Alok Sharma Email & Phone Number

Founded growth strategy advisory firm that solves the toughest business challenges in branding and innovation with a connected one view of consumers and competition. The company’s expert team of strategists, digital marketers, and insight innovators with pragmatic data and analytic technology capabilities help solve tomorrows problems - today! • Innovation opportunities for #1 B2B Global Chocolate manufacturer in developing new type of chocolate.• Healthy snacking new product planning for leading Baby Food company.• Product launches and go-to-market strategies for Pharma company specializing in rare diseases.• Marketing and Product strategy for creating new $300 million market for recreational cannabis company.

Chicago, Illinois, Us

• Designed and implemented portfolio strategy to prioritize roles and advertising spending levels for 40+ brands for doubling the historical organic growth rates. Instituted a robust M&A evaluation capability resulting in two major acquisitions to yield 1-2 points of additional growth. • Created a consumer centric Zero Based Budgeting approach to Advertising and Promotion spending to drive growth on profitable users and occasion frequency. On track to restore share and profits increases in mature categories while significantly reducing unproductive cost and partnerships by about $20 million.• Developed a new assortment strategy for $75 MM savings in three years.• Instituted industry leading data and technology driven marketing system for real time micro insights for better advertising and innovations, content creation and distribution, and rapid automations in communication and targeting adjustments. Effectiveness payout projected at 2X company ROI norms and 20 million new consumer acquisitions.• Implemented successful self-serve model for end users on information and analytics to redeploy analytics and data scientist team on more productive future capabilities and build network of partnerships with select agencies.• Accelerated new product success rates with revamped stage gate processes and consumer centric “Jobs to be done” development framework. Company initiatives on track to deliver 15% of annual sales from new products.

Us

Co-led sale and integration of Henry Rak Consulting Partners to create a distinctive category growth strategy practice within McKinsey. The Market Map approach has led to consistent organic growth changes for clients in CPG, Pharmaceuticals, and Retail in the US and international markets. • Advised on portfolio growth priorities for established and new businesses• Developed positionings, brand architectures, marketing and sales plans for business turnarounds• Guided strategic innovation and acquisition programs• Enabled best-in-class Assortment and Trade Promotion planning tool (Gartner 2013)• Optimized portfolio pricing and spending ROI• Conducted rapid due-diligence for an acquisition's scalability with a mega-brand strategy• Integrated people and processes into new company and trained 50+ analysts and consultants

Libertyville, Illinois, Us

• Co-founded the startup and successful ongoing operations of a strategic marketing and sales consulting company, culminating on a sale to McKinsey.• Patented and utilized MarketMap approach on 300+ engagements for defining competitive frame and applications to positioning, new product development, optimal spending, and portfolio management.• Average client improvement of 1-2 points of net revenue sales.

Chicago, Il, Us

Responsible for the development and marketing of analytic products, and covering the scanner, panel and testing services. • Created new service line revenues in marketing ROI measurement, new product forecasting, and Consumer Relationship Management with Frequent Shopper Data.• Expanded Point-of-sale tracking data measurement practice with panel households for growing client’s share of shopping baskets, improving new products, and complete dashboard of behaviors and needs for opportunity development.• Contributed to a successful turnaround of annual losses to a profitable company for acquisition by Symphony Technology Group.

Greater Chicago Area, Il, Us

Accountable for maximizing business performance by analytic tools, marketplace knowledge and industry expertise to planning and forecasting issues across all food and beverage divisions and corporate initiatives. Major role in company wide growth of best practices and development of new business avenues.• Built industry leading data and analytics organization for optimal marketing and sales strategies enabling 3% growth in volume, share, and profits.• Impacted new category creations ($250 MM+ size) in Pizza, Snacks, and Beverages• Improved ROI on $4 billion of annual spending investment, with significant reallocation to consumer spending• Improved supply chain efficiencies by ~100 MM from increased SKU level forecast accuracies (from 30% to 80%)• Guided vendor development of advanced capabilities in Marketing Mix, Trade Promotion planning, and Business strategy simulations.

Responsible for advertising research and media planning support for core clients• Managed advertisingtarget and copy research for McDonald’s, General Mills, Anheuser-Busch, and Household Finance.• Led Center of Excellence for brand equity development and copy evaluations• Enhanced proprietary segmentation study for insights support in business development.

Bachelor'S Degree, Materials Science

Mba, Marketing