Brian believes that strong business performance starts with a strong team that is aligned behind a common purpose and strategy, all pulling in the same direction. Of all of his accomplishments in building successful businesses, it is the development of the teams he has led that makes him most proud.
Brian spent the majority of his 30+ year career leading teams and building consumer-facing brands across traditional and non-traditional Retail channels, with most of it being in the food industry. During his 13 years at Nestle, Brian led businesses in the frozen, refrigerated, and shelf-stable product segments (Stouffer’s, Lean Cuisine, Buitoni, Ortega, and Nestle Ice Cream). From there he joined the Schwan Food Company where he led the marketing efforts for their Consumer Brands (Red Baron, Tony’s, and Freschetta) and Home Service (direct-to-consumer) businesses, helping to drive record top and bottom-line growth across both. After Schwan’s, Brian started a consulting business doing what he loves most – helping small-to-medium size CPG companies develop winning brand and innovation strategies. Lastly, Brian spent the past 7 years as Managing Director, leading Cargill’s Truvia natural sweetener business where he continued his trend of driving market-leading growth as well as leading the brand’s international expansion into over a dozen new markets.
Brian’s desire to move from the corporate world into coaching was driven by his experience of working with a CO2 coach. He attributes much of his success in business to the guidance he received from his coach, helping him make better decisions regarding the leadership of the business and the team. Brian’s decision to become a coach was driven by his desire to give back and help others benefit from his experience, and to transfer the learnings he received from his coaching experience to others.
Brian lives in Deephaven, MN with his wife of 32 years and has two grown sons.