Marketing and Strategy Executive

Beth A. Pecenka

*** ****** ****** *** ****, IL **302

708-***-**** ****.*.*******@*****.***

STRATEGY & MARKETING EXECUTIVE

Dynamic P&L business operations leader with more than 15 years’ success in mid cap food and wellness, consumer

packaged goods (manufacturing), retail, and financial services industries. Partner with senior leadership to

develop and translate corporate strategy into metrics driven, action based plans cascaded to business units and

functional areas for execution. Evaluate new opportunities to solve business challenges, including acquisition and

partnerships. Conduct competitive intelligence, financial analysis and modeling, and research to determine brand

identity to provide competitive edge. Manage overall marketing communications, PR, brand and product

marketing, media planning, Social Media, SEO, and website strategies while optimizing spending. Deliver process

improvements and ensure profitability across domestic and global business channels. Collaborative leader who

builds aligned teams, fosters best practices, and thrives in fast paced demanding environments.

STRATEGY & MARKETING CONSULTING Chicago, IL 2014 – current

•Contracted as COO, reviewed and revised business plan for start up consumer packaged goods company.

Provide ongoing marketing and advertising, business development, financial and investment planning support.

Assist CEO with strategic direction and initiatives.

• Developed pricing model for online distribution of new certified organic personal care line.

• Interim Marketing Director leading the launch of a new web service for a natural products company;

developing the marketing plan and strategic options for future growth.

• Led strategic planning process for non for profit children’s association.

NOW HEALTH GROUP (DBA NOW FOODS) Bloomingdale, IL 2003 – 2014

A rapidly growing $400 million privately held, global, family owned CPG company, natural food and wellness products

manufacturer and distributor with 14 retail stores, 1,400 SKUs, and over 1,200 employees.

DIRECTOR – STRATEGY & MARKETING 2010 – 2014

Reporting to the President, developed and executed the vision and corporate strategy in conjunction with the Board of

Directors. Leader of natural foods division (5 distinct brands) and practitioner channel along with managing all

marketing functions supporting all divisions of the company including International and Retail divisions.

STRATEGY

Created and managed a 5 year strategic revenue plan by category and division. Defined and tracked

KPI/metrics and cascaded them throughout company.

• Leader of Management Strategy Team which included CEO, COO, and CFO, worked through

business issues with leadership team and identified and presented solutions for critical strategic

challenges to Senior Leadership and Board of Directors.

• Achieved 12% annual growth over last three years through the creation, implementation, and

maintenance of the strategic plan for the Wholesale Division.

• Developed international strategic plan that evaluated potential market entries based on a matrix of

weighted criteria. Refined which of existing 75 countries to emphasize and expand.

• Supported Retail and Distributor Divisions strategic plans with sales increases averaging >7% each.

• Initiated company conversion to Balanced Scorecard as strategy execution method. Created

strategy map and scorecard incorporating board defined objectives, measures, targets, and

initiatives to meet the goals. Incorporated strategy into employee performance management system.

• Resolved channel conflict through the selection and implementation of website shopping cart

capability. New process mitigated internet competition and increased brick and mortar retailer

revenue.

• Evaluated acquisition opportunities both proactively and reactively and presented recommendations

to Board of Directors.

MARKETING

Responsible for all aspects of Marketing including marketing communications, product marketing, brand

management, advertising, graphics/collateral development, copywriting, website design, maintenance and

Beth A. Pecenka 708-***-**** Page 2

SEO strategy, public relations, event planning and sales, and retailer education and training for all brands,

categories, and retail division.

• Developed strategic marketing plan connected to corporate strategy with supporting objectives,

initiatives, metrics, and targets.

• Achieved average annual sales growth of over 30% by supporting the redesign and/or repackaging

of 3 out of 4 main categories.

• Led definition and implementation of branding strategy including branding guidelines, positioning

statement, and key messages for 4 categories and 7 brands. During tenure, consumer usage

improved from 1.5% to 3.3% and awareness from 2.5% to 6.0%.

• Increased website visitors by more than 25% in the first year through the implementation and

redesign of the main website that consolidated multiple separate brands into one company site.

• Improved organic search results by >30% in first year by optimizing board outlined objectives for

SEO outcomes.

• Initiated and executed a public relations plan which created 18 million consumer impressions in the first

year of implementation.

FOODS DIVISION, GENERAL MANAGER

P&L responsibility for this division including overall strategy, sales & marketing strategy, hiring and

management of brand manager, and creation of incentives for sales teams.

• Achieved double digit growth over a 4 year period in a Board focused strategically important division

by creating category and brand strategy.

• Developed concept and implementation plan of transition to 5 unique food brands. Led repackaging

of all brands with increases of over 20% in revenue stemming from ability to market to separate

target audiences.

• Identified change in manufacturing requirements due to new branding, selected new co packer, and

coordinated transition from internal to external production.

• Improved new product development process for foods, reducing time to market from 11 months to

6 9 months.

PRACTITIONER BRAND DIVISION, GENERAL MANAGER

Responsible for all aspects of P&L general management for this division including mentoring and developing 4

internal and 2 external professional sales and management personnel. Successfully brought a failing division

to full profitability through strategic development and better execution.

• Led a sales force that achieved 22% average sales growth over tenure with channel profitability.

• Defined and implemented strategy including adjustment of brand pricing, initiation of minimum

advertised pricing policy, and new commission structures tying strategy to activities. Rolled out new

website and standardized marketing materials.

BUSINESS STRATEGY MANAGER 2007 – 2010

Reporting to the Chief Financial Officer, restructured and converted a struggling 13 person marketing department into

an efficient team, resulting in 7% improved marketing fill rate, faster project turnaround time, and more consistent

branding.

• Supported retail division profit improvements through store visit reviews and resulting recommendations,

as well as financial analysis.

• Key member of implementation team of company’s forecasting module within Oracle. Earned a

President’s Award.

• Presented analytical reports on pricing, gross margin, discounting, customers, and category and/or

item profitability. Supported managers in making positive and profitable business decisions;

managed senior financial analyst.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER 2006 – 2007

Beth A. Pecenka 708-***-**** Page 3

Directed strategic planning meetings and supported implementation of strategic initiatives, as well as recommending

new ones. Led and supported international division and legal department in developing a policy to mitigate channel

conflict resulting in new processes and better teamwork within all sales teams.

• Acted as Interim Business Development Director including responsibility for international business

team and Retail Division while Director was on leave of absence. Managed senior financial analyst.

• Led the supplemental financial analysis effort of the company, preparing and presenting analysis on

company’s products, customers, and divisions. Performed financial modeling of potential

acquisitions and evaluated against internal criteria.

• Converted legacy arbitrary bonus program into strategic pay for performance program.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ANALYST 2003 – 2006

Responsible for researching competitors and writing summaries and analysis of key trends for Senior Leadership team.

Managed an assistant analyst.

• Worked as key contact for third party valuation firm in developing company’s overall valuation for

shareholders. Reduced turn around time of valuation delivery by 3 weeks.

• Prepared White Paper on options for struggling retail division; management ultimately selected one

proposed option and brought chain to profitability.

• Refined existing basic strategic plan and reported on key performance indicators.

FINANCIAL & STRATEGY CONSULTING 1999 – 2000

An independent consultant and provider of strategic and consulting services for the nutritional industry and

automotive aftermarket.

• Built a financial model and business plan for a network of automotive enthusiast websites geared

toward venture capitalists; projected income and cash flow for automotive

• Researched and presented industry and competitive analysis to nutritional supplement company.

Prepared draft strategic plan as outcome of board planning session.

EVEREN SECURITIES, INC. Chicago, IL 1991 – 1999

A regional brokerage firm with $750 million in revenue, 1,800 investment consultants; focused on mid cap stocks.

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT EQUITY RESEARCH 1997 – 1999

Conducted research and analysis of equity investment opportunities in specialty retail including nutrition, automotive

aftermarket, and consumer electronics segments; determined investment recommendation of buy, sell, or hold. Built

and maintained financial models to project income and earnings per share as well as cash flow and balance sheets.

Managed and developed associate and assistant analyst in specialty retailing group.

• Supported investment banking effort by evaluating company’s financials, projections, and strategy;

determined valuation of company relative to peers; played active role in five public equity offerings.

• Authored and published annual and quarterly company research updates as well as industry

analysis reports; marketed these reports to institutional investors.

• Received Golden Eagle Award in 1998 for top analyst.

VICE PRESIDENT – EQUITY RESEARCH 1995 – 1997

Researched companies and industries, visited and interviewed company management; developed financial models to

forecast earnings and to reflect opinion of future performance; developed buy/sell opinion of companies in one retail

segment. Presented at several industry conferences as industry expert.

ASSOCIATE ANALYST / EQUITY RESEARCH SPECIALIST 1991 – 1995

MITSUBISHI TRUST & BANKING – ASSISTANT LOAN ADMINISTRATOR 1990 1991

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATIONS, & AFFILIATIONS

MBA, International Business DePaul University, Chicago, IL 1995

BA, Economics / German State University of New York, Buffalo, NY 1990

Beth A. Pecenka 708-***-**** Page 4

Kaplan & Norton Balanced Scorecard Program Palladium Group, Lincoln, MA Certified 2013

Lean Tools Univ. of Illinois BIS, Urbana Champaign, IL Certified 2009

Project Management – Project Management Institute Certified 2014

Board Member, 2003 to Present; Vice President, 2006–2010, Hephzibah Children’s Assn, Oak Park, IL

Board Member – Chicago Chapter, Association for Strategic Planning, Princeton, NJ

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