Food Industry Expert Mark Baum Added to KeyImpact Board of Directors

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Nov 05, 2010, 01:46 ET

BURLINGTON, N.J., Nov. 5, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Mark Baum, the Managing Partner of MARCAT Group LLC, an independent consulting/advisory firm specializing in business, market, and customer development, has just been announced as an addition to the KeyImpact Board of Directors.

Baum is the fifth outside member of KeyImpact's Board, joining Michael T. Hastings (President of Sweetheart Holding and Sweetheart Cup), Dr. Richard J. George (Professor of Food Marketing, Haub School of Business, Saint Joseph's University), Mark Chaney (EVP and CFO of Carefirst BlueCross ) and Jason Brennan (Co-Founder of the Stream Companies).

"Mark will make a terrific addition to our Board," said Dan Cassidy, President of KeyImpact. "He has tremendous experience in all aspects of the food business, and is a very insightful, strategic thinker. His contributions, along with those of the rest of our Board, will help us continue to grow our business and deliver consistent value for all of our employee-owners."

Before his current position with MARCAT Group, Baum was Partner & Managing Director of the CPG Practice at Diamond Management & Technology Consultants. Prior to that, Baum was Executive Vice President of the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA). Previously, he was the President & CEO of the Association of Sales & Marketing Companies (ASMC), now a subsidiary of GMA. Baum joined GMA in 2001 after leading the merger with ASMC.

Earlier in his career, Baum served as Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Retail Insights, a division of Maclean Hunter Media/Progressive Grocer Associates – producers of Supermarket Insights, Convenience Store Insights and Restaurant Insights – and earlier, held significant management positions at Food Distributors International.

Baum's career in the food, beverage, and CPG industry spans over 25 years and began at Paragon, a snack food/candy distributor in New York.

"I'm honored and excited to serve in this capacity with KeyImpact," said Baum. "They have a very strong, clear, vision of where they want to go in the foodservice industry. I look forward to working with all the members of the Board to advise and counsel KeyImpact's management team as they continue to develop and execute their business strategy."

KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Inc. was formed in 2002 and focused on the Baltimore/Washington, Eastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey markets. KeyImpact has expanded its total footprint to include 32 sales agencies serving customers in 31 states with 39 different offices. This latest arrangement strengthens KeyImpact's principal line-up, and furthers KeyImpact's strategy to become a top sales agency in every market in which KeyImpact does business.

KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Inc. is the leading food service sales agency with a proven track record of delivering results with speed to market for its business partners. Through a best-in-class selling and service approach and a growing nationwide presence, KeyImpact combines its local operator, distributor, educational and chain account relationships to create efficiencies for the leading brand companies. An ESOP comprised of 600+ employee owners, KeyImpact provides a full range of products, including food, retail/deli bakery, packaging and supplies. For more information, visit www.kisales.com.

SOURCE KeyImpact Sales & Systems, Inc.