PK Associates

Peter Klein Biography 

Peter is the Founder and Managing Director of PK Associates, a growth management consultancy founded in 2005, and was a senior executive and corporate officer after spending his career in sales, marketing, strategy, planning, business development (new products and acquisition/divestiture), and in management consulting.

Peter was part of a 2-man company turnaround team that joined The Gillette Company after joining Nabisco Holdings/Nabisco Foods in the same role. From March 2001 through September 2005, he was SVP and Corporate Officer of Gillette; responsible for Strategy, Planning, Marketing Services (advertising, media, market research, sports marketing and marketing training), global e-Business and M&A, reporting to the Chairman/CEO, Jim Kilts. Peter left Gillette following change-in-control after its sale to P&G in 2005 and started PK Associates. Previously he was EVP and Corporate Officer of Strategy, Planning, M&A, Marketing Services and Global e-Business at Nabisco Holdings/Nabisco Food from January 1998 through December 2000, also reporting to its Chairman/CEO (the two of them went to Gillette following Nabisco’s public auction and acquisition by Phillip Morris/Kraft Foods in December 2000).

Peter directed Gillette and Nabisco's growth strategy, assured the alignment of corporate strategies with operating unit and functional group plans, developed and implemented cross-company internal and external business development (acquisitions, divestitures, licensing, JV's), and directed integrated marketing intelligence, marketing services (market research, consumer promotions, media buying, sports marketing) and global e-Business. He oversaw Nabisco’s acquisition of United Biscuit (European deal of the year’ in 2000) and the auction of Nabisco (largest auction of a U.S.-based public company and U.S. deal of the year in 2000), and oversaw Nabisco’s integration planning into Kraft Foods and Gillette’s integration planning into P&G.

Peter joined Nabisco from The Cambridge Group, where he was a Partner / Managing Director of its east coast office, which he opened in 1991. Mr. Klein came to Nabisco with 17 years of management consulting experience.  Prior to joining The Cambridge Group, he  was a senior partner at Marketing Corporation of America, where he led the Consumer Products management consulting practice … over his consulting career Peter has worked with over 40 major Consumer Product Companies and in almost every category across Food and Beverages (including alcoholic beverages), OTC Drugs, Household Products, Toiletries and Personal/Beauty Care Products.

Before consulting, Peter worked in line sales, marketing and new products …  at Sterling Drug (Vice President, Business Development), The Gillette Company (Director of Marketing & Sales/Braun North America and Group Marketing Manager/Personal Care), Johnson & Johnson (Consumer Trade Promotion and Marketing), and Richardson-Merrell (Field & Headquarter Sales); and he has significant experience in line marketing, innovation/new products (e.g., Oscar Mayer Lunchables at $1.3bn sales, many others) and M&A (see examples at the end).

Peter attended Syracuse University (B.S. in Marketing & Finance) and Harvard Business School (MBA), holds two U.S. patents, and has published articles and given speeches on growth management, strategy and planning, innovation, cross-functional business teams, acquisition, new product development, private label, business success factors, etc. He was or is a Board Director at Conyers Park Acquisition II and III Corp’s (SPACs), The Multiplying Good (Jefferson Awards) Foundation, Ole Smoky Distillery, Vision For and From Children Foundation (Chairman) and Braun AG (Germany); he is on the Advisory Council of member of Breaking Through Inc. (a not-for-profit),  was on the Advisory Board of Centerview Capital and Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management and was a member of the Washington Business Forum. Peter is an investor in start-up companies.

Peter has published articles and spoken on topics such as growth management, innovation, cross-functional business teams, acquisition and divestiture, new product development, leadership and business success factors, and numerous marketing and growth case studies, including the sale of Nabisco Foods and The Gillette Company.

Advertising Age recognized Peter as 1 of 10 Innovators and THE DEAL.COM did an article on Peter (see website under Biography: www.pkassociates.com). Peter lives in Naples, FL and Purchase, NY.

PK Associates provide ‘of counsel’ advisory retainer services and project teams  to CEO's and senior executives; Peter directs all PKA project dream teams and speaks on business management and business process topics based on his strategic and hands-on experience working for blue chip public companies plus management consultancies (e.g., growth management, innovation & new products, M&A, marketing, strategy & planning).

Mr. Klein's acquisition experience (not an all-inclusive list):

*   Largest global Consumer Products Industry Deal to date at the time; with the highest sales,

EBITDA, Net Income and Cash Flow multiple paid for any public company with sales over

$2bn in any Industry since 1997 
**  Voted 2000 Deal of the Year in U.S.; largest auction ever at that time of a U.S.-based public

company 
*** Voted 2000 Deal of the Year in Europe

Media Recognition (Click on PDF Below)

"The Tonto Files," by Lisa Gewitz-Ward. The Deal magazine, June 25 - July 8, 2007 (PDF)
"Peter Klein: Gillette Savior Rides into Sunset," by Jack Neff. Point magazine (PDF)