Steve West Email & Phone Number

Clayton, Nc, Us

United States

• Implemented Investor Relations processes focused on both institutional and retail investors• Institutional outreach led to significant share purchases by four institutions and two cannabis ETFs• Conducted extensive sell-side outreach, leading to coverage initiation by seven analysts from a base of zero• Advise executive team and Board of Directors on issues related to investor outreach, external communications through social and digital media.• Developed and maintain quarterly strategic benchmarking analysis for the cannabis industry for executives and Board of Directors.

New York, New York, United States

Led strategic messaging for a major go-public transaction in the cannabis industry through an RTO process, resulting in increased investor transparency and responsiveness.* Established relationships with 11 analysts through sell-side outreach efforts.* Garnered over 97% voter support in two proxy processes for the largest transaction in the cannabis industry.* Successfully defended against activist shareholder campaign.

Greater Pittsburgh Area

Lead Investor Relations Officer, responsible for a team of three professionals. Crafted messaging for strategic turnaround plan gaining consensus alignment with key shareholders and analysts. Co-lead crisis communications efforts regarding the Company's decision to stop selling high-capacity, semi-automatic rifles. Optimized more than $100 thousand from $300 thousand Investor Relations budget. Developed a quarterly strategic benchmarking analytic tool for use by the executive team and the Board of Directors.

Greater St. Louis Area

Lead Investor Relations professional responsible for crafting strategic communications and developing investor outreach program for Wall Street analysts and shareholders.I was named to Institutional Investor’s 2017 All America Executive Team, including: Best IR Professional Restaurants, Best IR Professional Mid-Cap Restaurants, Best IR Program Mid-Cap Restaurants, Most Admired Company, Best CEO, and Best CFO.Responsible for crafting Wall Street messaging strategy for long-term strategic vision and quarterly earnings calls. Helped develop a successful activist defense plan and craft Wall Street messaging when an activist hedge fund approached. Successfully transformed our Top-20 shareholder base from predominantly hedge funds to large, long-only funds through specific targeting strategy and an intensive outreach program.I was also recognized by Wall Street Journal for developing a cutting-edge outreach program, which lead to significant improvement in Wall Street perception and a new paradigm in investor relations management access efforts.Reduced costs 30% for Investor Relations budget after conducting an extensive review of all costs and services. Additionally, saved $2.0 million from in-store printing by leading the process improvement and cost reduction efforts.I was a key leader on Panera’s Crisis Response Team, responsible for investigating, bench marking, and crafting internal and external responses and messaging for potential “hot button” issues.

Greater St. Louis Area

Responsible for utilizing proprietary data sources and processes and traditional research methods to forecast revenues of public restaurants and grocers.I developed a Developed a cutting-edge equity research franchise utilizing large empirical data sets, proprietary processes, and public data to develop the most accurate revenue forecast models on Wall Street – averaging just 0.5% error versus more than 1.5% for Wall Street Consensus. Analyzed more than 50 restaurant and grocery companies, including publishing institutional equity research, conducting strategic and financial, analysis, and providing stock recommendations to institutional investors.This unique blend of big-data and traditional research methods led to increased research revenue over 100% in the Restaurant and Grocery platform.Ranked a top analyst and considered a “go-to” resource on Wall Street for all public restaurant and grocery revenue forecasts.

Greater St. Louis Area

Responsible for developing a restaurant equity research platform to help advise institutional and retail investors on public equity investments in the restaurant space.Created a nationally recognized restaurant equity research platform that remains a premiere destination for sell-side analysts. I analyzed and made investment recommendations on 14 restaurant companies, including publishing institutional equity research, conducing strategic and financial, analysis, and providing stock recommendations to institutional investors.I was awarded the Wall Street Journal’s “Best on the Street”- Restaurants award and the Financial Times/Starmine Best Stock Picker- Restaurants award.Routinely utilized as an expert reference by national syndicated print, radio, and TV media including New York Times, Forbes, Bloomberg, Marketwatch, MSNBC and AP.

Greater St. Louis Area

As an Associate Analyst, responsible for researching the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry and specific companies. As a Senior Equity Analyst, I was primarily responsible for analyzing the restaurant industry and specific companies and offering investment advice to institutional and retail investors.Ranked a top Associate Analyst in a pool of 80+ associates and subsequently promoted to Senior Equities Analyst in just 2-years. Successfully supported launch of coverage on more than 10 Consumer Packaged Goods companies.Analyzed 16 restaurant, drug store, and food distribution companies, including publishing institutional equity research, conducing strategic and financial, analysis, industry analysis, company valuations, and providing stock recommendations to institutional and retail investors.Utilized as an expert reference by national syndicated print, radio, and TV media including New York Times, Forbes, MSNBC, Bloomberg, and AP.

Cincinnati, Ohio; St. Louis, Mo

Hired into a fast-track rotational program for P&G’s finance and accounting group. Responsible for forecasting, financial analysis and modeling, managing accounts payables/receivables, inventory controls, and cash management among other things.I was awarded Recognition Shares as top ranked analyst in the North America Home Care Business Unit. During this time I was responsible for managing, forecasting, and conducting financial gap analysis on a $50+ million distribution budget. Lead the efforts to devise and implement the gold standard for PG’s Loss Elimination efforts, which led a decrease of $24 million in actual spending, turning around the North America Home Care distribution business from having the highest cost structure in the company to the lowest.I was responsible for managing and forecasting approximately $300 million in finished product and raw materials inventories and $20 million in capital spending.While on the Iams acquisition transition team, I was responsible for forecasting and planning the entire P&L starting with more than $1B in sales for P&G’s Pet Care division. As a result of P&G’s highly successful acquisition integration, we increased revenues more than 400% through the national distribution rollout to more than 20,000 Food, Mass, Club, and Drug stores on the same day.

Various

As a Surface Warfare Officer, I was extensively trained to maintain and operate surface combatant ships and manage their crews and all operating systems, including combat systems, gas and steam turbine propulsion, electrical generation, and all auxiliary engineering and support systems.After four years of sea duty, I was chosen for the highly competitive Office of Legislative Affairs to represent the Navy on Capitol Hill and advice Members of Congress and their staff on all Navy and Marine Corps programmatic issues. I was ranked the #1 Lieutenant and awarded Navy & Marine Corps Commendation Medal.My second sea duty assignment was as Auxiliaries Engineering Division Officer aboard USS Vincennes (CG 49). I managed a 10 man division, including all auxiliaries engineering equipment such as HVAC, fresh water evaporators and distribution systems, high and low pressure hydraulics systems, and all small boats. Additionally I was the Repair 3 Damage Control Locker Leader and a key leader on the ship’s Damage Control Training Team (DCTT), where I was responsible for developing and implementing a damage control training program for a crew of more than 400 personnel, leading to Commander Third Fleet’s Battle E award for the highest rating in battle readiness. I was ranked #1 Division Officer and awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal.My first sea duty assignment was as Combat Systems Officer aboard USS Wabash (AOR 5). I managed a 15 man division, including all combat systems such as Sea Sparrow surface to air missile systems and the Close In Weapons Systems (CWIS). Additionally, I helped plan and coordinate 100+ at-sea replenishments for multiple carrier battle groups, ensuring successful transfer of more than 50 million barrels of fuel, and countless tons of food and ammunition. I was ranked the #1 Ensign, and awarded the Navy & Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Bachelor Of Science, Political Science

Mba, Finance