Professional Summary
- 19 years of experience as CEO, Chairman, and Board Member of global companies, private and public, with up to 17,000 employees and 300 m of EBITDA
- CEO positions in logistics and supply chain optimization, automotive assembly, industrial real estate, and B2B e-commerce-driven technology distribution. Board experience in the same fields, as well as IT, MRO distribution, and automation
- Creation of six successful events of liquidity for private and public shareholders
- Seasoned executive with a true passion for the development of best-in-class enterprises, generating superior levels of shareholders’ wealth
- Strong track record with demonstrable and repeated success in complex business and cultural transformation projects
- Extensive capital markets expertise
Professional experience
Connect Group PLC, London, UK
(August 2018 – November 2019)
Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board
Connect Group PLC is a leading publicly listed UK distribution and logistics provider, specializing in early distribution and parcels & freight of irregular dimensions and weight.
- Successfully renewed the lion’s share of large publisher contracts with enhanced terms
- Improved the profitability of Smith News by 12%
- Initiated significant SG&A rationalization through zero-based budgeting and offshoring of process functions
- Realized significant cost savings through lean engineering, six sigma and continuous improvement
Industrial advisor to large-cap Private Equity Funds
(November 2016 – 2018)
Buy-side due diligence
Due diligence and buy-side advice related to acquisitions in the field of industrial real estate, warehouse automation, B2B services, software and technology, eCommerce, supply chain optimization, and distribution, with a number of transactions successfully concluded.
Premier Farnell PLC, London, UK
(April 2016 – November 2016)
Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board
Sold to Avnet
Premier Farnell PLC is a global, high-service manufacturer and distributor of technology products and solutions for electronic system design, prototyping, and piloting. It operates in 32 countries globally. Premier Farnell has a multi-channel distribution approach that ensures the availability of the latest technology products, services, and development software.
- Sold the business at a 77% premium
- Increased constant F/X EBIT YOY by 24%
- Identified and implemented 13M GBP of new annualized cost savings for the company
Neovia (previously Caterpillar Logistics Services), Dallas, TX
(August 2012 – November 2015)
Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board
Sold to Goldman/Rhône
Neovia is a specialized provider of complex value chain optimization services and supporting IT. Neovia was a subsidiary of Caterpillar that was spun off in 2012 when Caterpillar sold 65% of the shares of the company to private equity investors. After a complex carve-out, it has since operated as a standalone company that is the global market leader in its segment. Neovia is currently present in 26 countries globally. The company experienced a successful event of liquidity in 2015.
- Carved out a subsidiary of Caterpillar and created a fully stand-alone company without any further reliance on the support of the previous parent company
- Increased EBITDA by 23% between the spin-off in mid-2012 and 2014, net of an investment of 25M in SG&A not in place at the point of the carve-out
- Reinvigorated the business development activity with a YOY organic revenue growth of 17.8% (Q2 2015 versus Q2 2014, constant F/X)
Interline Brands, Jacksonville, FL
(December 2012 – September 2015)
Non-executive Board Member
Sold to the Home Depot
Interline Brands is a leading distributor of MRO products to institutional, residential and multi-family customers. The company was taken private in 2012. Under the guidance of an active board, the company successfully achieved:
- Profitable revenue growth with a 19% EBITDA increase between 2012 and 2014
- Simplification of multi-channel sales strategy with a strong focus on e-commerce
- Implementation of a very effective new CRM with tangible results on organic growth
Americold Realty Trust, Atlanta, GA
(2008 – 2012)
Chief Executive Officer and Chairman/Member of the Board
Americold Realty Trust is the world’s largest owner and operator of temperature-controlled warehouses for the storage and handling of frozen food products with 184 facilities internationally.
- Initiated and managed a significant number of change initiatives to put the company on the path to achieving a best-in-class status with a strong customer-centric focus
- More than doubled the EBITDA to a level of 275M
- Increased EBITDA margin by 6.4% through productivity gains and SG&A optimization
- Implemented a new fully integrated ERP platform
Syncreon (previously TDS Logistics), Auburn Hills, MI
(2000 – 2007)
Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board
Sold to Walsh Western
Syncreon is a specialized provider of complex assembly and supply chain services to the automotive and technology industry with 60 facilities in 11 countries. Transformed a local company into a global company with the achievement of world-class levels of quality in verticals.
- Increased the EBITDA from 5M to 94M
- Increased EBITDA margins by 8% through productivity improvements and pricing discipline on new contracts
- Repeatedly recapitalized or sold the company during CEO tenure
Syncreon (f/k/a TDS), Hasselt, Belgium
(1997 – 2000)
CFO -> (multi) Plant Manager -> Managing Director Europe
BNP Paribas, Brussels, Belgium
Branch Manager Corporate banking
Leader of a branch focusing on corporate lending and other banking services to medium-sized and large companies such as foreign exchange, commodity hedging, M&A, and asset management. Received the most successful branch manager award in the second year of employment.