PRE(R)AMBLE
As I head inexorably towards my 50th year, I have been contemplating my career and life options and have reached two important conclusions: (1) I crave a greater independence and an increased freedom of movement. Most importantly, I want to do what I enjoy most and what I do best; (2) As a broker analyst, my career for the past 15 years, I had become increasingly and overly focused upon the short term, without a sufficient outlet for my longer-term, strategic insights.
In order to prevent this frustration turning into full-blown depression, I have decided to re-invent myself, combining thirty years of academic and professional experience as modern linguist, generalist MBA, sales & marketing manager, financial analyst and pastry chef! Thus, I have now become a provider of strategic insight and practical advice for senior management within the corporate world.
Specifically, I am interested in strategic and advisory mandates: both external, as an independent consultant, and internal, as a non-executive board director. In order to exploit the external opportunities, I have founded my own consultancy, Amoroso, built upon two pillars: (1) food and consumer; (2) financial communication.
If I can provide a useful service, earn a decent living and have some fun along the way, I'll have ticked all my boxes. If I can also occasionally take the weekend off - I can dream, can't I? - then I shall have achieved nirvana!
BUSINESS
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consultancy, advisory & mentoring - strategic & competitive insights and advice vis-ą-vis the food industry; strategy, advice and services vis-ą-vis communication with the financial community |
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non-executive board director - business strategy, financial communication and corporate governance |
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ad-hoc projects - m&a and due diligence, company analysis and evaluation, food industry research, innovation think-tank |
CLIENTELE
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food and consumer goods manufacturers |
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retailers (food and non-food) |
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private equity firms |
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venture funds |
PHILOSOPHY
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"I may not have all the answers, but I have all the right questions... |
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"Often the client has the answers, but just needs a little help to realise it" |
KNOWLEDGE
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food manufacturing, branded (B2C) - global, Europe*, Switzerland* |
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food manufacturing, ingredients (B2B) - global, Europe, Switzerland |
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food manufacturing, foodservice & catering - global, Europe* |
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foodservice & catering - UK*, Europe* |
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food retailing - global, Europe, Switzerland |
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non-food retailing - Europe, Switzerland |
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luxury goods - global, Switzerland |
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investment banking (equities) - global, Europe*, Switzerland* |
*(denotes direct experience as a practitioner)
EXPERIENCE
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sales & marketing, branded f.m.c.g. (9 years) |
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financial analysis & equity valuation (15 years) |
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industry and company research (15 years) |
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line management (8 years) |
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pātissier/pastry chef (2 years) |
SKILLS
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unique helicopter vision derived from long experience as both practitioner (insider) and analyst (outsider), delivering a seldom-found combination of food industry perspectives: local and global, micro and macro, bottom-up and top-down, operational and strategic |
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rapid deduction of future trends on the basis of past trends, current events and 25-year insights |
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accurate assessment of company strategies, competitive moves, management strengths |
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hard-wired sense as to whether a strategy or product will succeed or not, why, and by when |
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clear, honest and targeted communication to management, investors and media* |
*(incl. numerous TV and radio appearances on CNBC Europe, Bloomberg TV, CASH TV, DRS etc. Click on 'Media Library' below)
INSIGHTS
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management, strategies and cultures of the key global players |
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strategies and challenges of the above-mentioned industries, e.g. private label; hard discount |
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consumer trends of these markets, e.g. premium; organic; health, wellness & nutrition |
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mentality, modus operandi and needs of the global financial community, esp. food and consumer equities |
LOCATION
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limitless in principle: prepared to travel for limited periods to any country from Switzerland base |
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preferred from a distance perspective: Western and Central Europe |
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ideal from a language perspective: UK, Switzerland, Germany, France, Austria, Belgium |