The right product can help pass idle time, bring new friends together, rekindle memories between old friends, and broaden the imagination of people around the world. If you ever want to see excitement, give a child a new toy (or a triathlete a new piece of gear!). If you want to see passion, take away their favorite one. With direct hands-on experience overseeing new product development and brand extension across a wide range of categories (toys, apparel, electronics, food and beverage, lifestyle, furniture, homegoods, and automotive OEM parts), I’ve been fortunate to work with and help advance many great brands (Disney, Chevrolet, Hefty, Goodyear, Torani, Nissan, Frank’s RedHot, La-Z-Boy, and Maytag).My value add is maximizing the opportunity between retail/consumer needs, product manufacturing capabilities, and company financial and planning targets. A “label slap” can do more damage than good for your brand. Proper integration of brand and product has a multiplying ROI: reinforcing brand equities, increasing brand awareness, and ultimately growing your loyal consumer base.Fluid and dynamic, my favorite days shift between topline planning/business development with the executive team, external customer and client management, and working through detailed technical issues with teams of engineers and overseas factories. Every day is different, but the goal remains the same: know the customer, never compromise the brand, and help bring to market fun products that fulfill customer needs and surpass expectations.