Beyond Meatballs and Marketing

Guest Profile

Adam Michaels is an experienced food industry executive and former management consultant with broad experience transforming consumer-focused companies. Adam joined MamaMancini’s as CEO in September 2022. Previously, he served with Mondelez International, a multinational food and beverage company with operations in over 150 countries. Adam led Mondelez’s North American Insights & Analytics organization and was most recently responsible for M&A and Commercial for North American Ventures.

Before joining Mondelez, Adam was a Principal at Booz & Company, a management consulting firm, for seven years where he specialized in the Food & Beverage sector. He started his career at Capital One Financial and holds an MBA in Marketing & Management from Columbia Business School, as well as a BSE in Bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania. Adam has lived and worked in the US, England, and France. He lives with his wife and their two boys in New Jersey.

• Company: MamaMancini’s
• Location:  East Rutherford, New Jersey
• LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/adam-l-michaels-9a777b/
• Website:   www.mamamancinis.com

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Topics Covered

• How Adam Michaels got into the food and beverage industry. [1:21]
• What to look for in a food and beverage company when acquiring a business: Criteria #1 – Macro Trends. [4:38]
• What to look for in a food and beverage company when acquiring a business: Criteria #2 – Moat – A Differentiating Factor. [5:42]
• What is the difference between brand name products and private label brand names? [8:52]
• What factors go into making eating a multi-sensory experience? [11:46]
• Have consumer habits changed permanently as the U.S. recovers from the Covid-19 lockdowns? [18:10]
• What was the biggest impact of Covid on the consumer side of the food and beverage industry? [21:15]
• What to look for in a food and beverage company when acquiring a business: Criteria #3 – Clear, Compelling, and Consistent Strategy. [25:05]
• How important are EBITDA and profitability when considering a business for acquisition? [26:43]
• What does the labor market look like in the food and beverage industry? [31:37]
• How are cultural differences in the United States accounted for in the food and beverage industry? [37:22]
• How have consumers’ shopping patterns changed in grocery stores in recent years? [42:12]
• What is the future of online shopping for food and beverage? [47:10]
• How will the online shopping movement impact the producers of food and beverage products? [49:42]

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Learn More

• Morgan & Westfield – Food and Beverage
• Morgan & Westfield – Food Industry Statistics and M&A

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Resources Mentioned

• Oura Rings – sleep tracking ring
• Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck
• American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America by Colin Woodard

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Listen to Other Episodes

• Behind the Scenes of a Shark Tank Success
• Saving the Planet One Plant-Based Food Company at A Time
• Evolution and Growth Potential in the Craft Brewing Industry
• The Future of Food & Beverage Distribution

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To suggest guests, topics, or questions for future podcast episodes, contact us Morgan & Westfield.

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Ready to sell your food or beverage company? Get in touch for expert advice.

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For insights on selling food and beverage companies, read our book – Food and Beverage M&A – An Insider’s Guide to Selling a Food or Beverage Business.