Description
President & General Manager
R. BROOKS GEKLER
218 Main Street, #715 Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: 612-812-9507
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
CAREER PROFILE:
Accomplished divisional President & General Manager for a global Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods corporation.. Retired in
2007, concluding a career delivering market-leading sales and earnings growth, margin expansion and market share gains across
multiple product categories in the highly competitive consumer foods industry. Achieved success building brands, entering emerging
markets, managing business turn-arounds and leading acquisitions and integrations. Recognized as a visionary, decisive leader and
entrepreneurial manager with business building and team building expertise. Experienced and highly effective leader of multi-
functional, multi-national, and culturally diverse work teams. Engaged in and committed to public service in Education and the Arts.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON - BOTHELL – Bothell, WA 2008 to Present
Executive-in-Residence; Former Director of UWB Business Development Center (BDC)
Presently engaged as an Executive-in-Residence and professor, teaching BA and MBA courses in Management Consulting, Marketing
Management and Entrepreneurship. Previously led the UWB Business Development Center in providing advisory and consulting
services to growth stage entrepreneurial businesses and developing partnership initiatives to support economic development.
- Developed selective, undergraduate honors course in Management Consulting course and MBA Entrepreneurship Practicum.
- Direct and oversee student consulting engagements for area business clients.
- Mentor UW MBA students; advise faculty and students at BDC partner colleges; represent UWB on Boards of Advisors
AUGSBURG COLLEGE - MBA PROGRAM, Minneapolis, MN 2006 - 2008
Assistant Professor of Management / Director of Augsburg MBA Management Consulting Program
Initially part-time, subsequently full-time professor and instructor for the integrative, project-based, capstone course required of
Augsburg MBA degree candidates. Concurrently, Director of the Augsburg MBA student resourced management consulting program.
Augsburg MBA is an accredited graduate management education program enrolling 300 working professionals.
• Developed, implemented and led the Augsburg MBA student management consulting program.
• Sourced and coordinated student consulting engagements for 50 business clients and not-for profit organizations annually.
• Taught eight MBA classes annually for two-hundred students enrolled in the capstone Management Consulting course.
• Led the Augsburg MBA & Mayo Clinic Scholars Program; selected and directed the work of five Mayo Scholars annually.
GENERAL MILLS, INC., Minneapolis, MN 1985 - 2007
Corporate Vice President & Officer – Corporate Development / Mergers & Acquisitions 2005 - 2007
Developed long-range corporate growth and portfolio optimization strategies for $14 billion global consumer foods corporation.
Identified, led and completed strategic business acquisitions, divestitures and equity investment opportunities.
• Led acquisition and on-site post-acquisition integration of Croissant King Plc., as interim General Manager/ Chief Integration
Officer. Croissant King is a leading Food Service Bakery business located in Sydney, Australia.
• Led successful divestiture of $40 million Par-Baked Bread Business.
Achieved advantageous “as-is, where-is” asset sale of real estate, plants and equipment.
Negotiated purchase agreement maintaining 100% employment of wage workforce.
• Led development of strategic sourcing plan for General Mills Canada Green Giant vegetable business.
Generated Year 1 earnings gain of $4.0 million and Year 3 earnings opportunity of $14.0 million.
• Developed long-range growth strategies and acquisition targets in organic and energy segments for Yoplait and Nature Valley.
President & General Manager – Lloyd’s BBQ Company, St Paul, MN; VP & Officer – General Mills Inc. 2001 - 2005
Led Lloyd’s BBQ Company, a stand-alone refrigerated meals business acquired by General Mill in 1999, with revenues of $150 million.
Managed fully dedicated business organization of sixty-eight full-time business professionals in Marketing, Finance, Manufacturing,
Sourcing and Sales; and 170 full-time-equivalent wage employees.
- Assumed leadership of failing business acquisition and achieved profitability in 18 months; +$8.5 million EBIT turnaround.
Eliminated KC Masterpiece branded competitor from market with innovative right-size / right price BBQ line re-stage.
Launched 1
st
successful major new line beyond BBQ: Old El Paso branded Taco Meat & Sauce line.
- Developed and implemented strategic plans leading to successful sale of Lloyd’s BBQ to Hormel Foods in May 2005.
Secured Wal*Mart distribution and built into 10% of total volume and 15% of profit.
Developed and implemented $2.0 million plant productivity and $1.5 million packaging innovation initiatives.
R. BROOKS GEKLER (page 2)
Chief Integration Officer / Chief Marketing Officer - Small Planet Foods, Sedro-Woolley, WA
VP & Officer – General Mills, Inc
2000 - 2001
Led post-acquisition integration and managed functional operations of Small Planet Foods Co., from closing through Full Year 1. Small
Planet Foods Co. (Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen brands) is a $65 million organic food company acquired by General Mills in 2000.
- Achieved integration synergy plan, capturing $1.2 million in operating synergies in Year 1.
- Achieved Full Year I profitability: delivered +$3.5 million earnings gain versus pre-acquisition year.
- Developed Cascadian Farm Organic Cereal line for launch in Fiscal 2002.
Sr. Vice President / Chief Marketing Officer - General Mills Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
VP & Officer – General Mills, Inc
1996 – 2000
Led teamof 42 full-time professionals in Consumer Marketing, Consumer Research, Promotions, Product R&D and New Business
Development across $350 million portfolio including Cereal, Baking & Desserts, Meals, Side Dishes and Snacks.
• Achieved #2 Cereal market share (fromhistorical #3 share position) to overtake Post Cereals.
- Negotiated Olympics Sponsorship Rights, developed and implemented groundbreaking Winter Olympics marketing program.
- Launched Betty Crocker Side Dish (7 SKUs) product line into Canada; achieved #1 market share position in Year 1.
- Restaged Nature Valley Granola Bar business reclaiming leading market share position.
GM / Marketing Director - Betty Crocker Division, Minneapolis, MN 1994 – 1996
Led Betty Crocker Desserts portfolio of Supermoist Cake, RTS Frosting, Brownies, Muffins, and Dessert Bars competing in highly
demanding retail trade category (Top 10 in retail grocery volume). Managed 28 Marketing, Finance and Sales professionals in
strategy development, planning and aggressive marketing of businesses with $500 million in net sales across 60 SKUs.
- Achieved record volume of 17 million Cases, record market share of 43.9%, +1.6 points (dominant #1 brand share).
Developed & launched breakthrough “Whipped” RTS Frosting line delivering +9.5 points gross margin improvement.
Business Unit Director - Beverages Business Unit 1993 - 1994
Led turnaround of failing $100 million stand-alone beverage business; achieved profit turnaround of $4.2 million in Year 1.
Marketing Manager, Product Manager, Asst. Product Manager – Betty Crocker & Big G Divisions 1985 – 1993
EDUCATION:
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY - Stern School of Business, Marketing & International Business, New York, NY
LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL– UK; International Management Exchange Program
MBA - 1991
VASSAR COLLEGE, English Literature & History, Poughkeepsie, NY BA - 1978
BOARD SERVICE / PUBLIC SERVICE:
Fitness Innovation Technologies, Inc., Kirkland, WA
Board of Directors
2010 - Present
Sparke Technologies, Inc., Mill Creek, WA
Board of Directors
2009 - Present
J&D Foods, Seattle, WA
Advisory Board
2009 - 2011
Everett Community College, Everett, WA
School of Business Advisory Board
2008 - Present
Stages Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, MN
- Advisory Board; Previously - Board of Directors & Co-Chairman , Campaign for Stages Children’s Theatre
2004-Present
United Way, St. Paul, MN and Skagett Valley, WA
- Campaign Leader
2000-2004
Canadian Olympic Association , Toronto, Ontario
- Marketing Board of Directors
1997-2000
doc_203796849.pdf
President & General Manager
R. BROOKS GEKLER
218 Main Street, #715 Kirkland, WA 98033
Phone: 612-812-9507
E-mail: [email protected] or [email protected]
CAREER PROFILE:
Accomplished divisional President & General Manager for a global Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods corporation.. Retired in
2007, concluding a career delivering market-leading sales and earnings growth, margin expansion and market share gains across
multiple product categories in the highly competitive consumer foods industry. Achieved success building brands, entering emerging
markets, managing business turn-arounds and leading acquisitions and integrations. Recognized as a visionary, decisive leader and
entrepreneurial manager with business building and team building expertise. Experienced and highly effective leader of multi-
functional, multi-national, and culturally diverse work teams. Engaged in and committed to public service in Education and the Arts.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON - BOTHELL – Bothell, WA 2008 to Present
Executive-in-Residence; Former Director of UWB Business Development Center (BDC)
Presently engaged as an Executive-in-Residence and professor, teaching BA and MBA courses in Management Consulting, Marketing
Management and Entrepreneurship. Previously led the UWB Business Development Center in providing advisory and consulting
services to growth stage entrepreneurial businesses and developing partnership initiatives to support economic development.
- Developed selective, undergraduate honors course in Management Consulting course and MBA Entrepreneurship Practicum.
- Direct and oversee student consulting engagements for area business clients.
- Mentor UW MBA students; advise faculty and students at BDC partner colleges; represent UWB on Boards of Advisors
AUGSBURG COLLEGE - MBA PROGRAM, Minneapolis, MN 2006 - 2008
Assistant Professor of Management / Director of Augsburg MBA Management Consulting Program
Initially part-time, subsequently full-time professor and instructor for the integrative, project-based, capstone course required of
Augsburg MBA degree candidates. Concurrently, Director of the Augsburg MBA student resourced management consulting program.
Augsburg MBA is an accredited graduate management education program enrolling 300 working professionals.
• Developed, implemented and led the Augsburg MBA student management consulting program.
• Sourced and coordinated student consulting engagements for 50 business clients and not-for profit organizations annually.
• Taught eight MBA classes annually for two-hundred students enrolled in the capstone Management Consulting course.
• Led the Augsburg MBA & Mayo Clinic Scholars Program; selected and directed the work of five Mayo Scholars annually.
GENERAL MILLS, INC., Minneapolis, MN 1985 - 2007
Corporate Vice President & Officer – Corporate Development / Mergers & Acquisitions 2005 - 2007
Developed long-range corporate growth and portfolio optimization strategies for $14 billion global consumer foods corporation.
Identified, led and completed strategic business acquisitions, divestitures and equity investment opportunities.
• Led acquisition and on-site post-acquisition integration of Croissant King Plc., as interim General Manager/ Chief Integration
Officer. Croissant King is a leading Food Service Bakery business located in Sydney, Australia.
• Led successful divestiture of $40 million Par-Baked Bread Business.
Achieved advantageous “as-is, where-is” asset sale of real estate, plants and equipment.
Negotiated purchase agreement maintaining 100% employment of wage workforce.
• Led development of strategic sourcing plan for General Mills Canada Green Giant vegetable business.
Generated Year 1 earnings gain of $4.0 million and Year 3 earnings opportunity of $14.0 million.
• Developed long-range growth strategies and acquisition targets in organic and energy segments for Yoplait and Nature Valley.
President & General Manager – Lloyd’s BBQ Company, St Paul, MN; VP & Officer – General Mills Inc. 2001 - 2005
Led Lloyd’s BBQ Company, a stand-alone refrigerated meals business acquired by General Mill in 1999, with revenues of $150 million.
Managed fully dedicated business organization of sixty-eight full-time business professionals in Marketing, Finance, Manufacturing,
Sourcing and Sales; and 170 full-time-equivalent wage employees.
- Assumed leadership of failing business acquisition and achieved profitability in 18 months; +$8.5 million EBIT turnaround.
Eliminated KC Masterpiece branded competitor from market with innovative right-size / right price BBQ line re-stage.
Launched 1
st
successful major new line beyond BBQ: Old El Paso branded Taco Meat & Sauce line.
- Developed and implemented strategic plans leading to successful sale of Lloyd’s BBQ to Hormel Foods in May 2005.
Secured Wal*Mart distribution and built into 10% of total volume and 15% of profit.
Developed and implemented $2.0 million plant productivity and $1.5 million packaging innovation initiatives.
R. BROOKS GEKLER (page 2)
Chief Integration Officer / Chief Marketing Officer - Small Planet Foods, Sedro-Woolley, WA
VP & Officer – General Mills, Inc
2000 - 2001
Led post-acquisition integration and managed functional operations of Small Planet Foods Co., from closing through Full Year 1. Small
Planet Foods Co. (Cascadian Farm and Muir Glen brands) is a $65 million organic food company acquired by General Mills in 2000.
- Achieved integration synergy plan, capturing $1.2 million in operating synergies in Year 1.
- Achieved Full Year I profitability: delivered +$3.5 million earnings gain versus pre-acquisition year.
- Developed Cascadian Farm Organic Cereal line for launch in Fiscal 2002.
Sr. Vice President / Chief Marketing Officer - General Mills Canada Inc., Toronto, Ontario, Canada
VP & Officer – General Mills, Inc
1996 – 2000
Led teamof 42 full-time professionals in Consumer Marketing, Consumer Research, Promotions, Product R&D and New Business
Development across $350 million portfolio including Cereal, Baking & Desserts, Meals, Side Dishes and Snacks.
• Achieved #2 Cereal market share (fromhistorical #3 share position) to overtake Post Cereals.
- Negotiated Olympics Sponsorship Rights, developed and implemented groundbreaking Winter Olympics marketing program.
- Launched Betty Crocker Side Dish (7 SKUs) product line into Canada; achieved #1 market share position in Year 1.
- Restaged Nature Valley Granola Bar business reclaiming leading market share position.
GM / Marketing Director - Betty Crocker Division, Minneapolis, MN 1994 – 1996
Led Betty Crocker Desserts portfolio of Supermoist Cake, RTS Frosting, Brownies, Muffins, and Dessert Bars competing in highly
demanding retail trade category (Top 10 in retail grocery volume). Managed 28 Marketing, Finance and Sales professionals in
strategy development, planning and aggressive marketing of businesses with $500 million in net sales across 60 SKUs.
- Achieved record volume of 17 million Cases, record market share of 43.9%, +1.6 points (dominant #1 brand share).
Developed & launched breakthrough “Whipped” RTS Frosting line delivering +9.5 points gross margin improvement.
Business Unit Director - Beverages Business Unit 1993 - 1994
Led turnaround of failing $100 million stand-alone beverage business; achieved profit turnaround of $4.2 million in Year 1.
Marketing Manager, Product Manager, Asst. Product Manager – Betty Crocker & Big G Divisions 1985 – 1993
EDUCATION:
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY - Stern School of Business, Marketing & International Business, New York, NY
LONDON BUSINESS SCHOOL– UK; International Management Exchange Program
MBA - 1991
VASSAR COLLEGE, English Literature & History, Poughkeepsie, NY BA - 1978
BOARD SERVICE / PUBLIC SERVICE:
Fitness Innovation Technologies, Inc., Kirkland, WA
Board of Directors
2010 - Present
Sparke Technologies, Inc., Mill Creek, WA
Board of Directors
2009 - Present
J&D Foods, Seattle, WA
Advisory Board
2009 - 2011
Everett Community College, Everett, WA
School of Business Advisory Board
2008 - Present
Stages Children’s Theatre Company, Minneapolis, MN
- Advisory Board; Previously - Board of Directors & Co-Chairman , Campaign for Stages Children’s Theatre
2004-Present
United Way, St. Paul, MN and Skagett Valley, WA
- Campaign Leader
2000-2004
Canadian Olympic Association , Toronto, Ontario
- Marketing Board of Directors
1997-2000
doc_203796849.pdf