Rick Ruffolo

About Rick Ruffolo

As CEO, President, and Outside Board Director, Rick has consistently generated enterprise value and EBITDA growth by creating new revenue streams, driving innovation, smartly pursuing white space market opportunities, and leading a performance culture. Rick\'s classic CPG brand management experience at Fortune 100 companies (P&G, Nestle, SCJ), his success driving new brand growth at specialty retailers (Bath & Body Works, Yankee Candle, Crabtree & Evelyn, H2O Plus), and his hands-on turnaround work with Private Equity firms as CEO & President (Enviroscent, CR Brands, Sensible Organics) enable him to add value to any investment. He has driven profitable growth at market-leading specialty retail and consumer products organizations across a wide range of categories & distribution channels including several successful e-commerce ventures. Rick has led 5 companies as CEO & President including successfully leading an organic personal care start-up (Sensible Organics), renewing the business fortunes at global specialty beauty care retailer (H2O Plus Beauty), transforming a mid-size PE-backed CPG company (CR Brands) from a collection of declining brands into a portfolio of profitable growth brands positioned for exit, reversing a declining sales & profit trend by delivering +30% year-over-year growth at a specialty home fragrance company (Enviroscent), and leading a turnaround at a pet specialty contract manufacturing company (Phelps Pet Products).Rick is an outstanding innovator, creative problem-solver, and results-driven general manager who blends strategic thinking with great merchant instincts and the business savvy of a successful entrepreneur. He is an engaging hands-on leader, a collaborative team player, and a dynamic executive who has operated successfully within public companies, private equity, and in entrepreneurial environments. He holds several patents for his innovation work, has transformed and reinvigorated declining businesses, and has developed & launched over a dozen new brands - including 3 of which each has generated +$1 Billion in revenues.

Experience

1. CEO & President Board Member

   Phelps Pet Products

   Oct 2018 — Present · Chicago, IL, US

   Since joining Phelps as CEO & President in October 2018 - Rick has helped transform the business by building a winning collaborative culture, raising the Company’s industry profile, more than tripling sales & profits, becoming the industry’s ‘go-to’ innovation partner, and creating new brand and retail partnerships at this 60-year old private label and contract manufacturing pet treat and specialty food company.

Education

• University of Dayton

  BS - Business / Marketing, Student Government President, NCAA Division I Varsity Soccer Player

  1986 — 1990

• Washington University in St. Louis - Olin Business School

  MBA, Business Management - Marketing / Graduated in Top 10% of Class

  1993 — 1995

Skills

• P&L Management
• Specialty Retail
• Strategy
• E-Commerce
• Body Care
• Competitive Analysis
• Innovation
• Fragrance
• Marketing Management
• Sales
• Strategic Thinking
• Product Marketing
• Product Innovation
• Market Planning
• Merchandising
• Product Development
• Home Fragrance
• Consumer Package Goods
• Management
• Team Building
• Multi-Channel Marketing
• Business Planning
• Personal Care
• Brand Architecture
• Strategic Planning
• Leadership
• Retail
• Home
• Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (Fmcg)
• Candles
• Integrated Marketing
• Marketing
• Market Research
• Organics
• Fmcg
• Consumer Products
• Brand Management
• Cross-Functional Team Leadership
• Marketing Strategy
• Marketing Communications