Unleashing Your Full Potential
Leveraging the images and metaphors from sailing the world, this 75 minute presentation lays out the approach I have taken to unleash the potential of my life, and the potential of the businesses and brands I have managed. Working with you, I can effectively tailor the speech to meet the needs of your business or organization.
Jeremy is an optimistic and energetic leader with a 28 year track record of delivering profitable business growth - combining his skills in Marketing, Innovation, Strategy, and General Management with the kind of courage and spirit of adventure that took him and his family on a sailing voyage around the world. He spent the first 16 years of his career at Procter&Gamble, followed by 10 years at PepsiCo; and he most recently served as CEO of a leading Lighting Technology company called the Lighting Science Group. He brings a unique global perspective to his work, as he is tri-lingual, and has lived and worked in Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, the UK, Venezuela, Brazil, Mexico and the US.
As CEO of LSG, Jeremy was challenged to turn around a struggling company. He swiftly established a competitively advantaged strategic plan. He then executed an aggressive transformation of the company's branding approach; re-shaped the company’s innovation agenda with a focus on commercialization, not just ideation; drove a complete transformation of the company’s manufacturing and supply chain that unlocked over 40 points of Gross Margin; and stream-lined the organization to support both the strategic plan, and the size of the business.
During his 10 years at PepsiCo, Jeremy had a significant impact on both snacks and beverages: As Senior Vice President for the $30Bn Global Snacks Group, he partnered with teams in the field and R&D to create compelling strategies and plans they could believe in. He united Global Brand purpose and strategy for Lay’s, Doritos, Cheetos and Quaker, laying the foundation for step-changes in global marketing leverage and scale innovation. As SVP of Innovation and Insights for North American beverages he led the creation of breakthrough innovations such as Pepsi Next, Mountain Dew Kickstart, SoBe Coconut Water and AquaFina Flavor Splash. He created and led the company’s consumer facing recycling program for North America entitled the Dream Machine and, from 2002-2007, grew the Sabritas Mexico snacks business from $1.5Bn to $2.0Bn.
During his 16 years at Procter&Gamble, Jeremy had a very international focus, with challenges ranging from sustaining high growth in expanding markets (Scandinavia) to starting up/consolidating small businesses (Hugo Boss and Giorgio Beverly Hills Fragrances in the UK); re-igniting growth and profit of large stagnating businesses (Personal Cleansing across Latin America); and accelerating the growth of large iconic brands (Pantene Latin America, Head&Shoulders and Pert Plus North America).
Jeremy believes that, in general, companies unintentionally breed stale senior executives, who upon reaching the level of senior management are challenged to reinvent the company/drive growth, and are ill-equipped to do so. He embarked upon a 16 month voyage to sail the world as a way to stretch his leadership, build his courage, get out of his comfort zone, and stimulate his creativity through interactions with new cultures/people. Upon his return, he developed his "Unleashing Your Full Potential" programs which, combined with his work experience, form the foundation for his strategy, marketing, and innovation solutions firm.