Vreij Kolandjian

Bio

Mr Kolandjian joined Yellowstone Capital’s food & beverage group after almost 29 years of experience in various aspects of the food and consumer products industries, with such industry leading companies as Mars Inc, Uncle Ben's, Bongrain and Proctor & Gamble. Immediately prior to joining Yellowstone, Mr Kolandjian was the CEO and President of the North American operations of Bongrain NA, the world's largest maker of specialty cheeses. He was also the President of Uncle Ben’s Foods (a division of Mars Inc) from 1997 to 2002, where under his strategic leadership; the company was transformed from a loss position to solid profitability and cash flow. Also, during this same time period, Mr Kolandjian influenced a resurgence of the entire Mars food division, including the introduction of approximately 50 new products and a revolutionary new advertising campaign. From 1979 to 1996, Mr Kolandjian held a variety of management, marketing, sales and strategy positions with the Mars organization in Europe and the US, with responsibilities for such well known food brands as M&Ms, Snickers, and Milky Way, as well as pet food brands such as Whiskas, Sheba and Pedigree. Prior to 1979, Mr Kolandjian was a brand manager and sales division manager for various Procter & Gamble products in Europe, including Crest, Pampers and Tide, as well as numerous other Consumer Packaged Goods Brands. Mr Kolandjian has an undergraduate business degree from the American University of Beirut, and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley. He is the recipient of a Certificate of Merit as outstanding student in Marketing by the American Marketing Association in 1976. Mr Kolandjian is an active member of the American Marketing Association, as well as the Greater Houston Partnership.