Meet Our Team

President

Paul Norman

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Global consumer products leader with over 30 years of experience creating brand and shareholder value
2. Former President of Kellogg international and was responsible for $9BN P&L when retiring there 3 years ago. 
3. Board member at Jones Soda Company (OTC: JSDA), PureK Holdings (TSX-V: PKAN) and Hearthside Food Solutions

Paul Norman has served as our President since February 2021. Mr. Norman is a global consumer products leader with over 30 years of experience creating brand and shareholder value. He currently serves on the boards of directors of Hearthside Food Solutions, a contract food manufacturer, Jones Soda Company (OTC:JSDA), a beverage company, and PureK Holdings (TSX-V: PKAN), a CBD retail products company. From 2019 to 2020, he served as chairman and CEO of HeavenlyRx, a privately held CBD wellness company. Prior to HeavenlyRx, Mr. Norman spent three decades at Kellogg, the $11 billion multinational food-manufacturing company, where his tenure was defined by transformation, profitable growth and shareholder value creation through strategic portfolio management, innovation and diverse talent development and leadership. He has deep experience in building brands while successfully navigating complex regulatory environments where challenges around marketing and nutrition/ ingredient labeling restrictions are constantly evolving. As president of Kellogg’s $9 billion North American business from 2015 to 2018, Mr. Norman led initiatives such as the exit of Direct Store Delivery, which transformed US Snacks to a warehouse pull model. He was instrumental in accelerating mergers and acquisitions activity at Kellogg, including Kellogg’s acquisition of RX bar in 2017 for $600 million. In his role, Mr. Norman interacted regularly with the Kellogg board of directors, attending all board meetings and collaborating closely with several sub-committees. He also participated in analyst and investor calls for the company. Prior to serving as president of Kellogg’s North American business in 2015, Mr. Norman served as the company’s chief growth officer from 2013 to 2015, where he developed the Kellogg global category operating model. In that role, he focused on long-term innovation, building sales and marketing capability, and long-term strategy for the company’s breakfast and snacks categories. Concurrent with the chief growth officer role, Mr. Norman served as interim president of the U.S. Morning Foods business, which generated approximately $3 billion in revenues. In 2008, he was promoted to president of Kellogg International, where he built a team and platform to support international growth, a key pillar of the company’s growth plan. As part of that team, Mr. Norman helped to facilitate the acquisition of Pringles® in 2012, which was key to the company’s plans for global expansion and growth. In 2012, he led the integration of Pringles® and the restructuring of Kellogg’s European business to implement the new “Wired to Win” operating model, which resulted in significantly improved European top and bottom-line performance. From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Norman led U.S. Morning Foods, which included cereal, PopTarts^®, the Kashi Company, and the frozen foods division, to five years of sequential profitable sales and share growth. He was named managing director of Kellogg’s U.K./ Republic of Ireland business in 2002, where he successfully led a turnaround in sales performance and helped to grow the company’s cereal market share for the first time in 11 years. In 2000, Mr. Norman became president of Kellogg Canada Inc. and from 1989 to 2000, he held progressively more senior marketing roles at U.S. Morning Foods across France, Canada, Latin America and the U.S. In addition to his time at Kellogg, from 2016 to 2018 Mr. Norman served as a member of the Grocery Manufacturers Association board of directors, where he served on the executive committee. He also served as a Trustee of the Food Marketing Institute Foundation board, from 2016 to 2018. Mr. Norman received a bachelor’s degree with honors in French from Portsmouth Polytechnic.

Co-CEO

Jonah Raskas

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Managed several business lines for GSK Consumer Healthcare which are all valued in excess of $100MM. Led all e-commerce and digital for the first RX to OTC switch in the pain category in 20+ years.  
2. Over $100MM in capital markets experience from his time spent at Rodman and Renshaw Global Investment Bank which was previously #1 ranked for pipes on Wall Street. 
3. Previous work experience at The White House where he worked in the SpeechWriting office performing research and fact checking for the President’s and Vice President’s speeches. 

Jonah Raskas, started off his career working in the White House in the Speechwriting Office for President George W. Bush.  There, he had a focus on market research and fact checking for all speeches that were written for President Bush and Vice President Cheney.  This experience and expertise of market research was critical as he moved onto work in capital markets at Rodman and Renshaw, a mid tier investment bank which was previously ranked #1 for PIPE offerings on wall street.  There, he raised over $100MM in capital raises with a focus on IPO’s and Secondary offerings.  Through this experience, Jonah has a deep understanding of which companies are best suited for the capital markets and how to generate investor enthusiasm in the public markets.  Currently, Jonah works in the consumer industry at GlaxoSmithKline and has led several business lines for the company.  All business lines he has led are in excess of $100MM in value.  At GSK, Jonah has had a core focus on digital, e-commerce, P&L management, and strategy.  Most recently, he led all e-commerce and digital for the first RX to OTC in the pain category in 20+ years.  There are only on average 1-2 RX switches in the consumer industry and Jonah led one of them in 2020.  Jonah will be leveraging his extensive network in the capital markets industry and consumer industry in order to source companies for acquisition.  In addition to all of his work experience, Jonah also graduated summa cum laude with a MBA from the Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University with a focus on Accounting and Marketing. 

Co-CEO

Mark Grundman

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Majority of career spent at GAMCO Investors (NYSE: GBL) focusing on special situation investing, including Merger Arbitrage, Spinoffs, SPACs, liquidations, and other arbitrage opportunities.
2. At GAMCO, was responsible for presenting and reviewing the portfolio strategy and performance to the board of directors and major investors of GAMCO’s publicly traded mutual funds as well as the separately managed accounts and sub-accounts of the firm. 
3. In early 2020, he established his own firm, MJG Partners, LLC, which focuses on small business investing and investment advising. 
4. Mark brings direct experience within a range of businesses, such as helipads, chemical plants, packaged consumer goods, and janitorial services. 

​​Mark Grundman has served as our Co-Chief Executive Officer and a member of our board of directors since January 2021. Mr. Grundman brings direct experience within a range of businesses, such as helipads, chemical plants, packaged consumer goods, and janitorial services. In early 2020, he established his own firm, MJG Partners, LLC, which focuses on small business investing and investment advising. From 2018 to 2019, he served as president of VPG International, LLC, a newly acquired framed art business within a portfolio of investor-owned companies. From 2006 to 2016, Mr. Grundman worked at GAMCO Investors, Inc. (NYSE: GBL), a leading institutional asset management firm. From 2013 to 2014, he took a leave of absence to attend Columbia Business School, where he received his MBA. After graduating from Columbia, he rejoined the company to focus on building out a sell-side special situations department. During his tenure at GAMCO, Mr. Grundman held various roles including trading desk analyst, focusing on special situation investing, including merger arbitrage, spinoffs, special purpose acquisition companies, liquidations, and other arbitrage opportunities, ultimately reporting directly to Mario Gabelli, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of GAMCO. In addition to his investing focus, Mr. Grundman was responsible for presenting and reviewing the portfolio strategy and performance to the board of directors and major investors of GAMCO’s publicly traded mutual funds as well as the separately managed accounts and sub-accounts of the firm. Mr. Grundman brings a unique and valuable perspective to our strategic approach, in terms of public market reception, operational excellence, and sustainability.

CFO

Steve Katchur

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Former Chief Financial Officer of Wolfacre Global Management LLC and later for North Oak Capital Advisors LLC, both investment managers affiliated with Tiger Management LP
2. Chief Financial Officer of Advanced Merger Partners, Inc., a special purpose acquisition corporation, since January 2021.
3. President of Blue Ribbon CFOs, a Delaware Limited Liability Company providing outsourced CFO solutions and business consulting since 2019

Stephen Katchur has served as our Chief Financial Officer since March 2021. Mr. Katchur has also served as President of Blue Ribbon CFOs, a Delaware Limited Liability Company providing outsourced CFO solutions and business consulting since 2019. Mr. Katchur has also served as Chief Financial Officer of Advanced Merger Partners, Inc., a special purpose acquisition corporation, since January 2021. Previously, Mr. Katchur was Chief Financial Officer and Chief Compliance Officer for Land & Buildings Investment Management LLC, an activist real estate-focused manager where he was responsible for all non-investment operations including, accounting, finance, investor relations, marketing, and regulatory compliance. From 2011 to 2014, Mr. Katchur was Chief Financial Officer of Wolfacre Global Management LLC and later for North Oak Capital Advisors LLC, both investment managers affiliated with Tiger Management LP. In these positions, Mr. Katchur oversaw all day-to-day non-investment functions. Mr. Katchur began his career in Hedge Fund Administration where he was led teams supporting several large investment managers. Mr. Katchur holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from the University of Central Florida and an MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business with specializations in Finance and Financial Instruments & Markets.

Chairman of the Board of Directors

Victor Herrero

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Former CEO and director of Guess Inc., which is principally engaged in designing, marketing, distributing and licensing a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, denim, handbags, watches, footwear and other related consumer products around the world. 
2. Former Head of Asia Pacific and managing director of Greater China of Industria de Diseño Textil, S.A. (Inditex Group), an international fashion retailer with brands including Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka and Stradivarius. 
3. Board member of Global Fashion Group S.A., (e-commerce fashion site operator and owner of Zalora and The Iconic among others, the shares of which are listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange), G-III Apparel Group, Ltd (U.S. manufacturer and distributor operating through a portfolio of brands, the shares of which are listed on NASDAQ: GIII) and Gruppo Coppel (Mexican consumer finance and retail conglomerate) and Clarks (British based international shoe manufacturer and retailer)

Victor Herrero will serve as the chairman of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Herrero has extensive experience in corporate management and business operations in the consumables industry. From 2015 to 2019, Mr. Herrero served as the chief executive officer and director of Guess Inc., which is principally engaged in designing, marketing, distributing and licensing a lifestyle collection of contemporary apparel, denim, handbags, watches, footwear and other related consumer products around the world. Prior to joining Guess Inc., Mr. Herrero served as the head of Asia Pacific and managing director of Greater China of Industria de Diseño Textil, S.A. (Inditex Group), an international fashion retailer with brands including Zara, Massimo Dutti, Pull & Bear, Bershka and Stradivarius. In addition to Active International, Mr. Herrero is a board member of Global Fashion Group S.A., (e-commerce fashion site operator and owner of Zalora and The Iconic among others, the shares of which are listed on the Frankfurt stock exchange), G-III Apparel Group, Ltd (U.S. manufacturer and distributor operating through a portfolio of brands, the shares of which are listed on NASDAQ) and Gruppo Coppel (Mexican consumer finance and retail conglomerate) and Clarks (British based international shoe manufacturer and retailer). Mr. Herrero graduated with a Master of Business Administration from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from ESCP Europe in Paris, France in 1992 and a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Zaragoza in Spain in 1993. He was also awarded “Best CEO in the Sustainable Apparel Industry” in 2018 by European CEO Magazine.

Global Consumer Leadership

Gary Tickle

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. 30 years of global experience successfully driving growth and transformation in consumer packaged goods, or CPG, businesses. 
2. Former CEO Hain Celestial North America, a NASDAQ-listed (HAIN) natural and organic food company.
3. Former president and chief executive officer of Nestle Nutrition North America. 
4. In January 2021, Mr. Tickle joined Sustainable Beverage Technologies (SBT) as its Global CEO

Gary Tickle will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Tickle is an industry leader with 30 years of global experience successfully driving growth and transformation in consumer packaged goods, or CPG, businesses. He held leadership roles across various functions including supply chain, manufacturing, finance, sales and marketing. Mr. Tickle has had twenty years of c-suite responsibility, including turnaround assignments, innovation and global strategy development, particularly focused on nutrition, health and wellness. His broad category experience includes coffee, confectionery, snacks, dairy, infant nutrition, milk modifiers, cereals, foodservice, personal care, tea, soups and cooking aids. In January 2021, Mr. Tickle joined Sustainable Beverage Technologies (SBT) as its Global CEO. From 2019 to 2020, Mr. Tickle served as chief executive officer at Shiftlineup, a software as a service human capital management company. From 2016 to 2019 Mr. Tickle was the chief executive officer of Hain Celestial North America, a NASDAQ-listed natural and organic food company. Prior to that, he had an extensive international career with Nestle spanning over 25 years, starting in 1987. Mr. Tickle was the global strategic business unit head of infant nutrition where led the successful global acquisition and integration of Wyeth Nutrition, before coming to the United States to serve as president and chief executive officer of Nestle Nutrition North America. Mr. Tickle was also regional business head of South Asia, based in New Delhi, India, and chief executive officer of Nestle New Zealand for five years. He has held a number of industry leadership roles, including chairman of the infant Nutrition Council of America and vice chairman of the Food and Grocery Council in New Zealand. He also served as a Board Member of Buckley Country Day School in New York and today is an external advisor on the AT Kearney Consumer Industries and Retail Panel. Mr. Tickle also serves as a mentor on the Denver Small Business Development Council. Mr. Tickle holds an MBA with Distinction from Deakin University in Australia, a Bachelor of Business in Operations Management/Human Resource Management and Post Graduate Degree in Finance.

Retail Expert and Former Top Ranked Financial Analyst

Deborah Weinswig

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. CEO and founder of Coresight Research, or Coresight, an international research and advisory firm that focuses on the intersection of retail and technology. 
2. Board of directors for Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES), Kiabi, and Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:XELB)
3. Former head of the global staples and consumer discretionary team at Citi Research, as well as senior research positions at Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley. 

Deborah Weinswig will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Since February 2018, Ms. Weinswig has served as the chief executive officer and founder of Coresight Research, or Coresight, an international research and advisory firm that focuses on the intersection of retail and technology. Coresight’s areas of expertise include global cross-border ecommerce, startup innovation, emerging markets, digital transformation, and all things consumer. In addition, since October 2018, she has served on the board of directors for Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES), Kiabi, and Xcel Brands, Inc. (NASDAQ:XELB). From 2014 to early 2018, Ms. Weinswig served as the founding Managing Director of Fung Global Retail and Technology, the research arm and Think Tank for The Fung Group, a leading trading and supply chain management company based in Hong Kong. In this role, she helped identify early-stage companies to partner with The Fung Group, played a key role in opening The Explorium Innovation Lab, an innovation hub focused on the global supply chain, and helped build an entire research platform from production to publication. Ms. Weinswig’s deep understanding of global retail and emerging technology trends was developed through her extensive banking career, which included 12 years as head of the global staples and consumer discretionary team at Citi Research, as well as senior research positions at Bear Stearns and Morgan Stanley. She sits on the boards of directors for philanthropic organizations including Goodwill Industries New York/New Jersey, and in 2020 she founded RetailersUnited, a nonprofit dedicated to small- to mid-size enterprise retailers and fashion brands impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Ms. Weinswig is a certified public accountant and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Retail Leadership

Jason Reiser

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Former EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer for Dollar General. 
2. Former COO at Vitamine Shoppe 
3. Former board member at SlimFast 
4. Since March 2021, President at Market Performance Group, an innovative consulting and sales management services company that specializes in helping manufacturers and retailers define a better path forward to accelerate growth and profitability

Jason Reiser has over 35 years of retail and health care experience, most recently serving as the EVP, Chief Merchandising Officer for Dollar General with responsibility for Merchandising, Marketing, Digital Tools, Sourcing and In-Store Experience.  

Jason began his retail career working as a teenager in his family owned pharmacy which inspired him to become a Registered Pharmacist, graduating from Northeastern University in 1993. His dynamic experience spans Operations, Government Relations, Compliance, Merchandising, Global Sourcing and Digital Tools across multiple channels including Mass (Walmart), Value (Family Dollar and Dollar General), and Specialty (Vitamin Shoppe).

M&A/Deal Experience

M. Carl Johnson III

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Current Chairman of the board at Nautilus (NYSE: NLS).  
2. Former executive vice president/brands and chief growth officer of Del Monte Foods. 
3. Former chief growth officer and executive vice president, marketing, for Big Heart Pet Brands. 
4. Former Senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Campbell Soup Company. 

M. Carl Johnson, III, will serve as a member of our board of directors upon the effective date of the registration statement of which this prospectus forms a part. Mr. Johnson is currently Chairman of the Board of Nautilus, Inc. (NYSE:NLS), a fitness solutions company, and has served in this capacity since 2010. He also served as interim chief executive officer of Nautilus from March 2019  through July 2019. From 2011 to 2015, he served as group executive vice president/brands and chief growth officer of Del Monte Foods (2011-2014) and chief growth officer and executive vice president, marketing, for Big Heart Pet Brands, the successor company to Del Monte Foods (2014- 2015), and senior advisor, J. M. Smucker Co., following its acquisition of Big Heart Pet Brands (2015). From 2001 to 2011, Mr. Johnson served as senior vice president and chief strategy officer for Campbell Soup Company.  From 1992-2001, he served in various roles at Kraft Food Group, Inc.:  Vice President, Strategy, Kraft USA (1992-93); EVP & General Manager, Specialty Products Division, Kraft USA (1993-94); EVP & General Manager, Meals Division, Kraft Foods, N.A.; EVP & President, New Meals Division, Kraft Foods, N.A. (1997-2001).  Prior to that, Mr. Johnson held roles at Marketing Corp. of America, Polaroid Corp., and Colgate-Palmolive. Mr. Johnson, brings a broad set of skills to our board of directors, which he developed through helping lead, iconic American companies such as Campbell Soup Company, Kraft, Polaroid, Colgate-Palmolive, managing multi-billion dollar businesses, and serving on c-suite leadership teams.

Branding and Consumer Insight Expert

Deb Benovitz

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

1. Deb has more than 30 years of consumer experience in leading consumer-focused companies
2. She sits on the Executive Committee at WW, formerly known as Weight Watchers, reporting into the CEO. In her role, she manages the global Consumer Insights department, and is spearheading WW’s dream of democratizing wellness and making it accessible to all. 
3. Former Vice President of Global Consumer Insights at Pepsico where she led their cutting-edge, future-focused Insights department serving 30 markets around the world. 
4. Her particular area of expertise is in brand transformation. She has played a key role in the transformation of major brands such as LEGO, Dove (via the Campaign for Real Beauty) and Pepsi. 

Deb Benovitz is Senior Vice President, Global Marketing/Competitive Intelligence and Human Truths for WW (formerly Weight Watchers). She sits on the Executive Committee at WW, reporting in to the CEO. In her role, she manages the global Consumer Insights department, and is spearheading WW’s dream of democratizing wellness and making it accessible to all. As Human Truths and Competitive Intelligence lead, Deb delivers strategic consumer insights to drive business growth. Deb has more than 30 years of consumer experience in leading consumer-focused companies. Her particular area of expertise is in brand transformation. She has played a key role in the transformation of major brands such as LEGO, Dove (via the Campaign for Real Beauty) and Pepsi. Prior to joining WW, she was Vice President of Global Consumer Insights at Pepsico where she led their cutting-edge, future-focused Insights department serving 30 markets around the world. Deb has extensive experience in brand, consumer, competitive intelligence, shopper and tech user experience research among adults and children, including; innovation, trend tracking, new product and concept research, advertising assessment, segmentation research, brand equity and tracking research, usage and attitude work, needs identification, consumer journey mapping, creative insight generation, and analytics.   In her capacity as SVP of Human Truths, Deb is responsible for ensuring that all innovation, brand, science and tech design work, begins with a consumer need, and stays true to the consumer throughout the process. Deb led WW’s wellness agenda and was part of a small team that crafted the company’s Wellness Vision and Mission. In keeping with Deb’s deep passion for the consumer, the WW wellness roadmap was driven by deep human insights around the need to make wellness accessible to all.