Managing Director
Ray joined Chapman Associates following a successful 30+ year career as an executive at a Fortune 150 company and one of the world's leaders in food and beverage manufacturing and marketing. After exiting the company, Ray formed a global consulting practice which focused on middle market food, beverage and manufacturing industries, providing buy, sell, valuation, sales and marketing recommendations to his clients.
Ray applied his strategic planning and organizational development expertise in guiding his company to new levels of success. Ray successfully restructured multiple states within the food and beverage company through merging or acquiring family-owned distribution companies to bring new efficiencies to the company. Serving as the company’s Vice President of Revenue Management, he was instrumental in delivering unprecedented sales and revenue growth to the company. Furthermore, he developed a reorganization plan for his company's 750-person sales organization that drove further earnings improvements to the company. He won multiple state level Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awards. Most recently, as part of his consulting practice, he has closed transactions in the food, beverage manufacturing and IT sectors. In the Chapman way, he prides himself in unmatchable customer service.
Prior to joining the food and beverage conglomerate, Ray worked in the chemical industry in the logistics field, honing his skills in procurement and transportation.
Ray represents clients in the Midwest and US primarily in food, beverage, IT, energy, and transportation.
Ray currently lives in St. Louis, MO with his spouse. Married for 45 years, he and his wife have successfully raised 4 sons. Ray holds a BS in Business Administration from the University of Missouri, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from Duke University, Durham, NC. He has served on the board of privately owned companies and charities in the St. Louis area.