Industry: Retail

Stephen Blunck

Senior Consultant, Maven Associates

VP, Serent Capital

Associate, Advent International

Senior Associate Consultant, Bain & Company

MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business

BS, Brigham Young University

Representative Projects

  • Developed and implemented procurement and cost reduction initiatives for multi-billion-dollar public retailer
  • Designed organizational growth strategy and decision-making framework for charter school network expanding across regions
  • Led the merger of two human capital management enterprises to consolidate market share and drive growth synergies
  • Created strategy to accelerate company growth for data center company
  • Implemented value creation initiatives for at-risk healthcare entity, including leadership build-out, growth strategy, and new geography expansion
  • Supported ed-tech company with merger integration, financial operations, capital structure, and tracking against key performance indicators
  • Negotiated with lenders to obtain ~$600M in financing to facilitate company recapitalization
  • Led due diligence workstreams for multiple potential private equity transactions, with combined enterprise value of ~$6B

Expertise

Industries

  • Business Services
  • Healthcare
  • Financial Services
  • Retail
  • Education
  • Technology & Software
  • Human Capital Management
  • Pharmaceuticals

Project Types

  • Growth Strategy
  • M&A Strategy
  • Finance
  • Profit Improvement
  • Organizational Design
  • Due Diligence

Representative Clients

Companies

  • JCPenney
  • Uplift Education
  • TalentWave
  • Professional Health
  • Care Network
  • KEV School Solutions
  • Data Center Co.
  • ATI Physical Therapy
  • InVentiv

PE Firms

  • Serent Capital
  • Advent International

VP Strategy, Blucora

AVP Corporate Strategy & Development, AT&T

Case Team Leader, Bain & Company

Ops Officer, U.S. Intel Community

MBA, Duke University

BS, Electrical Engineering, Missouri S&T University

Representative Projects

  • Planned and executed multiple domestic and international high-stakes telecommunications auctions with $18B+ acquisitions
  • Developed growth strategy for recently-acquired specialty insurance company resulting in customer acquisition of $30B anchor client
  • Led development of wealth management M&A growth strategy with $20B in asset growth potential
  • Established and led annual strategic planning process for Fortune 10 firm
  • Formed and led program management of new global joint venture for five major telecommunications firms achieving technical prototypes in 6 weeks
  • Established program management organization and governance committee for $81B in wireless radio spectrum assets
  • Conducted due diligence of $1.4B U.S. Government subsidy auction, identifying significant flaws in auction and program design, and advocating for change with FCC
  • Led due diligence team of new 5G technology and resulting deployment cost model
  • Managed creation of wealth management profit improvement plan with new pricing to realize $45M in incremental gross profit

Expertise

Industries

  • Financial Services
  • Military & Intelligence
  • Speciality Retail
  • Technology
  • Telecommunications

Expertise

  • Growth Strategy
  • Auction Planning & Execution
  • Strategic Planning & Program Management
  • Due Diligence
  • Profit Improvement

Representative Clients

Companies

  • AT&T
  • Blucora, Inc.
  • $10B Speciality Insurer
  • Fortune 10 Financial Services Firm
  • $15B speciality retailer
  • Top 5 private equity firm
  • Top 20 private equity firm
  • U.S. Intelligence Community Agency

Founder, Viking Vision Consulting

Global Strategy Director, AB InBev

Strategy Director, Mattel

Strategy Senior Manager, Mars, Inc.

Consultant, Bain & Company

MBA, Columbia Business School

BS, Mathematics, The University of Texas at Austin

BA, Economics, The University of Texas at Austin

Representative Projects

  • Developed a multi-year regression-based forecast and conducted portfolio analysis to identify growth and margin improvement opportunities for a ~$350M consumer durables business
  • Defined and developed the data and analytics service portfolio and supported the Tableau implementation for the largest public healthcare system in the United States
  • Developed investor pitch deck for the cosmetics division carve-out of a $600M+ consumer products business
  • Led development of the 5-year strategic plan for the Asia Pacific unit of a $4B+ global consumer products company
  • At AB InBev, created 10-year total forecast and scenario development tool to support long-range strategic planning and CAPEX investment prioritization
  • At Mattel, led diligence and post-acquisition integration efforts of a children’s tablet and software manufacturer

Expertise

Industries

  • Consumer Products
  • Media & Entertainment
  • Packaged Food & Beverage
  • Restaurants
  • Retail
  • Toys & Games

Project Types

  • Growth Strategy
  • Profit Improvement
  • Marketing
  • Analytics

Representative Clients

Companies

  • $350M+ privately held emergency vehicle lighting company
  • $600M+ consumer products company
  • $48M+ global consumer products company
  • NYC Health & Hospitals

Advisor, Redstone Road LLC

Executive, Palantir Technologies

Founder, Pure Growth Partners

Principal, Bain & Company

MBA, Wharton School of Business

BA, Economics, Princeton University

Representative Projects

  • Transformed of one of America’s leading luxury brands, resulting in 25% profit uplift, 4x EBITDA increase, and 70% reduction in outstanding debt
  • Drove digital transformation of portfolio of media brands, driving >$20MM savings by integrating edit teams, developing new digital products, transforming customer acquisition, and eliminating under-performing publications
  • Conducted 30 diligences across multiple industries, ranging from 2 weeks <$100MM to multi-month, multi-billion dollar highly complex acquisitions
  • Led diligence process for the Singapore Ministry of Finance to select a best-qualified developer to build the world’s largest casino resort
  • Led successful bid for large regional payments processing system, including developing proprietary forecasts for evolution of credit and debit markets, and extensive diligence of legacy internal IT systems
  • Developed 100-day plan for successful post-merger integration of two, multi-site heavy industrial manufacturers
  • Created new opportunity screen for one of the nation’s leading CPG manufacturers
  • Created, launched, and marketed celebrity-backed beverage, from initial concept through formulation, testing, and successful distribution in 40k doors

Expertise

Industries

  • Media
  • Technology
  • Luxury
  • Consumer Products
  • Retail
  • Data & Analytics
  • Payments
  • Financial Services Technology (Fintech)

Project Types

  • Growth Strategy
  • M&A Strategy
  • Marketing
  • Business Development
  • Organizational Design
  • Due Diligence

Representative Clients

Companies

  • Meredith Company
  • Mack Weldon
  • David Webb
  • Conde Nast
  • Anomaly Corporation
  • American Kennel Club
  • Dresser-Rand
  • Vocativ
  • MTV Viacom
  • NASDAQ
  • SourceMedia

Companies

  • Blackstone Group
  • Bain Capital
  • Advent International
  • Warburg Pincus
  • Silver Lake

Founder, Miami Strategica LLC

Partner, GoGlobal Advisors

Founder & President, The Engaged Minds Factory

SVP, Sales and Strategy, Jenzabar

Principal, Hamilton Boston LLP

Senior Manager, EY Corporate Finance

Manager, Bain & Company

Engineer, IBM

MBA, INSEAD

MS, Mechanical Engineering, Technical University Munich

Visiting Scientist, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Representative Projects

  • Led the post-merger integration of two information services companies with 300 FTEs
  • Developed a turn-around strategy for a big box retailer in Chapter 11
  • Led the org design and process design for a green field company launched to provide closed-loop payment solution to the U.S. government
  • Led the ramp-up of a near-shored Shared Services Center consolidating 20 payment processing operations around the globe for a global energy company
  • Led the Agile transformation of a global software company
  • Led the post merger integration of the dispersed IT groups of an acquisitive global company into a coherent organization, provided strategic talent management support to lay foundation for a cloud migration
  • Built the valuation model for the acquisition of a container manufacturer for a strategic buyer
  • Led the development of an operational strategy for an LTL road hauler
  • Developed a go-to-market strategy with individual sales goals for the tax division of a Big 4 company with >1000 partners and principals
  • Led the post merger integration of a PE sponsored roll-up of 5 ERP software companies

Expertise

Industries

  • Consumer Products
  • Financial Services
  • Manufacturing
  • Retail
  • Software
  • Technology

Project Types

  • Strategy Development & Implementation
  • Performance Improvement
  • Sales and Sales Management
  • Organizational Design
  • Strategic Talent Management
  • Post-merger Integration

Representative Clients

Companies

  • Coca Cola
  • Ford
  • DHL
  • Compaq / HP
  • Sabre
  • World Fuel Services
  • Banco Santander
  • ThyssenKrupp
  • Caldor

PE Firms

  • TPG
  • Investcorp
  • Welsh Carson

Venture Partner, Praxis

CEO, Kammok

Lecturer, University of Texas

Consultant, IDEO

Consultant, Bain & Company

MBA, Stanford

MA Education, Stanford

BBA, Business Finance, University of Texas at Austin

WFR, National Outdoor Leadership School 

Representative Projects

  • Coached and advised executive team on organizational design and product development methodology
  • Led design for global network virtual convening; facilitated working sessions with stakeholders across several organizations and wrote proposal
  • Executed omni-channel retail strategy to grow revenues over 350%; grew direct-to-consumer sales while expanding retail footprint to several hundred doors across the U.S. and Canada
  • Designed and served as lead facilitator for a new career methodology and inaugural series of workshops delivered to over 400 participants 
  • Conducted six weeks of user research and workshops to inform service platform redesign for large US independent broker dealer
  • Led eight-person client team to design and launch change management plan for $12B aeronautics company transformation
  • Built strategic plan for youth services organization, enabling organization to increase placement capacity by over 40%

Expertise

Industries

  • Consumer Products
  • e-Commerce
  • Nonprofits
  • Retail

Project Types

  • Coaching and Facilitation
  • Design Thinking
  • Go-to-Market Strategy
  • Consumer Packaged Goods
  • e-Commerce
  • Organizational Design
  • Experience Design

Representative Clients

Companies

  • Ceresa
  • Capita 
  • Praxis
  • Kammok Gear
  • Stanford University
  • American Enterprise Institute
  • University of Texas
  • Openfields

Independent Consultant, Estee Lauder Companies and Macy’s

Director, What If Innovation

Principal, Bain & Company

Consultant, Bridgespan Group

MBA, Stanford Graduate School of Business

BA, Public Policy, Brown University

Representative Projects

  • Led development of a full potential growth strategy for ~$700M PE owned consumer products company to drive increased profitability 
  • Created global supply chain strategy for multi-branded clothing retailer 
  • Developed growth and channel strategy for a growing media business
  • Generated consumer insights for consumer health business in the pain category
  • Developed an innovation roadmap for <$100M PE-owned consumer products company to drive category expansion
  • Designed new salesforce strategy for a major pharmaceuticals company 
  • Created full potential growth strategy for the US division of a global HR services business 
  • Led implementation of a digitally-oriented customer loyalty strategy for retailer
  • Drove transformation program focused on organization, process, and technology for multi-branded beauty company 
  • Built an omnichannel growth strategy for department store chain 
  • Managed a successful post-merger integration effort within the research and advisory industry

Expertise

Industries

  • Advertising & Media
  • Consumer Products
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Retail
  • Technology

Project Types

  • Growth Strategy
  • Innovation
  • Transformation
  • Process Improvement
  • Organizational Design
  • Customer Loyalty

Representative Clients

Companies

  • Yankee Candle
  • ThinkThin 
  • Estee Lauder
  • Sanofi
  • HP
  • Warner Music Group
  • Macy’s
  • Liz Claiborne
  • Pfizer
  • Sirius Radio (pre XM merger)
  • Manhattan Mini Storage
  • Adecco Group

PE Firms

  • TSG Consumer
  • Madison Dearborn Partners
  • Worked in Bain’s Private Equity Group early in career

  • Founder, Wander New Mexico
  • Case Team Leader, Bain & Company
  • Associate, Good Harbor Consulting
  • Senior Consultant, Booz Allen Hamilton
  • BS, Economics, Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

Representative Projects

  • Developed a strategy to accelerate company growth and maximize exit valuation multiples for a ~$300M metal manufacturer
  • Developed a growth strategy for a ~$200M online consumer loan business
  • Created a roadmap for a ~$40M publisher to improve profitability and pursue new strategic growth opportunities
  • Developed a growth strategy for a hydraulic seal manufacturer
  • Developed a 5-year value creation plan for a ~$600M wine distributor in Canada post acquisition by a PE fund
  • Led team of big data analysts in customer churn root cause analysis for Fortune 500 SaaS business. Analyzed massive amounts of data from nine corporate databases to identify $30M in customer retention improvement opportunities.
  • Designed and implemented capital projects prioritization system for energy company, resulting in savings of $15 million
  • Re-engineered procurement processes for leading energy company, resulting in improved supplier relationship management and expenditure planning

Expertise

Industries

  • Aerospace/Defense
  • Consumer Products
  • Economic Development
  • Energy
  • Manufacturing
  • Public Sector
  • Retail
  • Technology
  • Tourism/Hospitality

Project Types

  • Growth Strategy
  • Profit Improvement
  • Marketing
  • Process Optimization
  • Organizational Design
  • NPS/Customer Insights

Representative Clients

Companies

  • Arterra Wines
  • PDC
  • Best Egg
  • Publishing Concepts
  • Fortune 50 IT hardware company
  • Fortune 100 software company
  • Gulf region National Oil Company

PE Firms

  • Ontario Teachers
  • Anchor Partners

  • CDO, LA Promise Fund
  • Manager, Mattel Corp. Strat.
  • Consultant, Bain & Company
  • Business Advisor, Peace Corps
  • Analyst, JP Morgan
  • MBA, Wharton, University of Pennsylvania
  • BA, Business Economics, Brown University

Representative Projects

  • Developed a three-year strategic plan for a financial services client (1.5 years+) with ~$45B in managed assets. Worked on product development, strategic planning, advisor productivity, Salesforce effectiveness, and organizational design engagements
  • Completed five acquisitions for a PE-backed industrial goods company. Identified targets in adjacent markets, led prospecting, and prepared investment memorandums 
  • Identified additional revenue opportunities for a leading ridesharing platform by assessing the market size of the music and sporting event industries
  • Led strategy and implementation of key organizational turnaround initiatives at LA’s largest charter (~$200M) network of 25 schools 
  • Analyzed and prioritized 50+ R&D investments for a ~$64B beverage company 
  • Conducted due diligence for an automobile manufacturer acquiring a large RV competitor. Acquisition was the largest transaction in the company’s history
  • Analyzed competitors and industry trends to create a competitive intelligence report for a leading cruise company

Expertise

Industries

  • Automotive
  • Consumer Products
  • Financial Services
  • Food and Beverage
  • Industrials
  • Nonprofits
  • Private Equity
  • Retail
  • Tourism/Hospitality
  • Transportation Services

Project Types

  • Growth Strategy
  • M&A Strategy
  • Market Intelligence
  • GTM Strategy
  • Organizational Design
  • Due Diligence

Representative Clients

  • Alliance College-Ready Public Schools
  • AlphaSights
  • Aramsco
  • Ares
  • Authen Activewear
  • Avantax Wealth Management
  • ChromoLogic
  • Financial Recovery Technologies
  • Pepsi
  • Singer
  • Uber
  • Viking Cruises
  • Winnebago

  • COO, J&S Audio Visual
  • VP, Apple Leisure Group
  • Principal, Plutus Capital
  • Principal, SunTx Partners
  • Consultant, Bain & Company
  • J.D. University of Virginia Law School with emphasis on M&A
  • B.S., B.A. Southern Methodist University Dallas

Representative Projects

  • Developed cost reduction initiative for large public property management company based in Toronto/New York.  Led business process outsourcing plan for several back-office functions including HR, Payroll, F&A, Call Center.
  • Consolidated back-offices functions of three PE-backed travel companies and 10 different business departments including Operations, Call Center Customer Service, F&A, Rate Loading saving $6mm annually.  
  • Oversaw divestment of large $250M E-commerce business for a PE backed company which included winding down operations and data-centers.
  • COO of $100M+ PE-backed hotel services business encompassing 400+ employees.  Oversaw FP&A and all aspects of Operations. Created Key Performance Indicators, vision, and strategy for group.
  • Created continuous improvement office which identified bottlenecks in a $1B+ Canadian copper mining operation,  increasing production by 18%.
  • Developed outsourcing plan for large software application company identifying over $20M in annual savings.
  • Created Centralized Procurement office for major aero-space defense contractor which consolidated purchasing efforts with company’s largest suppliers saving 12%.

Expertise

Industries

  • Airline
  • Business Services
  • Defense
  • Mining
  • Private Equity
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Technology
  • Tourism/Hospitality
  • Transportation Services

Project Types

  • SG&A Reduction
  • BPO
  • Operations Optimization
  • KPI Dashboards
  • Business Process Transformation
  • M&A Assessment/PMI
  • PMO

Representative Clients

Companies

  • Brookfield Properties
  • Apple Leisure Group
  • Woolworths (Australia)
  • Ned Bank (South Africa)
  • Teck Industries (Canada)
  • Sabre Group
  • Rio-Tinto (Australia)
  • Expedia/Travelocity
  • Freeman Industries
  • United Airlines
  • Lockheed-Martin

PE Firms

  • Plutus Capital
  • SunTx Capital