Consumer Packaged Goods-Beverage & Sustainable Packaging Design Expert

Expertise

Summary

Diversified general manager with significant experience in the CPG (Consumer Packaged Goods) beverage sector. Excellent conceptual problem solver, people leader, and communicator. Demonstrated leadership over enterprise-wide transformational initiatives, manufacturing, packaging design, and sustainability.

Focused Areas 

• Vertical integration of water, CSD (Carbonated Soft Drink), hot fill, retort RTD (Ready To Drink) coffee, and aseptic manufacturing.
• Sourcing of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) and HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene) resins for the purpose of injection molding container performs and container closures.
• Development of business case materials for executive decision making, leading the process with respect to the purchase of injection assets, as well as stand-alone bottle blowers and close coupled mono-block blow/fill assets.
• Recruiting subject matter experts and building world class teams from around the industry to assist organizations with expansion.
• Executive leadership over global transformation initiatives.
• Packaging design with the use of PCR (rPet).
• Guide marketing organizations with brand selection for PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) inclusion and supporting research and development with packaging design, resin suppliers and additive selection as well as, leading the integration and managing the communications to executive stakeholders.
• Packaging design-to-value to consolidate packaging offerings that reduce manufacturing complexity as well as techniques in container light-weighting that reduce COGS (Cost Of Goods Sold) without sacrificing quality.
• Co-packer management, sourcing/scouting, contract negotiation and development to support capital avoidance, brand innovation, or demand that exceeds capacity.
• Contract manufacturing sales. All activities related to selling internal manufacturing capacity or production line time to include customer sourcing, negotiation of terms and conditions, and contract development.
• Merger and Acquisition (M&A) support to Marketing and Commercial officers.
• Leadership coaching and professional mentoring of high potential young leaders in supply chain organizations serving in manufacturing capacities. Coaching of leadership and ownership philosophies as a pre-emptive technique to separation and reporting of progress to executive leaders for decision making.
• Investigation of acute and chronic beverage manufacturing quality complaints.

Experience

Undisclosed Company, Director Operations Development and Engineering, 2019 - 2021                      

• Development of supply chain strategies to support enterprise-wide transformation initiatives.
• Received sponsorship by our CEO and in partnership with our CMO to design and execute KDP’s recycled PET strategy. Our team procured 130 million pounds of rPET to support the conversion of Core, Snapple, and Bai, the largest rPET transformation project in the industry.
• Co-packer Development: Ownership over the expansion of KDP’s co-packer landscape enabling innovation in RTD coffee, sparkling, and aseptic juices.
• Contract Manufacturing Leadership: Sponsorship by the SVP of Non-Franchise Sales to develop sensitive long-term contracts with industry peers to repurpose lines without volume into assets that improve plant cost absorption.
• M&A (Merger & Acquisition) support: Participated in multiple sale processes in partnership with Marketing Strategy VP and numerous consulting firms responsible for managing the sale process.
• Lead the supply chain integration of emerging aseptic and retort brands.
• Vertical Integration: Partnered with AT Kearney to develop and lead all work streams in support of a 5-year transformation plan to convert 20 production lines to blow/fill mono-block lines along with injection capabilities to produce caps and preforms. As designed, this $180 million initiative will deliver productivity benefits in excess of $98 million annually.
• Partnered with the SVP of Engineering to remove in excess of 50 million pounds of virgin PET out of the supply chain by designing the plastic out of the containers without impacting container performance or consumer appeal.

Niagara Bottling, Dallas, TX, Hot Fill Manager, 2012 - 2019                                                         

• Total ownership over a state of the art, multi-format bottling, and fully automated repacking operation. Responsible for operations, process development, commercialization, and supported business development.
• Commercialized the industry’s first Nitro Hot Fill system for PET containers. Platform delivered substantial savings, reducing plastic by more than 40% and removing the design constraints of traditional hot fill containers.
• Managed all aspects of installation, startup, and commissioning of North America’s first mono-block Heat Set and Blow-Fill line with CSD (Carbonated Soft Drinks) filling capability.
• Key resource for the design of future beverage operations as well as RFP development and OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) selection.
• Developed Niagara’s standard thermal process for hot fill products and installed quality process controls to ensure food safety.
• Developed a strategic partnership with a beverage processing firm that specialized in batching and thermal process engineering in order to expand contract beverage capabilities.
• Re-engineered flavor change systems which increased our annual capacity by 1 million cases on one bottling line.
• Recruited and hired all technical resources, salaried team members, as well as the hourly workforce.
• Beverage operations liaison between Engineering, Sales, Procurement, and our customers.
• Ensured plants and lines were designed to meet the financial expectations of Niagara as well as the product quality expectations of our customers.
• Used Infinity Quality Systems to link quality results to maintenance performance and ultimately achieved the best quality results in the company.
• Accountable for all beverage raw material and finished goods inventories.
• Developed the raw material inventory plan with procurement and our suppliers to ensure that supply chain is prepared for seasonal changes in demand.
• Developed multiple production models to meet service goals while exceeding cost expectations during peak and off-peak seasons.
• Achieved scrap savings in excess of $500k for the plant.
• Increased CSD capacity by approximately 25% and increased hot fill club pack capacity by 63%.
• Designed and executed experimental orders for the purpose of confirming and also developing formula and process specifications for internal brands and customer products.
• Key recruiter for leadership positions in the Southeast and Southwest regions.
• Developed a relationship with NYU Engineering as a talent channel for young Engineers for our Management Development Program.

The JM Smucker Company, Lexington, Ky, Packaging Area Manager, 2009 - 2012

• Managed, lead, coached, motivated, and facilitated the improvements of 4 teams in the Packing Department.
• Trained and mentored team leaders and was accountable for productivity, delivery, quality, cost, service, and organizational results.
• Accountable for productivity, delivery, quality, cost, service, and organizational results.
• Developed and implemented Zone Coordinator and Team Leader scorecards to measure equipment and team performance. Developed action plans that addressed off target performance.
• Lead all production originated Experimental Orders.
• Increased 18oz Jif production capacity by 12%.
• Doubled drum capacity.

Jif-To-Go

• Lead Operations Resource for the design, installation, start-up and commissioning of the new Jif-To-Go portion control business.
• Responsible for hiring, personnel training, and SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) development.
• Gap analysis responsibility
• Responsible for explaining monthly variances in tech wages, OT, R&M, and Outside Services.
• Beat plan by .02/EU iand .03/EU in their fiscal years.
• Collaborated with Corporate Engineering, Research and Development, and OEM’s to develop equipment and packaging solutions to improve line performance.
• Owned approximately $500k in capital improvement projects that resulted in improvements to OEE and overall product quality.
• Improved process reliability by 35%. Eliminated all process originated packaging defects.

PepsiCo, Pryor, OK, 2005 - 2008

Production Supervisor, 2007 - 2008          

• Participated in the startup of a 1.4 million sqft LEED Gold hot-fill manufacturing facility.
• Contributed to the commissioning of two twin filler hot fill production lines eight weeks ahead of schedule. Assisted HR in the hiring of 255 associates through interviewing and behavioral simulations. Accountable for the day-to-day management of 30 technicians.
• Total accountability for quality, cost, service, and TE for a 20 oz. hot fill line.
• Developed facility commissioning material budget and delivered resulting material spend 40% under plan for Line commissioning activities.
• Served as a Factory Acceptance Testing Leader. Commissioned Moen case erectors and tapers and held vendor accountable to specifications outlined in corporate engineering contract.
• Delivered facility startup with zero accidents or incidents.
• Responsible for the execution of sanitation activities, AM, and the machine safety program element.
• Supported transitioning operations from legacy systems to SAP.
• Facilitated two teams through phase 1 of the site's AM pillar.
• Empowered line leaders through coaching, mentoring, and OEM sponsored training.

Site Performance Resource, 2006 - 2007

• Supported the startup of the Atlanta Service Center, a 1 million sqft distribution center that warehoused QTG (Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade) food and beverage products as well as Frito Lay snacks and PCNA product.
• Responsible for tracking kpi’s and the development of action plans to close gaps. Accountable for operational execution and tracking of QTG sales promotions in the Atlanta and Florida region as well as rebalancing warehouse inventories periodically based on business need.
• Facilitated a daily national operations call discussing inventory levels, warehouse capacity, manpower, and promotional performance across North America.
• Evaluated Atlanta manpower and available warehouse space weekly and made plan adjustments as dictated by volume.
• Served as primary resource for customer communications regarding the Atlanta business.

Supply Chain Associate, 2005 - 2006

• Received rotational assignments in operations, quality, replenishment planning, and HSE.
• Primary accountability was executing material replenishment planning with responsibility for the procurement of raw materials required for the production of 68 million cases annually across six production lines plus three additional co-packers.

Honors & Publications

Credentials

• Purdue University Beverage Packaging

Education

• MS Nutrition, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL
• BS Nutrition, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL