The Association of Sales & Marketing Companies is under the direction of three Directors and two operating Officers, each of whom holds a position for a one-year term. The background of each of the Directors and operating Officers is as follows:
Gary formerly was the Executive Chairman of Acosta Sales and Marketing Company in Jacksonville, Florida, and in various capacities since 1983. Acosta is a leading full-service sales and marketing agency, providing outsourced sales, merchandising, marketing, and promotional services to manufacturers in the consumer packaged goods industry. The company represents more than 1,600 manufacturers and services more than 120,000 traditional grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, convenience stores, druge stores, and natural food stores, as well as the wholesalers who serve these same channels. The company employs over 12,000 associates and operates over 64 offices in the US and Canada.
Gary has served on the Board of Directors of the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA), now known as the Consumer Brands Association, and its Industry Affairs Council. He has served on several Advisory Boards for consumer products companies represented by Acosta and serves on the Board and in other capacities for numerous non-profits. Gary received the 2001 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the State of Florida in May 2001, and was named to the Supermarket News Power 50 list from 2003 to 2009. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire.
Rick Abraham formerly was President & CEO of the Foodservice Sales & Marketing Association. Abraham started his association career with the Association of Sales & Marketing Companies (ASMC) in November 1994 as Executive Director of the International Foodservice Brokers Association (IFBA), a division of ASMC.
Prior to FSMA, Abraham was Vice President, Industry Affairs for GMA (now known as the Consumer Brands Association), where he oversaw trade issues management within GMA, including management of the GMA Sales Committee, Industry Development Team, and Customer Advisory Group. He also managed all foodservice programs and services for GMA. Abraham has an extensive industry background, including sales and sales management positions with Kraft Foodservice, Mobil Plastics Packaging Company and Procter & Gamble. He is considered an expert on CPG industry issues, with particular emphasis on manufacturer and sales agency issues in the foodservice sectors. He graduated from Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
Derek is currently President of Andros UK, a sales and marketing company in Britain dedicated to the distribution of fruit-related products in the chilled dairy industry, drinks, and conserves. He is Executive Chairman of SalesOut, which delivers “actionable insights” to the FMCG/CPG industry, analyzing sales data to highlight problems and opportunities and providing solutions for businesses. This also incorporates SalesOut North America. In addition, he is Chairman of three other UK entities and is a member of the Advisory Panel of Devonshire Corporate Finance (a financial entity). Derek’s prior experience includes service as CEO of a food sales, marketing, and merchandising company publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange.
Derek formerly was a member of the GMA Sales Agency Committee; President of the European Sales and Marketing Association; Council Member of the Institute of Directors in the UK; and a university-qualified Executive Coach lecturing at Chester University and coaching Boards and Executives of UK companies. Derek was awarded the Chevalier dans L’Ordre du Merite by French President Mitterand in 1995 and has active service medals as an officer in the Volunteer Air Force. He has a Masters degree in Economics from Cambridge University in the UK and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Cape Town in South Africa.
Barry is Managing Partner of the Washington, DC, based law firm Maloney & Knox, PLLC. He is also General Counsel to the Foodservice Sales & Marketing Association and other trade associations primarily representing sales and marketing companies. He previously was General Counsel to the Sales Agency Committee of GMA (now known as the Consumer Brands Association) and its predecessors, the Association of Sales & Marketing Companies and the National Food Brokers Association.
Barry is a CPA and was the Senior Branch Attorney at the US Securities & Exchange Commission and Special Counsel to the US Economic Stabilization Program during President Nixon’s administration. He has provided legal counsel to sales and marketing agency trade associations and their members and is the author of several sales agency legal treatises, including the ASMC Legal Manual and ASMC Legal Forms. Barry holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Georgetown University Business School and a Juris Doctor from George Washington University School of Law. He is a member of the Supreme Court and DC Bars and the American Bar Association.