Ken Saddler

Chanhassen, MN CFO

23 Years of Experience

Direct Contact:
ksaddler@

952 380-6406

Ken has over twenty-three years of progressive, wide-ranging financial and business leadership experience. While operating in a variety of large manufacturing and consumer products concerns, he successfully built and led exemplary financial and IT organizations with four different corporations over the course of his twenty year career prior to joining B2B CFO^®. During his corporate career, Ken held positions ranging from entry level Financial Analyst, to SVP of Finance, IT and Business Insights and Global Director of Finance and Planning while encompassing both domestic and international responsibilities. Ken has twelve years experience in the CFO role at different companies ranging in size from $1M to $1.7B. His career has spanned numerous cities including Dallas and Pittsburgh with Midwest stints in Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, and, currently, Minneapolis.

Ken has worked in the following types of businesses providing his financial expertise at various levels.

Technology: software, semiconductor manufacturing, creative web design and development*, network security consulting

Housewares: storage and organization products, paint applicators, consumer glass products

Industrial: glass products, construction and farm equipment components, data center and commercial electrical products*, point-of-sale equipment*, productivity tools for the art industry*

Office Products: markers and writing instruments, small desk items, back-to-school supplies

Luxury: high quality confections*, jewelry, high end writing instruments

Services: printing, sewing*, intermodal transportation*, network security consulting

Wholesale Distribution: packing supplies*

* current B2B CFO^® client engagements

Through his vast industry experiences Ken has gained valuable knowledge in several specific areas of each industry. Included in his experiences are:

Heavy industrial, as well as, lighter manufacturing
Professional services
Printing
Clean room manufacturing
Wholesale distribution
Assembly
Supply chain management

He also has experience working and directly negotiating with an array of customer groups that have included:

Office superstores
Discount retailers
Wholesale distributors
Department stores
OEMs
Aftermarket part retailers
Public education institutions
Government agencies
Do-it-yourself retailers

Ken is recognized for his key strengths in the following areas:

Aggressively identifying and driving profit improvement opportunities.
Developing strategic plans and visions supported by executable business plans.
Uncovering sources of cash flow and implementing methods to make use of the cash.
Managing and improving operations.
Planning and guiding business owners through a successful exit and transition from a business.
Building top notch organizations and fostering a culture of success.
Leading with an open and direct, "people first" style.

Key areas of focus for current B2B CFO^® clients has been short and long term financial plans, cash flow projections and management, identifying new sources of cash, managing financing and investment relationships, profitability improvement, conversion to accrual accounting from the cash basis, gross margin expansion, staff development, and evaluation of strategic alternatives.

Ken received his BSBA degree from the University of Arizona with majors in both finance and marketing. While working full-time, Ken completed his MBA degree at the University of Dallas with a concentration in corporate finance. During his academic career, he completed 27 hours of accounting coursework.

Ken and his wife Sheralyn have two teenage children. When he's not following his daughter's competitive swimming career and his son's guitar escapades, he's an active Masters swimmer and triathlon competitor himself. He is the volunteer CFO for Rapport Afghanistan, a charity providing basic necessities to the impoverished citizens of Afghanistan. Ken is also a participant in the Feed My Starving Children charity and co-founded Solid Beginnings, a charitable organization that redistributed used and new infant and toddler items to less privileged families in the Chicago area.