Circle Beverage

Circle Beverage's mission is to provide enriching careers for our people, to uplift our partners, and to benefit society through our products and services.  

We are a turnkey contract manufacturer that specializes in complex canned beverage products for high-potential brands and retailers. 

We employ a meticulous, full-circle method of vetting clients and products, then onboarding and integrating them into our manufacturing infrastructure which enables us to act as their integrated manufacturing department.

We have helped to launch and grow some of the industry's most innovative products & brands by adding value through manufacturing services and our adjacent expertise in R&D, product commercialization, regulatory compliance & certifications, go-to-market strategy, distribution, and fulfillment.  Circle's certifications include: SQF (GFSI-recognized), FDA-registered, TTB Distilled Spirits Producer, USDA Organic, and B-Corporation.

Co-Founder and CEO

The Leather Book Library (exited 2021)

The Leather Book Library was founded to be the premier global service for custom book binding (www.theleatherbooklibrary.com).  The company established an international supply chain of suppliers and manufacturing partners, one of which acquired the company in 2021.

Founder

Indiana University Health

As the leader of the IU Health Plans Project Management Office, key responsibilities included:

(1) Developing a world-class Project Management organization with a staff of business and IT Project Managers
(2) Overseeing the Supply Chain function for the business unit: strategy, process, and people. ~$85 M in annual supply chain spend.
(3) Serving as a Customer Experience Champion to transform the IU Health Customer Experience.
(4) Driving multiple strategic initiatives to deliver a step change in performance and capabilities.

Manager, Project Management Office

Rolls-Royce

As the Supply Chain Projects Manager of the US Defense Aerospace business, key responsibilities included leading a staff of Project Managers and Supply Chain Designers, 25-50 project team members, and project budgets of up to $5M. Core accountability resided in setting supply chain strategies for the business unit and executing major change programs. Accomplishments included:

(1) Building an organization from scratch by attracting and developing top talent from internal and external sources.
(2) Decommissioning a manufacturing facility in Bristol, UK and implementing a new facility in Indianapolis, Indiana.
(3) Executing a program to transition R-R logistics work to various third party companies, equating to $5 M in annualized cost savings.
(4) Overseeing a Vendor Managed Inventory program for the Business Unit.
(5) Leader of the 'idea generation' pipeline for the business unit. Oversight of major change programs from inception to final delivery.

Supply Chain Projects Manager

Leader in the Global Logistics function which manages logistics services (transportation, warehousing, packaging, in-factory logistics) for Rolls-Royce across 50+ sites in North and South America. Key accomplishments included:

(1) Aligning Logistics strategies across all business sectors (Civil Aerospace, Defense Aerospace, Marine, Energy).
(2) Managing project teams of up to 10 team members and capital project budgets of up to $1 M.
(3) Led an inventory improvement program on behalf of the Chief Operating Officer (COO). This program was focused on improving the business unit’s cash position.
(4) Governing Third Party Logistics (3PL) provider relationships to manage Logistics operations for the business

Global Logistics Manager

Rotational Leadership Development Program

The Coca-Cola Company

Supply Chain Associate

Beverage Manufacturing & Co-Packing | Business as a Force for Good @ Circle Beverage

I help teams to achieve unreasonable outcomes by serving and coaching them with relentless dedication.  

I am grateful for each of the world-class teams that I have had the opportunity to serve.

Manufacturing is my home. I love the daily collision of workmanship, engineering, and old-fashioned work ethic that is necessary to succeed in this industry.

My entire career has been spent in highly regulated sectors (healthcare, aerospace, food/bev manufacturing). I enjoy the chaos that these industries offer and to have the opportunity to bring clarity to that chaos.

I’m the father of 4 young children. Type 1 Diabetic since 1991. Lifelong health and wellness fanatic. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu competitor.

LinkedIn is a place where I speak about the topics that I love. Manufacturing, leadership, and business as a force for good.  I hope you find my content of benefit.

I value hustle and integrity over any other human traits.

Matt Whiteside

TriVista

I lead Procurement advisory for TriVista, serving as the subject matter expert for the organization as we strengthen our Procurement capability.

Director

Source Refresh LLC

I advise CEOs and COOs of Small/Medium Enterprises, Minority-owned businesses and Non-Profits to deliver improvements on key Business KPIs.
Check us out at www.source-refresh.com or send me an email at Chandhrika@source-refresh.com if you want to learn more.

Founder & Consultant

d.e. Foxx & Associates, Inc.

- Advisor to CEO, ushering in holistic Procurement Transformation which includes revamping business model and org structures.
- Procurement and Data Strategist for new clients and prospects, managing analysis, opportunity sizing and building strategy roadmap for indirect spend management.

Consultant

Versatex

- Driving digitization of indirect (MRO) spend for a Fortune 500 manufacturing client across 100+ sites in North America. 
- Leading cost savings initiatives for a $10B+ Healthcare client through benchmarking and standardization of Building Maintenance Services.

Arbo's Cheese Dip

I advise the Founder on Supply Chain Strategy as we chart out a plan to increase distribution across US.

ProPrudence

Advisor to bootstrapped start-up. Proprudence is a first-of-its-kind marketplace that delivers amplified reach, streamlined order intake to payment, and encrypted video conferencing for confidential consultation.

Advisor

Safe Food En Route, LLC

I provide Procurement advisory to Safe Food En Route's client, TriVista (https://trivista.com/)
TriVista performs operations due diligence for Private Equity clients.

Kroger

• Managed P&L for ~$1B portfolio, delivering top-line growth through market share and controlling bottom-line by reducing costs incl shrink. 
• Successfully delivered category turn-around in Ready to Heat meals from loss-maker to market leader by developing and executing robust data-driven strategies.
• Provided 4P strategic direction to National Brand and Private Label category managers to maximize customer value using category analytics (84.51, IRi, Shelf Review and Adjacencies, & TADMx for promotions evaluation).

Category Management (Retail Merchandising) - Deli/Bakery

• Managed $0.5B spend across commodities and finished product
• Global sourcing of raw materials from Asia, Africa, EU, and Americas for Kroger's Manufacturing Plants, and finished product for Kroger Retail.
• Led team in development and implementation of Strategic Sourcing Vision for Manufacturing Sourcing.
• Served as Enterprise Subject Matter Expert on Nuts and Spice commodities by providing market insights to senior executives and coaching  merchandising managers on National Brand negotiations.

Global Sourcing - Raw Materials & Copack

Versatex MSP

• Created and implemented best-in-class sourcing practices across client network
- Devised and implemented network-wide supplier performance measurement system for objective vendor performance assessment 
- Developed strategic first-of-its-kind Total Cost of Ownership model for staffing service procurement
• Delivered cost savings to client through operations efficiency improvement initiatives
- Reducing contract labor overtime through innovative scheduling
• Supported new business development for the start-up enterprise

Sourcing Manager

University of Cincinnati

Served as TA for undergrad Business Statistics course with responsibility for teaching and grading exams.

Teaching Assistant

Crafted and taught a brand new online undergraduate-level course in Applied Statistics for Human Services

Instructor (Applied Statistics)

Enabling small businesses to excel at Procurement | Host of The Source Refresh Podcast

I'm currently the Director of Sourcing at TriVista, bringing over 20 years of global supply chain expertise to the table. Before this, I founded Source Refresh LLC, a consulting practice with a focus on boosting procurement performance for small and mid-market businesses, primarily minority-owned firms.

My mission? To empower businesses to master procurement and create meaningful value for their customers, stakeholders, and the community.

I also host The Source Refresh Podcast, a platform where small business experts discuss supply chain challenges and discover practical solutions.

taplio

The Battle

Matt Whiteside

Chandhrika Venkataraman

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