Willard Bishop Restructures Management
BARRINGTON, Ill. -- In its 30th year of providing consulting services to the retail and foodservice industries, Willard Bishop here is implementing a new management structure to maintain its heritage and meet the needs of a changing marketplace.
"About four years ago, it became clear that we needed to start to prepare for the future, and put a plan into place to convert our firm, now called just Willard Bishop, into a partnership," Bill Bishop, founder and former president, explained to Progressive Grocer. Under the new structure, Bishop becomes chairman.
Jim Hertel, formerly s.v.p., and Paul Weitzel, formerly v.p., have been named managing partners and will immediately assume responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the company. In their new roles, Hertel will continue to lead business development, marketing, and client service, and Weitzel will continue as head of the cost and profit optimization practice.
Bill Bishop will continue to provide strategic guidance and thought leadership to both the organization and the industry.
Jon Hauptman and David Bishop have both been promoted to partner. Hauptman will continue to lead the firm's retail pricing, trade strategy, and shopper insights practices, and David Bishop will continue to lead the convenience and small store format practices.
Meanwhile, Craig Rosenblum has accepted the newly created position of v.p., business development. Before joining Willard Bishop, he worked in business development for Prescient Applied Intelligence, Crossmark, and Milton Merl Associates.
Looking back to the company's founding, Bishop noted that its initial mission focused on helping companies understand the implications of new developments in food retailing. "Our goal was to be the 'first people on the bench' in important new areas, and we developed a solid reputation for doing that on topics ranging from new store formats to technological applications."
Today Willard Bishop tracks emerging issues such as sustainability and wellness, he continued. "We also put more emphasis on helping retailers and their supplier partners adjust to marketplace changes in areas like pricing strategy and collaboration."
-- Jenny McTaggart
"About four years ago, it became clear that we needed to start to prepare for the future, and put a plan into place to convert our firm, now called just Willard Bishop, into a partnership," Bill Bishop, founder and former president, explained to Progressive Grocer. Under the new structure, Bishop becomes chairman.
Jim Hertel, formerly s.v.p., and Paul Weitzel, formerly v.p., have been named managing partners and will immediately assume responsibility for the day-to-day operations of the company. In their new roles, Hertel will continue to lead business development, marketing, and client service, and Weitzel will continue as head of the cost and profit optimization practice.
Bill Bishop will continue to provide strategic guidance and thought leadership to both the organization and the industry.
Jon Hauptman and David Bishop have both been promoted to partner. Hauptman will continue to lead the firm's retail pricing, trade strategy, and shopper insights practices, and David Bishop will continue to lead the convenience and small store format practices.
Meanwhile, Craig Rosenblum has accepted the newly created position of v.p., business development. Before joining Willard Bishop, he worked in business development for Prescient Applied Intelligence, Crossmark, and Milton Merl Associates.
Looking back to the company's founding, Bishop noted that its initial mission focused on helping companies understand the implications of new developments in food retailing. "Our goal was to be the 'first people on the bench' in important new areas, and we developed a solid reputation for doing that on topics ranging from new store formats to technological applications."
Today Willard Bishop tracks emerging issues such as sustainability and wellness, he continued. "We also put more emphasis on helping retailers and their supplier partners adjust to marketplace changes in areas like pricing strategy and collaboration."
-- Jenny McTaggart