Experience

OC Flavors
• United States
• Food and Beverage Services
• Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)

  • Jan 2023 - Present


Parker Products, Inc.

• United States
• Food and Beverage Manufacturing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• VP Sales and Marketing

  • May 2018 - Jan 2023

  Private Equity owned inclusion manufacturer who develops customized ingredients for dairy, bakery, confection, snack and food service customers. Private Equity owned inclusion manufacturer who develops customized ingredients for dairy, bakery, confection, snack and food service customers.



Illes Seasonings & Flavors

• VP Sales and Marketing

  • Mar 2016 - May 2018

  • Led, motivated and managed a high performance, customer focused sales & culinary team driven to meet growth and profitability targets as well as product category goals and objectives. • Developed selling tools to ensure adequate information was gathered from customers for use in product development work, solution selling, commercialization and funnel management. • Prepared and managed annual budget, monitored customer forecasts and performed appropriate analysis. Monitored and controlled SG&A expenditures in accordance with approved spending limits. • Responsible for developing and implementing product and pricing strategy, driving the P&L to achieve annual objectives and communicating with all levels of management on the state of the business. • Establish marketing activities and trade show participation to increase brand awareness and promote capabilities. • Partnered with IT to make CRM more user friendly by capitalizing on new technology and process simplification. Show less



Spicetec Flavors and Seasonings, a ConAgra Foods Company

• Director of Sales, Business Development

  • Oct 2012 - Feb 2016

  •Provide coaching, consultative selling and talent management to five member team responsible for over 60% of SFS business •Built and trained high performing sales team utilizing a collaborative approach, Miller Heiman methodology and an energizing style that drove top line sales growth and increased profitability helping to exceed corporate profit goals•Sales lead for Process Simplification/Value Mapping targeting to reduce meeting time by 30% and increase commercialization speed by 25%.•Led contract negotiations/re-negotiations by working skillfully with internal and external stakeholders to maximize GM% when possible and offer cost savings when appropriate; overall P&L management •Built relationships with customer functions including purchasing, culinary, R&D, operations, marketing, and quality; lead cross-functional team to service ConAgra Foods•Collaborated with all aspects of business processes to lead strategy and day to day work with our Sales, Marketing and Operations teams contributing to and supporting customers •Developed sales tools to ensure adequate information was gathered from customers for use in product development work, solution selling and funnel management•Member of collaborative Senior Leadership team responsible for developing and executing annual operating plan and overall Strategic Business Plan to grow sales and profits. Show less

• National Account Manager

  • Oct 2006 - Oct 2012

  •Utilized advanced business planning, forecasting, and project management expertise to onboard over 10MM lbs of business in less than 12 months, delivering 116% of plan.•Work closely with Culinary, Marketing, R&D and Quality to develop solution driven new product concepts for customers utilizing trend and consumer data•Quickly developed strategic relationship with large snack food manufacturing company securing 2 MM lbs of new business within 1 year and gained preferred supplier status Show less



Griffith Laboratories

• United States
• Food and Beverage Services

• Account Director

  • 2003 - 2006

  •Developed and implemented regions strategic sales plan to exceed corporate goals by consistently delivering territory sales growth of 110% •Negotiated 2+ year contract with key strategic customer and developed growth incentive to drive new business resulting in incremental $.5MM in sales •Global Sales lead on Customer Relationship Management team responsible for training new employees and working with leadership team to establish strategic vision and direction for system •Developed and implemented regions strategic sales plan to exceed corporate goals by consistently delivering territory sales growth of 110% •Negotiated 2+ year contract with key strategic customer and developed growth incentive to drive new business resulting in incremental $.5MM in sales •Global Sales lead on Customer Relationship Management team responsible for training new employees and working with leadership team to establish strategic vision and direction for system



Integrated Marketing

• 1 - 100 Employee

• Manager

  • 2001 - 2003

  •Ensured client budgets were comprehensive, actual costs were monitored, approved and account receivables collected in a timely manner; reduced accounts receivables by 43%•Developed training programs that educated field sales force on how to sell co-marketing programs resulting in approximately 35% of slotting funds being converted into marketing programs•Supervised a team of 5 Field Promotion Managers who developed co-marketing programs which exceeded client Gross Sales Volume goal by $6.3MM•Negotiated and finalized retainer with Masterfoods helping to secure our Agency’s most profitable client for the third consecutive year Show less

• Field Promotion Manager

  • 2001 - 2003



Avery Dennison

• United States
• Packaging and Containers Manufacturing
• 700 & Above Employee

• Marketing Manager

  • 2000 - 2001

  •Partnered with trade marketing and sales to develop customer-specific promotional programs for Staples, OfficeMax and Wal-Mart increasing new product acceptance levels by over 50% •Initiated packaging rationalization program that increased profitability of product line by over 10% •Partnered with trade marketing and sales to develop customer-specific promotional programs for Staples, OfficeMax and Wal-Mart increasing new product acceptance levels by over 50% •Initiated packaging rationalization program that increased profitability of product line by over 10%



Specialty Brands

• United States
• Manufacturing

• Brand & Prouct Manager

  • 1997 - 2000

  •Led 20 person cross-functional team in support of product development and launch. Directed R&D staff in development and commercialization of 40 new products for all consumer channels •Launched José Olé brand into 30% of U.S. grocery stores in June 2000; delivered $19 million in sales during first six months, exceeding business plan objective of $14 million •Conducted extensive marketing research to guide strategic planning and brand development •Relaunched Pacific Tortilla Kitchen brand in Warehouse Club channel, including improved packaging and product. Sales increased 60%, as a result, and displaced key competitor in 200 Sam’s Clubs Show less



Quest International

• Telecommunications
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Marketing Specialist & Food Technologist

  • 1995 - 1997

  •Managed item mix and pricing to optimize business unit profitability and grow business more than 40% for two consecutive years; collaborated with R&D staff in product development efforts •Evaluated ingredient interaction in low fat/fat free food systems for dairy, bakery and confectionery applications; developed bakery applications for newly acquired Betr’ Flake products •Managed item mix and pricing to optimize business unit profitability and grow business more than 40% for two consecutive years; collaborated with R&D staff in product development efforts •Evaluated ingredient interaction in low fat/fat free food systems for dairy, bakery and confectionery applications; developed bakery applications for newly acquired Betr’ Flake products


Purdue University
• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee
• Food Service Supervisor

  • 1991 - 1995