Conway MacKenzie, a leading management consulting and financial advisory firm, announced the launch of its Consumer Products Practice (CPP). This team will help clients capitalize on growth opportunities and navigate challenges while facing unprecedented disruption from e-commerce, demographics trends, regulatory uncertainty, and shifts in consumer-brand relationships.

Leading the practice is Michael Musso, Senior Managing Director, Conway MacKenzie Atlanta.  Musso has spent more than 30 years transforming and strengthening companies as a Chief Executive Officer, Operations Leader, and Financial and Restructuring Advisor. His experience, in addition to his roles as a turnaround advisor and hands-on operator, is rooted in working with large multinational brands while at Procter & Gamble, Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay.

Conway MacKenzie's CPP offers the unique capabilities and knowledge of a dedicated and experienced team with a diverse blend of restructuring and performance improvement experience.  The objective is to be an industry leading resource to help companies successfully manage change, create better outcomes for customers and build value for owners and investors.

"We are excited about the launch of Conway MacKenzie's Consumer Products Practice because it meets a growing and important need for an increasing number of companies, and we have put together an outstanding team to partner with them," said Donald S. MacKenzie, CEO, Conway MacKenzie. "Having a leader with Mike's Consumer Product Goods (CPG) experience is a big advantage for Conway MacKenzie in this industry. Beyond his decades of working in-house for blue chip CPG companies, Mike brings a practical approach to solving the complex challenges faced by many in this space. As a hands-on CEO for multiple companies, he understands first-hand how to navigate the complex Consumer Products Customer channels. He's also assembled a great team who work side-by-side with company executives on workable solutions that unlock growth with commercial and operational excellence." 

In today's e-commerce age, brand owners must rebuild their traditional operating models to drive innovation, increase market agility and implement new performance metrics that track the total customer experience. In response to demands of more digitally connected customers, they must meet consumer expectations for a transparent, authentic experience, going beyond a simple product transaction.

"The dramatic changes in how people purchase products and services, and what they expect from brands, have placed Consumer Products companies of all types and sizes at a crossroads," said Musso, a Senior Managing Director of Conway MacKenzie and the CPP Leader. "While brands face many ongoing and new commercial and operational challenges, at the same time they have greater ability to drive their success by strengthening operating performance and customer relationships through segmentation, innovation, strategic sourcing, data analytics, and more compelling brand experiences. Those outcomes of 'value creation' tie directly to the rationale for the team of consumer products experts we have put together."

Consumer Products Practice Team

Conway MacKenzie has assembled a CPP team with a track record of success in operational and financial improvement, implementing commercial growth strategies, establishing marketing and customer engagement programs, and building online sales channels and digital brand presence.  Its experience spans CPG, Consumer Services, Electronics, Restaurants, Food, Processing, Service and Manufacturing, Apparel, and Agriculture.

Joining Musso from Conway MacKenzie on the CPP team are Timothy Stallkamp, Senior Managing Director and Alpesh Amin, Managing Director, who each bring to the team more than 20 years of consumer products experience as restructuring advisors and interim managers for companies facing performance challenges.  The team is also augmented by Matt Mason, Managing Director and Real Estate Practice Leader.

Musso added: "What sets Conway MacKenzie's Consumer Products Practice apart is the unique team we have put together having had decades of diverse financial, operating, branding and e-commerce experience. Additionally, with the retail landscape in disarray, having a strong real estate team is critical to helping our clients navigate the many issues associated with declining traffic and footprint challenges. By providing practical solutions tailored to the unique challenges of each client, we help companies successfully manage the significant changes at hand."

The CPP also includes strategic operating partnerships with leading marketing, brand and e-commerce experts with decades of experience in the Consumer Products segment, including:

Melissa Burdick, President of Pacvue and an e-commerce thought leader and pioneer. Burdick spent more than 10 years at Amazon.com, helping to launch its Consumables, Prestige Beauty and Advertising businesses.  She helped shape the early strategy for the retail health and beauty businesses, having helped more than 300 CPG companies launch on the platform.

Lora DeVuono, Co-Founder and Principal of Inspira Marketing Partners, is a senior marketing leader with more than 30 years of brand-centric consumer marketing and advertising experience. DeVuono's long and successful career at PepsiCo included serving as Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing and Advertising at Frito-Lay, the No. 1 global snack maker.