Food Distribution Expert Witness

• Visionary Foodservice Executive, Thought Leader, and Consultant with proven strengths in operational turnarounds, new value creation, process design, category management, TQM, and Go-To-Market strategies.
• Skilled at refining and differentiating value propositions in competitive, commoditized markets.
• Extensive/repeated success in business turnarounds/improvements, M&A, and post-merger integrations.
• Dynamic, collaborative, empowering leadership approach. Proven ability to recruit, cultivate, mentor, and promote peak-performing team members with focus on quality, service, and sustainable value creation.
• Positive, engaging approach to employee and labor relations.
• Industry-wide reputation for innovation, best practices cultivation, and change leadership in entrenched, change-resistant organizations with a record of delivering superior financial results. A “status quo” challenger.

EXPERIENCE

PENTALLECT, INC. – Co-founder/partner in Food Industry consultancy 2017- current
Wide/deep variety of proprietary projects including strategic planning, G-T-M advisory, M&A diligence, etc.

TECHNOMIC, INC. – Industry leading research, syndicated data, and advisory firm. (www.technomic.com)
Senior Principal and Executive Director of Technomic Foodservice Category Management Institute 2012-2016

Co-author (2013-with Gordon Wade) of “Practitioner’s Guide to Foodservice Category Management”

REINHART FOODSERVICE – $6-billion, 26 branch distributor, subsidiary of Reyes Holdings, Rosemont, IL
Senior Vice President Sales, Merchandising & Marketing 2008-2012
Oversight for Supply Chain, QA, Sales, Customer Service, Procurement, & Marketing; with 950 direct/indirect reports

Developed/implemented “UMPIRE,” a proprietary set of sales management processes and accountabilities.

Achieved three+ consecutive years of robust real “street” growth during and following the “Great Recession” through process-driven hyper-focus on “Critical Success Factors” (Customer Acquisition, Enrichment, & Retention); including 2.9% YOY case volume growth in 2009…a year in which Sysco’s comparable volume declined 9.7%!

U.S. FOODSERVICE – $20-billion foodservice distributor, Rosemont, IL 1999-2008
Market President, Minnesota Divisions (2004-2008)
Managed post-acquisition consolidation, integration & optimization of a combined $600-million business unit.
Pioneered business processes and field structure subsequently adopted nation-wide as G-T-M practices.
Partnered with Technomic Inc. to develop “Collaborative Category Management” for foodservice distribution.
Recognized for leadership of the company’s highest-performing, lowest-cost unionized operations.
Created in-house consulting practice serving independent restaurants, helping boost top-line revenues by 9% through a 50% reduction in customer churn. Today (14 years later) US Foods has 96 “Restaurant Operations Consultants.”
Zone President, Midwest Divisions (2001-2004)
Accountable for nine (9) operations of various sizes with aggregate revenue of $1.9 billion and EBIT $65 million.
Supported Division Presidents and teams plus Zone staff of HR, Finance, Merchandising, and Operations VPs.
Led integration & assimilation (USF acquired Alliant Foodservice) of operations in MN, KS, NE, and MO.
Led due-diligence and integration for two subsequent acquisitions in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Division President, Minneapolis (1999-2001)
Recruited to execute swift and sustainable turnaround of a loss-making $280-million operation
Realigned customer base, refocusing sales team on development of high-margin accounts while renegotiating unprofitable contracts, quickly contributing $3.5 million to profitability (200 bps swing in 6 months)
Implemented TQM processes and performance metrics; achieved corporation’s lowest defect rates.
Recruited, mentored, promoted and later exported a staff member to Division President at Chicago. – Continued Page 2

SYSCO CORPORATION – then a $20-billion foodservice distributor, Houston, TX 1988-1999
President / CEO, Pittsburgh, PA Division (1991-1999)
Promoted/transferred to lead the turnaround of Sysco’s then poorest-performing subsidiary OPCO
Negotiated three 3-year collective bargaining agreements in nine years (’91, ’94, ’97), the first of which included wage rate reductions and a partial conversion to “activity-based compensation.”
Instituted “PDQ,” (People-Driven Quality) program, empowering associates with customer-focused solutions.
Emphasized Sysco’s private brands in sales/marketing efforts, achieving highest mix (55%) nation-wide.
Negotiated and led successful fold-in acquisition of King Prime Foods, $15 million protein distributor.
Doubled market share in stagnant Western PA/West VA economies. Evolved customer/sales mix to 66% “street.” Improved gross margins from 16.5% to 21%, and pretax profit from -2.5% to 4.75% ROS from 1991 to 1999.
Recruited, mentored, and promoted a VP Sales to EVP; later promoted to OPCO President (Philadelphia). Recruited and mentored another individual who ultimately progressed to President/CEO of the Pittsburgh OPCO.
Executive Vice President, Baraboo Wisconsin (1988-1991)
Recruited to grow top and bottom lines through leadership of sales, marketing, merchandising, and finance functions for
$131 million OPCO; managed staff of 160 through 6 VPs and Directors.
Aggressively recruited, developed, and motivated a peak-performing sales force of 110.
Led management development and TQM initiatives to improve results throughout the organization.
Appointed a multi-unit accounts director and captured strategically-targeted regional chain businesses.
Revenues grew 64%, from $131 MM to $215 MM; pre-tax profit improved 150% (from 3.3% to 5% ROS) in 3 years.

WILLOW RUN FOODS, Vestal, NY 1987-1988
EVP, Sales & Marketing
Recruited by owner of regional distributor to manage sales & marketing organization in a five-state territory
Launched highly successful entrée into serving the rapidly-growing independent pizzeria segment.
Succeeded in driving 35% sales growth while doubling EBIT to 4% ROS.

SKY BROS. INC., Altoona, PA 1984-1987
Chain Accounts Sales Manager
Recruited to manage National Accounts team serving customers in 21 states and later managed $30-million retail deli-bakery and frozen food business.
Succeeded in growing National Accounts sales from $47 to $95 million.
Honored in 1986 by ID Magazine as recipient of the “Innovative Distributor” Award.

EDUCATION & AFFILIATIONS

CORNELL UNIVERSITY – Master’s Certificate, Foodservice Management
HAMILTON COLLEGE – Bachelor of Arts, Economics

IFMA – INTERNATIONAL FOODSERVICE MANUFACTURER’S ASSOCIATION
Frequent Conference Presenter & Panelist

IFDA – INTERNATIONAL FOODSERVICE DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION
Frequent Speaker at Conferences and Events

FSMA – FOOD SERVICE MARKETING ASSOCIATION
Perennial Speaker “Top-to-Top” Conferences