Building consumer brands — and the operating systems that make them work — for thirty years.
From Dixie and Sparkle at Georgia-Pacific to a $2B global tissue portfolio at Essity, then twelve years building TABS Analytics through two acquisitions and its sale to TELUS. Now an independent advisor and angel investor based in Asheville.
Three problems I help solve
"We have a great product but the brand doesn't have a clear point of view."
Most brands die from positioning drift, not product failure. I work through consumer insight, competitive context, and category structure to find the position your brand can own — and the proof points that make it real on shelf.
"Our category is consolidating around us and we're losing relevance."
When categories shift, the brands that survive are the ones that see the shift coming and reposition deliberately. I've redesigned portfolios at $2B+ global scale and brand-by-brand at Georgia-Pacific. The work isn't glamorous, but it's how brands stay on shelves for twenty years.
"We have the data but it's not telling us what to do."
Data alone doesn't generate strategy. I spent the last twelve years building analytics and consulting practices for 100+ CPG manufacturers — translating harmonized consumer, retail, and shopper data into the decisions that actually move sales. AI is starting to make the biggest difference here, and it's where I'm spending the most time now.
Four acts of work
Building brands at consumer scale
Brand and senior brand manager at Georgia-Pacific, running Dixie Ultra paper plates, Sparkle paper towels, and Soft'n Gentle bath tissue. Earlier roles at Bristol-Myers Squibb on Excedrin and Henkel on Renuzit and Armour Star.
The positioning and innovation platforms I built then — Dixie's strength-and-reliability story, Sparkle's affordable all-around-the-house value — still anchor those brands on shelves today.
Architecting global portfolios
Brand Director for TENA North America, where I created the overnight segment that grew to 25% of NA sales in two years before scaling globally. Then Global Brand Director in Munich, leading a $2B branded tissue portfolio — Tempo, Plenty, Regio, Sorbent, Zewa, Edet, and the rest.
Consolidated 12 brands onto three global positioning platforms. Built an innovation pipeline that hit a 60%+ concept success rate against a 30% benchmark. Designed the brand-positioning methodology that became the standard across Essity's full ~$4B consumer portfolio.
Scaling analytics and consulting
VP and then General Manager at TABS Analytics, leading data harmonization, category management, RGM, and shopper analytics for 100+ CPG manufacturers — competing directly with NIQ, Circana, and Kantar. Full P&L for a 50-person group.
Carried the business continuously through two acquisitions (Blacksmith Applications in 2020; TELUS in 2021), grew it at a double-digit annual rate, and made the build-vs-buy call on an in-house AI capability that launched in 2026.
Independent practice
Asheville-based. Working with CPG operators and founders on brand positioning, category strategy, and go-to-market. Active angel investor in early-stage CPG. Selectively open to operating roles where the work is interesting and the team is sharp.
Georgia-Pacific · Essity · TABS Analytics · TELUS · Diageo · PepsiCo · Mark Anthony Brands · Nestlé · Colgate · William Grant · Bristol-Myers Squibb · Henkel · and 100+ other CPG manufacturers
He doesn't just understand the technology and how an organization can use them to accelerate its growth — he translates complex concepts into actionable insights that drive real business value for his customers.
Tom Hobart
VP, TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods
What's open to me now
A small advisory practice. Angel investing in CPG. The right operating role, if it appears.
I'm currently working with a small number of CPG companies and founders — advising on brand positioning, category strategy, and go-to-market. I'm also an active angel investor in early-stage CPG, mostly pre-seed through Series B.
I'm selectively open to operating roles in small-to-mid CPG — GM, brand leadership, category management, or similar — where the work is genuinely interesting and the team is sharp. Asheville-based, fully remote anywhere.
Asheville, North Carolina