TROY CHRISTENSEN
Cell: +1-262-***-****
acco17@r.postjobfree.com
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
Over 20 years of experience at senior executive level in mergers and acquisitions, corporate restructuring, business
process engineering, information technology management, international tax, financial reporting (GAAP, SEC, IFRS),
decision support analysis, supply chain optimization, internal control management (SOX), international treasury
management, executive team development, corporate financing, strategic planning, corporate secretarial / board
management and government relations.
• Turnaround expert with repeated success in multiple industries and markets, expanding international
footprints, building shareholder value, developing and repositioning business strategy and executing long term
sustainable change in very short periods. Proven track record of relentlessly driving bottom line results.
• Strategic and financial leadership developing strategic plans, garnering stakeholder support and executing
the plans through leveraging organizational talents.
• Business development leader improving business through dozens of acquisitions, divestitures and joint
ventures operating transaction through post merger integration.
• Project management advocate spearheading numerous PMO’s responsible for million dollar projects
improving organizational business processes and creating strategic advantage; including 3 full scale ERP
implementations.
Leadership History
Gilchrist and Soames CFO / COO 2013 2014
Constellation Brands:
Accolade Wine CEO / CFO 2010 2013
Constellation Australia and Europe President 2007 2009
Constellation Europe President / CFO 2006 2007
Barton Brands CFO 1999 2006
Canandaigua Wine Company West Coast Controller 1997 1998
Farley Foods Vice President Finance 1995 1997
Sweetheart Cup Director of Operational Finance 1991 1994
Ernst and Young Senior Auditor 1988 1991
Chief Financial Officer / Chief Operating Officer 2013 Current
Gilchrist and Soames, Indianapolis, IN
Gilchrist & Soames, $65MM in sales, is a leading provider of cosmetic grade toiletry collections for world class hotels, exclusive
resorts, and distinguished spas, inns, and bed and breakfasts. Specializing in servicing the luxury market, Gilchrist & Soames’
products can be found in over 90 counties.
Objective:
The business, owned by Private equity owned, has seen experienced slowing growth slow, margins dropping by a
quarter, earnings declining at 9% CAGR and cash flow challenges. The business requires a 2 year strategy of driving
significant improvement in performance in order for a successfully exit, including revamped go to market strategies,
restructured operations, upgrading business processes / systems, improved supply chain and implementation of change
management.
Responsibilities / Accomplishments:
• Responsible for all Finance, Human Resource, IT, Operations and the Global Supply Chain.
• Implemented Go to Market strategy forecasted to double US independent channel net sales growth.
• Developed framework for new business process and financial platform to enable scalable growth while
implementing business intelligence tools to improve organizational efficiency
• Developed and implementing business strategy which would double sales growth, double operating income and
drive substantial cash flow to the business over 24 months.
• Established new supply chain, operations, human resources, finance and IT strategies.
Chief Executive Officer / Chief Financial Officer
Accolade Wines, Sydney AU 2010 – March 2013
Previously Constellation Brands International platform. Accolade is the World’s fifth largest wine company, $1.0 Billion in net
sales, operating in 80+ countries, 1,600 employees and operates in five core global geographies (UK, Europe, North America, Asia
and Australia). Reporting to the Board of Directors and responsible for bottling facilities (4), wineries (11), and vineyard
management producing in excess of 40MM cases of wine.
Objective:
Separate divested business from Corporate parent with limited disruption. Build Accolade into a high performing
organization, triple EBITDA, enhance the strategic proposition and reduce idiosyncratic risk in order to find a
successful exit in five years.
Responsibilities / Accomplishments:
• Created a new name, vision, mission, strategy and culture for the organization. Developed new executive
management team and target operating model allowing the business to grow globally leveraging existing
capabilities through centres of excellence.
• Obtained asset back financing achieving low interest rates and flexibility to grow through acquisition.
Developed and deployed international currency strategy.
• Successfully exited Corporate parent establishing independent operating systems and infrastructure while
combining the processes and systems of the two largest platforms to achieve synergies within 6 months.
• Created operational joint venture contributing $20MM of annual EBITDA through collaborative contract
production, selling surplus assets and outsourcing combined supply chain through a 3PL / 4PL.
• Acquired North American platform for $30MM, integrated the business and restructured the operation
allowing the new platform to contribute $15MM of annual CAM in just two years.
• Implemented a business transformation project which consolidated Accolade’s fragmented back office into a
single instance ERP platform with an advanced planning system (Infor) and trade promotions management system
(Demantra). The programme cost $20MM, earned a 1.5 year payback after implementation and provides a
scalable business platform required to drive international growth.
President / CFO
Constellation Australia and Europe, Adelaide AU and Guildford UK 2007 – 2010
+ 1.0 Billion business which includes the largest wine company in the UK, largest composite wholesaler in the UK and largest
wine company in Australia. Responsible for sales and distribution into Europe, UK, Ireland, Australia, Asia, Middle East and
Africa. Responsible for bottling facilities (4), distribution depots (8), wineries (10) and vineyard management of 300K tonnes of
grapes.
Objective:
Constellation Brands shifted their business strategy which required the consolidation and ring fencing of their
international assets. Objective to integrate the Australian and European platforms, restructure the operations,
significantly reduce costs, mine synergies and develop a compelling commercial strategy for exit.
Responsibilities / Accomplishments:
• Responsible for sales and distribution of Constellation brands into Europe, UK, Ireland, Australia, Asia, Middle
East and Africa. Responsible for bottling facilities (4), distribution depots (8), wineries (10) and vineyard
management of 300K tonnes of grapes.
• Radically restructured the business, dramatically reduced costs, shed unproductive assets and monetized surplus
inventory. Reduced total headcount by 1/3, generated $75MM from asset sales and improved baseline
performance despite organizational disruption of impending transaction.
• Developed management plan and compelling business case for exit. Led the divestiture process culminating in a
sale to Private Equity firm, CHAMP, for $300MM. Continued as CEO of new business.
•
• Integrated disparate supply chains through a collaborative S&OP process which improved inventory management
and drove $10MM of one time cash flow. Implemented Lean manufacturing techniques into operations reducing
costs and earning a number of supply chain awards for the European operation.
• Developed new Gaymer Cider strategy which delivered 24% increase in sales and 109% increase in EBIT over
four years leading to a profitable exit of the business; sold to Cantrell and Cochrane for £45MM.
• Drove favourable public policy results through lobbying and public affairs project developed and executed in the
UK and Australia coordinating with lobbying and public relation firms.
President / Chief Financial Officer
Constellation Europe, Guildford UK 2006 – 2007
+ 1.0 Billion business which includes the largest wine company in the UK, second largest cider business in the UK and the
largest composite wholesaler in the UK. Responsible for all sales and distribution to United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland,
Europe, Middle East and Africa through a staff of 2,100. Responsible for Production facilities in UK (2) and South Africa (1),
wholesale and distribution operations in UK (8 depots) and sales and support functions in Ireland, United Kingdom, South Africa,
Russia and Netherlands.
Objective:
Transform business from price driven trading culture into best practice FMCG business platform through margin
expansion. Find alternative solutions for non core businesses that would contribute to shareholder value (e.g. cider and
wholesale). Aggressively grow European platform.
Accomplishments:
• Led a £100MM, 2 year project to build a “Greenfield” production facility that became Europe’s largest bonded
warehouse and bottling facility. Accolade Park is 858,000 square feet, holds over 57MM bottles of wine and saves
the business £15MM annually. This operation has secured many awards for safety, environmental and operational
best practice.
• Developed and executed a comprehensive route to market strategy including consumer and channel
segmentation, product and brand strategy, price and promotion strategy and talent management. Through this
effort, the UK moved to #1 wine supplier from #5 per supplier scorecard ranking, built 5 of the top 12 brands in
the UK market and grew a stagnant European business by 33 CAGR for 6 consecutive years.
Directly
•
responsible for Matthew Clark, the UK’s largest composite wholesaler selling €650MM to the UK on trade
through a network of eight depots. Spearheaded a strategic review of this business culminating in a JV with Punch
Taverns, the UK’s largest Pub Company at the time. Sold 50% of the business to secure new routes to market
while capturing £8MM of synergies allowing the business to survive the GFC and outlast their rivals to become
the UK’s leading wholesaler.
Chief Financial Officer
Barton Incorporated, Chicago IL 1999 2006
$1.5 Billion producer and distributor of Beer and Spirits products primarily in U.S. and Canada. Responsible for all Finance and
Information Technology, staff of 120+
Objective:
Develop business capability and IT scalability to grow beer and spirits business. Secure long term future for Mexican
imports and grow Spirits business through acquisition.
Accomplishments:
• Finance lead creating the USA’s largest imported beer business, Crown Imports, through a joint venture with
Grupo Modelo. The combined business sells in excess of 100 MM 9l cases and has $1.0 billion in net sales.
• Proposed and led transition to IT shared service function consolidating Constellation’s United States business
onto a common ERP platform including four wine divisions, beer division and spirits division. Created IT
Governance model for shared service to support global business; shared responsibility for CIO.
• Spearheaded operational joint venture with Diageo that leveraged Canadian Whiskey Production and
Californian bottling footprints for both businesses saving $10MM annually.
• Proposed and led planning and development phase of Constellation’s Strategic Sourcing Initiative. This
project consolidated global procurement and saved $34MM over the three year measurement period.
West Coast Controller, Canandaigua Wine Company (Eventually changed name to Constellation) 1997 – 1998
$1.0 Billion producer and distributor of Wine. Division of Constellation Brands, Incorporated. Responsible for all Finance and
Information Technology in the West Coast operations.
Vice President Finance, Farley Foods USA, Chicago IL 1995 – 1997
$300 Million producer and distributor of confectionary products, subsequently acquired by Favorite Brands International, then
Nabisco. Responsible for all Finance, Information Technology and Office Admin; staff of 55.
• Developed and executed strategic plan and transformation program enabling business to be sold at 3X the price offered
just two years prior.
• Successfully integrated five disparate businesses onto a common platform as part of the Favourite Brands PE
confectionary roll up in order to quickly establish a common face to customers and achieve revenue synergies.
Director of Operational Accounting, Sweetheart Cup Company, Chicago IL 1991 – 1994
$1.0 Billion producer and distributor of paper, plastic and bakery products to serve national distributors and the consumer market.
Responsible for all operational accounting at 17 facilities; staff of 70.
Senior Auditor, Ernst and Young, Chicago, IL 1988 – 1991
Public Accounting Firm providing audit, tax and consulting services
Education
Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University, Evanston Illinois 1997
• Masters of Management; Finance, Marketing, Management and Strategy
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb Illinois 1988
• Bachelor of Science: Accounting
DePaul University, Chicago IL
• Various classes towards Masters in Information Technology
Certification
Certified Treasury Professional 2003
Certified Management Accountant 1997
Certified Public Accountant 1988
Board Representation:
•
Wine and Spirit Trade Association – Board Member
2006 – 2008
•
Charity Board Membership: Sarah’s Circle
2003 – 2005