Summary
After a professional career spanning 25 years of experience in progressively responsible positions including sales and operating management Mr. Evans launched a consultancy specializing in strategic management and ag-retail regulatory affairs. The consultancy’s strengths include strategic thinking and implementation skills, results orientation and a straight forward approach to problem solving. As an individual the consultant is equally familiar dealing with senior bureaucrats and politicians as well as farmer customers and labourers. The consultant is an innovative thinker capable of innovating systems or equipment to solve specific problems. The consultancy builds capabilities through strategic partnerships with lawyers, tax planners, bankers and other management consultants in order to bring the necessary skill sets to bear on specific business projects. The consultancy’s clients have ranged from individual producers to large integrated service businesses and national non-governmental industry associations.
Accomplishments
Strategic direction
- strategic coaching for diverse businesses involved in tourism, agricultural sales and service as well as primary production
- provided strategic advice to BDC Consulting clients in diverse industries
- coached a mature staff in a commodity sales organization to grow sales from 3.5 million to over $10 million
- worked with an industry association board of directors to implement a national branding strategy in Ottawa and the provincial capitols
Financial management
- coached diverse businesses to improved financial performance
- profitably operated a mature business in an intensely competitive market for 12 years
- prepared, implemented and monitored detailed cashflow and budget projections for a complex business as well as a national association
Operations management
- day to day management of a seasonal business with weekly sales in excess of $1 million during peak periods including hiring seasonal staff and purchasing resale products
- oversaw accounting management for a multi-location retail organization
- implemented new integrated business management systems on two separate occasions for multi-outlet retail organizations
- oversaw multi-activity repair and manufacturing facility including maintaining government certifications and related documentation
Innovative processes & equipment
- evolved new equipment for changed seeding systems by fabricating modifications to existing equipment. The improved equipment allowed the business to capture virtually all of the farmers who were in the process of changing to the new seeding technology.
- developed new dispatch methods to reduce workload and improve customer service in a seasonal business
- conceived a promotional piece called “Did You Know” which helped brand the industry association as an environmentally sound source of knowledge
Team development
- coached small businesses to improved performance through the use of strategy planning exercises and facilitated management meetings
- implemented strategic management retreats which annually summarized company successes & failures and then developed quantified action plans for the entire staff for the upcoming year
- coached junior staff into increased responsibility – maintained average employee tenures in excess of 10 years
- worked with senior industry leaders, competing industry associations, bureaucrats and politicians to achieve consensus on difficult and controversial issues
Education
- B.Sc.Ag. University of Saskatchewan, Major in Animal Science, Minor in Ag Economics
- Numerous industry business management courses including Banff School of Management
- Project specific training with regard to Canadian Farm Business Assessment program and Nurse Tank Safety Council of Canada
References available upon request.
