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Who We Are

Our Story

Founded by former partners and executives of Cannondale Associates and Kantar Retail, Cadent Consulting Group is a consulting firm focused on strategies for profitable growth.

We have provided more than 25 years of marketing, category and sales leadership in the consumer product space. We deliver strategic yet practical solutions centered at the intersection of consumers, shoppers, and retailers.

History: Our Origins and Evolution

In the 1990s, the current partners of Cadent Consulting Group founded Cannondale Associates, quickly establishing it as a leader in the Consumer Goods industry. Cannondale developed the PoweRanking® survey and innovated with “big data” through the ShopperGenetics™ practice and RichMix™ assortment tool.

In the 2000s, Cannondale Associates was acquired by WPP and merged with other entities to form Kantar Retail in 2010. Cannondale partners led this new business, maintaining a strong consulting practice.

Cadent Today

Today, Cadent Consulting Group, founded by original Cannondale partners, thrives on innovation and continues to meet the evolving needs of Consumer Goods clients, including advising on Revenue Management and Route to Market strategies.

We develop practical execution plans for consumer goods industry clients. Our work is underpinned by efficient research and analysis tools.

The Cadent Advantage

Operational Leadership Experience

Cadent’s deep operational leadership drives effective, strategic solutions for complex business challenges.

Cutting Edge Research & Analytics

We utilize advanced research and analytics to deliver insights that drive impactful decisions.

Broad Network of Industry Contacts

Our extensive network connects clients with key industry players, enhancing strategic growth and solutions.

Enabling Expansion at Existing and New Clients

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Let Cadent Consulting Group craft the strategies that drive your business forward.

Navigating Complex Challenges

We excel in navigating the complexities of the Consumer Goods landscape, offering strategic guidance in areas such as Revenue Management, Route to Market strategies, and market expansion initiatives.

What Our Clients Say

Our clients are strategic CPG manufacturers and retailers seeking strategic insights, actionable solutions, and exceptional service.
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“Cadent has been our partner for 10+ years. They develop plans that enhance our capabilities and they know what works in the marketplace.”

– National Grocery Distributor

“Cadent understands what is needed to craft an analytically grounded strategy that works for us, with a focus on what will resonate with retailers.  We continue to find tremendous value in this actionable, solutions-oriented approach.”

– Fortune 500 CPG Manufacturer

Our Leadership

Our consulting team has broad experience in the consumer product space. Leaders in our firm have line management backgrounds from Blue Chip Consumer Packaged Goods companies in marketing, retail and field sales. We are supported by a highly sophisticated advanced analytics and modeling team, with backgrounds from the finest academic institutions and real-world marketplace.
Richard Bode, Cadent Consulting Managing Partner

Richard Bode

Managing Partner & CEO

Richard Bode

Managing Partner & CEO

Richard is a Managing Partner at Cadent Consulting Group with a strong brand management and consulting background. He has developed category leadership programs, trade strategy, and customer segmentation programs for a wide variety of consumer packaged goods clients.

Prior to joining Cadent, Richard served in a variety of brand management roles at Kraft Foods on the Philadelphia, Velveeta, Kraft Parmesan and Cheez Whiz brands, as well as on strategic planning and innovation.

Richard also brings a wealth of experience from his tenure at Cannondale Associates, where he served as both a Consultant and Director of Business Analytics.

Richard received his undergraduate degree in History from Williams College and his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. Richard has also been a guest lecturer at the Kellogg School of Management.

Ken Harris

Managing Partner

Ken Harris

Managing Partner

Ken is a Managing Partner at Cadent Consulting Group and has more than 25 years of experience in marketing, sales and consulting with consumer product manufacturers and private equity firms.

His expertise has delivered meaningful results in the disciplines of growth strategy development, revenue management, category leadership, organizational design and route-to-market planning.

Prior to joining Cadent, Ken served as Chief Executive Officer of Kantar Retail Americas, as well as Founding Partner and Managing Director of Cannondale Associates.

Ken developed his management skills in marketing, trade marketing and sales at Jacobs Suchard and Coca-Cola Foods. Ken also served as the Chairman of Enjoy Life Foods, the leading producer of “Free-from” foods in the U.S. and Canada.

Ken received his BA from The University of Michigan.

Don Stuart

Managing Partner

Don Stuart

Managing Partner

Don is a Managing Partner at Cadent Consulting Group. He has extensive experience in category management, trade/shopper marketing consulting and trade promotion productivity across multiple retail channels.

Prior to joining Cadent, Don served as Chief Operating Officer of Kantar Retail and was part of the three-person senior management team that oversaw all aspects of company operations. Don was also a Founding Partner and of Cannondale Associates and served as Managing Director and President.

Before Cannondale, Don had a strong finance and marketing background from his management positions at Glendinning Associates and Pillsbury.

Don received his BA in Economics from St. Lawrence University and his MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College.

Gavin Stoecker, Cadent Senior Consultant

Gavin Stoecker

Principal

Gavin Stoecker

Principal

Gavin is a Senior Consultant at Cadent Consulting Group, with extensive experience working with leading CPG manufacturers and private equity clients.

Gavin has a strong background in route-to-market strategies, category leadership, trade spend optimization, and consumer research.

Prior to his role as a Consultant, Gavin was Manager of the Cadent analytic team where he was heavily involved in advanced analytics and creating custom, innovative, research approaches.

Gavin received his BA with a dual major in Economics and Finance from Washington University in St. Louis.

Tom Merriman

Senior Consultant

Tom Merriman

Senior Consultant

Tom is a Senior Consultant at Cadent Consulting Group. He brings a wealth of CPG Sales, Marketing and Finance experience from his roles at The KraftHeinz Company where he began as a financial analyst, assisting with the annual operating plan for the Grocery Business Unit and then as Brand Manager, Coffee, overseeing the Maxwell House, Gevalia and Ethical Bean brands.

Tom began his career as a Credit and Liquidity Risk Analyst at The CME Group. Tom received his B.S. in Agricultural Economics with a Finance Concentration from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Jumbo Zhang, Cadent Senior Consultant

Jumbo Zhang

SVP, Modeling and Analytics

Jumbo Zhang

SVP, Modeling and Analytics

Jumbo is Senior Vice President, Modeling and Analytics at Cadent. He has more than 19 years of experience in data analysis and modeling.

Jumbo’s areas of expertise include modeling, price optimization, segmentation, trade promotion evaluation and applying advanced analytics to solve business issues.

Prior to joining Cadent, Jumbo was the Chief Statistician at Kantar Retail Americas and Team Leader of Analytics at Cannondale Associates, where he built pricing/trade analytics capability, in-store testing capability and shelving/assortment optimization capability for the organization

Jumbo received his BA from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and his MA in Statistics from Cornell University.

Elise Whitney

Director, Analytics

Elise Whitney

Director, Analytics

Elise is Director, Analytics at Cadent Consulting Group. She has extensive experience providing insights, custom reporting solutions, and strategic recommendations to manufacturer, retailer, and private equity clients.

Elise’s areas of expertise include data analysis, forecasting, consumer research, and retail media.

Prior to her current role as Director, Analytics, Elise worked as a Senior Business Analyst and Manager of Business Analytics at Cadent. Elise received her bachelor’s degree from Boston University.

Ben Chetlin

Associate Consultant

Ben Chetlin

Associate Consultant

Ben is an Associate Consultant at Cadent Consulting Group who brings a strong combination of analytical skills, interpersonal abilities, and business acumen to the firm.

His previous experience in product marketing and as a business analyst has equipped him with a solid foundation in consumer research, brand planning, and go-to-market strategies.

Prior to rejoining Cadent as an Associate Consultant, Ben worked as a leader of the Cadent analytics team where he spearheaded the development of innovative data research methodologies.

Ben received his MBA from Columbia University and his BA from Colgate University, where he double majored in Economics and English Literature.

Alex Morrison

Associate Consultant

Alex Morrison

Associate Consultant

Alex is an Associate Consultant at Cadent Consulting Group with a diverse background in strategy across the CPG landscape.

His experience spans category leadership, SKU optimization, sales strategy, and revenue growth management initiatives.

Alex began his career with Cadent and previously served as the Manager of Business Analytics, where he developed advanced analytics and custom research tools for leading CPG manufacturers and private equity clients. Alex received his BA in Economics from Colgate University.

Jumbo Zhang, Cadent Senior Consultant
Richard Bode, Cadent Consulting Managing Partner

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We provide strategic, practical solutions that connect consumers, shoppers, brands, and retailers, driving client growth and profitability through insightful competitive advantages.

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1603 Orrington Ave
Suite 600

Evanston, IL 60201

44 Old Ridgefield Rd
Suite 217

Wilton, CT 06897

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