The principal b2b Solutions consulting partners include:


Steven Montgomery: President / Partner
Steve has over 25 years of experience that spans top management positions in both entrepreneurial and large corporate business environments. He has served as President and Member of the Board of Directors for Dairy Mart Corporation, and as General Manager for Convenience Stores and Manager of Convenience Retail Strategies and Programs for Amoco Oil Company. Steve is a past member of the Board of Retailer Directors of the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) and is currently a Member of its Supplier Board. Steve is a frequent contributor to articles on the convenience / retail petroleum industry and is a frequent speaker at industry functions. He has worked with NACS as a Program Director and Program Moderator on topics ranging from Foodservice to Non-Traditional Competitors.
For additional information on Steven Montgomery's business history click here.

Paul Reuter: Consulting Partner
Over 25 years experience in retail communications and marketing, including Publisher of Chain Store Age Magazine; founder of Retail Insights, a multi-retail industry (drug, supermarket, mass merchandise and convenience store) trade publishing company; founder of Retail Marketing Group, a New York based marketing and advertising company specializing in business-to-business communication; founder of CSP Information Group, a communications company focused globally on the convenience store and petroleum industry whose products include: CSP Magazine, , Internet-based CSP MARKETLink, CSP Conferences and CSP NACS Today TV Program. Paul also serves on the Board of Advisors of several convenience store and is a frequent speaker in the industry.

Gernhard W. "Gerny" Bellof: Consulting Partner
Gerny has 35 years of multi-unit retail experience including senior management positions with the Dayton Hudson Corporation, National Supermarkets, 7-Eleven Stores, and Amoco Oil Company. His primary duties were in general management with profit and loss responsibility, concentrating on operations and marketing. Most recently Gerny has been involved in international retail consulting as region manager (Americas and Europe) for Strasberger Enterprises. He guided the c-store activities for such organizations as Shell Brazil, Deutsche Shell, COPEC (Chilean oil company) and Shell CCA (Caribbean and Central America). Gerny is bilingual (English/German). He resided in Bucharest Romania and Hamburg Germany for several years where he was instrumental in launching a new business venture for Amoco in Central Europe and initiating a new c-store business in Slovenia for Emona Obala, Koper.

Avry Davidovich: Consulting Partner
Avry has 25 years experience in the convenience retailing / petroleum marketing industry. He has held positions ranging from store manager through the president and C.E.O. Avry started his career with Marathon Oil and fulfilled a variety of management positions including Special Assistant to the President. In 1992 he founded Davidovich Oil Company, which he subsequently sold to F.F.P. Partners, a publicly traded company with over 400 stores. He join that organization as Executive Vice President and served as a member of its board of directors. Avry then founded Vista Stores in Dallas, Texas where he held the titles of President and C.E.O. Vista grew to 120 convenience stores operated in five states under his leadership. He has developed a keen understanding of operations, and acquisitions and mergers of convenience stores and petroleum marketing companies.

Jim Dickens: Consulting Partner
A retail management career spanning more than twenty-five years in the convenience, food service and petroleum industries; a breadth of experience from store manager to Vice President of Marketing for three major convenience stores in the southeast; sales awards and record sales improvements at every turn; an impressive portfolio of experience including ten years of operational and front-line management, three years in corporate planning and analysis, and eleven years in marketing, including merchandising, advertising, sales and purchasing. For the past three years, Dickens has been recognized as an industry expert in his current role at CSP Information Group, a business communication company specializing in the convenience / retail petroleum industry.

Charles R. Everman: Consulting Partner
Charlie Everman has 15 years of experience in developing and implementing profit producing marketing programs for convenience retailers ranging from turn-around situations to strong regional performers. He possesses in-depth marketing knowledge of the traditional convenience products/services and the petroleum categories. Charlie has utilized this expertise to develop comprehensive annual marketing plans including vendor supported programs, resulting in substantial increases in gross profits. Charlie held a variety of management positions including Vice President of FISCO Farm and Home Stores, Senior National Category Manager for Circle K Corporation, and Director of Gasoline Operation for Dairy Mart Corporation (Midwest Division). He is a member of the Marketing Lecture Series at Akron University.

Deborah Holand: Consulting Partner
Deborah has over 20 years food industry experience, with specialized expertise in new concept development and turn-around/revitalization situations.  She has served in a number of key positions in the foodservice industry, including Steak And Ale Restaurant Concept Management for the Metro Media Group; The New Concept Development Team Eatzi's while at Brinker International; National Director Of Food-Service Operations for Whole Foods Market, Inc.; Director Of Meal Solutions Departments for The Tops Markets Division of Ahold USA Inc.; and President and Founder of Food Sense.  Deborah has diverse experience concentrated in business growth strategies, project planning and analysis, menu engineering, labor optimization, cost management, high-impact marketing and visual merchandising. She possesses regional and national experience across all major markets from premier restaurant and specialty gourmet retailers to conventional supermarkets and convenience stores.

For additional information on Deborah Holand's business history click here.

Click here to learn more about how b2b Solutions can help you improve your foodservice category results.

Duncan Kennedy: Consulting Partner
Duncan Kennedy has more than 26 years in the convenience store and fuel marketing industry. As a multiple dealer for several major oil companies he introduced highly sophisticated training techniques honed earlier while running the world's highest volume McDonald's restaurant. Duncan then joined Arco and quickly moved through several assignments: running company store operations, manager / dealer training, supervisor and sales rep development, crime and loss prevention, and finally sales growth at 104 franchised am/pm units in the Los Angeles area. He is also credited with leading the company's development of the first interactive, PC-based training system for C-store employees, and other innovative learning solutions, one awarded a U.S. patent and holds copyrights to other C-store training systems. Duncan designs, develops and delivers custom programs from simple standup presentations to state-of-the-art, multimedia computerized business simulations for companies from Europe to the Pacific Rim and throughout North America.

Lou Maiellano: Consulting Partner
Lou Maiellano has 25 years experience and is a broadly experienced marketing/sales manager with significant credentials in the convenience store and tobacco business. Most recently he was National Category Manager for Sunoco Inc. where he created and managed strategy and profitability for the $395 million tobacco category. Lou has also held operational positions at Sunoco, Mobil, Macaroni Grill and Wawa. He directed the management of staffing, training, sales and marketing programs, financial management and both corporate and vendor relationships. Lou has operated many successful food related programs including Burger King, McDonalds, Taco Bell, Vie DeFrance, Parlor Pizza, Country Chicken, City Deli and Gulliver’s Coffee. He has been recognized a Convenience Store Industry Leader for Program by CSP Magazine. He is an active “Convenience Retailer Conference Advisory Council” member and Chairs the Tobacco Subcommittee.

For additional information on Lou Maiellano business history click here.

Click here to learn more about how b2b Solutions can help you improve your tobacco category results.

Steven O'Toole: Consulting / Partner
Steve has over 20 years of experience in managing all aspects of IT strategy and delivery, with an emphasis in retail systems. He is extremely knowledgeable in c-store/petroleum systems and business processes, including in-depth supplier knowledge and hands-on experience with most of the major industry applications. Steve is well-versed in numerous project management methodologies with experience managing all phases of the systems development life cycle. His positions with in the industry include Business Information Manager and Global Site Systems Program Manager at BP, Business Systems Manager and Back Office Team Lead for Amoco Corporation, and Retail Systems Manager for Clark Retail Enterprises. C-store consulting assignments include Point-of-Sale and Card Payment Strategy Consultant for ConocoPhillips and Project Manager for PetroSun Fuel.
For additional information on Steven O'Toole's business history click here.
 

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Nield J. Montgomery: Consulting Partner
Nield has over 35 years of professional management and entrepreneurial experience including founding MGC Communications (currently Empower Communications). He took that Company public after raising $430 million and grew the company to a market capitalization of $1 billion. He most recently served as President and a Member of the Board of Directors of Caviar Creator, an international manufacturer and distributor of caviar and caviar related products. Nield has also served as a consultant to and then General Manager for IntelCom Group (ICG), where he was responsible for developing strategy and deploying telephone systems nation-wide. He has also served as Vice President/General Manager-Sales and Marketing for the Western Region of Sprint/Centel. Prior to that, he served Centel in senior executive positions directing engineering, operations, business office, sales, and marketing functions. Nield holds both an MBA and a BA degree in business administration from Western New England College.

Robert O'Rear: Consulting / Partner
Bob has almost 50 years experience that encompasses positions ranging from Territory Sales and Field Marketing Manager to President and Owner. After holding a series of ever going more responsibly sales positions with the Lever Brothers Company, Bob joined Gallo Wineries as the Field Marketing Manager for all chain accounts headquartered in the Southeast. He subsequently began working with Anheuser-Busch wholesalers in Columbia and Greenville, SC. He spent five years as Sales Manager in Columbia and 17 years as Vice President and General Manager in Greenville. Bob worked his last 13 years in the wholesale beer business as Owner and President of Classic City Beverages in Athens, GA, a multi-branded, primary Coors house. Since selling his business, Bob has consulted with beer distributors on both Mergers and Acquisitions and Category Management with both convenience and grocery chains.
For additional information on Robert O'Rear's business history click here.

Click here to learn more about how b2b Solutions can help you improve your beer category results.
 

Valerie Paul: Consulting Partner
Valerie has 20 years experience in the human resources including training, employee relations and personnel management. She has excellent technical and communication skills and solid understanding of the convenience retail business.? Valerie has successfully implemented all aspect of human resources in environments ranging from start-ups to large convenience retail companies. She has served as the Director of Human Resources for Store 24, Inc. and Vice President, Human Resources for Christy's Market, Inc.? Valerie is a Certified Trainer- Distance Learning for the National Association of Convenience Stores?and the Program Leader - Supervisor Training Series for the New England Convenience Store Association. Valerie is a frequent speaker at the NACS Annual Conventions.

Click here to learn more about b2b Solutions Human Resources Audit process.

Patrick Raycroft: Consulting Partner
Patrick has 22 years of IT experience in the manufacturing and convenience retail / petroleum marketing industries. He has extensive experience as part of senior management teams at BP and Amoco. He directed the development and implementation of IT consolidation and integration efforts required to support two successive multi-billion dollar mergers. He managed the design and implementation of Amoco's retail systems including their site networking and card processing platforms. Patrick has also led retail site architecture work, technical due diligence activities for e-business investment opportunities, developed vendor strategies for connecting retail sites globally and executed RFP processes for large network procurement and hosting deals. Currently, he is a managing partner of the W. Capra Consulting Group, focusing on retail technology. Patrick holds a Bachelor of Science degree, Mathematics / Computer Science from Purdue University and a Master of Science Degree, Operations Research from DePaul University.

Bill Ritter: Consulting Partner
Bill Ritter is a native of Toledo, Ohio where after graduating from high school he served in the United States Air Force. After receiving an honorable discharge in 1972 Bill returned to Toledo and attended the University of Toledo majoring in Criminal Justice. In 1974, Bill attended Gormac Polygraph School, Pasadena, California and after graduation began Ritter & Associates. Bill's career has been devoted exclusively to retail loss prevention and specific loss investigations for the convenience store industry. During his 27-year career he has conducted in excess of 8,000 investigations and interviewed over 40,000 employees for various convenience store companies. These investigations and interviews have led to successful prosecutions and well over $4,000,000 in restitution. Bill is a nationally recognized speaker and work shop leader, specializing in the area of convenience store loss prevention and consults with companies, both large and small, regarding all areas of loss prevention.

Kay Segal: Consulting Partner
15 plus years experience in the foodservice and convenience store industries including various positions with Southland / 7-Eleven and Circle K in operations as a Zone Manager and Field Marketing Manager, and more recently in corporate marketing as the National Manager of Foodservice, which encompassed non-traditional c-store food category development, franchise brand negotiation, programs testing and analysis, as well as development of a daily delivery commissary program. Kay also held positions with the Clark County Health District and Sky Chefs Air Catering Services. Kay maintains the position as an advisor to a manufacturing concern and has spearheaded the strategic development of CSP Information Group's Conference business.

Al Smith: Consulting Partner
Al Smith has over 35 years of experience in both the petroleum industry specializing in marketing, operations, acquisitions, mergers, consolidations and divestments. He served as Chief Operating Officer for Getty Petroleum. In that position he was responsible for over 2,000 retail locations as well as the product supply to meet their 70,000 barrels a day requirements. His other duties included oversight for Getty's wholesale marketing, terminals, transportation, fleet fueling, engineering, construction, maintenance, environmental, real estate and retail home heating. Al's pro-active, hands on, results oriented approach has shown demonstrated results in cost effective solutions.

Frank Wirth: Consulting Partner
Marketing and communications leader with over twenty-five years of broad based integrated marketing communications experience in retail, packaged goods and food manufacturing. Frank has served as General Manager of the Hospital Products Division at Schering Plough and Group Product Manager for OTC products where he launched several new patented products. In addition he held several positions with 7-Eleven including Promotions Manager, Marketing Director New Products Electronic Services and Group Product Manager Core Products. Frank also held two positions with Amoco Oil the later being General Manager Convenience Retail Strategies Planning and Programs before leaving to join Roundtree Capital as Chief Marketing Officer. Frank has extensive experience in developing effective long term strategic plans and operational plans for major packaged goods companies and retail organizations. He teaches advertising and promotion courses at Loyola University in Chicago.
For additional information on Frank Wirth's business history click here.

Arnold Van Zanten: Consulting Partner
Former NCS, Coastal Mart senior management and Andersen consulting manager. Experienced consultant in technology systems, business transformations and process reengineering. Recent projects include designing and installing technology systems to manage convenience stores, conducting workshops where truck stop operators prepare their business plan, developing marketing plans and presentations for a company bringing a new product to market and consulting with a technology manufacturer in transforming the ir culture from an engineering base to a more customer needs base.