2023 ACG Boston: Consumer Spending & Retail Forecast - A Virtual Conversation

Rich is an impact-focused advisor, passionate about helping clients achieve step-change and sustainable improvements in performance. Rich has successfully led over 300 engagements fo 100+ clients and is a trusted partner by Senior Management, Boards, and Private Equity sponsors in time-sensitive, complex, and critical situations. Prior to founding Creo Advisors in 2019, Rich has spent over 25 years in senior client leadership roles with AlixPartners, Booz Allen & Hamilton, The Parthenon Group, and BRG. Additionally, he led a private equity-owned, middle-market manufacturing business in a full turnaround and helped position the company for future growth. Rich has received recognition for superior client service, including the prestigious AlixPartners Achievements in Excellence, four AlixPartners Achievements in Excellence team awards, and the Booz Allen & Hamilton Professional Excellence Award. He has been quoted in leading business press such as The Wall Street Journal, Strategy & Business, and Bloomberg and served as a featured speaker at forums such as the National Retail Federation, The Capital Roundtable, and various M&A-related and industry events. Rich earned his MBA, with Honors, from the University of Chicago and a BS from the United States Naval Academy.

Justine is a Managing Director in Stifel’s Consumer & Retail Investment Banking Group responsible for coverage of the apparel, accessories & luxury sector. Justine has transaction experience across numerous consumer industry segments including juvenile products, beauty & personal care products, leisure, food, agriculture, and home products. Justine joined Stifel from Alantra where she was a Managing Director covering apparel, luxury, and personal care. Prior to Alantra, she was Global Head of Consumer & Luxury at BDA Partners, a global boutique focused on cross-border deals, and a Director at DC Advisory Group (previously Close Brothers Corporate Finance) in London. Justine holds a post graduate diploma in Accounting and a BC from Rhodes University, South Africa. She is also a CFA Charterholder.

Martin Okner was President of dpHUE from 2017 – 2022. Under his leadership, the organization grew annual net sales 10x and increased profitability through groundbreaking digital/influencer marketing strategies, product innovation, and direct to consumer/retail channel expansion. As a result, dpHUE has been recognized as one of the fastest growing brands in prestige hair care by NPD Group and named a Power Brand by Women’s Wear Daily, Beauty Inc. in 2020. Prior to dpHUE, Martin had extensive Fortune 500 experience with Revlon and Cadbury, and he Co-founded the strategic advisory firm SHM Corporate Navigators. Throughout his career, he has generated over $2.5 billion of incremental value across many iconic brands. Martin also served as Chairman of the Board of The Association for Corporate Growth 2020-2021, and as a key advisor to the CEO who successfully navigated the organization to growth through the global pandemic. Martin holds an MBA in Corporate Finance from Fordham University, and a BA in Political Science from Seton Hall University. He lives in New York City with his wife and two children, and enjoys his daily workouts, as well as skiing, sailing, and golf.

Samantha is founder and CIO at Private Equity firm Aesthetic Equities, which focuses on Consumer buyout and opportunistic growth investments. Aesthetic Equities uses active deal sourcing via an algorithmic sourcing strategy that the team developed to identify quality and proprietary investments at inception. Samantha is also a founding member of Ouroboros Group. Prior to that Samantha was on the investment team at Generation Equity Capital and has been active in sourcing, evaluating, and executing on investment opportunities as well as developing investment theses across various sectors.

Prior to joining Generation, Samantha was at Corporate Fuel Advisors where she advised clients on a variety of M&A and financing transactions. Prior experience includes working at a start-up quant hedge fund as an algorithm/back tester and Capital Markets at Morgan Stanley with a focus on the consumer sector.

Samantha received her BBA in Design & Management, Summa Cum Laude, from Parsons The New School For Design. Most recently, she received an MBA from Brandeis University where she graduated top 5% with a concentration in Finance & Economics and a minor in Social Policy.

Samantha’s interests include Golf, Blackjack, Skiing, Electric Guitar, Competitive distance running, and Mixed Martial Arts. Samantha is passionate about incorporating fitness-for-a-cause into her routine and is an active fundraiser for The Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Charity events include boxing for cancer research with Haymakers For Hope, running the 2018 Boston Marathon, and most recently running the B.A.A. Half Marathon with Team Dana Farber to raise awareness and funding.

Her firm also sponsors and teaches rising division one athletes about money management as they go on to become draft picks for the NFL and NBA. Samantha is also passionate about Broadway, music and the arts and serves on multiple committees within these spaces including at The Met, Frick, and MOMA where she hopes to instill learning and interest within the next generation.

Al Sambar leads XRC Labs' Opportunity fund, an early stage fund investing in disruptive tech and retail capability startups. He also supports XRC’s Brand Capital Fund which invests in fast growing consumer brands. Prior to XRC, Al spent 15 years as an early stage venture investor and 25 years as a Retail & Digital Strategy Consultant and Managing Partner at Kurt Salmon Associates and Accenture Strategy.

Mortimer Singer is a Managing Partner of Traub Capital Partners. TCP is a strategic private equity firm specialized in building value in consumer companies using its unique combination of investment, strategic and operational expertise, as well as a culture led, and engaged approach. Mortimer is currently a Board Director of Signature Brands, Mana Products, HITS Shows and Sabatino Tartufi. Mortimer has served on the Board of Governors of Parsons School of Design since 2014. In 2009 Mortimer co-authored “To India With Love: From New York To Mumbai,” Assouline Publishing, in support of the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust, a charity benefiting the victims and families of the 2008 Mumbai attacks. Mortimer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He resides in New York City with his wife and two daughters.