MARK COLLINS
San Diego,CA
Summary
Chief Financial Officer and IRPR leader with proven pedigree of success in maintaining & growing publicly company's financial positions.
With Highly Capitalized, Mark's blog, Mark brings a huge network of >50,000 followers on LinkedIn alone who invest in cannabis and ancillary cannabis companies.
Mark is uniquely experienced in both finance & accounting as well as in marketing and sales operations, OEM supply chain, and is a P&G trained emerging markets specialist.
Overview
31
31
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Financial Officer
Grupo Flor
07.2022 - Current
- Oversee the entire fiduciary position of Grupo Flor, all the capital raising programs and investor & creditor management.
- Brought in new equity investment of $9MM in 2022 and $3MM in 2023.
- Led a significant restructuring to focus on high-performing retail assets only resulting in significant profit upsides.
- Prepared accurate financial statements at end of each month end and quarter end.
- Created, planned and implemented policies and procedures to effectively manage the investor and creditor base as well as the company's tax burdens.
- Oversaw deployment of strategic business plans to accomplish accounting, compliance and revenue targets.
- Devised strategies for enhancing business assets and reporting on financial metrics.
President
Highly Capitalized
05.2020 - Current
- Highly Capitalized Network (HCN) is a financial media platform that attracts investors in cannabis.
- Highly Capitalized has helped multiple companies to raise accredited investors at scale.
- The platform has 100k followers on social media, newsletters etc and is the preferred media partner to all the investor conferences in cannabis.
- Through creating content and broadcasting it, HCN has provided leads at scale of interested investors to clients.
- Mark is licensed to raise capital by the California DFP&I for his work in capital markets.
Chief Financial Officer
Mosaic Insights
04.2021 - 05.2022
- Mosaic Insights is a new market research company in the cannabis industry started up in 2021.
- Oversaw budgets, payroll and accounts payable and receivable that enabled the company to win new clients.
- Prepared accurate financial statements at end of month and quarter.
- Oversaw deployment of strategic business plans to accomplish accounting, compliance and revenue targets.
- Created, planned and implemented policies and procedures to increase productivity and maximize return on investments.
VP IRPR & Business Development
Cannabis Financial Network
07.2018 - 02.2020
- Responsible for managing the investor relations public relations for multiple publicly-traded clients of Cannabis Financial Network.
- Won new high-value strategic accounts e.g Harborside, Plus Brand, MedMen, Sublime Canna and others.
- Developed key strategic contra-deal relationships for CFN with all the major cannabis exchanges at the time NEO Exchange, CSE; BDS Analytics; Arcview Group; ensuring CFN have first preference for capital raises.
- Implemented Salesforce within CFN Media, helped launch new digital platforms like CFN’s mobile app.
- Helped CFN become a publicly traded compant listed on the OTC markets. CFN was acquired by a new ownership in September 2020.
Chief Executive Officer
Super Critical Brands, LLC
01.2015 - 01.2018
- Super Critical Brands LLC helps cannabis companies expand into new categories, new channels and new regions. Examples of work:
- BLOOM FARMS Led the development of a new marketing and sales strategy which helped share ranking increase from #12 to #7 in BDS market share table (2017 vs 2018)
- TERPENE BOTANTICALS Created a business plan & financial model, launched the company and won key customer Americanna.
Managing Director CEO
JDE Keurig Green Mountain
01.2012 - 01.2015
- Global profit responsibility as Business Unit Director for world leading coffee company. JDE’s coffee systems include Tassimo, Keurig; Senseo.
- Re-launched and renovated coffee brands in 12 countries behind new marketing strategies
- Developed and led partnership with key supplier Philips globally, to manufacture JDE coffee appliances
- Drove digital media and e-commerce efficiency, increasing e-commerce sales by +20% and advertising reach by +20%
- Increased global profitability for JDE’s in their coffee segment by +15% EBITDA (April 2013 vs April 2014).
Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer
Strauss Coffee Lavazza
01.2006 - 01.2011
- Strauss Coffee is a Dutch-based global coffee which is the third -largest in the world with a revenue of $1BN USD
- Marketed brands: Lavazza, MK Café, Doncafe and other local brands
- Profit responsible, €10MN euro marketing and trade budget. Managed marketing team of 25
- Played a key role as head of marketing in sale of Strauss Coffee to Texas Pacific Group
- M&A: key leader in the acquisitions and integration of all newly acquired coffee businesses (e.g Chernya Karta purchased for $150MN USD by Strauss Coffee in 2009)
Global Marketing Director
CNN, WarnerDiscovery
01.1999 - 01.2005
- Globally marketed outside the US with the objective of step-changing revenue growth from advertising and distribution on cable, satellite, analog and mobile phones
- Initiated and led CNN’s unified global brand repositioning
- Through extensive audience-insight research, developed and implemented new brand positioning summed up in ‘’World’s New Leader’ and ‘‘Be the first to know’ marketing and audience strategy
- Worked with editorial to develop strategy of dynamic news gathering for TV, mobile and web-based services
- Developed profitable distribution sales relationships with cable and satellite distributors in EMEA, doubling CNN’s distribution
- Launched new mobile and interactive services including CNN Mobile, CNN.dk, CNN Turk, CNN Arabic and NTV in Germany
- Achieved 30% growth in CNN’s audience viewership in Europe 2001, 2004 (Source: EMS 2006).
Regional Marketing Director
Kraft Foods Mondelez
01.1996 - 01.1999
- Responsible for Kraft’s marketing in Central Europe and served as marketing director (for all categories: Coffee, Chocolate and Confectionery)
- Successfully launched Milka and Toblerone lines into Poland, Hungary Slovakia and Czech in 1998
- Rationalized Kraft core coffee product lines, de-listed under-performing brands and refocused Kraft’s portfolio to focus on fewer, better supported coffee brands like Maxwell House and Kenco
- Results: +20% MS value share in coffee across a two-year period (‘97-‘99) in Slovakia and Czech Republic’s leading to market leadership in coffee for Kraft Foods
- Successfully introduced category management into sales annual cycle planning
- Developed successful retail strategy on Kraft confectionery in Czech and Slovakia and consistently achieved revenue and volume targets
- Responsible for marketing budget of US $15MN
- Total division revenue $350MN
Brand and Marketing Manager
Procter & Gamble
01.1992 - 01.1995
- Responsible for key P&G fabric conditioner brands in Europe and for opening new emerging markets.
- Oversaw preparation of marketing copy, images, videos, emails and other collateral for markets for new products in Scandinavia and the Middle East.
- Established, initiated and optimized business and profit development strategies based on company targets, product specifications, market data and budget factors.
- Successfully launched multiple brands into new geographies and channels.
Education
Bachelor of Arts - History
University College Dublin
Dublin, Ireland09.1990
MBA - Finance
London Business School
London, England07.2004
Skills
- Proven pedigree of success in leadership CPG sales & marketing roles in highly-competitive, dynamic, emerging markets
- Proven ability to transform and rejuvenate businesses and motivate diverse teams in environments of change
- Adaptable, self-confident, goal-oriented with a global mindset and unique CPG, digital, CRM and retail experience
- Geographical experience in USA/EU/Asia in both salaried and consulting roles MBA from London Business School
- System Installation Management
- Equity and Debt
- Infrastructure Planning
- Corrective Actions
Additional Information
Mark is Irish-American and lives in San Diego.
Languages
French
Professional Working
Timeline
Chief Financial Officer
Grupo Flor
07.2022 - Current
Chief Financial Officer
Mosaic Insights
04.2021 - 05.2022
President
Highly Capitalized
05.2020 - Current
VP IRPR & Business Development
Cannabis Financial Network
07.2018 - 02.2020
Chief Executive Officer
Super Critical Brands, LLC
01.2015 - 01.2018
Managing Director CEO
JDE Keurig Green Mountain
01.2012 - 01.2015
Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer
Strauss Coffee Lavazza
01.2006 - 01.2011
Global Marketing Director
CNN, WarnerDiscovery
01.1999 - 01.2005
Regional Marketing Director
Kraft Foods Mondelez
01.1996 - 01.1999
Brand and Marketing Manager
Procter & Gamble
01.1992 - 01.1995
Bachelor of Arts - History
University College Dublin
MBA - Finance
London Business School
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