GEORGE WILLIAM “WILL” COSTELLO
Cumming
Summary
Seasoned Supply Chain Leader with 20+ years of progressive experience designing/leading competitive supply chains; strengths include people/team development, process improvement, profit enhancement, strategic sourcing, contract negotiations, and commodity/risk management/hedging strategies; proven track record in delivering cost reductions and efficiency gains that increased the bottom line for companies supported; demonstrated ability to working closely with distribution, food and non-food partners and improve relationships across multiple enterprises.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
President/Chief Executive Officer
SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES, LLC (EXECUTIVE SUPPLY CHAIN /BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING)
10.2018 - Current
- Company Overview: Cumming, GA - Providing supply chain, business development, commodity risk management and complex negotiation/contracting strategies to restaurant operating companies, distributors/redistributors, and foodservice manufacturers.
- Specialized skills include executive leadership, people/team development, strategic sourcing, profit enhancement, process improvement, strategy development/strategic planning, supplier/distributor relationship and performance management, and supply chain optimization/transformation.
- Delivered $11M in cost savings to multi-brand operating company between 3/21-11/2; transitioned procurement team from outsourced function to internal team of 15 high performing professionals.
- Contracted with poultry processor to develop new business within the foodservice sector and introduced organization to QSR and Casual Dining concepts; set up approval process with 2 national chains; potential revenue of over $6M for end of 2020; generated $250K in annualized cost reductions in first 6 months of engagement.
Vice President, Supply Chain
THE KRYSTAL COMPANY
11.2016 - 10.2018
- Company Overview: DUNWOODY, GA - Held by private equity company, Argonne Capital, company is a QSR hamburger restaurant chain with 365 units (corporate owned and franchised) in U.S. markets.
- Negotiation/management of vendor, distributor, service, and equipment contracts.
- Collaborated with Operations/QA/R&D/Marketing to resolve product quality issues throughout the organization/system.
- Oversaw accuracy of all regional cost of goods models and commodity updates, as well as ongoing auditing/reconciliation of actual costs versus forecasted costs.
- Led the integration activities between forecasting of store demand, distributors inventory replenishment, and suppliers’ production plan requirements.
- Supported new supply chain technology strategy and roadmaps enabling supply chain end-to-end processes integration with improved performance.
- Rebuilt/restructured supply chain team; established systems and processes, improved subject matter expertise and functional effectiveness; and generated net cost reductions of $5.5M in first two years.
- Designed and implemented commodity risk management/hedging strategies which improved corporate profitability by $564K in year one, and reduced cost volatility for company and franchise operators.
Senior Director of Purchasing
INDEPENDENT PURCHASING CO-OP (IPC)
02.2012 - 05.2016
- Company Overview: MIAMI, FL - Independent SUBWAY franchisee-owned and operated purchasing cooperative that supported over 30,000 North America-based SUBWAY restaurants
- Member of the Executive Leadership Team, set three to five-year vision/strategies for supply chain organization
- Led and directed procurement function for all U.S. franchised restaurants; responsible for over $4B in managed spend.
- Motivated and developed seven direct reports and 20 additional supply chain professionals.
- Oversaw commodity management/cost containment function and implemented commodity hedging strategies designed to provide food stability/predictability to restaurants, including commodity market/food cost forecasting process; commodities hedged included cheese, beef, pork, wheat, and soybean oil.
- Fostered positive relationships and proactive communications with IPC Board of Directors and SUBWAY franchisee community.
- Generated $129M in net product cost savings while leading the purchasing team.
- Created and maintained effectiveness of Purchasing Leadership Team (PLT); group coordinated global procurement function across IPC organizations in North America, Australia, Europe, Latin America, Asia, and the Middle East which generated $55M in global savings.
- Contracted with new suppliers responsible for building new state of the art manufacturing facilities dedicated to the production of SUBWAY bread, cookies, flat bread, and mayonnaise/sauces.
- Designed and implemented commodity cost/sandwich cost forecasting process.
Executive Vice President Supply Chain
CAJUN OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
05.2010 - 02.2012
- Company Overview: ATLANTA, GA – DBA Church’s Chicken chain with more than 1,700 locations worldwide.
- Oversaw entire supply chain function, including purchasing, distribution, freight/logistics, and promotion/inventory management with team of seven supply chain professionals.
- Realigned systems distribution network including frozen/dry/refrigerator products and fresh poultry on same deliveries; streamlined delivery schedule and volume aggregation generated cost reductions of over $5M ($5000 per restaurant).
- Created Church’s market vs. spend index; maintained 7% to 14% favorability in Church’s product costs versus markets impacting cost.
- Designed and implemented commodity risk management practices/hedging strategies which led to costs avoidance in excess of $3M for fresh poultry despite most volatile commodity market environment since 2008; commodities hedged included corn, soybean meal, chicken, soybean oil, and wheat
- Upgraded talent in poultry procurement area; restored supply relationships with two major industry organizations which had left Church’s system
- Onboarded freight/logistics management talent and established practices which decreased landed costs more than $100,000
- Designed/implemented formal RFP process; oversaw negotiations, vendor selection, and business award decisions.
- Identified over $1.7M in cost reduction specification change opportunities
Vice President of Purchasing
INTERNATIONAL DAIRY QUEEN, INC.
08.2004 - 05.2010
- Company Overview: MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Owned by investment group Berkshire Hathaway, a QSR foodservice restaurant group which had over 5300 units in 27 countries
- Responsible for over $550M in managed spend, including food, packaging, ingredients, and equipment; Created annual profit plan and developed strategies required to achieve revenue targets.
- Oversaw RFP/supplier negotiations and vendor selection process.
- Assisted in creation of the Supply Chain Advisory Council (SCAC), a group of independently elected franchisees from across the DQ system that served in an advisory capacity for supply chain activities.
- Reduced food cost from 25.7% (2005) to 22.38% (2009).
- Designed and implemented commodity risk management practices/hedging strategies which generated cost avoidance and brought cost of goods predictability to brand; commodities included cheese, beef, pork, soybean oil, and wheat.
- Established IDQ system vendors index of market prices, with favorability since inception in Q1 2006.
- Created/implemented a formal RFP process, including IDQ’s first ever standard vendor agreement; 90% of managed spend being put out for bid in the first two years (2005/2006), and over 98% of managed spend going under contract by 2007.
- Automated the RFP process with all RFP’s analyzed via a Least Landed Cost optimization tool.
- Achieved profit plan targets all five years of tenure.
- Designed and implemented formal vendor rating system, which gave feedback to vendors in areas of purchasing, distribution, product development, QA, and finance.
Executive Director of Purchasing and Distribution
DYNAMIC HOSPITALITY, LLC
03.2001 - 08.2004
- Company Overview: NASHVILLE, TN – Private equity group set up to manage supply chain for Black-eyed Pea and Denny’s franchises with 178 units during this time.
- Ensured uninterrupted supply of goods and services to national casual and family dining concepts during their reorganization, with the PE firm that specialized in brand evolution, performance improvement, financial leadership, franchise services, restructure, turnaround, and bankruptcy services.
Director of Strategic Purchasing
UNIFIED FOODSERVICE PURCHASING CO-OPERATIVE (UFPC)
03.2000 - 03.2001
- Company Overview: LOUISVILLE, KY - The largest purchasing co-op in the quick-service restaurant industry and the exclusive supply chain management organization for Yum! Brands, Inc. and its three national restaurant brands (KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell).
- Directed procurement activities for the Purchasing department for KFC system comprising over 5000 restaurants for largest purchasing co-op in the QSR industry and the exclusive supply chain management organization for Yum! Brands, Inc. and its three national restaurant brands, including KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell.
- Directed further processed Poultry purchasing team for KFC, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut brands comprising over 10,000 restaurants.
- Direct responsibility for over $350M in annual expenditures, with indirect responsibilities for over $1B.
Education
Designing and Leading Competitive Supply Chains
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
PITTSBURGH, PAB.A, B.S.B.A - undefined
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
BATON ROUGE, LASkills
- Leadership team building
- Strategic planning
- Operational excellence
- Project management
- Business development
- Contract negotiation
- Negotiation
- Strategic visioning
- Process improvement
- Contract management
- Cost reduction
- Sustainability initiatives
- Organizational restructuring
- Leadership and people development
Timeline
President/Chief Executive Officer
SUPPLY CHAIN STRATEGIES, LLC (EXECUTIVE SUPPLY CHAIN /BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING)
10.2018 - Current
Vice President, Supply Chain
THE KRYSTAL COMPANY
11.2016 - 10.2018
Senior Director of Purchasing
INDEPENDENT PURCHASING CO-OP (IPC)
02.2012 - 05.2016
Executive Vice President Supply Chain
CAJUN OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
05.2010 - 02.2012
Vice President of Purchasing
INTERNATIONAL DAIRY QUEEN, INC.
08.2004 - 05.2010
Executive Director of Purchasing and Distribution
DYNAMIC HOSPITALITY, LLC
03.2001 - 08.2004
Director of Strategic Purchasing
UNIFIED FOODSERVICE PURCHASING CO-OPERATIVE (UFPC)
03.2000 - 03.2001
B.A, B.S.B.A - undefined
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY
Designing and Leading Competitive Supply Chains
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
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