Nabisco:
Billy Henry spent 15 years at Nabisco, a premier name in consumer packaged goods, where he held leadership roles across both sales and brand management. On the sales front, Billy led large, high-performing teams and was entrusted with overseeing Nabisco’s most critical customer relationship—Walmart. He played a pivotal role on a hand-selected task force that transformed Nabisco’s traditional geography-based sales model into a customer-centric, team-based structure. This strategic shift enabled the company to better align resources with key growth opportunities.
During his tenure leading field-based sales teams, Billy developed a high-impact sales process and meeting cadence that emphasized celebrating wins while driving accountability. His leadership of the Walmart account resulted in a strategic partnership that doubled sales over a three-year period—a testament to his ability to deliver results through collaboration and innovation.
Billy also spearheaded brand management for the Planters operating company during a period of significant expansion. As part of the marketing leadership team, he helped reposition Planters from a seasonal holiday nut brand into a mainstream snack competitor. Under his guidance, the team launched the first nationally distributed packaged trail mix line—still a staple on grocery shelves today. He also secured high-profile NASCAR sponsorships that elevated Planters’ visibility and reinforced its new positioning. During his time on the leadership team, the Planters business experienced a remarkable 60% growth.
Microban:
When Billy Henry joined Microban as President of North & South America, the company was a niche antimicrobial technology and ingredient brand business generating under $50M in annual revenue. Operating in a highly regulated B2B chemical industry—vastly different from Billy’s prior experience in consumer snacks—the company needed a strategic turnaround. Billy was brought in to infuse big-company sales and marketing discipline into a small, underleveraged organization.
Sales Transformation
Billy quickly diagnosed that Microban’s new customer acquisition efforts were spread thin across too many categories, diluting focus and impact. He introduced an industry prioritization framework to concentrate efforts on the highest-growth sectors. He then realigned the sales organization, deploying talent and resources against these priority industries. To instill accountability and drive performance, Billy implemented a new sales process and CRM system that fostered transparency and healthy competition. Under his leadership, Microban’s annual revenue tripled.
Brand Revitalization
On the marketing front, Billy led the brand management team through a period of equally impressive growth. Navigating the complexities of a tightly regulated industry, he engaged directly with the EPA to refine and optimize the brand’s claims language. His team partnered with local agencies to redesign the website, produce cost-effective trade and consumer print advertising tailored to the prioritized industries, while also upgrading sales collateral to support the new strategy. As a result, brand awareness doubled during his tenure.
Billy’s ability to translate enterprise-level sales and marketing best practices into a small-business environment—despite the industry shift—was instrumental in Microban’s transformation. The company’s dramatic growth in both revenue and brand equity ultimately led to a successful acquisition by private equity at a premium valuation.