Simpactful is proud to announce the addition of two seasoned retail leaders, Mike Percic and Ken Friend, as Senior Consultants. Target is undergoing tremendous change, which requires that vendors rethink their partnership approach to be successful. With extensive backgrounds in merchandising, eCommerce, strategy, finance, and operations at the retailer, Mike and Ken bring unparalleled expertise to Simpactful’s growing team. Their combined experience across global retail and consumer goods sectors strengthens Simpactful’s ability to drive transformational growth for clients.

Mike Percic: Delivering Transformational Growth and Operational Excellence
Mike Percic joins Simpactful with a wealth of experience across retail merchandising, eCommerce, strategy, finance, and operations. As a former Senior Divisional Merchandising Manager at Target, Mike led high-impact, multi-year growth strategies for a $1B+ business in Adult Beverages and business in Bakery, Deli & Fresh Prepared. Known for his ability to translate complex strategies into actionable outcomes, Mike has been instrumental in driving Omnichannel capabilities, expanding market share, and creating lasting cultural shifts within organizations.

Throughout his 16+year career at Target, Mike has held pivotal roles, including Senior Director, Grocery Chief of Staff, and Senior Director, CFO of Grocery. His leadership was key in overseeing the multi-billion-dollar grocery business at Target and implementing significant financial transformations. Mike’s strategic vision, combined with his operational expertise, has allowed him to deliver sustainable growth and foster strong teams across various retail categories.

Mike resides in Minneapolis with his wife Lauren, 3 kiddos and 2 dogs – and enjoys exploring new restaurants, listening to podcasts, and all things sports – be it playing, coaching youth teams or suffering through supporting all MN teams when he is not driving his kids around town or focused on client work.

Mike is particularly excited about the opportunity to leverage his experience in creating effective Omnichannel strategies at Target with Simpactful clients. He shares, “I’m thrilled to be part of the Simpactful team and bring my experience in retail transformation to new clients. I bring the ability to ‘think’ like Target, frameworks for partnership success and a vast retail network that perfectly complement the skills of Simpactful team members, like Ken, who spent their careers successfully selling to Target.”

Ken Friend: Expertise in Strategic Partnerships and Go-to-Market Innovation
Ken Friend brings over 37 years of experience at GSK/Haleon, where he led key partnerships and strategic initiatives for Target, the company’s fifth-largest customer. Most recently, Ken served as VP of Enterprise Sales, where he managed the end-to-end business relationship for GSK/Haleon’s Healthcare and Beauty Care Brands, overseeing a team that was awarded Vendor of the Year by Target in 2017 and 2018. His work focused on elevating trade funding optimization, strategic partnership development, and the launch of innovative co-creation platforms with retailers. Prior to the Target VP role, Ken led Sales Finance for the Club Channel and Target. He rolled out Customer P&Ls and Strategic Customer Planning underpinned by gross to net principles which deliver the net sales and profit KPIs.

Ken’s expertise also spans Go-to-Market strategy, commercial planning, and national launch strategies, having played an integral role in several Rx-to-OTC launches. His deep knowledge of customer P&Ls and long-range planning has enabled businesses to optimize sales and profitability through insights-led innovation and effective negotiations. Ken resides in Laguna Hills, CA with his spouse and enjoys quality time with his family and friends, along with traveling when he is not focused on client work.

Both Mike and Ken share a passion for developing high-performance teams and organizational design. They each look forward to contributing their insights to Simpactful’s diverse roster of clients. Ken adds, “Joining Simpactful is a great opportunity to apply my strategic thinking and partnership expertise to help clients navigate the complexities of today’s retail landscape. From Assortment selection and Operations, to Merchandising and Retail Media, Target has taken an approach that is different than many other retailers that requires a different brand playbook. Through trial and error, I have learned effective approaches to partner. When combined with Mike’s insider experience on the buying side, we can quickly figure out how to navigate most challenges.”

 Expanding Simpactful’s Expertise in Target Retail, Strategy, and Omnichannel Solutions
John Torru, Co-Founder and Chairperson of Simpactful, expressed his enthusiasm about the new additions: “Mike and Ken are dynamic leaders with a proven track record of driving growth and operational excellence. Mike’s extensive experience in merchandising, strategy, and eCommerce, combined with Ken’s expertise in strategic partnerships and go-to-market innovation, strengthens our ability to help clients achieve long-term success in today’s rapidly evolving Target environment.”

Are You Ready to Transform Your Business? Simpactful Can Help!
For more information on how Mike and Ken, and the rest of our Simpactful team can help drive your business forward, contact us at contact@simpactful.com or 925-234-6394. Visit www.simpactful.com to learn more.