leadership team

As CEO at ACG Brands, Chris leads the strategic vision and entrepreneurial spirit that extends throughout the company. Prior to joining ACG, Chris served as Chief Commercialization & Strategy Officer for Plano Synergy. Chris came to Plano Synergy by way of Synergy Outdoors, which he co-founded in 2002. Before entering the outdoor industry, Chris spent five years working in strategy and corporate development at Transamerica Corporation and JC Penney. Chris received a BBA in International Business and Finance from Loyola University New Orleans.

As Chief Financial Officer, Mark A. Tripp leads the formulation and execution of the corporate financial strategy, financial reporting, accounting and treasury management. With 25+ years at the financial helm of several middle-market, private equity owned, consumer products companies, Mark is an accomplished strategist and hands-on leader who brings deep business acumen to the role of CFO.

Prior to joining ACG, Mark led financial strategies at Easton-Bell Sports for 15 years, as Chief Financial Officer overseeing strategic growth and acquisitions. Mark later joined Plano Synergy, as CFO, leading the makeover of the business prior to its sale. Most recently, he held the position of CFO at Mechanix Wear glove company, driving financial discipline into their business while organizing their finance and accounting teams to help guide the business forward. Mark holds a masters’ degree in accounting from Clarkson University.

As Chief Operations Officer, Phil is responsible for developing and executing our strategies to deliver our products across the globe to customers and consumers. As our brands and products expand, he leads his team of supply chain and distribution experts to assure we can meet or exceed our customers’ expectations. Phil brings more than 20 years of experience with Overhead Door, Haggar and most recently, AmesburyTruth, an innovative hardware supplier to the window and door industry. His positions have spanned inventory management, logistics, distribution and supply chain. In addition to formal training in six sigma, Phil received his M.B.A. from Texas Christian University, with a focus on evolving corporate strategies to accelerate growth.

As Executive Vice President - Commercialization, Allen is responsible for the commercialization strategy across all brands and products. Allen ensures our brands deliver authentic products that enhance adventures and everyday life. Allen has more than 20 years working with iconic brands at General Mills, Proctor and Gamble and Pure Fishing. His brand building-passion assures our customers and consumers will benefit from technological advancements, advancing product development through active curiosity and a focus on how to exceed marketplace expectations. Allan holds an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA and a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.

As Chief People Officer, Jackie leads our mission to assure that every team member is an ambassador of our brands. Jackie has more than 30 years of experience in human resources, consulting and coaching, focused largely within the consumer products industry. Within ACG Brands, she is responsible for our talent and leadership development, culture, rewards and recognition programs. Prior to joining ACG Brands, Jackie served as the Chief People Officer of Easton-Bell Sports for nearly a decade. Previous to that role, she was a practice leader for Mercer HR, a division of a global consulting firm. She is an accredited executive coach and holds a Masters Degree in Human Resources from Loyola University, Chicago. Jackie leads our team of people business partners, talent finders, and leadership developers.

As Senior Vice President of Corporate, Hybrid, TV and Marketplace sales, Tom is responsible for the overall sales strategy and revenue growth across these channels. Tom comes with more than 20 years of experience in sales leadership with Kraft Foods, Spectrum Brands, Generac Power Systems and most recently, at Thermos, LLC where he was Vice President of North America Sales and Customer Service. Tom received his MBA from the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Iowa.

As Vice President of Outbound Sales, Regina Speciale leads Alliance Consumer Group's efforts to drive strategic growth and expand market presence through proactive sales initiatives. Regina has over 20 years of experience successfully leading sales teams and transforming organizations at Staples and Brother USA, where she implemented innovative strategies to achieve substantial growth and lasting client partnerships. Passionate about building dynamic, inclusive teams, Regina ensures that Alliance Consumer Group consistently delivers exceptional client relationships and exceeds performance expectations.

Regina holds a bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University and advanced leadership certifications from Rutgers University, as well as a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification. Recognized for her outstanding leadership, she was honored as Leader of the Year at Brother USA. Regina's commitment to excellence and innovation continues to position Alliance Consumer Group as a leader within the consumer products industry.

As Chief Strategy Officer, Derek is responsible for establishing and driving the strategic growth initiatives across our business. His financial acumen and broad leadership experiences uniquely qualifies him to identify the opportunities which help ACG achieve its vision and marketplace goals.

Derek spent his early career as an associate partner with Bain and Company where he led mergers, acquisitions, and private equity ventures for clients in the consumer goods and retail industries. He also led commercial excellence and strategy engagements which delivered growth and value creation plans for many consumer goods clients. Additionally, as vice president corporate development and strategy at VISTA Outdoor he helped develop a new business model and strategy resulting in a two-company structure, achieving revenue and growth targets while improving profitability. Derek then served as the President and Chief Integration Officer for Simms Fishing following their acquisition by VISTA, developing a rapid value creation plan while supporting an accelerated integration of the company’s functions into VISTA Outdoor. Derek earned his Bachelor of Business Administration at University of Texas (Austin) and his MBA at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.