Bob’s Red Mill is an employee-owned company based in Portland, Ore. that markets high-quality baking flours, whole grains, oats, and other unprocessed foods.
Food & beverage
Vice President of Sales
The length Noto Group went to understand the challenges and nuances of this hire
125 cultivated, 33 screened, 13 recommended, 10 client-interviewed, 1 hired
77 days
In 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Bob’s Red Mill was rapidly transforming itself as a company—with the goal of doubling its consumer base by 2030. As it prepared for ambitious growth, the company needed a new Chief Financial Officer to replace Trey Winthrop, who would take the helm as Chief Executive Officer after serving as the company’s CFO for more than six years.
“It was critical that we find the right person,” said Lena Knofler, Noto Group’s Principal Search Consultant who led the search. “It’s tough to take over for someone who had been the incumbent for so many years. And it would be the first hire for the highly strategic senior leadership team Trey needed to take the company forward.”
The goal was to find a candidate with deep financial and operational expertise who understood the manufacturing industry and who could take on the complexities of a rapidly growing business as Bob’s Red Mill expanded into new product categories. Like a lot of companies during the pandemic, Bob’s Red Mill had been experiencing supply chain challenges. The company wanted someone who could streamline these workflows—while managing a 100% employee-owned company with an established employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).
--Trey Winthrop, Chief Executive Officer, Bob’s Red Mill
From a leadership standpoint, the person needed to be highly people-oriented, with the ability to step in and gain the trust of an established team. It was also critical that the candidate be a champion for Bob’s Red Mill’s employee-owned culture and for the company’s core values of respect, teamwork, accountability, and determination.
“This hire was like threading a needle,” said Winthrop. “We needed to find someone who could bring us to the next level without being too concerned about doing things differently from me.”
Noto Group worked with Bob’s Red Mill to plan the stages of the hiring process, determining what questions would be asked of candidates at each stage and who the decision makers would be. “The process was super partnership-oriented,” said Knofler. “The goal was to create a good flow and a tight process, and we achieved that by collaborating very closely.”
--Brian Gill, Chief Financial Officer, Bob’s Red Mill
After initial interviews with both Noto Group and Bob’s Red Mill, three finalists were invited to visit the company onsite for a full day of meetings with the senior leadership team and the entire accounting team. “It was an extremely collaborative and inclusive process,” Knofler said. “It was important to hear a lot of voices but also to decide on the ultimate decision makers as we moved the process along.”
In the end, the hiring process took just two months, with Brian Gill selected as the new CFO. Gill brought more than a decade of experience in leadership roles at manufacturing firms in the Portland area, serving both as Vice President of Finance for FLIR Systems and as Director of Finance for ESCO Corporation. He also served as an Audit Manager and for Deloitte & Touche for more than eight years.
Gill said he was impressed with Noto Group’s thorough approach. “Noto Group is very experienced and professional, and they’re truly trying to find the right person for the role,” he said. “The interview they did with me went beyond other recruiters I’ve worked with; it was in-depth and a real evaluation of my skillset and fit.”
Among Gill’s first accomplishments was to implement a modern enterprise resource system to help the company streamline its supply chain and improve business performance. With a modern technical infrastructure in place, Bob’s Red Mill is now on a path to broaden its markets and its revenue.
Now that he’s worked with Bob’s Red Mill for nearly three years, Gill said he’s observed Noto Group’s approach to several hires. Unlike some recruiters who quickly fill the position to get their commission, Gill says Noto Group carefully considers candidates to make sure they’re the perfect match. “They treat the relationship as a partnership, and they take a long-term approach of placing the right people so you’re sure to come back for the next high-quality candidate,” he says.
Winthrop agrees. “Bringing someone new onto the team is always a risk, but Noto Group really got to know us and the quality of their candidates really stood out,” he said. “We think of the Noto Group as an extension of our HR department when we are looking for specific talent.”
