Peter Byrne
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Peter has 25+ years of global strategic management experience. During his corporate career he was the VP of Marketing for Pearson’s Learning Network. He was General Manager for Del Monte Foods Tomato business and led brands at Unilever and MattelInteractive.
Peter and 5 G Group have partnered with a range of businesses from early stage companies such as Pea Not, Eaton Hemp and Halsa Non Dairy Yogurt to large corporates including Samsung, GreatCall Communications, General Electric, Honeywell Aviation, and Hitachi Capital. Peter also launched a successful start up in the Fragrance Industry. He has worked extensively on growth strategies over the course of his career, focusing on building unique value propositions and route to market strategies linked to both consumer and customer needs.
Peter is a graduate of Duke University and the Kellogg School of Graduate Management with a focus on marketing and finance. He resides in Woodland Hills, CA with his wife and three rescue dogs. He is a founder and board member for the Kevin Gray Memorial Foundation, a charity developed to raise and administer scholarships in musical and theater education.
Michael Galef
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
With a 20+ year track record of growing B2C and B2B businesses holding positions as CMO/VP of Sales and General Manager in blue chip and startup companies such as Con Agra Foods, Dole Foods, Wonderful Brands, Emergen-C and Gardein Protein. Michael understands what it takes to get companies, business units, and brands to the top.
Michael has an instinctive DNA of interpreting quantitative and qualitative consumer insights along with sensing a company’s ethos to craft unique, compelling strategies that integrate the emotional quotient with the brand’s value proposition that inspires and leads employees and consumers, to connect with the brand to drive enterprise value.
From Fortune 500 companies to start-ups and everywhere in between, Michael has been there. Michael has launched more than 50 products from conception to shelf with a success rate of 70%. And, having worked in public, private and family-owned businesses, including reorganizations, spin-offs, and mergers, he has the background to solve the challenges across functional groups.
Michael is classically trained in Marketing with an MBA from UCLA’s Anderson School of Management. He is an avid athlete who completed the Canadian Ironman and re-energizes himself in outdoor board sports.
Niké VanArsdale, Sales Leader
Niké has been nurturing brands in the natural products industry for 20 years in all capacities of sales, marketing, merchandising, brand management, promotional strategy, new product introductions, and new business development. She was instrumental in helping grow some the most familiar, successful brands in the natural channel such as Amy’s, Udi’s, Suja, RX Bar, Orgain, Late July, Food for Life, and many more.
Having worked as a marketing executive, sales executive and a buyer in natural retail, at Wild Oats, and conventional retail at Schnucks Markets – Niké has an unparalleled toolbox to drive demand. With a B.S. degree at Barnes Business College in accounting, Nike’s toolkit also includes deep analysis to drive revenue utilizing information from industry syndicated data streams including SPINS and IRI.
When Niké is not nurturing brand’s health she lives the natural lifestyle on a small farm in Western Colorado with her husband who is a chef. Together they live a sustainable lifestyle growing much of their own food. They have a dog and five ducks and look forward to expanding their animal family in the future.
Denis Cronin, Sales Leader
Denis has unequaled experience in marketing consumer products in almost any setting due to his extensive background and pedigree. Denis has been the key national sales lead for such fortune 500 companies such as Pillsbury, Kimberly Clark, Schering Plough, Kimberly Clark managing sales budgets in the multi-millions of dollars.
Through his experience, Denis has called on virtually every class of trade where a packaged good consumer product can be sold.
With a background of a servant leader to our country, Denis brings an extensive work ethic like no other as he served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard. Decorated with numerous medals of honor, Denis was the trusted National Guard spokesperson during TWA’s flight 800 crash in Long Island.
When not serving our country or a brand you’ll find Denis in his hometown of Bedford New Hampshire taking in a round of golf.
Linda Singh, Amazon Sales
As a 20 year pioneering leader whose instinct was to take brands to the digital domain, Linda’s career in online retail ascended while working at Cody, where she initiated and navigated e commerce for such brands as Adidas, Guess, and Nautica, as VP.
Trailblazing again, Linda started a new career charting the Amazon Seller waters for early stage brands across multiples of consumer product verticals. Linda has developed a “Bezos like” DNA helping drive Amazon revenue for brands utilizing fact based data solutions on Amazon, building out and then leading sales across the Amazon platform.
Andy Lau, Sales Leader
Andy has extensive grocery experience spent his entire career the grocery business. Andy started his career early as an Assistant Merchandise Manager at Shopko, has managed stores as Store Director at Roundy’s, and been a Category Manager at Piggly Wiggly and The Fresh Market.
In addition, Andy has worked on the broker side, leading the Midwest office as Brand Manager for Celtic Marketing. Andy graduated from Ripon College and lives in Wisconsin with his wife and two boys.
Pam Harvey, Sales Leader
Pam’s service of over two decades at fortune 100 Unilever as the western regional sales lead and Kroger Team Lead speaks volumes to her acumen of execution. Pam was instrumental in leading the onboarding and growth of such world renowned brands as: Ben & Jerry’s, AXE, Dove Men’s Care, Knorr Soups, and Lipton Beverages.
As a rising star in the Unilever team, Pam was a trusted source leading special projects helping redesign go-to-market strategies, trade spend/ shopper marketing efficiencies and analytics along with merchandising and digital targeting projects to drive sales at each of the banners Kroger operates.
When Pam is not driving brand growth, you’ll find her doing her Vinyasas at her Huntington Beach stomping grounds or driving her two athletic daughters to soccer, volleyball, or Junior Lifeguards.
Chip Albers, Sales Leader
Chip has over 15 years experience as a national Sales Manager in Conventional, Natural/Specialty and Hospitality Channels. Chip is a highly engaged and motivated with strong sales skills, acumen, interpersonal skills, and demonstrated ability to communicate, present and influence credibly and effectively at all levels of organizations.
Chip led sales for Maddiebrit Products, growing the company to over 9 million in sales. He has strong knowledge of leading accounts including Whole Foods, The Fresh Market, Ahold, Kroger, Albertsons/Safeway, Amazon com, Vitacost, Wegmans and Natural Grocers among other retailers.
Chip is from New Jersey and has a BFA from Carnegie Mellon which led to his career in entertainment where he ended up performing on the soap operas, All My Children, Another World, Loving, etc He made his way out to California and has been there ever since
Chris Hayes, Sales Leader
Chris has extensive sales, management, trade marketing, and key account development experience working with both established and early stage brands across the Midwest and South. His experience spans a range of Consumer Products Brands working across both the conventional and Natural/Independent channels.
Chris started his career in the grocery business at Food Lion before moving to sales. Over the course of his career he has worked with Hain Celestial Group, where he was regional manager; Kettle Brands, where he was Southern Region Business Development Manager as well as Dale and Thomas Popcorn, Vintage Italia Pasta and Roar Beverages.
Gary Rochealeau, Sales LeaderG Advisor
Gary’s extensive experience comes from years of being at the helm of Safeway Stores from 2003 to 2013. Gary not only knows the industry inside out, his network to get things done to help accelerate sales runs far and wide. In his tenure, Gary also led the charge of Safeway.com so he is well aware of all things digital and brick and mortar.
When Gary isn’t busy getting his hands dirty in the grocery business, he keeps busy serving as a board member of various up and coming brands. He also is deeply involved with the City of Hope, a world class cancer hospital in Duarte, California.
Nicole Pistotnick, Client Manager
Nicole has worked across the Public Relations space including Magrino PR and the Storied Group where she developed strong verbal, written and communications skills. Nicole enjoys the fast-paced world of early-stage brands where she digs in to learn new skills and help launch new businesses.
When not working with 5 G, Nicole can be found working in acting in Los Angeles. She graduated from University of Miami with a degree in Public Relations, advertising and marketing.
Rosie Byrne, Client Manager
Rosie’s roots lie in the entertainment industry where she assisted primarily in the development and representation areas. Detail-oriented and team-focused, Rosie loves getting into the weeds of a research project and learning new methods of audience engagement.
When not working with 5G, Rosie can be found acting and riding horses in Los Angeles. She graduated from UCSD Magna Cum Laude with Honors and Departmental Distinction.