Our seasoned experts aren't theoreticians, lecturers, or workshop leaders.
They've had years of real P&L responsibility, with track records of earnings and profitability growth in once stagnant businesses. They provide focused, detailed, and custom-tailored strategies to businesses that seek aggressive, profitable, and sustainable growth. They do this by managing product and customer portfolios, segmentation, pricing, inventory, targeted selling, and all other mission critical aspects of your business.
Through three phases, our 80/20 Profit Enhancement experts will drive dramatic earnings growth in your business.
Our process includes:
Meet The Experts
Strategex has assembled a team of world class experts who don’t just know 80/20, but have developed the tools and processes used to help ITW generate 19% compound annual shareholder return each year for 25 years...
David
Philippi
CEO
David is CEO of Strategex, Inc., his expertise includes 80/20 execution, product development and market analysis to drive profitability.
Prior to joining Strategex, David gathered over eight years of in-the-trenches experience at Cinch Connectors in various product management and business development roles. His wide range of knowledge includes market research, product development, growth planning, and manufacturing. David has been responsible for growing product lines, developing plans and penetrating new markets, and devising long-term strategies for driving profitable revenue.
Since joining Strategex, David has consulted with over 50 clients and has contributed greatly to the successes of Strategex's PEGS clients. He applies his extensive 80/20 knowledge along with business analysis and growth strategies to help clients dramatically increase profitability and accelerate top-line growth. Prior to becoming CEO, David was the General Manager of the 80/20 PEGS business, he was responsible for running the business and has a CAGR of 19% during this time.
David obtained a BS in Electronic Engineering Technology from DeVry Institute of Technology and received his MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management.
David Philippi
CEO
Peter
Philippi
Founder | Chairman
Peter is Founder and Chairman of Strategex, Inc., and has over 30 years of direct experience working with top level management to drive change, profitability, and growth.
Peter manages a vast range of long-term client relationships; he is an exceptional communicator and facilitator with an unusual ability to bring cohesiveness to a management group, as well as a clear vision and direction. He conducts 80/20 Seminars and Workshops across the country in both the manufacturing and service sectors. In his many years of consulting Peter has had direct involvement in hundreds of consulting assignments.
Peter has worked closely with client management teams to effect change as well as provide focus and ongoing direction for increased profitability and aggressive growth.
Peter Philippi
Founder | Chairman
Joe Hahn
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Joe is a Vice President at Strategex and leads the 80/20 Profit Enhancement business. Over the course of his career, he has either run, helped run, or consulted for over 100 different companies.
Prior to joining Strategex, Joe was a Group Vice President at Illinois Tool Works Inc. (ITW) in Chicago, Illinois, where he worked for over 20 years. ITW designs and produces food preparation equipment, highly engineered fasteners and components, equipment and consumable systems, and a variety of specialty products and equipment for customers around the world.
Joe also spent 3 years as Division and Group President for Danaher Corporation — another world class manufacturer of tools, components, and instrumentation. Joe's most recent role at ITW was as head of the Electronics Assembly Products Platform, a $500M group that — through acquisition — Joe grew from zero in 2006 to the size it is today. Prior to that, Joe was the primary ITW driver of the $3.4BB Premark acquisition integration, which more than doubled its operating profit in less than five years, from 8% to 17%. During this period, Joe had responsibility for The West Bend Company, Hobart Service, Hobart Food Retail Equipment, Vulcan Hart, and a number of other divisions in the group worldwide.
Joe is well known as one of the finest "80/20 experts" to come out of ITW, and has extensive experience and a history of involvement with over 100 different companies in his career. He specializes in turnaround situations and in developing strategic growth platforms, and has an unblemished record of success in each of these examples.
Joe has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University, and an MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management, where he was valedictorian of his class. He is fluent in French and conversational in Spanish, and is an outstanding public speaker, teacher, and executive coach. In fact, he taught the capstone course (Strategic Management) of the MBA program at Edgewood College in Madison, WI for nearly a decade, earning top honors as instructor.
Joe Hahn
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Marc
Fooksman
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Marc is a Vice President at Strategex dedicated to our 80/20 practice. He has acquired over 25 years of extensive 80/20 knowledge as well as operations, management, and sales experience. Marc has held a range of professional roles, from General Manager to Group President.
Prior to joining Strategex, Marc gained valuable marketing and sales exposure at Ransburg Corporation. He sold engineered solutions for finishing equipment to industrial manufacturing companies in markets such as home appliances, residential windows, and office furniture.
When Ransburg was acquired by Illinois Tool Works (ITW), Marc became one of the early adopters of the 80/20 philosophy. He quickly obtained the role of General Manager, and his responsibilities included applying the 80/20 principles to a variety of business environments. Over the next 25 years, Marc assumed increasing responsibilities, serving as a General Manager, VP/GM, and Group President. At one point, he was responsible for 10 business units and over $330 million in revenue.
Marc also has considerable experience in acquisitions and divestitures. Most recently, he was the 80/20 Director for Food Equipment Group (FEG), a $2 billion segment within ITW. By applying 80/20 within FEG, Marc's group significantly improved operating income, grew revenue, and reduced working capital requirements.
Marc earned a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University and an MBA from the University of Michigan.
Marc Fooksman
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Mark
Curran
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Mark is a California-based consultant in our 80/20 Profit Enhancement service. He has guided many top corporations toward increased profitability.
Prior to joining Strategex, Mark held positions as president for two divisions of the Ali Group, a privately held worldwide group of more than 65 different manufacturing brands based in Milan, Italy. In the three years Mark was with Ali Group he doubled profits at both brands.
Working seven years for ITW as president in one division and BUM/VP Sales in another division, both divisions more than doubled their profitability. Prior to his 10 years of 80/20 and related training, development, and implementation, Mark worked in sales and operational roles at brands like Maytag, PepsiCo (Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.) and Toshiba America Computer Systems Division. Mark also has experience in starting up and running family businesses. Mark is a dynamic speaker and trainer, and a powerful 80/20 coach and consultant with a bias for action and a drive for measurable results.
Mark holds a BSMS from Pepperdine University.
Mark Curran
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Richard
Dodge
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Richard is a Vice President at Strategex and is primarily involved in Strategex's 80/20 Profit Enhancement services.
Rich began his career with Sonoco Products Company working for various financial and operational jobs during his 7 years. During his 15 year career with Illinois Tool Works Rich has worked in both financial and operational roles in the automotive, industrial and specialty chemicals businesses.
For the last 10 years, he had complete strategic, functional and P&L responsibility for the Global Specialty Chemical and Equipment Manufacturing Group. He was responsible for growing this group over the 10 years from $60M to over $500M generating 20% ROS. The group now comprises 25 world-wide businesses with operations in 13 countries, including Europe, South America, Asia and India. During this time, he was responsible for the acquisition of 11 businesses with over $350M in revenue and integrating them into ITW business philosophies.
Rich was responsible for successfully implementing 80/20 in all of the businesses he worked in. He has an M.B.A. from Syracuse University and a B.B.A. in accounting from St. Bonaventure University, Magna Cum Laude. Rich is also a member of the board of directors for Junior Achievement.
Richard Dodge
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Rick
Budweg
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Rick is a Vice President at Strategex dedicated to our 80/20 practice. He has acquired over 30 years of extensive 80/20 knowledge as well as operations, financial and management experience. Rick has held a range of professional roles, from Controller to Group President.
Prior to joining Strategex, Rick gained valuable experience from Illinois Tools Works. He has over 35 years of practical business experience and over 31 years of utilizing 80/20 principles to simplify businesses. Rick joined ITW in 1985 as a Business Unit Controller and worked in various financial and operational roles until becoming General Manager of a business unit in 1991. From there he became a VP/GM and, for the last 9 years, was a Group President responsible for over $550 million of revenue in 14 countries. Applying the 80/20 principles to acquisitions and businesses in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Australia, Operating Income and ROI consistently exceeded corporate goals and achieved over 25% and 22%, respectively. With global experience in manufacturing and service-oriented businesses, Rick has been involved in construction, automotive, alternative energy, industrial fluids and lubricants, packaging, machine tool, commercial marine and consumer markets.
Prior to joining ITW, Rick received his BS in Accounting from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania, played minor league baseball for the New York Yankees, and held various financial positions at FMC Corporation.
Rick Budweg
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Mike
Potempa
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Mike is a Vice President at Strategex and a consultant in our 80/20 Profit Enhancement service.
Mike Potempa is an 80/20 process expert with over 25 years of successful P&L leadership experience managing manufacturing, sales, and distribution businesses. He has a diverse background in operations, engineering, strategic sourcing, manufacturing, customer service, sales and marketing.
Prior to joining Strategex, Mike was Vice President and General Manager at Illinois Tool Works (ITW) for 20 years, first in Baltimore, Maryland, where he ran a consumables manufacturing facility with responsibility for commercial sales in the eastern half of the United States and Canada, and later in Chicago overseeing the ITW Industry Packaging Systems Division, a group of 7 businesses that included design, manufacture and sales of highly engineered equipment, and consumable systems for customers around the world. He was responsible for growing this group both organically and through acquisition.
During his tenure with ITW, Mike championed new manufacturing processes designed to simplify production and produce superior products with significant competitive advantage. He also provided leadership and direction in multiple product development projects focused on customer and marketplace needs. He is named as an inventor on two patented products.
Mike has extensive experience consolidating and restructuring businesses using 80/20 and related tools, generating millions of dollars of savings, and driving bottom line growth while improving service to key customers. He has simplified operations and business processes to improve operating results, asset management, and cash flow.
Prior to joining Illinois Tool Works, Mike was Vice President and General Manager for a small privately held company in the specialty machinery business. He also worked for Rockwell International and Chrysler Corporation. He has experience working with large global customers across multiple industries, such as Georgia Pacific, International Paper, Owens Illinois, Rexam, Boral Brick, Coca Cola, and Ball Corporation.
Mike has a BS in Metallurgical Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and an MBA from the University of Hartford, with concentrations in Marketing and Management Information Systems.
Mike Potempa
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Paul
Taylor
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Paul is a Vice President at Strategex dedicated to our 80/20 Profit Enhancement practice. He brings 30 years of “hands on” experience and a consistent track record of delivering profit growth.
Prior to joining Strategex, Paul was a Vice President and General Manager at Illinois Tool Works, (ITW), where he led the formation of a new division from six stand-alone businesses focused on Industrial and Institutional markets. Paul’s 18 year career with ITW shows a role progression from Business Unit Manager, to General Manager, to Group General Manager, to Vice President / General Manager. Paul has a strong financial acumen and his commercial and operational competencies include: product and customer simplification, acquisitions and business integrations, sales and marketing, product development, process simplification, manufacturing streamlining, working capital management, regulated products and various quality systems.
Paul began his career as a Sales Representative for NCH Corp. In 1985, he joined Dymon, Inc. as a Territory Sales Manager based in Chicago. It was with Dymon that Paul was introduced to 80/20 and learned to use the principle to successfully manage his territory. Eventually, Paul became National Sales Manager and used the 80/20 Principle to develop an effective sales management system. Other highlights include setting up W.W. Grainger as a distributor for the company, developing a new distribution channel, and contributing to several successful product introductions.
Paul’s academic concentration was in Business Administration at William Jewell College where he was a two sport athlete. Three of his football teams are in the school’s Hall of Fame.
Paul Taylor
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Bill Holl
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
Bill is a Vice President at Strategex and has over 30 years of experience in executive management and marketing.
Prior to joining Strategex in 2010, Bill was EVP and COO of Zep, a $575mm cleaning and maintenance chemicals business. While at Zep, he was responsible for leading and implementing the 80/20 tools and philosophy across all of Zep's departments with remarkable bottom line impact. Bill streamlined Zep's operating structure, resulting in improvement in sales per employee by 10%, and he implemented strategies to assist in growing net income by 17% for FY 2008. Bill also led Zep to improve margins by 400 basis points.
Bill began his successful career with Proctor and Gamble, followed by a 21 year stint with Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE), working in various operational and marketing roles prior to becoming a GM in 1992. In January of 2000, Bill was named Senior Vice President of CCE, and President of Eastern North America a $5 Billion Group at CCE. Bill was recruited to be CEO for DS Waters in 2003, an $810mm home and office water company which he successfully sold in 2005.
Since joining Strategex, Bill has worked with clients in the following industries: Food Service Equipment, Transportation, Steel Fabrication, Precision Tube Manufacturing, and Thermal Heating. He has successfully created value for his clients in both turn-around and strategic growth situations.
Bill received his BS in Business Administration from University of Southern California where he triple-majored in marketing, finance, and accounting. He went on to receive his MBA from Harvard Business School. Prior to joining Zep, Bill served on the Board of Directors for Safety-Kleen Holding Company. Bill currently sits on the Board of Wirecrafters, and T & S Brass, both former clients of Bill’s.
Bill Holl
Vice President | 80/20 Expert
