Executive Officers

James M. Kilts, 68
Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors

He  is a renowned leader in the consumer industry, with over 40 years of experience leading a range of companies and iconic brands. Mr. Kilts is the Founding Partner of Centerview Capital Consumer, founded in 2006. Previously, Mr. Kilts served as Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President of Gillette from 2001 until it merged with The Procter & Gamble Company in 2005; at that time he became Vice Chairman of the Board of The Procter & Gamble Company. Before Mr. Kilts joined Gillette, the company’s sales had been flat for 4 years, and it had missed earnings estimates for 14 consecutive quarters. Mr. Kilts took steps to rebuild the management team, cut costs and reinvest the savings in innovation and marketing. During his tenure as Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kilts oversaw the creation of approximately $30 billion in equity value for Gillette’s public shareholders. Gillette’s share price appreciated 110% during Mr. Kilts’ tenure, while the S&P 500 declined 3% over the same time period. Under Mr. Kilts’ leadership, Gillette rejoined the top ranks of consumer products companies as sales increased an average of 9% each year. The Harvard Business Review cited Mr. Kilts’ leadership as the driving force behind Gillette’s turnaround. Prior to Gillette, Mr. Kilts served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nabisco from 1998 until its acquisition by the Philip Morris Companies in 2000. Before joining Nabisco, Mr. Kilts was an Executive Vice President of The Philip Morris Companies from 1994 to 1997 and headed the Worldwide Food group. In that role, Mr. Kilts was responsible for integrating Kraft and General Foods and for shaping the group’s domestic and international strategy. Mr. Kilts had previously served as President of Kraft USA and Oscar Mayer. He also had been Senior Vice President of Strategy and Development, President of Kraft Limited in Canada, and Senior Vice President of Kraft International. Mr. Kilts began his career with General Foods Corporation in 1970. Owing to Mr. Kilts’ successes across the consumer industry, numerous companies seek his business expertise and advice. Mr. Kilts is currently a member of the Board of Directors of MetLife, Inc. where he has served since 2005, Pfizer, Inc., where he has served since 2007, Unifi Inc., where he has served since April 2016, and Nielsen Holdings N.V. Mr. Kilts served as Chairman of the Board of Nielsen Holdings N.V. from January 2011 to January 2014, and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Nielsen Company B.V. from 2009 to January 2014. He is also a member of the Board of Overseers of Weill Cornell Medicine. Previously, Mr. Kilts was a member of the Board of Directors of Big Heart Pet Brands from March 2011 to March 2015 (during which time he served as Chairman), MeadWestvaco from 2006 to April 2014, The New York Times Company from 2005 to 2008, May Department Stores from 1998 to 2005, Whirlpool Corporation from 1999 to 2005, Chairman of the Board of the Grocery Manufacturers Association from 2003 to 2005, and Delta Airlines from 2002 to 2004. Mr. Kilts is also a former member of Citigroup’s International Advisory Board. Mr. Kilts received a bachelor’s degree in History from Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Chicago.

David J. West, 53
Chief Executive Officer and Director

Mr. West became a partner of Centerview Capital Consumer in May 2016.  Prior to joining Centerview Capital Consumer, Mr. West served as Chief Executive Officer and President of Big Heart Pet Brands (formerly known as Del Monte Foods) from August 2011 to March 2015, at that time one of the world’s largest pure-play pet food and treats company whose brands included Meow Mix®, Kibbles ’n Bits®, Milk-Bone®, and others. Mr. West helped reposition the business to increase focus on growth and innovation, launched new products such as Milk-Bone Brushing Chews®, enhanced specialty pet distribution channels through the acquisition of Natural Balance Pet Foods, and developed a marketing culture to effectively promote products. Mr. West worked closely with Mr. Kilts during this time period, as Mr. Kilts was Chairman of the Board of Big Heart Pet Brands. In February 2014, Mr. West oversaw the sale of Del Monte Foods’ Consumer Products business and changed the company’s name to Big Heart Pet Brands, reflecting its singular focus on pet food and snacks. During his tenure as Chief Executive Officer, Mr. West oversaw the creation of approximately $2 billion of equity value for investors. Big Heart Pet Brands was sold to The J. M. Smucker Company in March 2015, at which time Mr. West served The J. M. Smucker Company as President, Big Heart Pet Food and Snacks until March 2016 and as a Senior Advisor until April 2016. Prior to joining Del Monte Foods, Mr. West served as the Chief Executive Officer, President and a director of Hershey from 2007 to May 2011. Under Mr. West’s leadership, Hershey enjoyed strong profits, net sales growth and shareholder returns, and was recognized as one of the World’s 100 Most Innovative Companies by Forbes Magazine in 2011. During Mr. West’s tenure as Chief Executive Officer, Hershey increased its investment in domestic and international operations, improved the effectiveness of its supply chain and business model, and accelerated its advertising, brand building and distribution programs. During Mr. West’s tenure as Chief Executive Officer, public shareholders of Hershey experienced more than $5 billion of equity value creation. Hershey’s share price appreciated 68% during this time period, while the S&P 500 grew 0%. Prior to his Chief Executive Officer role, Mr. West held various leadership positions at Hershey including Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Customer Officer, and Senior Vice President of Strategy and Business Development. Prior to joining Hershey in 2001, Mr. West spent 14 years with the Nabisco Biscuit and Snacks group, where he held a range of senior positions including Senior Vice President, Finance, and Vice President, Corporate Strategy and Business Planning, a role in which he helped shape and execute Nabisco’s strategy, culminating in the acquisition of Nabisco Holdings Corp. by The Philip Morris Companies in 2000. At Nabisco, Mr. West worked closely with Mr. Kilts during Mr. Kilts’ tenure as Chief Executive Officer. Mr. West was a member of the board of directors of Hershey from 2007 to 2011, Del Monte Foods from 2011 to 2014 and Big Heart Pet Brands from 2014 to 2015. Mr. West received a bachelor of science degree, cum laude, in Business Administration from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Brian K. Ratzan, 45
Chief Financial Officer and Director

Mr. Ratzan has over 20 years of private equity investing experience. Prior to joining Centerview Capital Consumer, Mr. Ratzan was Partner and Head of U.S. Private Equity at Pamplona Capital Management from January 2012 to February 2014. Prior to joining Pamplona, he was Managing Director and Head of Consumer at Vestar Capital Partners, which he joined in 1998. Mr. Ratzan also previously worked at ’21’ International Holdings, a private investment firm and in the Investment Banking Group at Donaldson, Lufkin and Jenrette. Mr. Ratzan previously served on the boards of consumer companies including Del Monte Foods, The Sun Products Corporation (formerly known as Huish Detergents, Inc.), and Birds Eye Foods, Inc. Mr. Ratzan holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Michigan, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard Business School. We believe

Board of Directors

Clayton C. Daley, Jr., 64
Director Nominee

He spent his entire professional career with The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), a global consumer packaged goods company, joining the company in 1974. There, he held a number of key accounting and finance positions including Chief Financial Officer and Vice Chairman of Procter & Gamble; Comptroller, U.S. Operations of Procter & Gamble USA; Vice President and Comptroller of Procter & Gamble International; and Vice President and Treasurer of Procter & Gamble. Mr. Daley retired from Procter & Gamble in 2009. Mr. Daley also served as Senior Advisor to TPG Capital until October 2012. Mr. Daley has been a director of SunEdison, Inc.(OTC:SUNEQ), a solar power company, since 2014 and has also served as a director of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT), a hotel and leisure company, since 2008, where he is currently the Chair of the Audit Committee and also serves on the Compensation and Option Committee. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Davidson College and an MBA from Ohio State University.

Nomi P. Ghez, 70
Director Nominee

Ms. Ghez was affiliated with Goldman Sachs from 1982 to 2003, most recently acting as a senior banker within the consumer sector of Goldman Sachs’ Mergers and Strategic Advisory Division, as well as a Partner and Managing Director. From 1982 to 2000, Ms. Ghez was Goldman Sachs’ food analyst in Investment Research, covering major U.S. and global food and consumer companies. Since 2003, Ms. Ghez has been a co-founding partner of Circle Financial Group, LLC, an integrated private wealth management group of nine professional women. In 2004, she was a Portfolio Manager, Consumer Sector for Perry Capital LLC, a hedge fund. Ms. Ghez has served on the Board of Directors of Lipman Family Farms, a private fresh tomato company, since 2008 and on its Governance and Audit Committee since 2013, and was a Director of Maidenform Brands, Inc. (NYSE: MFB) from 2011 until its sale to HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI) in 2013, serving on its Audit Committee from 2012 to 2013. Ms. Ghez received a B.A. and M.A. from Tel Aviv University and a Ph.D. from New York University.

James E. Healey, 74
Director Nominee

He has 40 years of experience in the consumer products industry as a member of senior management, as well as in public accounting. From 1997 to 2000, Mr. Healey was Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nabisco Holdings Corp (NYSE: NA) and Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Nabisco Group Holdings (NYSE: NGH) until their respective sales to Kraft Foods, Inc. and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco, Inc. Prior to this, from 1973 to 1997, he held increasingly senior positions with Best Foods, Inc., now part of Unilever, culminating in his service as Comptroller and Chief Accounting Officer from 1987 to 1994 and as Vice President-Treasurer from 1994 to 1997. He began his career in 1968 as an audit manager in public company practice for KPMG. Since 2001, Mr. Healey has provided consulting services to both public and non-public companies in the areas of investor relations, cost reduction programs and outsourcing of internal audit functions, among others. From 2005 to 2011, he served as a Director, as well as on the Audit Committee and Human Resources Committee, of Sappi Ltd, a then-US-listed paper and pulp producer headquartered in South Africa. From 1990 to 2006, he served on the Board of Directors as Chairman of the Compensation Committee and a member of the Executive and Audit Committee of Interchange Financial Services Corp., until its sale to TD Banknorth in 2006. From 1991 to 1994, Mr. Healey served on the Accounting Standards Executive Committee of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, responsible to the Financial Accounting Standards Board for the creation of accounting standards. Mr. Healey holds a bachelor’s degree in public accounting from Pace University.

Robert G. Montgomery, 63
Director Nominee

He has 40 years of experience in the consumer package goods industry, including sales, marketing, research and development positions on both an operational and executive level. From 2003 until 2010 he was successively a Senior Vice President, Sales, a Senior Vice President, Sales, Marketing & R & D and an Executive Vice President at BirdsEye Foods, Inc., a privately held frozen foods company. From 1998 to 2003, he served as Vice President of Sales in different divisions of HJ Heinz Company, a global food producer. Prior to this, from 1982 to 1998, he worked at McCain Food, Inc., as Vice President of Sales-Retail. He has held positions at Family Brands, Inc as Vice President of Sales, ConAgra Frozen Food Company as Area Vice President, Sara Lee Corporation as National Sales Planning Manager and Division Sales Manager and Del Monte Corporation as Senior Account Representative. Since 2010, he has been a principal of Montgomery Consulting Solutions, a consulting firm specializing in the consumer packaged goods industry, as well as a principal of Jurs Montgomery Brokerage, a firm specializing in life insurance, long term care, disability and annuities. Mr. Montgomery holds a bachelor’s degree in management from Seton Hall University.