Executive Search and Management Consulting. Specializing in Director to C-Level executives, as well as SAP executives. Also providing Functional and Technical Contractual SAP Consultants including HANA, Big Data & In-Memory Data, as well as Management Consulting for Startups to Fortune 500 clients. We are experienced in the Wines & Spirits Industry, Airline Management Consulting and in Advertising & Branding. Personal Advisor to C-Level Executives. Recruited to deal with Change Management and organizational issues as reflected in being selected by a $1.6 Billion client having a full cycle, Global multi-module SAP ERP implementation. Engaged to, and located a 44,000 sq. ft. prime office space for a client airline's corporate headquarters. I negotiated the sublease which saved the client two million dollars. For the same airline, in an Executive Search capacity, provided executive managers and SAP contractual consultants. As a consultant acted as Chief Strategy Officer for a successful Branding Marketing & Advertising firm.I have been fortunate enough to have some great mentors in my career. One of these was Sid Stricker who had his own Retained Executive Search Firm, Stricker & Zagor. I first met Sid when he reached out for me in his capacity as a Headhunter. He had been Head of International Marketing and Sales for Revlon reporting directly to Charles Revson after being President of a Division of Schenley Industries reporting directly to Lew Rosenstiel. Since I had also been an Alumnus of Revlon and was an Executive in the Wines & Spirits industry as well, he thought we had a lot in common. We became lifelong friends. He encouraged me to become an Executive Recruiter and spent many hours sharing his knowledge for which I have always been very grateful.

Wine & Spirits Industry Brand Marketing and Advertising Consulting. Personal Advisor to CEO's and other C-Level Executives. Experienced International Contract Negotiator. Evaluator of confidential current and future plans including Product Development, Acquisition of New Products, Launching and Reviving Brands, Setting up National Distributor Networks and dealing with Foreign and Domestic Suppliers. Fluent in the Three-Tier-System. Able to evaluate staffing plans, as well as appraising current employees' performance for career advancement, retention, or where indicated dismissal. Experienced in Training and Motivating Employees in Sales and other areas. International experience includes business dealings and relationships in Denmark, Germany, England, Italy, France, Switzerland and Canada.I have had some great mentors. Many of my successes I attribute to them. One of my mentors was Abe Rosenberg, who was a legend in the wines & spirits industry. He was a brand creator, major supplier and wholesaler. He actually gave me two weeks of his time to teach me some of what he had learned over many years. He showed me the importance of constantly being on top of your business. From his NYC office he would call some of his "sources." He'd call a retail clerk at a large Florida retail chain, ask about how many shelf placements his products had and then call his distributor if he was unsatisfied. I will always be thankful.Another one of my mentors, also legends in the Beverage Industry, were the Merinoff Family who own Charmer Industries, now The Charmer-Sunbelt Group, National Wines & Spirits Wholesalers. Their guidance, and giving me the opportunity to gain experience at many levels, has helped me tremendously. Their confidence, exhibited by recruiting me on three different occasions, has meant a great deal. Their encouragement and support in my own entrepreneurial endeavors also played an important role, which I never will forget.

Management Recruiters International is the World's Largest Executive Search Firm. As Executive Recruiter and Director of SAP Practice, I obtained new Fortune 500 Clients. I provided them with corporate management executives as well as IT / SAP functional & technical employees and contractual consultants. I located 90% of my candidates by using my networking connections, rather then on job boards. I have never been afraid to pick up the phone and make cold calls. I also continued to attend the ASUG and SAPPHIRE events and developed additional strong connections with various corporate hiring authorities and decision makers in the SAP world as well as some of my future candidates/hires. I used their Applicant Tracking System through every step to the final successful placement of the candidate. I took advantage of all their thorough and ongoing training courses and programs.

As the Senior Project Manager I oversaw my Clients' Staffing Needs on their SAP and IT Projects and Implementations. As IT / SAP Executive and Contractual Consultant Recruiter I determined from my clients' hiring authorities (usually a Director of IT or CIO) and their HR Managers what their specific needs were. I then wrote the Job Description, placed the positions on various job boards including DICE and others. 90 % of the time I directly found my qualified candidates by phone, using my own networking contacts. I managed the Applicant Tracking System, screened and interviewed the candidates I selected. I presented them to the client and scheduled their interviews. I fully vetted the finalists and I made the offer and negotiated the compensation package for the individual that was selected for my client. All the clients I brought into the firm were brand new clients from the Fortune 500. I also attended the ASUG and SAPPHIRE events and developed strong connections with various corporate hiring authorities and decision makers in the SAP world as well as some of my future candidates/hires.

Management Consulting. Advertising Agency and Newsletter Publisher. Created and Published "The Driving Force" newsletter for BMW owners and Created and Produced the first personalized audio magazine for consumers, "On The Road with BMW" for BMW N.A. Brought in as a Management Consultant by the principal of a BMW dealership to increase sales volume and profits and to help with a major reorganization of his staff. This was done by my going inside the dealership; first as a Sales Consultant, then the F&I Manager, then the General Sales Manager and finally as the Acting General Manager. Sales and Profits both doubled. While there, I was also Director of Marketing. As I did with almost all of my clients, I created and did the purchasing of all advertising, including electronic and print media and outdoor billboards. I personally designed each ad and wrote the copy. I wrote the radio commercials, produced them and even did the voiceovers. I developed Customer Relationship Marketing programs. I handled all co-op advertising with BMW corporate which resulted in doubling the dealership's advertising budget.

U.S. National Importer / Supplier Division of $5 Billion Wine & Spirits Distributor (now the Charmer- Sunbelt Group.) Due to my past personal relationship with Peter Heering and his Danish Distillery as the distiller and bottler of my own premium imported Denaka Vodka, Heering asked me to find a new U.S. Importer for him. I suggested that Charmer should be the Importer and personally negotiated the contract. I acquired the Exclusive U.S. Importer Rights for Cherry Heering Liqueur from Denmark. I created new packaging and a new label. I convinced the Danish brand owner to change the product name from Peter Heering back to Cherry Heering. I also created a complete Brand Marketing and Advertising Program to totally revitalize the product. I had the Cherry Heering product certified as being Kosher to further enhance the very large following it already had in the United States. I designed an all new Gift Box and full collection of Point-of-Sale Material. I also created several highly successful new mixed drink recipes to increase the sales with current consumers, as well as reach a whole new generation of consumers. I came up with the idea to create brand extensions. The brand owner agreed to make the two new products I suggested; Peach Heering and Orange Heering. Bottom line - I revitalized the brand and made it a viable product in the liqueur category.Throughout my entire career I have always maintained what I call, "Direct account responsibility of some of the ultimate sellers of my products to consumers." Even when I was leading a company, I have always insisted on this. I have always selected various types and sizes of retail accounts to "call on" myself. This allows you to actually stay in touch with the pulse of the markets. You are able to stay current and on top of the ongoing change in an industry. It enables you to know what your distributors are going through, what their retailers are facing and most importantly what is on the ultimate consumer's mind.

Located in Windsor, Canada. Wine & Spirits Manufacturer / Supplier / Importer. (Acquired all of Whitbread, N.A. Spirits and Wine Products including Denaka Vodka.) I reported directly to the Chairman and CEO of Hiram Walker - Allied-Lyons - Allied Domecq - (now Pernod Ricard.) I acted as his personal representative for the transition of Whitbread, N.A. in Lake Success, NY to integration into Allied-Lyons (Hiram Walker) in Windsor, Canada. My duties as his Personal Advisor also included consulting on New Product Development, New and Modification of Product Packaging and Product Acquisitions and Divestitures.

Wine & Spirits Beverage Manufacturer / Supplier / Importer. (Purchased the global rights to the brand Denaka Vodka from Bill Cooper.) I reported directly to the CEO of Whitbread, N.A.. I was his Personal Advisor on new product development and acquisitions, as well as overseeing the transition to Allied Lyons - Hiram Walker with their purchase of all the spirits and wine brands of Whitbread globally.

The Falcon Group, LTD. and Falcon Vintners Corp. (Wine & Spirits Supplier and Importer with U.S. National Distributor Network.) I was the Importer, Supplier and Creator of wines and spirits brands including Denaka Vodka, Alpege Swiss Wines, Talleyrand Cognac. I was the Importer of Brut Royal and Blue Max German Wines. I once again set up an excellent national distributor network. As always, I continued to show a strong presence at the WSWA Annual Event to strengthen my distributor relationships and promote my brands to the entire beverage industry.I conceived a new product and developed every phase including package design, product formulation, business plans, obtaining financing, product launch and distribution that resulted in first year sales exceeding $10 million. I am one of the only individuals that has ever created an alcoholic beverage product from scratch, brought it onto the shelves and then, shortly after its successful introduction, had three large beverage manufacturer conglomerates competing to acquire it. I negotiated the sale of that premium imported vodka to one of those firms, leading to a successful national product launch with an advertising budget of $40 million.I believe you are only as good as your products and your distributors. I have been fortunate throughout my career in both areas.

U.S. National Importer and Supplier Division of $5 Billion Wines & Spirits Distributor (now the Charmer-Sunbelt Group). This was the second time, out of what would turn out to be three times, I was recruited by Charmer. This time they asked me to come back and help set up a new National Import Division. I set up a National Distributor Network almost from scratch. I was able to use my past distributors and my industry networking connections to set it up very quickly. The first product I was asked to introduce was Nocello, a walnut liqueur from Italy. I was able to successfully get orders of multiple containers from my distributors across the country and thus be able to afford a very aggressive marketing and advertising program. I went on the road across the country and did the kick-off meetings for my distributors and their sales forces. The initial introduction was very successful in gaining distribution and quality placements in both On-Premise and Off-Premise accounts. Most importantly, was that I got reorders of multiple containers. It's great launching and introducing a brand from the beginning, and Nocello was no exception.

U.S. Wine & Spirits Supplier / Importer of Wine & Spirits brands including Cavit Italian Wines. I doubled the size of their Distributor Network and increased Sales by 60%. I travelled all over the Eastern United States setting up my distributor network and getting their initial orders of all of our products. I then set up a marketing plan with each Distributor Principal that included specific goals for the sales force and sales management in getting market penetration in their state. Next, I set up product knowledge programs about my products for each of my distributors' sales forces. I then would personally conduct product launch sales meetings that included successful sales incentive programs that brought quantifiable results. There is nothing like doing a sales meeting and really motivating people. I still love it! In each market I would spend time working with individual salespeople calling on their On and Off-Premise accounts. I learned my distributors' markets and had direct contact with key retailers, chain buyers and restauranteurs. I continued to develop a close relationship with all my distributors and their Principals. Many would become my distributors again and again in future years. I was responsible for getting Cavit Wines into a tremendous number of all the Key Restaurants and Hotels throughout my Eastern Division. I was very successful getting Cavit Wines on their "all important" wine lists.

Division of $5 Billion Wine & Spirits Distributor (now The Charmer-Sunbelt Group.) I was responsible for their fine wines and their imported & domestic wine division. Customers were On and Off-Premise accounts. I oversaw sales to Restaurants, Liquor Stores, Hotels, Bars, National Accounts and all the Major Airlines. I managed and motivated a direct sales force of 24. My duties included setting all monthly product pricing and programming, as well as dealing with all of our suppliers.

Division of $5 Billion Wine & Spirits Distributor. Formerly Direct Operation of Heublein (now Diageo.) Acquired by Charmer Industries (now The Charmer-Sunbelt Group.) I was responsible for this domestic & imported wine division. Customers were On and Off-Premise accounts. I oversaw the sales to Restaurants, Liquor Stores, Hotels, Bars, National Accounts and all the Major Airlines. I managed a direct sales force of 32. My duties included setting all the monthly product pricing and programming, I was responsible for dealing with all of our suppliers. I ordered inventory and set "triggers" to maintain the needed levels of merchandise. This was the first of three times I was recruited by Charmer during my career.

Heublein (now Diageo) - Metro NY Wine & Spirits Manufacturer, Supplier, Importer and NY & NJ Direct Distributor Operation. This was the second time I was recruited by Heublein. I was responsible for their domestic & imported wine division. Customers were On and Off-Premise accounts. I oversaw sales to Restaurants, Liquor Stores, Hotels, Bars, National Accounts and all the Major Airlines. I managed and motivated a direct sales force of 32. My duties included setting all the monthly product pricing and programming. I was responsible for dealing with all of our suppliers.