Thomas Duester Email & Phone Number

West Coast And Europe

Designing and implementing P&L and Balance Sheet efficiency programs• Redesigned organizational model and deployed AI / Automation across Sales Operations, Finance and IT functions inside a value creation program for a private equity-owned $300M B2B2C portfolio company. Led program containing both P&L efficiency and balance sheet initiatives which included implementing demand forecasting process, inventory buying, and product rationalization levers. Reduced SG&A cost by 12% and working… Show more Designing and implementing P&L and Balance Sheet efficiency programs• Redesigned organizational model and deployed AI / Automation across Sales Operations, Finance and IT functions inside a value creation program for a private equity-owned $300M B2B2C portfolio company. Led program containing both P&L efficiency and balance sheet initiatives which included implementing demand forecasting process, inventory buying, and product rationalization levers. Reduced SG&A cost by 12% and working capital by 33% freeing up cash for growth initiatives• Led the Transformation Office for a $3B publicly traded B2B2C company tasked with optimizing the product creation and time-to-market process. Guided a team of 30 senior leaders to redesign the core design, development and vendor interface processes by increasing digitalization, automation, and toolbox development while training 350 developers and coordinating with 400 T1 vendors, eliminating 50% of product components & accelerating design-to-shelf time by 30%. Show less

Global

Advise and work closely with technology clients on Growth and GTM strategies resulting in better traction in existing vertical markets, expansion into new markets, commercialization of new product offers incl. SaaS / PaaS, and building operational capabilities to enable next-level growth

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

• Led the transformation of $800M Wireless Module and Internet of Things (IoT) company from a hardware-only to a services model (SaaS / PaaS) by homing in on target use cases, aligning the portfolio and operating model, embarking on a cost reduction program, and funding the building of differentiating capabilities; reduced COGS and SG&A by $50M, grew recurring revenues 50%, and total revenue 33%• Collaborated with business unit and technology leaders to develop and implement revenue and… Show more • Led the transformation of $800M Wireless Module and Internet of Things (IoT) company from a hardware-only to a services model (SaaS / PaaS) by homing in on target use cases, aligning the portfolio and operating model, embarking on a cost reduction program, and funding the building of differentiating capabilities; reduced COGS and SG&A by $50M, grew recurring revenues 50%, and total revenue 33%• Collaborated with business unit and technology leaders to develop and implement revenue and go-to-market strategies that aligned targeting of use cases and vertical markets such as Industrial, Infrastructure, Energy, and Transportation, Cybersecurity, channel activities, sales force motions, revenue funnel targets as well as adjustments to the product offering; increased revenue by 15-25%• Shifted the product portfolio of the company by evaluating the portfolio against our services strategy, and leading the Executive team through an alignment process, resulting in the divestiture of the $180M automotive business to fund new, strategic growth programs• Established a partnership function to extend the partner ecosystem, resulting in securing a deal with Microsoft Azure IoT• Consistently delivered high-end performance, earning recognition as a Top Performer within the company by the CMO and CFO Show less

San Francisco Bay Area

• Designed and implemented growth plans and transformation programs for mid-sized and large-scale clients, including Hugo Boss, VF Corporation (Timberland, Vans, North Face), ASICS, a consumer technology company, and a retail analytics service provider• Transformed a product management and development process for a $3B client by leading the Transformation Office with a team of 30 to redesign the core design & development process for 4K+ annual styles and the supply chain function while… Show more • Designed and implemented growth plans and transformation programs for mid-sized and large-scale clients, including Hugo Boss, VF Corporation (Timberland, Vans, North Face), ASICS, a consumer technology company, and a retail analytics service provider• Transformed a product management and development process for a $3B client by leading the Transformation Office with a team of 30 to redesign the core design & development process for 4K+ annual styles and the supply chain function while training 350 designers and coordinating with 400 T1 vendors, eliminating 50% of product components and accelerating design-to-shelf time by 30%• Revitalized the go-to-market and product functions during a post-merger phase for a $1B client by delineating market segments, identifying their needs, understanding their consumer journey, and showcasing best-in-class competitive programs, leading to a shift to new target segments, a market-need aligned product development process, as well as brand and channel strengthening programs• Supported a $1B consumer goods client by devising and launching a sourcing value recovery plan across all T1 and T2 vendors, significantly improving COGS by $45M Show less

Hilversum, Netherlands

• Worked closely with General Managers of multiple countries to create go-to-market strategies for the man categories by aligning brand programs, product offer and retail distribution resulting in better consumer connection, premium positioning, and cleaner market environments, resulting in the $6B region growing 10-20% per year during this time• Appointed as 1 of 50 major contributors to pivot the global organization from a product-led model to a category-led one. Focusing more concisely… Show more • Worked closely with General Managers of multiple countries to create go-to-market strategies for the man categories by aligning brand programs, product offer and retail distribution resulting in better consumer connection, premium positioning, and cleaner market environments, resulting in the $6B region growing 10-20% per year during this time• Appointed as 1 of 50 major contributors to pivot the global organization from a product-led model to a category-led one. Focusing more concisely on consumer needs inside running, football, and basketball categories, influencing 100% growth over last 10 years• Successfully evolved the Nike retail model across various geographies, formats, and performance and lifestyle categories to support the opening of 15-30 stores annually, escalating sustainable store revenue by $60M• Strategized and deployed a plan to innovate the European Distribution Center for supporting Direct-To-Consumer (DTC) fulfillment needs, cultivating a $2B DTC business Show less

Paris, Île-De-France, France

• Leveraged a data and analytics-driven approach to gain insights into internal operations processes and external market trends to provide recommendations to Senior Leadership teams on cost-effectiveness and value generation• Optimized the build of rocket engines for European Space Agency, reducing cost by 10-20% (nozzle, coolant & auxiliary systems)

San Francisco

First DSL network operator in the U.S.• Overhauled an underperforming network deployment function for nationwide DSL network by building and maintaining a high-performing team of 5 technical leaders, 50 internal resources, 300 external crews and a hardware staging facility• Diagnosed and redesigned all processes while managing an $80M budget, including consistently exceeding quarterly and annual targets by 10-15%

San Francisco, California, United States

Acquired by PWCDeveloped growth strategies for Fortune 500 clients in food, beverage, sporting goods, media & entertainment industries in the US and Europe

Certificate, Leading With Ai & Advanced Analytics

Mba, Marketing, Finance

Master Of Science (Msc), Electrical, Electronics And Communications Engineering