the two of them saw something in me that I didn’t even see in myself at the time, and I’m forever thankful to them for their wisdom and leadership.”
If Lemke has an Achilles’ heel, it’s always focusing on what comes next. He hopes the feeling of being rushed—a fairly universal obstacle—will, over time, give way to becoming more present and in the moment where he is and in everything he does. Affording himself the time to let all of his tasks sink in will provide more peace of mind.
His personal life is certainly adventurous. Lemke and his wife of 11 years, Laura, have three daughters: Livia, 7, and 5-year-old twins Molly and Maddie. The brood keeps him on the move between sports and various activities. He’ll slip away for a round of golf when the opportunity presents itself. The Lemkes hope to incorporate travel into the family dynamic as the girls get older.
The high school version of me wanted to be an: Engineer
Interesting fact about you: I grew up as an only child but now have 3 kids, including twins. Somehow, I’ve survived so far.
Celebrities you have met: Desmond Howard, as a fanboy standing outside of a College Gameday broadcast.
Favorite book or movie: “Happy Gilmore” brought my 8-year-old self a ton of laughter and joy, and still does to this day.
Favorite food: Chinese
Person you’d most like to meet: Tiger Woods
Dream vacation destination: Australia
Guilty pleasure: Chick flicks
Most prized possession: My collection of logo golf balls that I get from every single course I play at.
