Professional Overview

Michael Kipp

Professional Overview

A global executive with a track record of transforming vision and strategy into action and bottom line results. An operational and financial strategist. Fortune 500

background. M&A experience. Success in multiple industries. Polished communicator. A winning team builder. Top-flight problem-solver and decision-maker.

Career at a Glance Overview

Mu

ltit

ale

nte

d e

xecu

tive

wit

h t

ole

ran

ce f

or

up

hea

val

• Global Executive Driving Business Development and Profitable Growth − Converting unstructured goals and visions into clear, executable and measurable strategy − Drawing organizational consensus where there was none − Implementing plans − Driving sustained profitable growth

• Financial Pedigree with an Operational Focus − Co-founder, EVP REV Automotive Group − President Strategic Advisory Services − SVP, Chief Financial Officer Swisher Hygiene Inc. − President and CFO SUSS MicroTec − VP, Corporate Controller ANC Rental Corporation − VP, Finance AutoNation − VP, Financial Planning Blockbuster Entertainment − Director, Corporate Accounting Encore Computer Corporation

• Multiple Industry Experience

− High Technology Hardware, Software management − Capital Equipment Highly engineered semiconductor equipment − Manufacturing High Tech, Capital Equipment, Paper products − Consulting Organizational strategy, Forecasting, Business development, Start-up management − Business Services Commercial hygiene − Retail Video, Music, Automotive

Mu

lti-

tale

nte

d E

xecu

tive

wit

h a

To

lera

nce

fo

r U

ph

eava

l

Contact: Michael Kipp • [email protected] • (802) 578-9008

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Ye

ars

Exp

eri

en

ce

Capabilities Profile

mailto:[email protected]

Career at a Glance Bottom Line Contributions

• Managed businesses through periods of significant upheaval/change, driving strategy, seizing market opportunities, recruiting teams and achieving sustainable/profitable growth

• Co-founder of REV Automotive Group launching the next generation pre-owned automotive retail operating strategy

• Identified opportunity to enter the Wafer Bonder Market. Led the global launch of SUSS Microtec’s Wafer Bonder Group Defined the plan, built the organization. Achieved 40% market share in 3 years

• Identified opportunity to consolidate a niche semiconductor equipment market. Developed strategies. Won equity support.

• Authored/executed North American market turnaround plan for a leading global Photo Lithography business Drove revenue from $33 million to $78 million. Turned a $12 million loss into sustainable profit Restored employee morale

• CEO for early stage ventures Developed business plans, sales strategies and ‘go-to-market’ campaigns

• Led integration of some of the market’s most successful M&A programs 70+ Hygiene businesses at Swisher Hygiene 450+ Auto Retailers at AutoNation 2 -$1 billion car rental companies at ANC Rental

• Drove working capital programs at SUSS Micro Tec improving DSO by 50% and inventory turns by 35%

• Led cash management programs at ANC Rental generating $45 million in cash flow

• Built a shared services organization at a global business Improved customer service levels while saving $4 million

• Led IPO’s of ANC Rental Corp, Swisher Hygiene

Dri

ves

Sha

reh

old

er V

alu

e D

uri

ng

Per

iod

s o

f Si

gn

ific

an

t C

ha

ng

e



Career at a Glance Value Proposition

Mu

ltit

ale

nte

d e

xecu

tive

wit

h t

ole

ran

ce f

or

up

hea

val

• Broad-based, multi-industry global experience earned in some of the market’s most successful organizations

− Business strategy/execution- AutoNation, REV Automotive Group, ANC Rental, SUSS MicroTec

− Financial management- Blockbuster Entertainment, AutoNation, ANC Rental, Encore Computer

− Team building and organizational development- REV Automotive Group, ANC Rental, AutoNation, SUSS MicroTec, Swisher Hygiene

− Product lifecycle management- SUSS MicroTec, Encore Computer − Customer service and support- ANC Rental, SUSS MicroTec, Swisher Hygiene

• Focused and thoughtful leader through times of change

• Fact-based decision maker and problem solver

• Track record of building winning teams

• Technical excellence: GAAP, IFRS, Sarbanes Oxley, Corporate Governance, Multi-site and International Operations

• Financial discipline, operational excellence and personal accountability through planning, forecasting and measurement

Bes

t in

Cla

ss S

kills

Dev

elo

ped

wit

h In

du

stry

Lea

der

s



Career at a Glance Professional Toolbox

• Unwavering commitment to core beliefs

• Broad-based business experience Global business management/P&L responsibility Operational focus, collaborative style Financial excellence- P&L and cash flow management, GAAP, IFRS, SEC, SOX, Modeling, KPI analysis Having served in roles from President to CFO in a variety

of diverse situations, I understand the breadth of demands and challenges every team feels.

• Organizational excellence A team player that strives to eliminate silos My willingness to listen to all sides builds organizational

credibility and gives the team a sense of empowerment A history of successfully adapting organizations to new

situations…Industry to Industry and within a Companies as they evolve

A clear understanding of how to walk the fine line of fiduciary responsibilities –v- being an engaged business partner

• New England work ethic A ‘Roll-up the Sleeves’ leader with a record of success Focused, competitive, driven Knows the Vermont culture

• A win isn’t final and a loss isn’t fatal – Focus only on what is yet to be done

• You gotta wanta – No one can motivate you to excel like you can – Take full responsibility for your success

• Imagine – Don’t let your thinking be constrained – Don’t be afraid to chase the seemingly

impossible

• This is the most important quarter in the Company’s history – Always have a long term roadmap but know

the world measures you on what you do today.

Inte

gri

ty, P

rofe

ssio

na

lism

, Co

mm

itm

ent


Core Beliefs Professional Toolbox


Career at a Glance Core Competencies

Technical Excellence • Accounting- GAAP, SEC reporting, • Cost Accounting, SOX, IFRS • Business Modeling/Forecasting • Continual Improvement • Quality Management • Product Lifecycle Management

Financial Management • Public Company CFO • Financial/SEC Reporting • Monthly Closings/Audit relationships • KPI Analysis • Planning/Budgeting/Modeling • Tax/Treasury • Cash Flow /Working Capital Management • Great Plains/Oracle ERP’s • MS Office

Executive Management • Capital equipment/tech company President • Full P&L Responsibility • Global business management • Business Strategy • Product evangelist • Business Development • Manufacturing Operations • R&D/Product Development • Sales/Marketing management • IPO’s, M&A and Turnarounds • Change Management

Corporate Governance • Board of Directors • SEC compliance • Investor presentations • Due diligence • Remote site oversight

Executive Financial

Technical Corporate

Bre

ad

th o

f M

an

ag

emen

t Ex

per

ien

ce



Selected Case Studies SUSS MicroTec

• Formed a business strategy team staffed with ‘thought leaders’ from all levels of the organization and developed a turnaround plan. Presented the plan to the organization. Built consensus. Defined Key Performance Indicators. Decentralized management responsibility and assigned responsibility for the Plan’s execution. The Plan included initiatives to drive revenue, reduce expenses and optimize investment in working capital.

• Instituted measurement systems to monitor and provide timely feedback of progress toward goals. Championed quality management program achieving ISO certification.

• Launched Strategic Account Reviews engaging critical customers and suppliers in Senior Management reviews of each party’s plans, initiatives, and performance with particular focus on opportunities for future partnerships.

• Identified an opportunity to enter the Wafer Bonder market. Developed business plan. Won board approval. Developed leading edge product offering and launched business in under 1 year.

• Revenue grew from $33 million to $78 million. Reduced breakeven by 40% and achieved sustained profitability

• Working capital initiatives reduced DSO by 50% and inventory by 35% and improved product lead times by 4 to 6 weeks.

• Built a company mindset that there were only two jobs at SUSS….Sales and Sales Support.

• Won Supplier of the Year award from major U.S. semiconductor company.

• Wafer bonder business achieved market success and acceptance. In less than 3 years SUSS controlled 40% market share in 3 years.

• Rebuild the SUSS brand in North America – Shape an executable, sustainable long term strategy for market growth. – Regain confidence in the organization by effectively communicating the

Company vision to all stakeholders…..Customers, Suppliers, Board of Directors, and Organization, locally and company-wide.

– Build organizational consensus for the plan motivating team to action.

• Institutionalize a performance based environment. – Establish organizational consensus around operating goals, tactics and

key performance indicators. – Empower team to execute to plan ensuring resources , systems and

measurement tools were in place to measure progress on a timely basis. – Achieve committed operating goals. – Evangelize the power of a continual improvement culture as the means

to sustainable success.

• Build and empower a leadership team capable of consistently winning in the global marketplace. – Assess the capabilities of existing leadership team identifying and

resolving leadership gaps and weaknesses. – Continually assess leadership capabilities. Coach, train, and upgrade

skills and abilities at all levels of the organization.

• Revitalize the entrepreneurial spirit within the North American team. – Actively re-engage with our customers across all levels of the sales and

service organizations to identify new business opportunities – Build a Customer-centric mindset – Identify and capitalize on marketplace opportunities for new and

existing products.

A $

70

M g

lob

al h

igh

tec

h m

an

ufa

ctu

rer

of

pro

cess

an

d t

est

equ

ipm

ent

for

ma

rket

s su

ch a

s 3

D in

teg

rati

on

, wa

fer

leve

l p

ack

ag

ing

, MEM

S, n

an

ote

chn

olo

gy

an

d c

om

po

un

d s

emic

on

du

cto

r; 2

00

em

plo

yees

.


Primary Responsibilities Actions Taken

The Company had experienced a three year drop in revenue from $125 million to $33 million with a $12 million pre-tax loss. Customer confidence and organizational morale were at low points. I was engaged to introduce financial discipline and turn around this struggling business.

Situation Analysis

Successes Achieved


Selected Case Studies Swisher Hygiene, Inc.

• Recruited the organization needed to support the Company growth from $60 million to $300 million in revenue.

• Worked with operating management to define system planning, reporting and analytical needs to manage the business through an aggressive expansion initiative.

• Formed, led and coached a cross-functional business integration team responsible for integrating newly acquired businesses into the Swisher system.

• Built the core financial organization from a group of 3 to 25 employees during a high growth period. Institutionalized new functions including SEC reporting/compliance, Financial Planning, Tax and Shared Accounting Services.

• Elevated the financial organization from a reactive, back-office mentality to a proactive business partner.

• Integrated 70 businesses into the Swisher system in a 1 year period.

• As a key member of the Executive team, accountable for the overall financial management of the company with primary day-to-day responsibility for planning, implementing, managing and controlling all financial-related activities of the Company.

• Lead, coach, and develop a Financial organization capable of supporting the financial, reporting and analytical needs of a highly acquisitive company.

• Lead the integration of recently acquired businesses into the Corporate structure.

• Provide leadership in the development and evaluation of short and long-term strategic financial objectives.

• Establish credibility of the Finance group by providing timely and accurate analysis of budgets, financial trends and forecasts.

• Provide executive management with advice on the financial implications of business activities.

• Manage processes for financial forecasting, budgets and consolidation and reporting to the Company

• Provide recommendations to strategically enhance financial performance and business opportunities.

• Ensure that effective internal controls are in place and ensure compliance with GAAP and applicable federal, state and local regulatory laws and rules for financial and tax reporting.

A N

ASD

AQ

lis

ted

co

mp

an

y p

rovi

din

g e

ssen

tia

l hyg

ien

e a

nd

sa

nit

ati

on

so

luti

on

s to

cu

sto

mer

s th

rou

gh

ou

t N

ort

h A

mer

ica

a

nd

inte

rna

tio

na

lly t

hro

ug

h a

glo

ba

l net

wo

rk o

f co

mp

an

y-o

wn

ed o

per

ati

on

s, fr

an

chis

es a

nd

ma

ster

lice

nse

es.



The Company was a slow growth and privately-held business with plans to ‘go public’ and execute an aggressive M&A program but had limited financial systems and organizational depth to execute the mission. I was recruited by the Company’s largest shareholders to build the systems, processes and organizations required to support the mission.

Situation Analysis

Successes Achieved


Selected Case Studies ANC Rental Corporation

• Consolidated accounting operations into a shared organization leveraging the best in class practices of each organization.

• Instituted measurement systems to monitor and provide timely feedback of progress toward goals. Championed implementation of the Phillip Crosby Quality Management process.

• Brought organizational focus to cash management.

• Changed organizational focus from an inward looking point of view to a customer-focused viewpoint recognizing our value-add to the organization was not so much processing transactions as it is processing transaction in a way that provided meaningful information to the operating team.

• Department consolidation reduced headcount by 45 saving $4 million in operating budget.

• Working capital programs improving cash flow by $45 million.

• Spearheaded spin-off of this business as an independent public company. Created new entity’s business plan and completed SEC filings.

• Provided financial expertise for Chapter 11 filing and facilitated eventual sale of business to private equity group.

• As Chief Accounting Officer was responsible for development and management of all accounting and financial functions including timely closing of divisional and corporate accounting records, internal and external financial reporting, SEC compliance, financial planning and tax.

• Led the integration of stand-alone accounting organizations into a shared organization capable of supporting the needs of both car rental brands.

• Provided management with timely financial analysis and planning of business operations.

• Ensured the Company maintained adequate policies, procedures and a system of internal controls to ensure results with reported fairly and timely and Company asset were properly safeguarded.

A $

2.5

B c

ar

ren

tal b

usi

nes

s o

per

ati

ng

inte

rna

tio

nally

un

der

th

e N

ati

on

al,

Ala

mo

, an

d C

arT

emp

s b

ran

d n

am

es; 2

,00

0

emp

loye

es. E

xecu

tive

tea

m m

emb

er.



ANC was formed through the acquisition of Car Rental marketplace competitors Alamo Rent-a-Car and National Car Rental. While significant synergies were expected, operational, system and cultural obstacles limited the successful integration of the businesses and sustained profitability. I was appointed to co-lead renewed integration efforts with the Group’s President.

Situation Analysis

Successes Achieved


Other Career Experiences


Vice President, Finance at AutoNation, INC. $18B Fortune 100 Company focusing on automotive retail and car rental services; 10,000 employees. Managed $5M budget and 3 direct reports in 20-member organization. • Recruited to Develop Corporate Planning and Reporting Systems. Designed, developed and implemented corporate planning and management

reporting systems used to manage and control this automotive retail business. Created Hyperion-based systems to consolidate, report and forecast operations of 450 acquired businesses.

• Business Expansion. Member of the team leading rapid growth of company through successful acquisition and integration of 400+ automotive retail companies. In 18 months revenue grew from $100 million to $18 billion.

Vice President, Financial Planning & Reporting and Assistant Controller at Blockbuster Entertainment Group $4B global leisure entertainment rental and retail business with 5,000 stores worldwide; 15,000 employees. • Led day-to-day financial planning and reporting activities. Key resource for corporate financial management team. Managed $1M budget.

• Process Improvements. Initiated company financial planning and reporting process improving strategic decision making and safeguard company assets.

• Organizational Leadership. Influential in successful relocation of corporate headquarters from Ft. Lauderdale to Dallas.

EARLY CAREER ENCORE COMPUTER CORPORATION Director of Accounting • Director of Financial Planning & Analysis • Manager of Financial Planning GTE SERVICE CORPORATION Senior Auditor BOISE CASCADE CORPORATION Chief Accountant


My Vision

• I strive to achieve this vision by:

– Growing a company culture that believes there are only two jobs in any company; Sales and Sales Support and by embracing the view that if you aren’t selling to the customer you need to be doing your very best to support the sales efforts.

– By actively engaging customers in an on-going, proactive, and strategic discussion about the goals and objectives of each party. Openly and frankly discussing our respective performance against the commitments we have made to each other and jointly identifying strategies and tactics that we can employ to further strengthen our long term relationship.

– Delivering the right product, at the right price, on time, every time and to it’s defined requirements.

– Instilling the values of Continual Improvement and leading the quest towards Zero Defects knowing that quest never ends; it only enables you to raise the bar and the standards you set for yourself.

– By empowering all of my associates to make a difference by taking personal responsibility for the Company’s success. It should never be a lost fact that some of the most important impressions a customer makes about our Company are from the actions and interactions with teammates deep in the organization.

– By leveraging our technology and reputation in the market place to entrepreneurially seek new market opportunities and products for sustainable, profitable growth for the Company and its stakeholders.

– By recognizing the wealth of resources within the Company and actively collaborating with colleagues to identify and employ best practices across divisional boundaries.


A leader committed to earning customers for life and the undisputed reputation as a trusted partner.


Contact Information

Phone: (802) 578-9008

E-mail: [email protected]

Website: www.strategicadvisoryservice.com

Linked In: www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-kipp/6/591/441/ Skype: MJKIPP1

EDUCATION B.S. in Business Administration and Accounting STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK Phillip Crosby Quality College License: Uniform CPA Examination Professional Affiliations: Advisory Board member of SMARTvt Association for Corporate Growth Financial Executives Institute Financial Executive Networking Group

If Y

ou

Wa

nt

Mo

re I

nfo

rma

tio

n


http://www.strategicadvisoryservice.com/

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/michael-kipp/6/591/441/



Documents

Professional Overview