Bill Zinke

About Bill Zinke

I build marketing functions that drive enterprise value and have been doing it for 35+ years across franchise, home services, CPG and consumer brands, with companies ranging from startups to Global Fortune 500 organizations. My career spans every level of the marketing function: P&L and brand management that began at Unilever, category leadership and new product development at companies like Ready Pac Produce, franchise system growth across numerous QSR and home services brands including Baskin-Robbins and Chem-Dry Carpet Cleaning, and scalable marketing platform development for private equity-owned businesses including two PE-backed roll-ups, one of which has already had a successful exit. Today, through Bill Zinke CMO & Board Services, I work with franchise systems, home services and CPG companies, food manufacturers, and PE-backed businesses as a Fractional CMO and Board Member, bringing immediate-impact senior-level marketing strategy and leadership experience without the full-time overhead. As a Fractional CMO, I help companies: Transform marketing from a cost center into a measurable growth platformBuild brand positioning and marketing infrastructure that scalesLaunch high-margin products and services with lasting impactDevelop and lead high-performing marketing teams and vendor ecosystemsAlign marketing strategy directly to P&L outcomes and investor objectives As a Board Member, I bring both a strategic and operational perspective to governance having served on two paid boards, including a seat with a food manufacturer that quadrupled annual sales and EBITDA during my tenure. With additional board experience with several non-profit organizations, I\'m particularly effective during leadership transitions, innovation and new product/service launches, strategic planning cycles, and periods of accelerated growth or acquisition. If you\'re a business owner, PE firm, or franchise executive looking for a seasoned marketing leader who can hit the ground running and turn marketing into a growth engine, I\'d welcome a conversation.

Experience

1. Board Member & Strategic Advisor

   Alfresco Pasta

   Jan 2020 — Present · Nashville, TN, US

   Current Board Member and Chair of the Compensation Committee for a privately held manufacturer of fresh artisan pastas, pizza dough and sauces supplying the foodservice industry. Company has more than quadrupled sales and profits during tenure on the board.Key Contributions:Guided company through strategic growth plan that led to development/launch of new products, expanded customer base, new go-to-market plan and revised sales structure.Introduced a new product line that now represents a significant percentage of company sales and profits and is the growth driver for the business.Added new distributors that expanded national reach and brought on a growing regional restaurant chain.

Education

• Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management

  MBA, Marketing & Management Policy

• Amherst College

  BA, Psychology

  1981 — 1985