Ryan Esko

Chief Executive Officer @ Balfour & Co

About

5x CEO, board member, and transformation leader with 25+ years of experience driving EBITDA growth, free cash flow, and enterprise value across retail, restaurant, fashion, and vertically integrated international consumer businesses. I’ve led large-scale transformations and growth initiatives in public and private companies ranging from ~$175MM to $6B+ in revenue, with deep experience in enterprise transformation, vertical integration, pricing strategy, cost efficiency, and performance-driven culture change. I’m currently CEO of Balfour & Co., leading a multi-year transformation of the vertically integrated consumer and ecommerce business with 4,000+ employees across manufacturing, sales, and fulfillment. Previously, I served as CEO, President, and Chairman of Smokey Bones, where the company achieved the four most profitable years in its history and nearly doubled prior record EBITDA. I currently serve as Chairman of TooJay’s Restaurant Group and have held public and private board roles across fashion, restaurant, and consumer businesses. Fluent in Spanish.

Country

United States

City

Miami

Industry

Apparel & Fashion

Skill

Management, Consulting, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Performance Improvement, Team Leadership, Business Strategy, Portfolio Management, Mergers & Acquisitions, Financial Analysis, Due Diligence, Private Equity, Leadership, General Management, CEOs

Experience

Chief Executive Officer

Balfour & Co

2021-3 - Present · 5 yrs 7 mos

Miami, Florida, United States

Balfour & Co. is one of the world's largest Collegiate and High School commencement services companies, leading the industry in digital product innovation by helping students and their families celebrate the most meaningful moments in their lives. Vertically integrated with direct sales teams, e-commerce, and state of the art manufacturing facilities. With around 4,000 team members and operating under the Balfour®, GradImages®, University Photo®, Gaspard®, ArtCarved®, KeepSake® and Taylor Publishing Company® Brands, the Company provides personalized products such as class jewelry and apparel, yearbooks, graduation caps and gowns, announcement products and graduation photography through digital marketing technology, personal in-school deliveries and customized school assortments.

Chairman Of The Board

TooJay’s Deli • Bakery • Restaurant

2020-9 - Present · 6 yrs 1 mo

Florida, United States

Chairman Of The Board (non profit)

Juntos Regalando Sonrisas 'together giving smiles"

2008-6 - Present · 18 yrs 4 mos

Miami, Colombia, Nicaragua, Mexico

www.togethergivingsmiles.org

Board of Directors

David's Bridal

2022-12 - 2023-10 · 11 mos

Finished due to sale of Company

Senior Advisor

Boston Consulting Group (BCG)

2020-9 - 2021-4 · 8 mos

Private Equity Performance Improvement Projects

Executive Roles, Board Advisory, for Portfolio Companies

2019-6 - 2021-3 · 1 yr 10 mos

• HBC (Saks, SaksOffFifth, Hudson Bay Canada, high-end restaurants, $6B revenue) – Chief Transformation Officer • Business Plans for various public and private large retailers, restaurants, and beauty companies.

Board Of Directors

Vince

2016-11 - 2019-5 · 2 yrs 7 mos

CEO, President and Chairman

Smokey Bones

2015-8 - 2019-5 · 3 yrs 10 mos

Miami, Florida

Smokey Bones is a nationally-recognized restaurant and bar delivering good food, good drinks and good times in 67 corporate locations across 16 states. Smokey Bones employs roughly 4,000 people. Left the position in very good standing- all 4 years as CEO were (by far) the record 4 financial years in the Company's 20 year history. Success with not only high profits, but record guest satisfaction scores, high culture scores, and its first successful new store openings. While in this position, also served with the Boards of 3 additional Sun Capital Portfolio Companies.

Operating Partner/CEO and Board of Various Consumer Businesses

Sun Capital Partners, Inc.

2007-1 - 2019-5 · 12 yrs 5 mos

Operating Partner and Head of the Performance Improvement Team, responsible for the supervision of the focused performance improvement projects for Sun Capital’s 65+ portfolio companies. Leader of a team of operational specialists and consultants and supervised initiatives across the portfolio on merger integration, retail operations, cost reduction, pricing, brand studies, and revenue enhancements. CEO with multiple consumer companies on an interim and full time basis to lead key growth and operational improvement initiatives. These interim roles included: --CEO and President of Kellwood (inc. VINCE as subsidiary), a fashion apparel wholesaler and retailer, that designs, manufactures, and markets brands such as VINCE, Rebecca Taylor, David Meister, XOXO, Jolt, and many others. --CEO and Project Leader/Owner representative for DB Apparel, one of the largest intimate apparel Wholesale/Retail Apparel companies in Europe. --CEO of Famosa, a leading international Toy Company based in Spain --CEO of Smokey Bones, a 65+ restaurant chain (2011 prior to full time CEO role '15-'19)