JESSE HERMANN
Jesse Hermann
Jesse Hermann, a Zolfo Cooper Director, has 20 years of experience running businesses as an operating executive. His expertise includes driving performance and leading change at large, established global businesses as well as start-up operations. With significant sales and operations experience, Jesse has a track record of success in international operations, financial planning, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, materials management, internal controls and raising capital.
Professional Experience
Immediately prior to joining Zolfo Cooper, Jesse was a consultant to private equity groups providing management and M&A counsel for potential acquisitions and portfolio companies, including opportunity assessment, sales and marketing strategy and implementation and active management in restructuring manufacturing operations. Highlights of previous management roles include the following:
- Turned around operations and delivered double-digit sales and profit growth at an 800 person basic manufacturer of automotive switches and locks with operations across the U.S. and Mexico, which he subsequently sold to Echlin, a $3.5 billion automotive parts manufacturer
- restructured manufacturing operations and inventory management process
- managed joint venture operations with Japanese partners, one of which manufactured all the locks used by Honda of America
- established off-shore sourcing with integrated engineering capability, collapsing the design process to reduce time to market by 40% and costs by 60%
- outsourced component manufacturing operations; redeployed capital into new product development to strategically position company in the aftermarket
- developed and implemented new marketing strategy focusing the company to deliver new market-specific programs
- created multiple brands to compete in product category historically comprised of commodity offerings
- restructured and renegotiated banking relationship, securing better terms and improving cash flow
- Re-engineered a manufacturing network for Dana Corp., a $13 billion automotive parts manufacturer; managed consolidation/relocation of operations to optimize labor cost and plant performance advantages, while expanding offshore sourcing
- Founded software company providing distribution management software to durable goods distributors; over 2,000 locations across North America run its software processing over $2 billion annual revenues
- Designed innovative transaction-intensive systems; optimized systems to run at individual store level and effectively scale to implementation across thousands of locations
- identified, acquired and integrated companies providing key skills and components
- At Bain & Company, provided Fortune 50 clients with strategic advice, including identification of business opportunities based on extensive customer analysis
Education, Certification & Professional Affiliations
- M.B.A., Stanford University Graduate School of Business
- B.A., magna cum laude, Amherst College
- Previously served on the board of Suntron Corporation (NASDAQ-SCM: SUNN)
- Former board member, New Jersey Technology Council