Chris is a highly driven senior executive with over 35 years of operations experience in sales, marketing manufacturing, engineering, logistics, distribution, and project management, working in environments ranging from small entrepreneurial businesses to large multi-national corporations. Chris’ leadership experiences include the US, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and China.
Chris has held various leadership roles as CEO, President, Chief Operating Officer, Group VP of Operations, Plant Manager, and Engineering Manager for large architectural, food, industrial and consumer products manufacturers. Chris has spent the last 19 years at a senior level starting, integrating acquired businesses, M&A deal maximization, re-engineering operations, implementing strategic initiatives, managing operations consolidations, and performing manufacturing turn arounds. His accomplishments in this area have led to very successful outcomes for the businesses.
Chris resides near the Asheville, NC area, and enjoys spending time with his wife, hiking, and fly fishing.
Chris has a BSEE from Ohio Northern University, a MSE from the University of Central Florida, and additional studies at IMD (Switzerland) and Babson University.
John Bailey, CFO, Accounting and Financial Practice Leader
John is a results-driven senior accounting and financial management executive with progressive experience in finance and operations management within global manufacturing and private equity portfolio companies, plus big four public accounting experience. Proven track record of driving growth, improving efficiency and bottom-line profit. Possesses solid leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
John started his career with 5 years at E&Y, followed by 20+ years as VP Finance in three public company manufacturers, divisions ranging in size from $100M -$500M. He was a leader in M&A activity, ERP implementation, best-in-class systems, process improvements and team building.
John also has 10+ years as CFO in private equity backed portfolio companies including two successful exits; companies ranging in size from $40M to $250M, engaged in both manufacturing and distribution. Solid achievements in facilitating growth, M&A, culture transformation including professionalizing previously family-owned companies, implementing accountability, cost reductions, ERP system and performance improvements, internal and external relationship management, team building and working capital management.
John has an accounting degree from Manchester Metropolitan University, an MBA from the University of South Carolina. John is also a CPA and Chartered Accountant.
John lives in Phoenix AZ, enjoys cycling, hiking and travel with his wife Janet.
Marty Burns, Director, Practice Leader for ERP Installation and Remediation
After gaining valuable business experience during a twenty-six year business career that culminated as the Director of Customer Fulfillment for a global manufacturer and retailer of consumer apparel products, Marty embarked on an ERP software consulting career. This transition was a natural progression for Marty since in his role as a Director of Customer Fulfillment he was responsible for managing the internal administration of Customer Sales and in advancing systems renewal to support these activities. In shifting career pursuits, Marty dedicated himself to becoming a specialist in crafting JD Edwards ERP solutions that delivered effective and efficient processing frameworks for Sales Order Fulfillment and other ERP Distribution related core processing such as Procurement and Inventory Management.
Marty has over twenty years of ERP consulting experience in implementing full-cycle installs of Oracle’s JD Edwards platforms for a diverse spectrum of industries. Marty has a keen ability to visualize intricate and complex business process needs cradled in best-practice models. Marty has a remarkable ease in connecting with others, has an engaging way to energize client participation, and has consistently proven his determination to surpass targeted objectives. Marty is a diligent and creative problem-solver, using strong analytical instincts and in-depth knowledge of JD Edwards functionality to deliver agile and pragmatic business solutions.
Marty is a lifelong resident of the Midwest and now lives in the north woods town of Mercer, Wisconsin. Marty attended Marquette University majoring in Economics and has been honored by being selected to be a guest teacher for JD Edwards corporately hosted ERP Application courses and for courses sponsored by premier Business Partners.
Amy Green, Director, Transportation, Warehousing, and Logistics Practice Leader
Amy is a highly driven operations executive with over 30 years of operations experience with all modes of transportation and various distribution/service strategies across a broad range of markets including consumer packaged and durable goods, food, chemicals, beverage, building supplies, and electronics. She has extensive experience issuing middle market targeted transportation and distribution domestic and import/export RFP’s to identify and onboard logistics partners that are right sized with a common culture that can deliver expected service levels at or below cost goals.
Her recent focus has been on logistics and transportation due to the dramatic changes in the market and impact on middle market companies that endured 20-40% trans cost increases and suffered from failure to obtain capacity with limited spend to influence trans providers. She consistently has reduced freight spend for multiple middle market companies by 15-28 percent, and implemented transportation management systems that provide a single source for shipment tracking, data analytics and reporting.
Amy’s experience spans retail, home delivery, franchise, wholesale, internet fulfillment, bulk liquid, big box, and food service markets.
Amy resides in Las Vegas, NV with her husband and is an avid fisherwoman and jet ski racer. She is a five-time world champion in personal watercraft racing. She has a B.A. in Materials and Logistics Management from Michigan State University.
Don Halferty, Director, Practice Leader for Defense Contracting and Growth Solutions
Don is a transformative leader with 35 years of business turn around experience, culminating in a 15-year track record of delivering double digit annual sales growth and 75% average annual profit improvement. The foundation for these exceptional outcomes was developed by benchmarking and implementing best practices in diverse manufacturing sectors, including Defense Contracting, Process Industries, Construction Products, Capital Equipment and Consumer Products; in large and small organizations; union and non-union environments; publicly and privately held companies; domestic and international markets.
Don has held leadership roles including President, Vice President of Global Operations, Chief Operating Officer, Vice President, Plant Manager and Director of Engineering. Through these leadership roles, he has developed high performing teams that are customer focused, operationally excellent and create sustained growth.
Don resides in Iowa City, IA and enjoys spending time with his wife, children and grandchildren. He has a BSIE from Iowa State University, additional studies from IMD in Switzerland, and certifications in Defense System Acquisition Management (DSAM) from Defense Acquisition University (DAU), Lean Executive Leadership from the University of Kentucky and a CPIM from APICS.
Kevin Hamilton- Director, Strategic Sales and Marketing
Kevin is a keen networking specialist that has spent 36 years in the Commercial Openings and the Security Manufacturing & Distribution industry. He focuses on mapping the delivery system to the consumer by identifying key relationships and leveraging the positioning of brands.
Kevin has worked with many European & Canadian Companies looking to establish or strengthen their business in the North American & United States Market Places. He has created & implemented strategies for Original Equipment Manufacturers to strengthen positioning with Distribution Wholesalers and Dealers. Additionally, he has recruited, developed, & managed sales forces of both In-house Sales Teams and Outside Independent Sales Agents. He has assisted in the Acquisitions & Merging process for multiple businesses. Many of his ventures in the Commercial Openings industry have been focused on relationship development between Architects and Specification Writers around North America; specifically, through the process of locking up business by ensuring products get included from a projects inception.
Kevin has worked in various roles as President, Group Director, VP of Sales, Business Development, Strategist, and Business Initiatives. Moreover, he has been a mentor to numerous second & third generation business owners that are transitioning their families companies into the modern business arena. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, but is a travel enthusiast who once took 6 months to travel the world alongside his wife Leslie.
Joel Hanneman, Director, Practice Leader for Manufacturing Systems
Joel uses 15 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing & operations settings to deliver operating improvements for businesses, from start-ups to industry-leading global corporations. Work environments have included composites molding/processing, metal & general fabrication, woodworking & panel processing and warehousing.
Joel’s technical background promotes a systematic and disciplined approach to carrying out his engagements. The nature of projects transcends operating functions, org charts and other silos that impede holistic business improvements. Breadth of subject matter includes Lean factory overhauls, numerous business software implementations, manufacturing process engineering, business process/workflow, and otherwise being the “mechanic” of a business. In recent years, Joel has focused on elements of the factories of the future, including business process automation (Sales/CPQ, CAD, CAM), interconnecting business data throughout an organization and supply chain.
Joel hails from Charlotte, NC, and spends his free time with fixing/building projects and kitesurfing on any body of saltwater. His education includes BSME and Spanish degree from Tufts University; certificate in Accounting & Finance; continued education in Lean & CAD/CAM; currently studying database management and the latest technologies available for factory management.
T.J. Jordan, Director, Practice Leader for Operational Excellence
T.J. is a highly driven operations executive with over 30 years of operations experience in manufacturing, engineering, sourcing, logistics, distribution, and project management, working in environments ranging from small entrepreneurial businesses to large multi-national corporations. T.J.’s leadership experiences include the US, Mexico, and Asia.
T.J. has held various leadership roles in engineering management, director level operations management, and VP of Global Operations for large consumer products manufacturers. T.J. has spent the last 13 years as a consultant helping clients integrate acquired businesses, M&A deal maximization, project management (PMO), re-engineering operations, implementing strategic initiatives, managing operations consolidations, performing manufacturing turnarounds, facilities layouts, facility expansion, facility startups, and filled several key executive roles on an interim basis. His accomplishments in this area have led to very successful outcomes for clients and a number of repeat clients.
T.J. resides in the Augusta, Georgia area, and enjoys spending time with his wife and children. T.J. has a BSIE from the University of Cincinnati and an MBA from the University of Ashland.
Rich Marshall, Principal, Supply Chain Director
Rich is a savvy supply chain and operations executive with over 30 years of experience in mid-market and Fortune 500 multi-national companies where he has led complex operations to achieve exceptional levels of performance. His multi-country expatriate experience, with assignments in Mexico, Belgium, the UK, and Italy, combined with a polyglot’s language capabilities have allowed him to excel in global leadership roles. He earned his MBA in International Business at the University of Arkansas.
Rich has leadership experience in broad spectrum of industries including transportation, medical device, CPG, consumer durables, specialty chemicals, industrials, and publishing. A deep background in distribution, logistics and warehousing, where Rich displayed superior abilities to identify, adopt and implement advanced automation and information technologies such as pick to light, sortation, WMS, TMS and DRP served to provide the building blocks that led to broader and greater supply chain and operations responsibilities. He has a solid track record of success conducting operational performance turnarounds that have alleviated business crises caused by customer service failures in distribution and manufacturing business units while accelerating value creation through improved operating efficiencies and the reduction of working capital.
Rich resides in Indianapolis, IN area. He enjoys spending time with his wife, travelling to new locales, and raising German Short haired Pointers. His interests include history, college football and following the KC Chiefs and KC Royals.
Gene Miels, Director, Practice Leader for Operational Strategy and Manufacturing Excellence
Gene is a senior executive and business strategist with more than 35 years of experience in sales, marketing, manufacturing, quality, product development, project management, and employee development. He has worked in environments ranging from entrepreneurial family businesses to large multi-national corporations. His leadership experiences include start-ups, M&A, turnaround, consolidations, and Lean implementations.
Gene has held various leadership roles as Board Member, President, Chief Operating Officer, VP of Operations, Corporate Director of Manufacturing, Operations Manager, General Manager, Plant Manager, and Technical Director for large architectural, industrial, and forest products manufacturers. He spent the last 24 years developing and implementing enterprise-wide strategic initiatives, launching and advancing Lean cultures, managing operations, facility consolidations, and performing manufacturing turnarounds.
Gene resides in the Green Bay, WI area, and enjoys spending time with his wife Kim, fly fishing, mushroom hunting, and knife making. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Production Management from the University of Minnesota, with certifications in High-Performance Work Systems, Change Management, Lean Enterprise, and Behavioral-Based Safety.
Olivier Piccolin, Director, Strategy, Partnerships, Business Development, Asia
Olivier is a seasoned senior executive, with over 20 years of experience in business management in Asia and globally. He has a proven track record of building highly competent, motivated teams and delivering growth & profit. He has developed a strong expertise in building partnerships, driving post-merger integrations, anticipating business disruptions, leveraging innovation and implementing impactful commercial strategies. He has also served as Director on many Boards, protecting shareholder value, compliance and financial performance. Olivier has in depth-knowledge of the following industries: Lighting, Home Automation / Internet-Of-Things (IoT) / Smart Homes, Building Industry / Project Business for residential & commercial building / Automotive
Olivier’s main priority is developing strategies based on deep understanding of end users’ needs and aspirations, and on a pragmatic, realistic approach. There is no winning strategy without building sustainable competitive advantages, based on compelling value propositions. In an increasingly challenging and fast changing environment, it is crucial to anticipate the disruptive threats and change them into opportunities, which generally requires to transform business models and organizations. Most importantly, even the best strategy requires an impeccable and consistent implementation to be successful.
Olivier was for 7 years Managing Director for Asia and the Americas for Somfy Group, global leader of motorization for windows and blinds, and a specialist in Home and Building automation. Before joining Somfy, he served during 25 years in Philips, where his last position was President for Philips Lighting Asia & South America, from 2008 until 2012. At Philips Olivier held several key roles, including leading Lighting Greater China, Luminaries Asia Business Unit, Automotive Lighting Asia as well global Product Marketing, Business Development and Project management positions. Since January 2020, Olivier Piccolin is an independent consultant.
Olivier, born in France, is a graduate of Ecole Polytechnique, Paris, and of Ecole Nationale des Ponts et Chaussees. He also attended trainings at INSEAD, Essec Business School, Kellogg University and University of Michigan. Mr Piccolin has been working in Asia for the past 20 years. He has been based in Shanghai, Singapore and currently in Hong Kong.
Kevin Quidore, Executive Partner, Client Development Leader
Kevin has over 30 years of sales, operations and supply chain management experience, including +12 years operating across the APMEA theater. He is highly experienced in executing customer focused change management, strategic planning and related strategies to build business equity, and has successfully delivered outperformance results in both growth and turnaround environments with small/mid market US companies, to large, globally based corporations.
Kevin has held a number of key management and leadership roles, including CEO, COO, SVP and EVP, and has worked with packaging material converting, filling and material handling equipment and systems design, contract packaging and fulfilment services, office products/jan san solutions, 3PL logistics services, and BPO/supply chain solutions companies, deployed across a diverse range of market segments (including food, beverage, healthcare, pharmaceutical, consumer/retail, electronics, automotive and QSR/IEO).
Kevin led a supply chain services provider which earned McDonald’s most coveted award, Supplier of the Year, while at the time, Gartner ranked McDonald’s as having the no. 2 supply chain in the world. Additionally, his leadership of a contract packaging division of a large, multi-national corporation led to a successful divestiture to private equity. He is a highly collaborative and effective communicator; experienced in developing and leading high-performance teams that deliver sustainable, continuous improvement, focused on process design and agility with heavy customer / supplier engagement for value chain optimization.
Kevin has been married 30 years to his wife Lisa ,and has three great kids. Kevin has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Villanova with additional study at Thunderbird School of Management, Cornell, and Stanford University.
Tony F. Verlezza, Director, Food Production and Distribution Practice Leader
He has managed several significant supply chain integrations, including Stop & Shop’s fluid milk and water operations for Dean Foods, Unilever’s Canadian Ice Cream business, and Ben & Jerry’s. He has a strong background in the development and direction of the capital investment budgeting process, with experience and expertise in rapid and effective innovation execution. His logistics group led the top rated North American frozen desserts customer service supply chain in the Cannondale survey.
He currently serves as Vice Chair of the Southern Connecticut State University Foundation Board of Directors, and also serves on the School of Business Advisory Council. He was a member of the International Ice Cream Association Board of Directors from 2008 – 2012.
Tony resides in Danbury, Connecticut and Jacksonville, Florida, and enjoys the support of his wife, Beth, and writing articles for the supply chain trade.
Jim Woods, Director, Practice Leader for Supply Chain and Demand Management
Jim has 35+ years of supply chain management, logistics and analytics expertise in the retail, food service and consumer products industries. He has a track record of leading businesses to year over year double-digit growth, building teams with strong supply chain talent, and managing large scale transformation initiatives.
Jim served over 22 years at HAVI, most recently as the Executive Vice-President of Analytics & Supply Chain. HAVI is the supply chain execution engine (people, processes, technology) to McDonald’s Corporation. Within HAVI, he led the strategic business unit that provided supply chain managed services to McDonald’s and other major food service clients. Under his leadership, HAVI developed a Supply Chain Integration platform, utilizing POS and key supply chain & marketing data to drive retail and distributor replenishment, inventory visibility & planning, and predictive analytics. In addition, Jim led the strategic business development to grow the HAVI business to multiple customers. He has received client recognition for innovation, collaboration, cost management, and the ability to solve complex problems.
Prior to joining HAVI in 1996, Jim was Director of Supply Chain for the Quaker Oats Company where he developed inventory, logistics, and capital allocation strategies for the International, Pet and Foods Divisions. Jim rose through the ranks at Quaker Oats initially starting as a plant industrial engineer and taking on increasing responsibility in manufacturing facilities and the corporate headquarters.
Jim has a BSE from Princeton University and a MBA from the University of Chicago. He’s been part of the Executive-In-Residence Program at the University of Chicago, a member of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP) and several charitable organizations.