Dennis O’Brien
Operating Partner, Consumer Group
Joined Gryphon: 2008
Industry Group: Operations Resources Group
Currently serves on Gryphon Company Boards:
Mechanix Wear
Milani Cosmetics
Dennis F. O’Brien works closely with senior management teams of portfolio companies to maximize short and long-term operating and financial performance, while also working closely with deal teams in screening and completing due diligence on prospective investments. He serves on the boards of current portfolio companies Mechanix Wear and Milani Cosmetics, and formerly served as a Chairman or Director of Dessert Holdings, DLC, ECG Management Consultants, Flagstone Foods, Fleet Laboratories, K&N Engineering, Matrixx Initiatives/ZICAM, Sheplers, Staffing Now, SynteractHCR, Trinity Consultants, and TrustHouse Services. Mr. O’Brien also serves on the Board of TreeHouse Foods, a publicly-traded supplier of products and services in the private label and food services industries.
Previously, Mr. O’Brien was President and COO of ConAgra’s $8.5 billion Retail Products organization. Mr. O’Brien has 27 years of operating experience in the consumer packaged and durable goods industries with ConAgra Foods, Armstrong Industries, Campbell’s Soup, Nestle Foods and Procter and Gamble, beginning his career in field sales and brand management then progressing into general management.
Through his experiences Mr. O’Brien developed deep expertise in marketing, sales, operations, product development, restructurings, joint ventures, divestitures and acquisition integrations. In these various roles, he has built and restructured numerous well-known, branded consumer businesses including Chef Boyardee, Healthy Choice, Orville Redenbacher, Slim Jim and Swiss Miss at ConAgra, as well as Nestea, Nestle Toll House, Pepperidge Farm and V-8 juices at Nestle and Campbell’s Soup.
Education & Professional Affiliations:B.S., Marketing, University of Connecticut
Return to List