Leadership Team
Tony Olson, CEO
Tony Olson is the majority Owner, Chairman and CEO of SPINS LLC Tony has over 20 years experience in the Natural Products Industry, having worked in both the manufacturing and information services sectors. Tony has been with SPINS since April 1999. In that time, SPINS has become the leading source of fact-based sales information for the Natural Products Industry, supporting the growth of all classes of trade. Tony brings experience in developing and implementing sales growth and cost control strategies. He also has a strong understanding of manufacturer and retailer information needs and has the vision required to lead SPINS into the next phase of development.
“We are at the beginning stages of what we can accomplish together to encourage healthy eating for the benefit of our well-being, reform agricultural practices for the benefit of our environment, and promote ethical consumerism for the benefit of our society”.
-Tony Olson, SPINS CEO
Bill Fitzgerald, Executive Vice President of Technology and Operation
Bill joined SPINS in May of 2005 to lead our IT team in both strategy and operations. He brings years of expertise implementing and managing point of sale applications, e-commerce applications, retail technical infrastructure, data warehousing and business intelligence. Bill has worked with Ford Motor Company as Enterprise Architecture Manager responsible for business intelligence systems and service oriented frameworks. At Sears, Roebuck and Co. Bill successfully launched their e-commerce platform with linkages to in-store systems for real time inventory verification and back office applications providing the ability to buy online and pick-up in store. Bill has in-store retail point of sale application and infrastructure experience with Sears, Sun Microsystems, Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems and NCR Corporation. Bill holds a Bachelor of Science from the Illinois Institute of Technology and a Masters of Business Administration from Notre Dame University.
Kathryn Peters, Executive Vice President of Business Development
Kathryn joined SPINS in November of 2007 in a newly-created role focused on the ongoing development of the company’s retailer partnerships. She brings more than 15 years of experience in the food retail and consumer packaged goods industries, previously holding the position of Vice President of Grocery and Corporate Brands at BI-LO, LLC, as well as working in the category management and sales organization of Ralston Purina. Kathryn has a Bachelor of Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from Wake Forest University’s Babcock Graduate School of Management. Since joining SPINS, Kathryn has proven to be an asset to the business and her role has expanded to include management of both retail and consumer services, in addition to the content development division of the company.
Melanie Mitchell, Senior Vice President of Finance and Human Resources
Melanie was named SPINS' Vice President of Finance & Human Resources in January of 2003 after having been a consultant for the company since September 2000. Prior to SPINS, Melanie spent 12 years with Arthur Young & Company as an auditor serving a variety of businesses and industries and as a Partner in the Mergers & Acquisition Group based in New York. She has consulted with a variety of companies in the areas of due diligence, corporate reorganizations, acquisitions and general business services. Melanie graduated from The University of Kansas with a combined degree in Business Administration and Accounting.
Steve Wangler, Senior Vice President of Manufacturer Client Services
Steve joined SPINS in January 2008 as the Senior Vice President of Manufacturer Client Services, bringing with him extensive sales management experience spanning major nationwide CPG manufacturers, including Kraft, PepsiCo, Nabisco Brands, and the Molson-Coors Brewing Company. Notably, during his ten years with Molson-Coors, Steve spent three years in the Coors Wholesaler Development Group focused on wholesaler consolidation and mergers. Steve’s current role at SPINS includes managing the sales, consulting and analytics teams that support over 600 manufacturing clients, as well as cultivating the company’s strategic partnerships. Steve holds his business degree from the State University of New York and his MBA from the University of New Mexico.
Michael Movitz, Vice President of Business Development
Michael has 21 years natural products industry experience across retail, manufacturer, broker and information supplier organizations, including 11 years with SPINS. He joined SPINS in April 2000 on the manufacturer sales team as Central Region Manager, moved to Director of Sales and ultimately to VP of Sales for a period of 4 years. In 2009 Michael transitioned to working with SPINS’ strategic partners. In his current role as Vice President of Business Development, Michael focuses on licensing partnerships for SPINS Product Library, oversees SPINS’ conventional channel reporting services, supports SPINS’ new service & technology development, and presents industry trend updates and SPINS’ analyses at trade shows and conferences. Michael also works with The Nielsen Company to support manufacturer client objectives related to natural, organic, and health & wellness opportunities. Michael earned his degree from the University Of Southern California School of Business Entrepreneur Program.
Amy Jacobsen, Vice President of Business Development
Amy has 18 years natural products industry experience across manufacturer, importation and farming, and information supplier organizations, including 11 years with SPINS. Amy joined SPINS in February 2000 on the manufacturer sales team and has held numerous other roles in Client Services and Operations. In 2007 Amy transitioned to working with SPINS’ strategic partners and SPINS’ retailers. In her current role as Vice President of Business Development, Amy manages all Natural and Specialty retailer relationships including the development of new Retail Measurement services, manages and oversees the entire SPINS Product Library, supports SPINS’ new service & technology development, and manages new strategic partnership opportunities. Amy earned her degree from the University of California, Davis.