Executive Officers

David J. West, 56
Chief Executive Officer & Director

Mr. West is an established leader in the consumer industry, with nearly 30 years of experience leading a range of companies and well-known brands. 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 experienced 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. The success created by Mr. West’s leadership at Hershey led to more than $5 billion of equity value creation for shareholders during his tenure. Hershey’s share price appreciated 68% during this time period, while the S&P 500 was flat. 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. Since July 2017, Mr. West has served as the Vice-Chairman of the Board of The Simply Good Foods Company. 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, 49
Chief Financial Officer & Director

Mr. Ratzan has been a Partner of Centerview Capital Consumer since April 2014. 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. Since July 2017, Mr. Ratzan has served as a director on the Board of The Simply Good Foods Company. Mr. Ratzan previously served on the boards of other 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.

Board of Directors

James M. Kilts, 71
Executive Chairman of the Board

Mr. Kilts 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 The Simply Good Foods Company, where he has served as Chairman since July 2017, Unifi Inc., where he has served since April 2016, Pfizer, Inc., where he has served since 2007, and MetLife, Inc., where he has served since 2005. Mr. Kilts also served as member of the Board of Nielsen Holdings PLC from 2011 to August 2017, Chairman of the Board of Nielsen Holdings PLC 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.

Ronald E. Blaylock, 59
Director Nominee

Mr. Blaylock is Founder and Managing Partner of Gennx360 Capital Partners, a private equity firm founded in 2006 focused on investing in industrial and business services companies in the U.S. middle market. Mr. Blaylock has also served as a director of Pfizer since 2017. Prior to launching Gennx360 Capital Partners, Mr. Blaylock founded and managed Blaylock & Company, an investment banking firm. Mr. Blaylock also held senior management positions at UBS, PaineWebber Group and Citicorp. Mr. Blaylock currently serves as a director of CarMax, Inc., Urban One, Inc. (formerly Radio One, Inc.) and W.R. Berkley, Inc., an insurance holding company. Mr.Blaylock is also a member of the Board of Trustees of Carnegie Hall and of the Board of Overseers of New York University Stern School of Business. Mr. Blaylock received an M.B.A. in finance from New York University’s Stern School of Business and a B.S. in finance from Georgetown University.

Peter Klein, 73
Director Nominee

In 2005, Mr. Klein founded PK Associates, a consumer products focused growth management consultancy. From March 2001 through September 2005, Mr. Klein was Senior Vice President and Corporate Officer of The Gillette Company, responsible for Strategy, Planning, Business Development and Global Marketing Resources. Mr. Klein was actively involved in acquisitions and divestitures, new products, functional excellence, strategic sourcing, the sale of Gillette to Procter & Gamble and integration planning. Previously, Mr. Klein was Executive Vice President and Corporate Officer of Strategy, Business Development, Marketing Services and Global e-Businessat Nabisco Holdings Corp. from January 1998 through December 2000, and departed Nabisco following Nabisco’s public auction and sale to Phillip Morris/Kraft Foods in December 2000. Mr. Klein joined Nabisco Foods from The Cambridge Group, where he served for seven years as Partner and Managing Director of its east coast office, which he opened in 1991. Prior to joining The Cambridge Group, Mr. Klein was a senior partner for ten years at Marketing Corporation of America, where he led the consumer products management consulting practice. Before consulting, Mr. Klein worked in line sales, marketing and business development at Sterling Drug from 1978 to 1981 (Vice President, Business Development), The Gillette Company from 1972 to 1978 (Director of Marketing & Sales for Braun North America and Group Marketing Manager in Personal Care), and Johnson & Johnson from 1971 to 1972 (Consumer Trade Promotion and Marketing). Mr. Klein is on the Board of Selectors of the Multiplying Good/Jefferson Awards Foundation, on the marketing advisory board at Syracuse University’s Whitman School of Management, on the advisory board of Centerview Capital Consumer, and is Non-Executive Chairman of Vision For and From Children. Mr. Klein received a B.S. degree in Marketing & Finance from Syracuse University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.

Irene Rosenfeld, 66
Director Nominee

Ms. Rosenfeld is the former Chairman and CEO of Mondel?z International. After a distinguished 21 year career at General Foods and then Kraft Foods, Ms. Rosenfeld became Chairman and CEO of Frito-Lay North America for two years. Ms. Rosenfeld returned to Kraft Foods, the predecessor to Mondel?z International, in June 2006 as CEO, and became Chairman in March 2007. In October 2012, Ms. Rosenfeld and her team created Mondelez International by spinning off the company’s North American grocery operations, which were subsequently acquired by Heinz/3G. In July 2014, Ms. Rosenfeld spun off the company’s coffee assets into a new entity, Jacobs Douwe Egbert. In addition to Ms. Rosenfeld’s twelve years of public board experience serving as Chair of the Mondelez International Board, Ms. Rosenfeld served on the AutoNation Inc. board for eight years and has served as a director of Qualcomm Incorporated since October 2018. Ms. Rosenfeld has also been active in a number of industry and community organizations, including The Economic Club of Chicago, the Board of the Consumer Goods Forum, The Business Council and serves on the Chicago-Northwest Indiana board of Teach for America. Ms. Rosenfeld received a Ph.D. in Marketing and Statistics, an M.S. in Business Administration and a B.A. in Psychology from Cornell University.

Joseph Schena, 60
Director Nominee

Mr. Schena is a Consumer Products industry executive with 40 years of experience in the areas of Financial Operations and Accounting, Strategy and Business Planning, Investor relations and Mergers & Acquisitions. Mr. Schena currently serves as a director of Warehouse Technologies, an automated warehousing company located in Wilmington, MA. Mr. Schena also had served as the Chief of Staff at Cohen Enterprises focused on C&S Wholesale Grocers and Warehouse Technologies from November 2015 until April 2019. Previously, Mr. Schena served as Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President at C&S Wholesale Grocers. Prior to joining Cohen Enterprises, Mr. Schena served as the Chief Executive Officer and President at Bacardi International Limited and as the Chief Financial Officer of Bacardi Limited. Mr. Schena was an Operating Partner at Centerview Capital Consumer from 2007 to 2012 focused on financial operations of portfolio companies. Mr.Schena was involved in the $5.5 billion privatization of Del Monte Foods and the acquisition of Richelieu Foods. Mr. Schena served as the Vice President of Global Financial Operations, Chief Accounting Officer and Controller at The Gillette Company and transitioned to the Chief Financial Officer of the Gillette business unit of Procter & Gamble (“P&G”) after P&G acquired Gillette in October 2005 where Mr. Schena was responsible for Gillette’s business results as well as integrating Gillette’s and P&G’s financial operations. Prior to Gillette, Mr. Schena served in various senior financial and strategy positions at Kraft/Nabisco from 1980 to 2000. Mr.Schena received an M.B.A. in Finance and a B.B.A. in Accounting from Iona College.