Francisco Martinez

General Manager @Fortitude

Chemical engineerCEO🧑‍🔬 Engineer👍 Sales & BizDev💼 C-level Executive💸 Marketing

Visionary leader that takes on great challenges, with 28 years in the best CPGs companies, managing 37 different categories, in Mexico, the 6 countries of Central America and Dominican Republic, combined with Family Companies leaders in the spirts, spices and B2B industries. I implement turnaround and step change systems in the P&L, focused on margin improvement, cost reduction, launch of new products and driving the product/country mix. I create and build successful models with regional and global reapplication. I combine analysis and disruptive innovation to implement pragmatic solutions that generate sales and profit. I lead change and leverage the marketing plans to the new digital era. I have firsthand knowledge how to re-ignite a salesforce and optimize for breakthrough growth, while lowering the cost to serve. I promote diversity and harness the power of teams. I spot and hire talent and develop extraordinary leaders.

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Work Background

Grupo LalaComercial Director

Feb. 2021Guatemala, Guatemala• “Turnaround” del negocio, incrementando las ventas CARG +15%, y el EBITDA 4X, con recursos limitados y muchas restriciones. Implemente cambios estructurales aceleraron el crecimiento rentable de la empresa, a través de mejoras en el precio por Kg +20%, administrando la mezcla de skus , el balance entre canales. Al mismo tiempo optimizando los modelos de RTM para reducir el costo de servir en -10%. Implemente un área de inteligencia de negocio para generar tableros diarios de control para los KPIs mas importantes para todos los canales. Generé una cultura del “Como Si”, entendiendo las limitantes y barreras, pero siempre enfocando al equipo en buscar las soluciones y alternativas, conformado un equipo ganador. llevando el negocio a un récord histórico en el cierre del 2023 en top line, Ebitda y margen porcentual de los últimos 10 año.

Grupo ALZA & TecniSpiceGeneral Manager

Jul. 2017 - Apr. 2020GuatemalaResponsible for the P&L, plant operations, marketing, sales, finance, HR, R&D and supply chain with 11 direct reports. • Historic turnaround of EBITDA and sales in 2018, repeating the same achievement in 2019, EBITDA +33% and sales +6.8%. o Redesigned the B2C strategy and lead the rebuilding of a losing business into a step change in profit delivering EBITDA x13. Performed a portfolio analysis focusing on segments with growth potential and profitability, driving the mix SKUs /country. Introduced disruptive innovation by creating “Blue Oceans” and improving the Go to Market strategies. o Accelerated the sales and profit in the B2B, in 2019 EBITDA +15% and Sales +13%. Implemented a strategic planning process with a 5 years vision identifying potential new industries and prioritizing them. Focusing on the top 10 customers in each country, I developed an innovation process to map, quantify and prioritize projects, improving the closing rate from 25% to 35%. I focused on gearing the mix towards the value-added projects and improved margin by + 350pb. • Improved cost, built margin by building a culture with passion and focused on possibilities and not barriers in order to improve speed and flexibility for customer service. At the same time, I developed a culture with hunger to improve cash flow, improving the cash cycle from 190 to 165 days, training the teams on the levers of FCF, with clear goals by month for each function and fierce tracking.

Industrias Licoreras de GuatemalaDirector de Mercadeo Corporativo para Centroamérica

Nov. 2014 - Jul. 2017GuatemalaResponsible for the marketing of 11 local brands (Quezalteca, Venado, XL, Scandia, Cubata, VIP and others) and Botran brand for Central America with 7 direct reports. • Jump started the dropping trend of the major brands Quezalteca and Venado to an increase in sales of +12% and +5% respectively, behind a 360 plans and improvement in the innovation process. I redesigned the media plans and marketing investment strategy. • Increased dramatically the ROI +50% of the BTL activities, implementing a commercial process to improve alignment between sales and marketing, including pre approval of activities with clear guidelines and the respective pre and post analysis.

Fortitude S.A.General Manager and Co-Founder

Aug. 2013 - Nov. 2014GuatemalaEntrepreneurship: Boutique Consulting, trainer and distribution of several products of in-house created brands. General Manager and Co-Founder • Consulting for the Quala Group (COL) in Central America on “Go to Market”. Trainer for banks sales representatives.

HenkelGeneral Manager Central America & Carribean Laundry and Home Care

Nov. 2010 - Jul. 2013Responsible for the P&L and the areas of sales, marketing, finance, R&D with 9 direct reports and plant (matrix). • Lead the company over a critical period of significant price increases in the commodities and a transition to a Multinational operation, achieving the recovery of the gross margin and increased profit by +3%. Designed and implemented a new strategic frame work of the portfolio brand/country; presented and approved by the Headquarters in Germany. • Developed and implemented re-structuring project the plant and sales, driving cost down by -12%, optimizing the portfolio, resulting in longer runs and improved productivity. Switched the focus of the salesforce and the Go to Market, reducing number of direct wholesalers, and at the same time increasing the number of direct “Mom & Pops” via transfers projects. • Created and drove an aggressive cost reduction program and reformulation in the bar laundry soap to mitigate the +30% price increase in commodities and surging electricity costs. Product Performance was maintained in the reformulation.

RBMarketing Director-Mexico

Jul. 2006 - Nov. 2010MexicoResponsible for the marketing of 20 brands in 14 categories, with 9 direct reports. I lead the categories of Bathroom cleaners (Harpic), Air Fresheners (Air wick) and OTC (Gaviscon) for Latin America, as permanent member of the global category team. • Developed and implemented the perfect combination of strategies that increased the EBITDA and drove a step change in the sales, going from cero growth in 2005, to +11% in 2006, +18% in 2007, +21% in 2008 and +8% in 2009, 4 years of consecutive growth for the first time. At the same time, I lead and built a margin improvement of +600pb, via cost reduction, driving the SKU mix and setting a pricing strategy; uncovering and accelerating niche markets for growth. • Identified and implemented a consumer habit change with Harpic, increasing the sales +250% in only two weeks after the commercial was on the air. This was replicated as a global success case, with very successful results in Europe and Africa. • Designed and implemented a new model of media purchases that reduced cost in 30%, freeing the budget to duplicate the number of brands with marketing plans, contributing to ignite their growth. This model was so successful it was reapplied in Latin America.

The Clorox CompanyMarketing Director-Mexico

Nov. 2003 - Jun. 2006Responsible for the marketing of 8 brands in 7 categories, with 4 direct reports. • Developed and implemented a “Mega Brand” strategy for Clorox and the other categories identifying the white spaces, delivering sales growth of +30% in 2004 and +32% in 2005. Launched new products and activated imported brands with a clear 4Ps strategy, to target niche markets and capitalize on white spaces. Clorox achieved is highest historical market share of the last 9 years. • Designed and implemented processes for marketing plans, innovation and measurement of initiatives. I hired the marketing team and defined their roles. Implemented, for the first time, a software and system to measure the initiatives, that once launched into the market, tracked their weekly performance, analyzed it vs objective and adjusted the plans when necessary.

Procter & GambleBrand Manager P&G Mexico Personal Care

Aug. 2000 - Oct. 2003MexicoResponsible for the marketing of personal care, with sales of $200 Million, 6 direct reports and 3 multifunctional resources. • Turnaround of a very mature category (toilet soaps), delivered a growth of +2% and +3% por 2 consecutive years, when the category had 3 years straight decrease with management of 4ps, focused on price, BTL activities, and a strong public relation program.

Procter & GambleBrand Manager P&G Central America

Jul. 1996 - Jul. 2000GuatemalaDoubled the growth rate of the brands in Beauty Care versus the previous 3 years. o Achieved the shooting of the first local commercial in CA for Pantene in Panama, that drove sales in the shampoo category by +30% and the conditioner sales by +250%. Before this, all the hair care copies came directly from the US. o Lead the test market for LA for the OLAY brand in Costa Rica, to develop a market introduction model, that set the pillars and guidelines for the introduction in the rest of LA. The model was reapplied for Mexico’s brand introduction. o Implemented the first targeting program for teens in LA, with the brand H&S.

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