Over 20 years, I have continued to enhance my knowledge, strengths and potential for growth with a host of diverse experiences within the Food & Beverage and other industries, proudly bringing positive outcomes to the table.
Organically grew the revenue of Finlandia Cheese by over 80 million dollars and expanded the profitability 184%, while transforming Finlandia from a regional deli brand into a national retail brand
Secured financing for ownership restructuring and organically expanded revenue and profitability of Jana Foods - 8 million dollars and 300% respectively, leading FrieslandCampina to acquire the company for a multiple of EBIT in 2018
Successful post-acquisition integration of Jana Foods & Best Cheese into FrieslandCampina
Significantly expanded profitability by executing plant cost reductions and efficiency initiatives, enhancing reporting capabilities, and improving cash flow while significantly reducing receivable and inventory risk for McCadam Cheese
Built and lead high functioning multi-disciplined teams
E&Y Alumni - Delivered exceptional value to my diverse client base
Mike is a dedicated financial professional who digs in and gets the job done. He was an
integral part of running my company in operations and finance during our expansion and all
through the acquisition process. He was also essential to the success of the post-acquisition
integration with the eventual buyer. He has the knowledge and experience to help any firm,
no matter the size.
Dan Lynch
Former Owner Jana Foods
Mike strives to understand what makes a business tick, and then pierces through a firm's
clutter and noise to clarify a situation and present functional options in a clear and realistic
manner.
Not just a quick learner, Mike will translate the obscure and complex into practical,
accessible and actionable form. Mike addresses a firm’s objectives head-on, structuring
solutions without compromise to the strengthening of regulatory credibility and GAAP
compliance.
David Voremberg
Former Owner Jana Foods
I worked with Mike Restivo for over 18 years. Together we built the Finlandia Cheese
Company from $10 million in revenue to over $90 million. Mike is a very talented CFO with
extensive experience that puts him at an elite level of C suite executives. His abilities are an
extreme asset to any organization.
M&R has the multi-faceted knowledge to enter, research, quarterback and complete your
special project while utilizing your human resources, without them becoming overly
burdened.
Christopher Franco
CEO Finlandia Cheese Company (retired)
As a valued employee rising to CFO, Mike always strived for creative solutions,
with a team-player aptitude. His skills were crucially proven in strategy
planning, business development, operations process planning and
management.
I can highly recommend him to any business that needs skilful financial
knowledge and expertise.
Veijo Meriläinen
Former EVP Valio International Operations, now retired
I have worked with Mike for over 20 years. Mike's preparation and experience allows him to
manage daily operations, emergency problems, planning and negotiations. His track record
shows he can grow the companies he works for while building a cohesive,
successful partnership that benefits others as well. I look forward to working together again.
Jeff Flakker
President, Melrose Storage
I have had the pleasure of working with Mike since 2003, including his time as CFO of
my former client Finlandia Cheese.
Always proactive, Mike looks for cost-effective solutions whilst maintaining full integrity.
Ultimately, he understands the need for benefits as an employee retention tool, leaving
little doubt that if he does for your business what he did for Finlandia Cheese, the growth
will be exponential.
Paul G Smith
President, BenefitSmiths
I had the privilege of working with Mike at Finlandia to implement a modern integrated ERP
system. His clear vision and deep understanding of Finlandia’s requirements throughout
this complex project, demonstrated great judgment and his practical approach to its
scoping, meant timely completion.
Most importantly Mike’s interpersonal skills enabled us to build a highly successful and fun
team environment, which made the challenge of transformation all the more rewarding.
