Executive Resume
Michael J. Ferry
6600 Lockhart Lane Dublin, OH 43017
Phone: (614) 361-0571 Email: mjferry65@hotmail.com
Leadership Profile
Executive Leadership, P & L Management, Marketing Leadership, Product Innovation, Turnarounds,
Market Penetration, Strategic Planning & Vision, Acquisitions/Integration, Team Building
Motivating senior executive with a talent for driving accelerated growth and maximizing profitability in today’s
marketplace. Exceptional skills in strategic thinking, multifunctional leadership, innovation, and identification of
exploding market opportunities. Capable of achieving extraordinary turnaround performance and building a winning
organization, whether for an existing company owner or through its purchase. Proven ability to effectively launch
innovative solutions and turn around faltering company business units. Courageous business leader with excellent
insights on how to make the right decisions, at the right time, and for all the right reasons. Well-developed
interpersonal skills with exceptional ability to lead, motivate, and inspire cross-functional teams to meet and exceed
corporate objectives.
Professional Experience
Abbott Nutrition Division of Abbott Laboratories
Vice President and General Manager, Healthy Living Business Unit
Columbus, Ohio
2004 to 2008
Carried full P&L responsibility for this complex $850 million healthy living franchise—brands include Ensure,
Glucerna, Zone Perfect, and EAS sports nutrition. Provide leadership for more than 230 people in commercial
functions, along with matrix reporting relationships for product development and supply chain. Business revenue is
75 percent retail and 25 percent institutional. Based on performance, was given increased responsibility in 2005
with the acquisition of EAS, and in 2007 with leadership of the consumer products sales force for the division. See
the accomplishment summary entitled, “Turned Around a Declining Business to Drive Growth of $100 Million.”

Grew the Ensure franchise by $100 million, delivering four consecutive years of growth to reverse a multi-year
decline, as illustrated below. Repositioned the brand to attain relevancy with its target audience, upgraded
product and packaging, and drove share gains in institutional channels resulting in downstream retail growth.
Ensure Sales Turnaround
$450
$430
$410
Millions
$390
$370
Joined Company
$350
$330
$310
$290
$270
$250
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008

Delivered 21 percent profit growth in 2006, record revenue and profit in 2007, and exceeded the 2008 business
plan by $60 million in revenue and $22 million in profit.

Designed a strategy to build and leverage scale in the healthy living category by competing aggressively in four
of five market segments. Achieved market leadership with 31 percent share–more than 70 percent larger than
the closest competitor.

Led $320 million acquisition and integration of EAS Corporation to broaden the company’s portfolio.
Achieved number one sports nutrition market share in 2008 with 48 percent consumption growth. Eliminated
160 positions and relocated headquarters to Columbus, delivering $31 million in annual cost savings.

Strengthened marketing and R&D connection to improve innovation depth and breadth. Upgraded products
over a two-year time period that account for 80 percent of business unit sales.
Michael J. Ferry
Campbell Soup Company
VP Marketing, Red & White Condensed Eating Soups
Page 2
Camden, New Jersey
2001 to 2004
Recruited as senior director to lead the company’s flagship condensed soup business along with a portfolio of
smaller brands representing $700 million in total revenue. The CEO’s company transformation plan had as its top
priority the stabilization of the condensed soup line. Managed and coached a staff of ten professionals, and led a
multifunctional leadership team of nine, which included matrix-reporting relationships. Promoted from senior
director to vice president in two years based on improved business growth under my leadership. See the
accomplishment summary entitled, “Turned Around an American Icon Business from Long-Term Decline.”

Turned around the “red and white” condensed soup business that had been in decline since 1968 by achieving
consecutive years of strong revenue and profit growth, thus delivering on the CEO’s number one priority.

Increased focus on winning in store as a key growth strategy, leading to development of innovative gravity-fed
shelf set, which was installed in over 30,000 stores nationally.

Shifted strategic target to win in households with kids, resulting in the creation of a $15 million direct-to-kids
marketing effort, and renewed emphasis on developing new condensed products.

Identified a need to significantly upgrade product quality and convenience, and led plan implementation,
allowing for the first price increase on condensed soups in five years.

This was the only brand in category to improve brand perception among both adults and kids.

Created a strong team esprit de corps, resulting in employee engagement scores in the Gallup 93rd percentile.
Segway LLC
Vice President of Marketing
Manchester, New Hampshire
1999 to 2001
Joined this start-up operation as one of the original employees—the first marketing executive for this manufacturer
of an innovative new form of personal transportation, the Segway HT. Spearheaded the marketing function and
served on the executive leadership team. Built an outstanding marketing team from the ground up, including
cultivating relationships with first-tier agency partners in market research, public relations, brand identity, and legal
firms. Created the brand essence, visual identity, and brand standards to ensure consistency.

Key participant in investor presentations that resulted in securing $96 million in capital from several high
profile investors including Kleiner Perkins and CSFB Private Equity.

Developed the entry go-to-market strategy including consumer and commercial targets, product positioning and
name, pricing, and distribution plan. Leveraged the unique nature of the product to garner more than one billion
media impressions, resulting in 53 percent brand awareness with no purchased media.
Procter & Gamble
Bounty Paper Towels Brand Manager
Cincinnati, Ohio
1997 to 1999
Full P&L management of the U.S. Bounty franchise with sales in excess of $1.5 billion, after-tax profits above $250
million, and marketing and trade budget of more than $200 million. Delivered volume and profit commitments,
established business strategies, built advertising agency relationships, and developed/implemented marketing plans
and upstream product programs. Developed a holistic marketing plan utilizing innovative marketing vehicles
including public relations, Internet advertising, trade co-equity programs, and targeted direct mail. Initiated an
advisor program to assist/mentor all managers and staff in building solid career paths. See the accomplishment
summary entitled, “Redefined Business Strategy to Drive Growth of $450 Million.”

Grew revenue by $450 million, profit by $100 million, and market share by nine share points in three years, to
become P&G’s second largest U.S. brand in both volume and profit. Bounty’s rapid growth led the company to
invest more than $600 million in capital to build new capacity.

Initiated strategic focus on driving category growth, resulting in +16 percent increase in paper towel category
size, with Bounty capturing 95 percent of the growth. Developed an innovative marketing campaign centered
around replacing germ-laden sponges and dishrags with Bounty; included tough cleaning demonstrations in
advertising, increased focus on larger package sizes, and expanded distribution to new channels.

Led redefinition of “Little Kids/Big Spills” campaign resulting in fresh, relevant advertising that won P&G’s
Global Advertising Award and was profiled in a Wall Street Journal article.

Grew profit margins by 4 percentage points by increasing focus on higher margin value-added line extensions.
Michael J. Ferry
Paper Sector New Products and Innovation Brand Manager
Page 3
1995 to 1997
Identified, evaluated, and implemented entry into new product categories. Developed a framework to evaluate new
product opportunities and screened 70 categories and technologies to develop a pipeline of initiatives for the paper
sector. Drove national product launches in three new categories.

Conceived and implemented a successful integrated test market for Pampers Bibsters, establishing the
disposable baby bibs category. Achieved 97 percent awareness, 15 percent trial, and 63 percent repurchase, all
exceeding company norms.

Led a multifunctional team to develop and market Bounty Quilted Napkins, achieving market share leadership
by the second month of test market, and achieving more than $60 million in revenues nationally.

Delivered the highest concept scores in paper division history for an innovative new food wrap, which is
currently marketed as Glad Press-n-Seal.

Started the paper sector new business team, securing $5 million in funding and 15 cross-functional resources.
Assistant Brand Manager, Pampers Diapers and Charmin Bath Tissue
1992 to 1995
Managed the Pampers brand’s $100 million marketing budget, new product initiatives, promotion planning,
consumer sampling programs, and packaging development. Established brand partnerships with Disney and Fruit of
the Loom. Completed a successful sales training assignment in San Antonio working on the HEB team. Developed
and implemented the Charmin marketing plan, managing advertising development and new initiative introductions.
Initiated an integrated marketing plan that delivered record revenue, share, and profit.

Launched a major new initiative, Pampers Trainers, exceeding first-year awareness and trial objectives.

Expanded Pampers unisex mini-packs in convenience store channel, resulting in $15 million sales increase.

Launched a successful new initiative, the Charmin Double Roll, achieving a 5 percent market share.

Developed humorous competitive advertising, which delivered outstanding awareness and trial.

Authored an innovative direct-to-consumer mailer that was delivered to 20 million households, resulting in
record share for the Charmin Ultra product.
Employment Prior to 1990
Served as Corporate Relationship Officer for Society National Bank (now Key Bank) in Cleveland and Dayton,
Ohio. Managed a portfolio of 30 middle market corporate clients, with annual revenues between $25 million and
$100 million. Identified and delivered new customers, generating in excess of $20 million in new business activity.
Youngest officer of corporation when promoted in June 1989. Gained valuable consultative selling experience
calling on successful entrepreneurs, as well as analytical skills via evaluating customer financial statements.
Education

MBA, Marketing, International Business, and Management Policy, J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of
Management, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois—June 1992.

BS, Business Administration, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio—May 1987.
Publications

Quoted in WSJ, USA Today, Brand Week, Drug Store News.
Community Organizations/Activities

Chairman, Strategic Planning Committee, Linworth Methodist Church.

Chair, Ross Products United Way Campaign—raised more than $500,000, reaching record participation level.

Built cycling peloton for 100 mile Pelotonia event, raising more than $13,000 for cancer research.

Boy Scouts Fundraising Committee Leader, raising over $20,000.

Member, Marketing Executives Networking Group.
Key Accomplishment Summary
Michael J. Ferry
Turned Around an American Icon Business from Long-Term Decline
Situation:
Campbell Soup’s flagship “red and white” condensed soup business had been in a slow
decline for 30-plus years, after peaking in 1968. While ready-to-serve soups like Chunky
were growing, they were not able to grow quickly enough to offset the decline of the large,
highly profitable condensed soup business. Consumer habits had changed considerably over
the previous 30 years. In the 1960s, when Mom didn’t feel like cooking, she would make
Campbell’s condensed soup on the stove, perhaps with grilled cheese sandwiches. Many
other quick meal options have overtaken condensed soup. In addition, in an effort to achieve
their business plan each year, Campbell had removed quality ingredients from the product,
resulting in a poorer tasting, more watered down product.
Action Plan:

Collaborated with R&D to develop “cold blending technology,” which preserved a better flavor and allowed for
more meat, vegetables, and noodles in the soup. This brought the quality up to be competitive with the bettertasting soups on the market.

Upgraded the product package based on market research that indicated cans without a pop-top lid were viewed
by consumers as “old-fashioned” and “dated.”

The upgraded product and packaging, including the pop-top lid, enabled the company to raise prices by 7
percent, the first price increase on condensed soup in five years.

Evaluated consumer target options to determine where condensed had a “right to win” and determined that,
while the “red and white” product used to be very broadly appealing, future growth would likely come from
households with kids.

Launched a marketing plan targeted directly at kids that included celebrity marketing (Mandy Moore, Michael
Strahan, and Bow Wow), online marketing and games, and a “Souperstar Contest” each year with a kids’ dream
prize such as bringing an NFL star to school. Sponsored the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City.

Studies showed that the soup category was the second most difficult category to shop in a store, after
Cough/Cold. The shelf was messy, it was difficult to find a preferred flavor, and it looked old and tired.

Partnered with Cannondale Associates, a sales and marketing consulting firm, to understand how to segment the
category and to create innovative and effective signage.

Challenged a group of suppliers to provide creative solutions for improving category shoppability. One supplier
came up with the “gravity fed shelving” design (branded the “IQ Shelf Maximizer”) that provided a more
contemporary design and made it much easier to find soup varieties.

Conducted an in-store test that proved the shelving unit was effective in building condensed soup sales 12
percent, and built Campbell’s condensed 14 percent.

Built a team to incorporate the shelving set in all major customer locations. This required extensive selling to
multiple decision makers, as well as testing in each major retailer.
Results:
Turned around the Campbell condensed soup business with consecutive years of high single-digit revenue and profit
growth, reversing a 34-year negative trend, and delivering on the number one priority of Campbell CEO’s company
transformation plan. The IQ Shelf Maximizer was installed in more than 30,000 food, drug, and mass merchandiser
stores around the country and has quickly become the industry gold standard for influencing category growth instore. The “red and white” condensed soup line has been discovered by a whole new generation of kids.
Key Accomplishment Summary
Michael J. Ferry
Turned Around a Declining Business to Drive Growth of $100 Million
Situation:
Abbott Nutrition’s second-largest (and highly profitable) business, Ensure, had been declining for seven years. The
product was expensive, it tasted terrible, and was in an old-fashioned steel can with a medicine-like label. After
years of being poorly marketed, the Ensure brand had a huge image problem, as people associated it with “sick, old,
and dying.” The brand was declining at retail stores where Boost and Private Label were stealing share; it was also
declining in institutional channels (like hospitals). Previous management had attempted to offset Ensure volume
shortfalls by continuously raising prices, which only led to reduced demand. Previous leadership had given up on
growing the brand, and had focused on milking its profits while launching new products to offset its declining sales.
Action Plan:

Conducted qualitative and quantitative market research to discover that Baby Boomers had very different
mindsets than their parents did. There is a general tendency among Baby Boomers to be obsessed with staying
young and active.

Developed advertising in concert with our agency that depicted people who today’s Boomers could relate to–
healthy, active, energetic people in real-life “on the go” situations.

Commissioned the product development team to find a way to significantly improve the taste without
compromising on the nutritional value. After multiple rounds of trial and error, a new formulation was
developed that tasted as good as a glass of chocolate milk.

Market research revealed that consumers much preferred a recloseable plastic bottle over a metal can; built a
team to transition the product into a bottle.

Redesigned packaging graphics to be less medicine-like, more visually appealing, and more in keeping with the
desires and mindset of the target market.

Market research also revealed that consumers were willing to pay no more than $7.99 for a six pack of Ensure,
as opposed to its existing retail price of $8.29. Rolled back prices a modest 4 percent to encourage more
consumers to purchase Ensure. Abbott had never taken a price decrease before, and this move required
persuasive selling up to the president of the corporation.

Discovered that many users’ first interaction with the product came at the hospital. This led to a change in
hospital strategy from “maximizing profit in this channel” to “maximizing share in this channel” as it really acts
as subsidized sampling for the retail channel.
Results:
The new approach to Ensure was a home run. After declining from $420 million in sales to $330 million over seven
years, the business grew steadily to a record $435 million in sales. Share in the hospital channel more than doubled,
from 33 percent to 74 percent in four years. Share in retail channels rose from 65 percent to 72 percent and, more
importantly, the category at retail went from stagnant to growing 8 percent annually.
Key Accomplishment Summary
Michael J. Ferry
Redefined Business Strategy to Drive Growth of $450 Million
Situation:
Bounty paper towels was a large, profitable business for Procter & Gamble (P&G) with a few significant challenges.
It was growing slower than the company desired, its advertising campaign had grown tired and predictable and,
while profitable, its margins were below some of P&G’s other products. This put the product line low on the list of
businesses slated for capital investment.
Action Plan:

While most of P&G’s paper products compete in categories of relatively fixed size (diapers, toilet paper, facial
tissue, feminine hygiene), gathered data on the company’s heaviest paper towel users to convince senior
management that the paper towel category actually had “expandable consumption.”

Redirecting the focus on expanding consumption avoided engaging in a “share game” with competition, which
inevitably tends to drive profit out of the category.

Researched the habits of Bounty’s heaviest users were using Bounty and found they were being used for “tough
tasks” that other people used sponges and rags for. This led to a PR campaign emphasizing that sponges and
rags are the perfect breeding grounds for germs, while paper towels are not.

Research also revealed that households that traded up from buying single rolls of paper towels to buying multiroll packages increased their paper towel usage by 26 percent. This led to an increased focus on selling Bounty
in 8-, 12-, and 15-roll “large count packs.”

Spearheaded a team effort to improve profit margins by eliminating unnecessary packaging materials and to
improve product mix by increasing focus on premium “value-added” products like “Select-a-Size” and
“Multicolor Prints.”

Led the development and launch of Bounty quilted napkins, a superior napkin product that generated $60
million in sales.

Collaborated with the company’s advertising agency to freshen advertising using more authentic, real-life
situations. This was accomplished in part by taking our “New York Creatives” and bringing them into the
homes of consumers with young kids in the Midwest, so they could experience our consumers’ lives firsthand.
Results:
Grew Bounty by $450 million in revenue and $100 million in after-tax profit to become P&G’s second-largest brand
(behind Tide). Market share rose 9 share points and the paper towel category grew 16 percent, with Bounty
capturing 95 percent of the growth. Profit margins grew 4 percentage points, leading the company to invest $600
million in capital to build new capacity. Finally, the new advertising won P&G’s Global Advertising Award for
business building advertising, and I was featured in a Wall Street Journal article profiling this achievement.
Bounty Revenue Growth
$1,600
$1,400
Millions
$1,200
$1,000
$800
$600
$400
$200
$0
1996
1997
1998
1999