Decades of Experience
The KRG team has worked with dozens of the world’s top companies and start-ups to bring automation to market. From optimizing supply chain flow in early stage DVD kiosks, to redesign, certification and launch of the first State-approved cannabis dispensing device, to the end-to-end design, launch and operation of a full-service food vending machine, KRG has a broad array of skills and experience to apply to any consumer-facing automation project.
Jeff Klemp
For over 25 years, Jeff has held integral leadership roles within Fortune 500 companies, as well as in smaller startups and distressed organizations. Jeff has experience across multiple disciplines and has worked with companies on several continents including North America, Asia, Europe, and South America.
Most recently, Jeff was hired by a client to serve as COO for a retail automation company. Jeff was responsible for leading concept and team development, contract manufacturing, supply chain, field operations, sourcing, procurement, engineering, and other support divisions. After assisting with numerous rounds of funding, Jeff then was charged with leading a team to execute a robust asset sales process that included transitioning knowledge and assets to maximize investor positions.
Prior to that Jeff held COO and Restructuring roles for a transportation services company in Anchorage, Alaska, as well as a successful Restructuring and President role for one of the largest Midwest military relocation companies moving military assets domestically and around the globe.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
► End-to-End Supply Chain Optimization and Management
► Innovative Supply Chain Planning
► Domestic and Global Contract Manufacturing & Distribution
► Research, Development, and Deployment of Consumer Self-Interactive Automation Solutions
► Distressed Company Revitalization
► Integrated Performance Management
► Sourcing (indirect & direct) and Procurement
► Inventory Optimization
► Startup Oversight, Funding Preparation and Support
Jeff, an accomplished C-suite executive, is considered a supply chain, operations, and specialty retail authority, and has emerged as a leading voice in robotic automated self-service solutions. Jeff is adept at advancing maturity of processes that translate to measurable results and improved efficiencies and effectiveness delivering results that surpass expectations. Jeff has a strong ability to see the big picture, develop the detailed plans to achieve improvement, and meet deadlines.
Ben Riggsby
Ben is a successful, seasoned C-Suite executive with a long history of developing analytics teams and using Business Intelligence in retail businesses. Ben has over 25 years of progressive leadership growth within Fortune 500 retail companies, startups, and distressed organizations.
Ben’s last corporate posting was as CEO of Nebraska Book Company (NBC). NBC is a vertically integrated college course materials business posting revenues exceeding $700MM with over 300 college bookstores, the nation’s largest wholesale used textbook distributor, and a technology division that produces the most popular ERP platform for independent college bookstores. Ben was successful in transitioning this 100-year-old business from a financially strapped legacy retailer into a modern data-driven enterprise. This effort included restructuring several corporate divisions to ensure long-term success in the face of a rapidly shifting education environment.
Most recently, Ben served as Head of Business Intelligence and Merchandising for a retail automation company. There he built a foundation for data-driven decisioning in a revolutionary automated retail concept. Ben guided the structuring of data collection, company dashboards and access to information inside and outside the organization. His team delivered performance information, research materials and analysis to a broad swath of the company to foster a deep understanding of actual performance, invite critical thinking and accelerate innovation. In the dual role of Chief Merchant, Ben took the lead in building a data-driven, consumer-tested development strategy that identified the best product and put it in the right hands with margin optimization always top of mind.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
► C-Suite Leadership
► Restructuring
► Interim and Crisis Management
► Domestic and Global Retail Merchandising
► Business Intelligence Development
► Quality & Regulatory Research and Compliance
► Outside-In Process Design
Ben currently leads an engagement with another client to bring to market the cannabis industry’s first approved autonomous direct to consumer dispensing solution. This solution is also capable of serving as an automated tele-pharmacy platform and has been in a live operating environment for over six months after several years of development. The solution is the only device on the market that meets the stringent regulatory requirements of both the cannabis and pharmacy industry, including high physical security, identification verification, and live communication.
Prior to this, Ben served in many roles for packaged entertainment products retailer Hollywood Video/Game Crazy/Movie Gallery; ultimately as Senior Vice President of Merchandising for the $2BB international enterprise.
Allen Glenn
For over 25 years, Allen has provided consulting services to clients in the manufacturing, retail, and financial services industries. Allen has a deep background in developing solutions to improve clients’ effectiveness and efficiency.
Most recently, Allen assisted with managing and facilitating the resources of a startup retail company required to design, deploy, manufacture, and operate an automated retail kiosk. This included managing the Engineering, Field Service, Supply Chain, Sourcing and Regulatory Compliance teams. Responsibilities included overseeing 20+ internal/external stakeholders, the contract manufacturers, resource planning, and inventory from all vendors. Allen also coordinated critical matters related to intellectual property rights, sourcing kiosk components, designing implementation processes, material placement, and managing agency compliance and safety certification (UL, NSF standards, etc.)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE:
► Project Management
► Business Process Improvement - Retail, Supply Chain, Manufacturing
► Supplier & Vendor Management
► Quality & Regulatory Research and Compliance
► Operations Management
► Cross-Functional Team Leadership
► Performance Management & KPI Alignment
► Strategic Planning
Recently, Allen served as an Adjunct Professor in the School of Industrial Engineering and Management at Oklahoma State University, teaching the Capstone Design Experience for graduating seniors. Allen taught and coached the student teams as they managed projects to develop solutions to real problems for industry clients.
Allen’s experience also includes assisting retail clients to develop and implement supply chain and operational process enhancements. That included acting as PMO for an international big-box retail client to coordinate 15-20 business process and supporting system implementations in over 400 stores with 100 implementation team members.
Prior to this, Allen served as President of the Business Consulting Group, Inc., a management consulting subsidiary of Southwest Bancorp, Inc., and as Executive Vice President, Strategic Planning of Stillwater National Bank. From 1995 to 2000, Mr. Glenn was a manager with Kurt Salmon Associates, an international management-consulting firm to the retail consumer products and healthcare industries.
Subject Matter Experts
KRG's access to subject matter expertise is unsurpassed. KRG's in-house resources include staff with decades of experience in self-interactive kiosks and supporting fields. Among our qualified professionals are electrical, mechanical and software engineers, product development and project management specialists as well as sourcing and supply chain experts.
In addition, through KRG's extensive work in the field, clients have access to a wide array of contract professionals to fit any niche need in their product development and operations teams.