Mark Baum

Mark Baum is the Managing Partner of MARCAT Group LLC, an independent consulting/advisory firm specializing in business, market, and customer development. The MARCAT Group works collaboratively with their clients to create new business, sales, and marketing strategies, and takes a hands-on approach to plan execution, focusing on measurable results.

Mark's career in the food, beverage, and consumer products industries spans more than 25 years and he is recognized as a leading expert in the management of strategy, sales, marketing, and merchandising activities. His industry experience has included helping a global confectionary save roughly $50 million by leading a large-scale sales force transformation, and leading a growth platform assessment analysis and plan development for a national Sales & Marketing Agency (SMA) that identified $100+ million in revenue enhancements.

Previously, Mark was a Partner at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, where he led the firm's Consumer Packaged Goods Practice (CPG). While there, he worked with a wide variety of food, beverage, and other CPG companies on strategic initiatives, particularly in the areas of operations improvement, IT strategy, trade promotion productivity, and consumer insights.

Prior to joining Diamond, Mark was Executive Vice President of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), where he managed the association's operations, particularly in the areas of Industry Affairs, Communications & Marketing, and Membership/Industry Development. He also oversaw the activities of the GMA Industry Affairs and Sales Agency Councils. Prior to that, Mark was President and CEO of the Association of Sales & Marketing Companies (ASMC), now a subsidiary of GMA. Mark joined the GMA staff after leading ASMC's merger with GMA in 2000. Earlier in his career, Mark served as Vice President - Sales and Marketing for Retail Insights, a division of Maclean Hunter Media/Progressive Grocer Associates, publishers of Supermarket Insights, Convenience Store Insights, and Restaurant Insights.

Mark is a member of the Saint Joseph's University Food Marketing Academy Board of Directors. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Applied Knowledge Group, a technology and knowledge management provider. Mark is also a member of the Food Industry Advisory Board of SignalDemand, a demand-based supply chain software company. Mark received his undergraduate degree at Oswego State University (N.Y.) in economics and public administration, and now serves on their Foundation Board where he chairs the Annual Fund Committee. Mark completed his graduate work in marketing and organizational development at Marymount University (Va.).