1431 Pacific Highway H2
San Diego, CA, United States

Our Experts

At Learning Evolution, our experts generously impart unmatched insights into category management, beverage sales, supply chain and shopper marketing, drawing upon their extensive senior-level experience at globally leading CPG companies. This wealth of knowledge is freely shared with our course participants.

Experts who share exceptional CPG & retail insights

Tom Fox

Tom Fox
Advisor, researcher, trainer and recruiter

Tom is renowned for his success at developing win-win relationships with retailers as a category captain and category validator.

The founding partner of CM Profit Group, Tom is a former Vice-President of National Accounts and has worked with major domestic suppliers, importers, wholesalers and retailers.

He continues his work as a workshop trainer, appears on panels at national seminars and conventions, and contributes to numerous national publications.

Dr. Marcel M. Zondag

Dr. Marcel Zondag
Associate Professor of Marketing, WMU

Dr. Marcel M. Zondag is an associate professor of marketing and the director of the Food Industry Research and Education Center at Western Michigan University. Zondag is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Marketing and Service Research at the University of Rostock, Germany. Zondag earned a J.D. from Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, and MBA and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Tennessee.

Dr. Russell Zwanka
Dr. Russell Zwanka
Associate Professor of Marketing, WMU

Dr. Russell J. Zwanka is a Professor of Category Management, Retail Merchandising, Marketing Research, Personal Selling, Marketing Strategy, Food Marketing, Business Strategy, and Marketing Principles.

Having spent a career in the food industry before teaching, Dr. Z conceptualized and formed the Food Marketing Concentration at Siena College; as well as the Food Marketing Track at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Serving as the Chair of the Food Industry University Coalition (FIUC), Zwanka works with other universities teaching Food Marketing, to help educate the future of the food industry. The FIUC is made in part by the generosity of the National Grocers Association (NGA).
Michelle Patterson
Michelle Patterson
Capability Solutions Leader

Michelle is an industry veteran that has been teaching category management, analytics, and sales skills to the CPG industry for 20 years.  She had a successful career for 12 years at P&G followed by 12 years of consulting globally across retailers, manufacturers, and industries. This has given her the perspective needed to deliver adaptable, relevant coaching to each of her students.
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