Christopher Ritchie Email & Phone Number

North America , Us

Hiring for your startup is hard normally. In this market, it's especially difficult. In the last 6+ years as an operator, I've seen first hand the change of trajectory your company can take when you are intentional about and aggressive bringing in the right people at the right time.You are battling the attention of smart, driven people being bombarded with a ton of opportunities. When you start to meet them, you see different profiles. Should you hire the person who has been there done that? The up and comer stepping into a bigger role for the first time? Is stage fit or domain experience more important for this particular role?Most recruiting firms fill an order. I want IPS to be different. Thought provoking and concise kick off calls, over-communicating risks to limit surprises, quality > quantity, really understanding the role and the WHY.I couldn't be happier spending my days helping amazing companies avoid the mistakes I've made and double down on the successes along the way.

Columbus, Ohio, Us

Columbus, Ohio, Us

Finite State is the leading provider of product cyber security solutions for connected devices and embedded systems, including IoT, medical devices, and OT/ICS.Joined at Seed Stage, exited post Series B raise.Accomplishments:•Led sales, marketing, talent/HR, legal and finance•Scaled company from 12 to 80+, pre-revenue to mid single digit $M of ARR (including 7-figure ARR deals)•Assisted in raising over $45M of venture capital/debt•Hired and cross-trained five executives as part of strategic exit

Columbus, Oh, Us

Responsible for all new logo sales since Feb '18 and assumed responsibility for all revenue (new logo & upsell) in July '18.Accomplishments:•Scaled ARR from $2M to $10M+•Individually sold $2.26M of incremental ARR in 2018, including two largest deals in company history and highest upsell in company history.

Columbus, Oh, Us

•Directly supported CEO for fundraising, business development and ad-hoc projects•Assisted/sourced $2M of Annual Recurring Revenue•Assisted/sourced $9.5M of capital•Created framework for Corporate Strategy Group•Led effort for statewide RFP submission

Columbus, Oh, Us

•Led team of 13 overseeing Finance & Accounting, Talent Acquisition & Engagement, Internal Systems, Business Operations and Real Estate & Facilities•Prepared and presented organizational design changes and efficiencies to lower monthly burn by $100k•Sourced $2.5M of venture debt to extend runway by two months•Oversaw process for multi-channel unit economics leading to shut down of inefficient product lines and revised pricing strategies•Oversaw and rolled out quarterly performance management plans to entire company standardizing reviews and development areas•Oversaw development of automated company KPI dashboards by integrating divisional tools such as: Salesforce, ZenDesk and Unleashed in a centralized area•Awarded Best Places to Work in Columbus in both Columbus CEO and Columbus Business First publications

Columbus, Oh, Us

•Led Finance/Accounting team•Oversaw tax incentives and workforce grant opportunities•Oversaw bookkeeping, payroll, audits, invoicing and month-end close process•Developed and implemented divisional budgeting process to ensure targeted burn rate•Led complex financial modeling to assist with resource allocation decisions•Sourced and implemented a 401(k) solution to better employee benefits•Led cost saving and efficiencies effort resulting in over $250k in annual savings through vendor management and contract negotiation

Columbus, Oh, Us

•Finance employee one focused on building the infrastructure for a company with over 100 employees and 200 customers.•Managed financial statements, month-end close process and inflows/outflows of cash.•Lead transition from Cash to Accrual Accounting under US GAAP for yearly audit.•Conducted financial modeling for multi-year forecasts to assist with pitch decks for fund-raising.•Created invoicing and collections process producing less than 45-day collection average.•Developed and managed invoicing/collection process for all revenue.•Managed payroll, worker’s compensation and business registration in over 15 states and counting.•Managed relationships with auditors, tax services, payroll providers and banks.•Active member of three-person new product task force in charge of product pricing, bundling, etc.•Created, developed and presented Value Based Purchasing targeting tool to aid sales team.•Implemented Expensify to 25+ remote employees cutting approval/reimbursement time by over 50%.

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

•Directly supported Sr. Team Lead and National Account Manager responsible for Adult/Performance Nutrition brands ($125M in sales)•Led sales calls with ZonePerfect Brand to sell in new items and promotions•Executed September promotions resulting in highest ever recorded consumption weeks at Costco.•Owned item level forecasting and created framework for reporting utilized by other retail teams.•Developed analytical reports to provide transparency of by warehouse risk, baseline trends and “weekalized” sales.•Dramatically improved weekly reporting process resulting in 60% decrease in turnaround time.•Consistently beat sales forecast accuracy goal of <5%

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

•Developed, proposed and trained acute care sales force on an Affordable Care Act presentation and targeting tool•Led and coordinated Executive Vice-President 2014 Plan submission for Therapeutic Nutrition Business Unit.•Managed $80M Sales Force budget, preparing monthly analysis for V.P. of sales and the point of contact for 400 reps in the field. •Automated sales force SRP/MEI reporting resulting in a 75% decrease in reporting time.

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

•Trusted finance partner to the AP&G Marketing budget owners; collaborated to report actuals and forecast LBE, S&OP and Plan.•Developed a clear process for reporting Market Research AP&G within Therapeutic initiative budgets.•Created and implemented a planning tool to improve segment level planning accuracy and aid in variance analysis.•Lead monthly S&OP forecast meetings to ensure alignment between demand planning, marketing and finance.

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

•Prepared and presented detailed warranty reserve analysis to senior management resulting in $300K of cost savings.•Created detailed presentation on travel expenses, providing ideas to reduce travel spend by 20% in next calendar year. •Implemented area-wide dive into Other Accrued Liabilities account providing opportunities to release outdated commitments.•Improved automation of headquarter management reports including: Balance Sheet, Monthly Reporting Packages and DSO allowing more time for analysis under short time constraints and integrating new systems.

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

•Delved deeply into Labor and Overhead, facilitating conversation and creating reports detailing punch time efficiency that lead to an approximate 28% decrease of overtime across major departments.•Trusted business partner for the 8oz manufacturing line, leading their weekly variance to financial target discussions. YTD budget ended at targeted 33% spend ratio of SVP.•Led in simplifying the weekly metrics meeting with more impactful, targeted KPIs translating the goals of the controller into more transparent reporting for Plant Management.•Led and organized Plant’s Finance Awareness Campaign to educate employee base on financial implications of business decisions.•Provided framework for scrap reduction competition amongst lines and CIP idea generation.•Improved proration models by further developing allocation calculations and enhancing documentation.

Abbott Park, Illinois, Us

•Enhanced area/affiliate internal controls and increased efficiency and effectiveness by creation of a matrix summarizing approvals and frequency required per financial policy.•Improved accuracy of LBE forecasts across multiple cost centers through process change and regular meetings with budget owners.•Enhanced automation and content analytics of management reports including: LBE, Monthly Reporting Packages and Weekly Sales allowing improved time for review.•Performed ad-hoc analysis to provide support for Plan, LRP and LBE reviews.