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2009 – Present VALLON, LLC (Minneapolis, MN)
President and Change Catalyst
Joined this interim talent contractor as an equity partner in order to strengthen market position and grow the enterprise. We provide C-level talent within 48 hours for vacancies and intense project requirements.
2008 – 2009 LAUNCHPAD PARTNERS (Mundelein, IL)
Change Catalyst and Founding Partner
Founded advisory firm for mid-market companies under stress. Translate change into breakthrough performance and increased company value. Reorganized consumer products company call center, increasing answer rate from 65% to 92% in less than three weeks with no additional resources.
2007 – 2008 U.S. MUSIC CORPORATION (Mundelein, IL)
President & Chief Operating Officer
Hired by the Founder of this $60 million instrument company to restructure operations and position the company for future growth. Reorganized product management, sales, and support operations to capitalize on market opportunities.
- Successfully negotiated multi-year licensing agreement with the Disney Company.
- Reorganized Sales operations to reduce costs and increase effectiveness. Changes saved $500,000/year while improving sales coverage.
- Increased year-over-year trade show sales by 94%
2004 – 2007 MANCHESTER COMPANIES (Minneapolis, MN)
’06 Chief Operating Officer
’04 Principal
Recruited into the practice to lead multiple, mission-critical engagements. Reorganized the firm to leverage our full-time associates and affiliates to provide better and more consistent service to our clients.
- Created over $325 million in realized market value by creating and implementing the changes necessary to bring a growing medical device company out of receivership.
- Used Lean Six Sigma to reduce manufacturing cycle time from 14 weeks to two days.
- Organized and successfully executed two FDA mandated recalls.
- Engagement won the “2006 Turnaround of the Year” award.
- Created over $225 million of market value for a $600 million contract manufacturer by reorganizing and coordinating IT, purchasing, finance, manufacturing, and administration functions to resolve a pending cash crisis.
- Participated in the creation and executed the strategy to expand into new geographic markets.
2001 – 2004 TALARIS (formerly De La Rue Cash Systems) (Lisle, IL)
Vice President, Service
Recruited to refocus the North American Service operations for a billion-dollar secure transaction company that created and implemented cash handling, teller automation, and electronic voting solutions for customers in Banking, Retailing, and Government Agencies.
- Our team grew sales by 26% and profits by 31%.
- Decentralized responsibility and accountability for customer satisfaction and profitability to Regional General Managers at multiple sites across the country.
- Strengthened core support operations by reengineering the Call Center, Technical Support, IT, Logistics, and Finance, reducing administrative burden by 97%.
- Designed and flawlessly executed support plan for first post hanging chad election in Florida.
1997 – 2000 CARTA MUNDI (Kingsport, TN)
President and General Manager (#1 Person in U.S. Management)
Resuscitated the North American operation for the world’s largest playing card company. We implemented a team management system, recruited key employees, and designed the structures that:
- Improved margins by over 34 percentage points and reduced the break-even point by 44%.
- Increased sales and doubled margins with major customers.
- Profitably grew sales by 41% through direct and indirect channels.
- Reduced manufacturing cycle time for Mattel from eight weeks to less than four days using JIT and Lean principles.
1994 - 1997 RAND McNALLY (Nashville, TN)
Vice President & General Manager – Custom Products Division
Recruited to create and execute a new strategy for the world’s largest trade bindery and a renowned manufacturer of deluxe leather-bound books, loose-leaf binders, and multimedia packaging. The operation was an enigma, producing high-quality, custom designed products in a corporation focused on long runs of commodity books. Our management team:
- Re-engineered functionally organized operation into independent business units directly aligned with customer requirements.
- Created hourly employee customer project teams to establish links between key customers and the production floor, implementing change based on team management and Lean Manufacturing.
- Returned to profitability for the first time in eight years, grew sales from $24 million to $41 million, and created a flexible workforce of over 400 employees.
- Successfully marketed the company and sold it to an independent buyer.
1986 – 1994 SMURFIT STONE (formerly Jefferson Smurfit) (Chicago, IL)
’88 Lafayette (IN) Mill Management
’87 Corporate Planning Manager
Joined this $4 billion paper company as Corporate Planning Manager. Company grew from $300 million to $3 billion during this period. Wrote first strategic plan for $300 million newsprint acquisition and integration plan for $1 billion acquisition of CCA. Freed $1 million in working capital from container operations.
Took line responsibility as Controller, Operations Manager, and then General Manager of a 90 year-old recycled paperboard mill with $14 million in sales and 88 employees. Our team:
- Catalyzed profit turnaround, from losses of over $700,000/year to profits of over $1 million/year.
- Developed new product that increased sales by 41%.
- Restructured the mill, including the establishment of TQM, based on ISO-9000 guidelines, engaging both salaried and unionized employees in team management system. Negotiated two union contracts.
- Served five months of strike duty in Oregon while fulfilling regular duties in Indiana.
Education:
MBA, Harvard Business School, 1986
BBA, University of Wisconsin, 1982
Whitepapers:
Confessions of a Change Catalyst
The Entrepreneurial Curse
The Soft Side of Strategy and the Hard Edge of Change
Innovation’s Slow Painful Death
Corporate Culture and the Perfect Fit
