- Strategic partnership management- Technical sales & solutions management- Strategy implementation

Delivers tactical business planning, development, and sales expertise in the food & beverage, nutraceutical, and pet nutrition industries. Drives successful business development, negotiations, principal management, and CRM development. Consistently achieves sales growth, accurate forecasting, and enhanced client relationships through data-driven insights.• Oversees business strategies integrating market analysis, client needs assessment, and sales optimization. Leverages advanced technical systems to streamline customer interactions and drive operational efficiency, resulting in sustained competitive advantage in the industry.

• Led a team of 18 direct reports, including Product Managers, Business Development Managers, and Quality Assurance, to drive sustainable growth and profitability for a +$310 Million P&L.• Established 2 exclusive strategic partnerships with new multi-national vendors to expand the product portfolio and align offerings with market demands.• Refreshed and relaunched Salesforce CRM, optimizing opportunity stage gates and reports resulting in streamlined cross-departmental communication and collaboration.

• Led the creation of a new business unit with a strategic focus on the food & beverage, nutrition, foodservice, and institutional markets. • Developed and executed a comprehensive multi-year business plan, sales and marketing strategy, and budget to drive profitable and sustainable growth. • Spearheaded the development and growth of new value-added products, such as sprouted grains, milled specialty rice varietals, organic certified, and identity-preserved products, to enhance profitability and customer loyalty.• Achieved first-year growth in 2020 of $2.5 million in sales, followed by $6.5 million in sales in 2021, and a projected $13 million in sales in 2022, in line with the 5-year plan. • Oversaw the development of an 18-month rolling forecast. This resulted in greater alignment between sales, production, and supply chain management to support evolving business growth.

• Commercial leader for North and South America for the leading producer of freeze-dried and baked products and solutions, servicing the cereal, snack, bakery, confectionary, beverage, confectionary, and foodservice markets. • Developed and executed commercial strategy and roadmap for the Americas.• Doubled the size of the commercial team direct to 8 direct reports, scaling up to support the forecasted growth in the Americas, resulting in year-on-year 25% sales growth in the Americas business. • Successfully led cross-functional teams through innovation, scaleup, commercialization, and launch of new products. Developed and launched freeze-dried red dragon fruit, driving an $8 million sales increase in the first year • Initiated a sustainable waste reduction program for out-of-specification granulations from fruit and vegetable processing. Achieved a $2.5 million increase in annual revenue by selling fines converted to powdered products, previously discarded, reducing landfill costs and tapping into a growing market for freeze-dried powders.• Established a foodservice industry-focused team, specializing in solutions for the industry. Hired an experienced sales representative, securing contracts with a multi-national restaurant chain and achieving $4 million in sales within the first year.• Led the development and implementation of both Salesforce.com (CRM) and monthly 24-month rolling forecasting, which resulted in increased visibility of growth trends across the organization, improved cross-functional teamwork between sales, procurement, and operations which increased on-time in full (OTF) by 10% to 96% in the first year of its rollout.

• Developed and executed international sales expansion strategy for extruded protein (i.e. soy, pea, rice) and grain crisps, gluten-free breadings, and pre-gelatinized flours, identifying targeted regions and customers (i.e. snack/nutritional bars, healthy snacking, cereal, animal and plant-based meats, and confectionery). • Established a global network of distributors and brokers partners in EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.• Identified partnership and acquisition targets to support the growth strategy.

• Responsible for North Americas Extrusion and Grain business units, including 3 Regional Sales Managers as direct reports, the development and execution of the commercial strategy, marketing, and product development.• Member of a cross-functional task force to evaluate and approve new soy protein isolate suppliers, achieving a >25% cost reduction and diversifying the supply chain while maintaining product quality and customer satisfaction.• Led the commercial capex of a $26 million CapEx to exp business planning and production capacity by constructing a new protein and grain extrusion facility in Evansville, Indiana. Secured a commercial agreement with our largest customer, ensuring its return on investment. • Launched Certified Gluten-Free Breadings product line expansion, resulting in and facilitating partnerships with breading and batter companies in the animal and plant-based meat industry, supporting further avenues of growth.• Achieved a sustained +20% year-on-year sales growth in extruded ingredients each fiscal year.

• Responsible for the sales growth and profitability of rice flour blends, extruded particulates (Plant-based protein & grain), whey proteins, specialty lipid products, and blending and packaging of CPG in the Western Region of the United States and Canada.• Develop and maintain client relationships with all levels of decision-makers within R&D, Purchasing, and Production.• Developed, launched, and commercially produced the industry's first pea protein crisps, providing the market with a soy alternative, vegan protein crisp, with a sustainable supply chain.

• Managed the growth and profitability of sales of specialty and commodity ingredient sales within the California Valley and Nevada regions.• Developed and managed relationships with manufacturers in the Food and Beverage, Nutritional, Pharmaceutical and Personal Care industries.• Project leader for the development and rollout of CRM (Salesforce.com) to the Domestic and International sales teams.Recognitions: • Awarded: Best Salesperson – Year 2005• Increased Sales 38% over Budget Fiscal Year 2005• Increased Sales over 15% in 2004• Increased Gross Profit 21% in Fiscal year 2003

• Managed the sales of functional herb and botanical extracts, and science-back proprietary nutritional blends into the dietary supplement, nutraceutical, food & beverage, and personal care markets.• Led the launch of a line of functional topical extracts with an Estee Lauder Company, focused on the Personal Care Industry.

• Directed technological development, operating budgets, R&D, partnerships, marketing, and business development for ASD GLOBAL, INC in San Francisco, CA.• Managed a technical development team in the United States and India, overseeing product requirements and development/testing schedules.• Led the Homeknowledge™ business unit, securing a $1 million revenue project with a major homebuilder in Southern California.

Sales Specialist: Indianapolis, IN December 1998—August 1999Sales Representative: Salt Lake City, UT December 1997—December 1998Sales Associate: Dublin, OH August 1997—December 1997• Managed geographic territory, specializing in the Food, Pharmaceutical, Nutritional, and Personal Care Industries• Primary objective to increase sales, maintain the P&L, and provide technical and logistical support to clientsRecognitions: • Rapidly promoted within the company as a direct result of consistently exceeding expectations• Managed the second largest sales territory in the Fine Ingredients division (in excess of $7 Million in revenue)• Successfully negotiated contracts in excess of $1 Million• Achieved highest gross profit percentage in respective sales region