Cottonwood Ventures
Growth Experts
cottonwoodventures_growthexperts.jpg

Track Record

Ken May's proven success in taking top tier businesses to new stages of organic growth, (roll-out of new Disney business, turnaround of PepsiCo’s food business in Mexico, re-staging a mature Cendant business to triple profits in 6 years, etc.).    

 

Ken's track record is a continuum of instilling new, profitable growth as rapidly and fluidly as possible. 

 

Chronology of Operating Experience

Colgate-Palmolive: “Creating Competitive Advantage”

  • Led New Products Program that evolved to be 30% of CP-Mexico’s $500 m revenues in 3 years
  • Preemptively re-launched company brand leaders in C-P Australia, D.R., Mexico and Spain to extend market position.

PepsiCo: “Post-Merger Integration”

  • Led acquisition of 10 international snack food companies over 2 years
  • Turned around Mexico’s largest food company post-merger, for a swing of 10 ppt’s in operating profit. Expanded distribution channels by 40%, closed 4 of 10 plants and 14 of 23 distribution centers.

Citibank, “Re-segmenting in a Commoditized Market”

  • Re-segmented NA market leading portfolio of 70 m CIF with new branded value propositions and re-targeted the co-brand sector
  • Led post merger integration of AT&T Universal Card
  • Portfolio acquisitions and organic growth led to record EBITDA of $2 b

Walt Disney Company: “Extending Brand Equity to New Sectors”

  • Led roll-out of Disney’s entry into Vacation Ownership with first 25,000 members, now over 200,000 members strong.
  • Developed 3 resorts, fully integrated with WDW
  • Re-formulated growth model after 2 years for 80% less capital, faster speed to market, while removing brand risk of international markets

Wyndham Worldwide: “Solving for Disintermediation of 30 year-old Business Model"

  • Expanded RCI’s TS Exchange to Rental via M&A in Europe and US online sites.
  • Converted core exchange product to points, for greater market utility and profitability.
  • Led successful acquisition and post merger integration of world’s largest independent vacation ownership developer.

Current and Ongoing Activities

ClearPoint Investment Partners: Operating Director

  • Focusing on Mid cap owner-operator firms in Hospitality and Tourism services

ICE Enterprises: Member Board of Directors

  • Leading white label B2B2C loyalty and rewards and subscription services firm specializing in travel and leisure lifestyle products

AlixPartners Global Advisory: Senior Advisor - Consumer Markets

  • Expanding into the Hospitality vertical

Club Quarters Hotels: Operating Advisor

  • Developed multi-year barter deal to boost weekend occupancy at current ADR with leading vacation ownership club developer

Curatious: Advisory Board Member

  • Advising online start up seeking to disrupt the contemporary art market

Frontier Angels Investment Fund: Investor/LP and ExCom Member

  • Investing behind and promoting Hi Tech start-up’s resident in Montana