Robert "Bob" Coughlin (born December 20, 1961) is an American entrepreneur, best known for being the founder and prior Chairman/CEO of Paycor, a

Human Capital Management Human resource management (HRM) is the strategic and coherent approach to the effective and efficient management of people in a company or organization such that they help their business gain a competitive advantage. It is designed to maximize em ...

(HCM) software and services company.

Early life

Coughlin was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He relocated to Ohio with his family at the age of 10. Coughlin graduated from Anderson High School in Cincinnati. Coughlin has two sisters who were disabled, one from birth and one from an infection as a child. Following graduation from

Miami University Miami University (informally Miami of Ohio or simply Miami) is a public university, public research university in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the second-oldest List of colleges and universities in Ohio, university in Ohi ...

in 1983, he worked at ADP and Computer Identics, in operations and sales roles.

Paycor

In May 1990, at age 28, Coughlin founded Paycor, Inc. to provide payroll services to the Cincinnati market. Upon Coughlin's retirement in 2019, Paycor served 30,000 clients and had 1,700 employees. Coughlin remained as chairman until fully retiring in 2020. On January 7, 2025,

Paychex Paychex, Inc. is an American company that provides human resources, payroll, and employee benefits outsourcing services for small- to medium-sized businesses. Founded in 1971 and headquartered in Rochester, New York, the company has more than ...

, Inc. announced a deal to acquire Paycor for $4.1 billion.

Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon

Coughlin first competed in the New York City Marathon in 1994. Coughlin founded a marathon in Cincinnati to raise money for charity and function as a non-profit. Cincinnati Marathon, Inc. was formed, and the first Cincinnati

Flying Pig Marathon The Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon is an annual race run the first Sunday of May in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded by Robert J. Coughlin, it was first held in 1999, it is the 3rd-largest first-time marathon in the United States. The marathon had n ...

was held in May 1999. 2023 marked its 25th running, Coughlin and his family also established The Flying Pig Scholars program with

Skyline Chili Skyline Chili is a chain of Cincinnati-style chili restaurants based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1949 by Greek immigrant Nicholas Lambrinides, Skyline Chili is named for the view of Cincinnati's skyline that Lambrinides could see from the f ...

and other contributors, which provides scholarships each year to ten high school cross-country or track and field athletes.

Recognition

* Paycor named an Inc. Magazine Inc. 500 company in 1996 * Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce Community Service Award in 1998 *

Association for Corporate Growth Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

"Deal Maker of the Year" 2005 *

"Lifetime Achievement Award" 2023 *

Junior Achievement JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide is a global non-profit youth organization. It was founded in 1919 by Horace A. Moses, Theodore Vail, and Winthrop M. Crane. JA works with local businesses, schools, and organizations to deliver experiential ...

of OKI "Greater Cincinnati Business Hall of Fame" 2023 * Greater Cincinnati Foundation Jacob E. Davis Volunteer Leadership Award 2023

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coughlin, Robert J. 1961 births Businesspeople from Cincinnati Businesspeople from Ohio Miami University alumni American financial company founders Living people