Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders

The food industry is a tough business that relies on tight planning and logistics, but today's guest has created a finely-tuned operation by taking advantage of tech innovations. 

On this episode, we're sitting down with Sean O'Scannlain, who founded Fortune International in 2001. Since then, the company has grown both organically and through numerous acquisitions into one of the country's leading processors, distributors, and importers of quality seafood, meats and gourmet products.

Today, Fortune International employees over 1,300 people and is the parent company of Fortune Fish and Gourmet Fortune Imports, Chef Martin, Coastal Seafood, D'Artagnan and Lobster Gram. The company handles more than 15,000 seafood and gourmet products daily throughout the central, southeastern and northeastern United States. 

It's no surprise that Sean is well respected in the seafood industry. Among many leadership positions, he’s a past chairman of the National Fisheries Institute, and he’s a founding member of SeaPak group of seafood companies dedicated to driving continuous improvement of social, economic, and environmental responsibility throughout the global seafood chain.

Highlights:

• Sean describes Fortune International's reach and background (3:04)
• How Sean started the business (3:54)
• How Fortune finds its customers (6:51)
• Industry changes, and new tech (8:43)
• How seafood travels (11:37)
• Using acquisitions to expand 14:20)
• Making acquisition decisions, and the finding the right fit (16:46)
• Fortune's most recent acquisition, and future growth plans (18:09)
• Direct-to-consumer project (20:05)
• The senior team at Fortune International (21:37)
• The current economy's effect on business (23:55)
• The company's total addressable market (25:16)
• Sean's favorite products, and locations for seafood (26:02)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Sean O'Scannlain on LinkedIn

Fortune Fish & Gourmet on LinkedIn

Fortune International Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

In business, you have to want to win. But in addition to that, simple, honest values go an incredibly long way. Today's guest leads a company that is powered by that philosophy.

On this episode we get to sit down with Tom Nolan, CEO of the jewelry and accessories brand, Kendra Scott. Tom leads the billion dollar business by balancing day-to-day functions and strategy with the integration of the brand's core pillars of family, fashion and philanthropy into every consumer touch-point. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors, Tom oversees the brand's substantial omnichannel growth, global expansion and evolving retail model. 

Tom has more than two decades of experience in brand building, management and results-driven strategic planning from a diverse range of companies, including Ralph Lauren, Conde Nast, and his own entrepreneurial endeavor, Prospect Brands. We had a great conversation about the company's humble beginnings and how far they've come.

Highlights:

• The origin story of the company (2:58)
• Tom's background and career trajectory (4:02)
• The appeal of the Kendra Scott story and her as a leader (8:33)
• Tom outlines the company's brand values (10:43)
• Why Tom made the decision to join the company/the importance of philanthropy (14:36)
• The various tipping points in the company's growth (16:52)
• The importance of their relationship with Berkshire (19:29)
• Tom discusses Kendra Scott's creative approach to marketing (20:28)
• The Kendra Scott Foundation (22:50)
• The men's line (23:40)
• Tom talks about his leadership philosophy and the closeness with his team members (25:36)
• The company's vision for the next 5 to 10 years (27:08)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Tom Nolan on Twitter

Tom Nolan on LinkedIn

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

A business's true test of survival is based on their ability to learn from challenges. By adapting to changing times, today's guest found a sweet spot in the market for their product to thrive. 

Today we're sitting down with Julie Smolyansky, who became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm when she took over Lifeway Foods at the age of 27 in 2002. Over the ensuing years, Julie has continued the company's growth trajectory with creative product development and marketing, bringing an Eastern European product into the US mainstream. Under her leadership, the company has grown annual revenues from 12 million in 2002 to over 119 million in 2021. During Julie's tenure, the company has expanded distribution throughout the United States, and has expanded their reach internationally. 

Julie serves as a member of the United Nations Foundation, Global Entrepreneur's Council, and was part of the 2015 Class of Young Global Leaders of the World Economic Forum. She's produced several documentaries, co-founded a non-profit test 400k, and she released her first book, a cookbook in 2018. 

On this episode we have a great conversation about taking over her family's business, the health benefits of kefir, and overcoming business hurdles.

Highlights:

• Lifeway Foods' history and introducing kefir (2:57)
• Julie's transition to CEO (4:37)
• Gut health and kefir health benefits (7:28)
• The growing probiotics market (10:37)
• How the pandemic affected business at Lifeway Foods (12:08)
• Lifeway Foods' marketing strategies (16:13)
• Scaling the business, and future expansion (18:00)
• Manoeuvring in the current economy and supply chain concerns (20:26)
• Current products and new projects (22:20)
• Charity work and supporting Ukraine (24:12)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Julie Smolyansky on Instagram

Julie Smolyansky on LinkedIn

Lifeway Foods on LinkedIn

Lifeway Foods Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

The success of a company can hinge on clear and accessible communication with customers. Today's guest is leveraging tech to marry communication quality with the ultimate efficiency.

This week, we're sitting down with John DiLullo. John is the CEO of Live Vox, which is transforming call centre communications with cloud technology. LiveVox trades under the symbol LVOX.  John is a growth oriented industry veteran with a track record spanning more than 30 years in networking, telecom application delivery and cybersecurity, including 10 years experience in multi-channel contact center and enterprise voice communications.

Most recently, John was the Chief Revenue Officer at Force Point where he drove the company's worldwide revenue operations, sales, marketing, and business development efforts. Prior to Force Point, John served as the CEO of Last Line Security, a fast-growing AI-based network, threat detection company that was acquired by VMware in 2020. John holds two US patents and is a former Stanford University fellow. 

John and I had a great conversation about LiveVox's state-of-the art cloud data platform, hybrid and remote working, and the future of AI. 

Highlights:

• John describes his career path leading up to LiveVox (2:51)
• How the software works, and customer service (4:18)
• LiveVox's customers (5:59)
• How the software improves an agent's service quality (7:29)
• LiveVox's unique cloud-based architecture (8:48)
• Implementing the software, and transforming old systems (11:10)
• Employee retention rate and managing enterprise risk (15:10)
• Catering to customer experience (17:12)
• The future of customer service and how LiveVox will respond (19:06)
• How LiveVox uses and creates AI solutions (21:30)
• LiveVox's projection and growth goals (24:28)
• What investors miss about the company (26:06)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

John DiLullo on LinkedIn

LiveVox on LinkedIn

LiveVox Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

It's pretty inspiring to hear from people who climb huge heights, and then go looking for even bigger challenges. And that's exactly what today's guest did.

On this episode we're sitting down with Sarah-Marie Martin, who joined Uber in 2022 as Head of M&A Investor Relations and Capital Markets, after a successful 25-year career in investment banking. At Uber, Sarah-Marie helps optimize and finance the company's portfolio of businesses. Before joining Uber, she was the first CFO of Yumi, a digitally native, organic children's food company. Previously, during her time in investment banking Sarah-Marie was a partner at Goldman Sachs, and also worked at Credit Suisse for 20 years. 

In the early days of her career, Sarah-Marie worked in the high-yield and equity capital markets groups, as well as Latin American corporate finance. She earned a BA from Stanford in Quantitative Economics, graduating with distinction. And she got her MBA from Columbia Business School, where she was valedictorian of her class.

Sarah-Marie serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of The Door, an organization that empowers disconnected youth in New York City. She's a board member of Easy Point, a pre-IPO shipping software company. And in her spare time, she's the mom of five kids.

Sarah-Marie and I had a great conversation about her fascinating career, and the exciting direction that Uber is headed.

Highlights:

• Sarah-Marie's education, how she got into investment banking, and what led her to Goldman-Sachs (3:16)
• What it was like being a woman in such a male-dominated field (6:29)
• Why Sarah-Marie decided to pivot after 25 years in banking (8:19)
• What the transition was like going from banking to Yumi (10:45)
• How she ended up at Uber (12:43)
• Sarah-Marie's priorities (14:05)
• Sarah-Marie talks about Uber's situation when she joined (15:37)
• What Uber's focus is right now (16:41)
• Diversity and inclusion at Uber (18:59)
• Sarah-Marie's experience at the World Economic Forum in January 2023 (21:34)
• Corporate employees driving for Uber (23:58)
• Tips for getting your Uber rating up (25:14)
• Sarah-Marie's top product recommendations for Uber (26:11)
• How Sarah-Marie balances her career with having 5 children (26:44)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Sarah Marie-Martin on Twitter

Sarah Marine-Martin on LinkedIn

Uber on LinkedIn

Uber Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

Renewable, sustainable energy has made strides in the last 20 years with developments in solar and wind power, but much of the field still struggles to move forward from traditional fossil fuels. Today's guest has broken new ground on a uniquely clean, and extremely effective energy technology.

Robert Piconi is Chairman and CEO of Energy Vault, developers of sustainable energy storage solutions. Prior to Energy Vault, Robert was founder and CEO of Pantheon Healthcare Group, and he also served as group at the Danaher Corporation. His earlier experience includes roles of increasing responsibility at Fortune 500 public companies, including the Diversified Energy Group at Amoco and British Petroleum, as well as executive leadership roles at Bell Labs Lucent Technologies. Robert holds a BS/BBA from Notre Dame, and an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

We talk to Robert about his early career, the energy storage market, and Energy Vault's huge runway for growth. 

Highlights:

• Robert's transition from the fossil fuel market to renewables (2:51)
• Energy Vault's story and services (5:06)
• How Robert spotted a gap in the market (6:37)
• Energy Vault's growth and expansion tactics (9:02)
• The Inflation Reduction Act and impact on business (12:38)
• How the unique gravity storage method works (14:25)
• Target audience and customers (17:29)
• Robert explains the business's economic model (21:46)
• Energy Vault's leadership team (24:10)
• The future of the business and new projects (25:49)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Robert Piconi on LinkedIn

Energy Vault on Instagram

Energy Vault on LinkedIn

Energy Vault Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

In healthcare, they say the only constant is change. Medical practices and treatments are always evolving, and today's guest is on the cutting edge of an exciting development. 

Today we're sitting down with Dr. Eddie Sullivan, co-founder, President and CEO at SAB Biotherapeutics. Eddie served in biopharma leadership positions for more than 25 years, and prior to joining SAB, he was CEO of Hema Tech, where he led initiatives to develop infectious disease, cancer, and autoimmune immunotherapies. A recognized thought leader in antibodies in transgenic animals, Eddie serves on the board of directors for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization, he's earned two PhDs in health science administration and reproductive physiology, and he holds an MS in reproductive physiology and molecular biology, and a BS in Animal health sciences.

On the show, we talk to Eddie about SAB's polyclonal antibody research, perceptions about this research in the biotech world, and the future of fighting diseases. 

Highlights:

• Eddie's path to the Biotherapeutics field (3:04)
• Founding SAB and the immunotherapy industry (3:41)
• How SAB uses cows for research (4:59)
• SAB's take on the COVID vaccine (8:43)
• Perceptions of monoclonals vs. polyclonals (13:27)
• Slow growth in polyclonal research (16:57)
• SAB's work on Type 1 Diabetes and other disease treatment (20:13)
• What Eddie is excited about in the future for the field (26:19)
• The biggest challenge in biotech (27:10)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Dr. Eddie Sullivan on LinkedIn

SAB Biotherapeutics on Linkedin

SAB Biotherapeutics Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

Making a decision like transitioning from a successful soda brand into a water company will certainly come with its risks, but it can also open the door for commercial expansion and innovation. Today's guest was able to make that shift seamlessly.

On this week's episode, we get to sit down with Tom Harrington, Chief Executive Officer of Primo Water, which trades under the symbol PRMW. Tom took the post in the beginning of 2019 and prior to that, he served as the CEO of Primo's North American Business Unit after the acquisition of DS Services in December of 2014. Before the acquisition, Tom served in various roles with DS Services including CEO, President and COO. Prior to joining DS services, Tom worked with Coca-Cola Enterprises in a number of roles including VP and General Manager of the New York and Chicago divisions. 

Tom and I talked about the evolution of Primo Water, and the investments they've made into developing their service-based model.

Highlights:

• Tom introduces Primo's services (3:10
• Primo's business model (3:52)
• Recurring-revenue business strategy (4:59)
• How Primo's business model has changed over time (5:56)
• E-commerce and technology (7:08)
• Investments and supply chain optimization (8:14)
• Water resourcing and environmental concern (9:51)
• New products and partnerships (10:41)
• Inflation and economic impact (11:55)
• How Primo raise their EBITDA margins (13:43)
• Benefits of being a pure-play water company (15:07)
• Primo's differentiation from competitors (16:05)
• Mergers and acquisitions (17:09)
• Primo's growth formula (18:26)
• The effect of imposing tariffs (20:40)
• How investors misjudge Primo (21:59)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Tom Harrington on LinkedIn

Primo Water Corporation on LinkedIn

Primo Water Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

As a public company, moving into a fully franchised model isn't always easy. There are lots of challenges and misconceptions, but today's guest has come through all of that with flying colors.

Matthew Doctor is President, CEO, and a Board Member of Regis Corporation, which trades under the symbol R G S. Regis is the beauty industry's global leader in salons and cosmetology education, with more than 5,500 locations worldwide operating under concepts such as Supercuts®, SmartStyle® and First Choice Haircutters® to name a few. Matt joined Regis in February of 2021, as Chief Strategy Officer, before becoming President in 2022. 

Previously, Matt was a partner and chief financial officer for Kava Restaurants, a Tim Horton's franchisee. Prior to Kava, he held several roles at Restaurant Brands International, owner of the Burger King, Tim Horton's and Popeye's Brands. There, he was head of Global Development and franchisee performance of Burger King, he led M and A in Asia for Burger King, and led development efforts for Tim Horton's. Matt started his career as an investment banker for JP Morgan in New York. 

On this week's episode, we sat down to talk about Matt's franchise career, and his incredible work with Regis during a really tricky period.

Highlights:

• Matt shares Regis' brand history (2:58)
• Services provided under the Regis brand umbrella (5:31)
• Franchise reach, audience, and customer profile (6:11)
• Matt's work in the franchise field, and his introduction to Regis (7:16)
• How Regis fits the 'franchise model' (10:13)
• Matt discusses his senior team's synergy (12:31)
• What Regis focused on for future profitability (14:23)
• Technology initiatives and industry innovation (17:07)
• Future goals for the franchise (18:22)
• Matt explains Regis' growth expansion plan (20:24)
• Common mistakes to avoid as a franchisor (22:45)
• Effectively communicating your business to investors (24:35)

Links:

ICR Twitter

ICR LinkedIn

ICR Website

Mathew Doctor on LinkedIn

Regis Corporation on LinkedIn

Regis Corporation Website

Feedback:

If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected].

We get to hear from a lot of smart people with incredible ideas on this show, but it's extra exciting when they also have a world-changing vision, and our guest today has just that.

On this week's episode we're talking with Mei Mei Hu, CEO and Co-Founder of Vaxxinity, which trades under the symbol VAXX. Mei Mei is also a member of the Executive Committee of United Biomedical, and has overseen the launch of one of the first antibody vaccines in the world, and the successful spin out of five companies, including Vaxxinity's IPO in 2021. She currently leads an active pipeline of chronic disease immunotherapeutic candidates, including for Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, migraine, hypercholesterolemia, and variant inclusive COVID booster.

Mei Mei has been named to the Time 100 Next List, Fortune 40 under 40, and is a member of the Young Global Leaders of World Economic Forum. She holds a BA from University of Pennsylvania and a JD from Harvard Law School. We recorded this episode with Mei Mei in January 2023, and talked about the fascinating science behind Vaxxinity's work, and their amazing vision for making these vaccines accessible to the world.

Highlights:
• Mei Mei breaks down what drew her to the biotech field (3:03)
• Vaxxinity's origin story (3:58)
• Mission statement and company goals (5:37)
• Vaccine technology and Vaxxinity's approach to solving health problems (6:48)
• How chronic diseases are chosen and prioritized (9:09)
• How the vaccine works against Alzheimer's (10:38)
• A vaccine for Parkinson's, and working with the Michael J. Fox Foundation (12:37)
• A vaccine for cholesterol and simplifying cholesterol medication (13:57)
• The undiscussed disability: Migraines (16:28)
• How the economics work, and the company business model (18:14)
• COVID-19 vaccine developments, and short term vaccine studies (20:57)
• Taking the business public (23:00)
• Vaxxinity's leadership strategy and characteristics for a great team (24:47)
• Biotech trends for 2023 (26:55)
• Mei Mei's predictions for the future of chronic disease management (28:09)

Links:
ICR Twitter
ICR LinkedIn
ICR Website
Mei Mei Hu
Vaxxinity on LinkedIn
Vaxxinity Website

Feedback:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, [email protected]