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UR CLIENT

stor Chocolate’s story begins in 1929 Czechoslovakia, when Leopold Grunhut studied the art of fine chocolate making and opened his first confectionary store. After relocating to New York in 1950, the family established the company under the Astor name and soon earned a reputation for blending European tradition with innovation and creativity.

stor’s name in fine, quality chocolates soon spread and their first large-scale customer was Macy’s. Many other department stores soon followed and Astor’s reputation grew. They were synonymous with European tradition, signature distinctive flavors, and original thinking.

ver the years, Astor has become famous for its innovations in the chocolate market.

http://www.epsenfuller.com/


stor specializes in luxury confectionaries made from premium Belgian chocolate – known to be the finest in the world.

nown as the industry leader in chocolate amenities for the hospitality industry as well as food service, catering, souvenir and corporate gifts, and gourmet retail, distinguished establishments from Waldorf Astoria, Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton to Disney and a large share of the Fortune 500 choose Astor chocolate when looking for gourmet private-label confections.

tate-of-the-Art graphic studios and extensive in-house printing capabilities allow Astor to offer custom manufacturing services that tailor the product to reflect each client’s unique brand.

oday the company continues to uphold its foundation of old-fashioned values and unbridled creativity while driving growth across the many markets that it serves.


Chief Financial Officer

PPORTUNITY family-owned ‘legacy company’, Astor enjoys a long

standing reputation of fine chocolate making artistry and skill that makes the difference between simply good chocolate, and confections of unparalleled excellence. A highly respected leader in the industry, Astor has been a true pioneer and pacesetter.

ith State-of-the-Art manufacturing facilities, cutting edge design and automated packaging solutions and technology, Astor is famous for its award-winning package design. From tiny customized mints to elegant boxed truffles, the presentation truly suits the product inside.

heir markets are broad and diverse, offering significant opportunity for growth. Astor operates in four primary markets - Hospitality: Hotels, Cruise & Air Lines; Travel Retail: Souvenir Gifts, Theme Parks, and Travel Destinations; Private Label: serving the finest Retail Food companies and Gourmet shops; Corporate Sales: with elegant customized packaging for corporate gifts and promotions.

The Mission… is quite simple: Creating Superior Quality Confections While Upholding Exceptional Customer Service

stor operates a fully-integrated manufacturing facility which is solar energy efficient, sustainable and Kosher certified in Lakewood, New Jersey. Its subsidiary, Le Belge, located in Napa Valley, California, produces luxurious artisanal chocolates in small batches in the European tradition. The combined locations total approximately 145,000 sq. ft. and operate with a combined union/non-union workforce of approximately 325 employees.

stor is constantly looking ahead and expanding horizons. Seizing an opportunity to move the company to the next level through organic growth, branding and retail, as well as by acquisition, Astor is building a senior leadership team to spearhead that growth.

stor is seeking a Chief Financial Officer to join the leadership team to be an integral part of ensuring the success of that growth and expansion.



COPE OF ACCOUNTABILITIES he Chief Financial Officer is a key senior management role that will deliver

overall leadership for the finance and accounting group, providing sound financial analysis and advice to support its strategic business decisions as well as the company’s profit and growth goals. The CFO will be a true “business partner” with, and work effectively across, all functional areas. Viewed as critical to the company achieving its current and long term goals, the CFO will support the manufacturing operation's dynamic expansion through a focus on sales growth, superior customer service, and strategic M&A activities.

his executive will have “hands on” accountability for managing the accounting, control and finance functions, including financial and operational reporting, budgeting & forecasting, manufacturing cost accounting, cash flow & treasury, as well as human resources, and IT.

• Establish and deliver upon a common finance and accounting mission,

thereby creating and delivering competitive strength to the organization;

• Lead all of the organization’s financial affairs to include: accounting and costing, inventory control, monthly financial closings, AR & AP, budgeting & forecasting, financial planning and expense control, risk management, contract negotiation, IT, tax, treasury, and human resources, with complete financial reporting and control;

• Create and implement clear, concise, and effective policies and procedures that ensure the delivery of timely financial data and comprehensive analysis of business performance to enable proactive leadership throughout the company and each of the business divisions;

Specific Accountabilities



• Review and design the company’s overall compensation structure including salary, incentives including bonuses, commissions , etc., and retain and reward an effective workforce in an equitable manner;

• Manage cash flow and develop a reliable cash flow projection process and reporting mechanism; optimize banking relationships and initiate appropriate strategies to enhance cash positions;

• Lead and deliver all financial aspects and due diligence and negotiations of potential acquisitions and deal making process;

• Act as a key member of the senior management team and foster a proactive, rather than reactive orientation, becoming the conscience of the organization by truly reflecting the inner workings of the business, recommending and implementing solutions to company issues to drive performance, thereby enabling the company to meet and exceed its near and long-term objectives.

Passionate

dedication,

from

outstanding

chocolate to

refined

presentation,

is the Astor

trademark.

• Build a reputation for the finance, accounting and controllership function of integrity and trust, leadership, reliability, and unquestioned accuracy and sustained performance.

• Direct the analysis, planning and implementation of a financial reporting system tied to the company ERP system that can integrate financial reporting throughout the organization and deliver monthly financial statements, forecasts and variances, annual operational budgets and plans, and real time business data and analytics;

• Effectively improve and integrate the financial infrastructure and processes into all areas of the business, i.e., accounting, manufacturing, costing, supply chain, operations, distribution, IT, marketing, pricing, sales, etc.



ESIRED QUALIFICATIONS he Chief Financial Officer will be a highly seasoned financial professional who

has significant experience in the manufacturing industry and has demonstrated success in leading and building value within the finance, accounting and controllership functions of a manufacturing operation.

ell versed in the art of building strong relationships, this individual must possess excellent communication skills, an executive presence, and the ability to influence and work effectively with a variety of senior executives and line managers both internally and externally.

Experience & Skills Required

• A minimum of 15+ years of experience in progressively more responsible financial functions, most recently as the Chief Financial Officer or Vice President Finance, leading the delivery of an integrated, full-scale and highly responsive finance, accounting and controllership function for a manufacturing company;

• Experience in food and/or beverage processing or manufacturing preferred; other consumer sector manufacturing will be considered;

• Demonstrated experience in the strategic planning process, having worked closely with senior executives to develop and implement long-term strategic plans, including ongoing monitoring of same;

• Specific experience with the transition to a new financial system scalable for growth, including its analysis, design, recommendation and implementation to include integration with the company ERP system;

• A hands-on financial generalist with deep functional accounting, costing, balance sheet, control and cash management acumen and solid experience with day-to-day financial and accounting management;

• Excellent business intelligence and negotiation skills, particularly in the management of capital obligations, banking relationships, and M&A opportunities and related due diligence;



• A particularly driven , enthusiastic and energetic individual, well-organized, detail-oriented; ability to multi-task and focus on improvements and making things happen;

• An “in the trenches” management style with a strong work ethic and “roll-your-sleeves-up” mentality;

• An outcome focused individual who sets ambitious, challenging goals, in a results-oriented organization;

• A conscientious, loyal, trustworthy and cooperative team player, with an understanding and appreciation of an entrepreneurial, family-owned business;

• A desire and belief that s/he can make things happen and embraces opportunities to shape change, using an innate sense of urgency to keep the momentum going forward;

• A collaborative approach and a natural desire to achieve consensus; a strong relationship builder;

• A value system that includes flawless personal and business honesty, trust, integrity, openness, and a dedication to exceeding expectations.

Behavioral Competencies Required

• Proven success in managing and mentoring a finance team in a growth environment with a client-focused, service-oriented and multi-functional perspective is essential;

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, the ability to present his/her ideas in a clear, concise and compelling fashion to owners and senior and line management as well as other key staff members;

• B.S. degree in finance or accounting is required, while an advanced degree and/or CPA preferred.



OCATION The position is based in Lakewood, New Jersey and will include domestic and some international travel.

OMPENSATION

The successful candidate will receive a competitive compensation package including a base salary and performance-based incentives.

PPLICATION PROCESS

Candidates who represent the attributes presented in this profile are encouraged to contact Epsen Fuller Group. All inquires are kept strictly confidential and may be made to: Equal Employment Opportunity Epsen Fuller Group shall provide equal employment opportunity to all qualified candidates, and will refer candidates without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, veteran status or any other legally protected basis. Epsen Fuller Group shall comply with all applicable laws, rules and regulations in the performance of duties pursuant to this project, including but not limited to, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and state and local anti-discrimination laws to the extent applicable.

Richard Cannellos CFO & Senior Client Partner

[email protected] 888-800-9931, Ext 314

+1 646.706.7602

mailto:[email protected]

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