Nick Ericson
Wilmette,IL
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Director, Rail
CF Industries
09.2021 - Current
- Managed a six-person team responsible for approximately $350 million in spend related to the movement of product by railroad.
- Renegotiated Canadian Pacific and Canadian National ammonia contracts to ensure viable commercial terms in addition to acceptable legal language related to liability and indemnity.
- Implemented use of railroad-owned equipment in the urea fleet which resulted in cost savings of nearly $1 million, additional flexibility in the CF system, and allowed inventory control during a slow demand period.
- Main point of contact internally and externally during several major railway disruptions, including Canadian Pacific labor stoppage, Union Pacific inventory management initiative, and all-USA rail union strike.
- Developed management reports to highlight trends in freight spend and railcar lease spend vs. prior year and prior quarter.
Head of Sales and Customer Service
CF Fertilisers UK
05.2019 - 09.2021
- Oversaw 4 direct reports and 10 indirect reports responsible for all Sales and Customer Service activities related to United Kingdom fertilizer.
- Developed and oversaw annual business plans for 1 million tons of fertilizer , across four product groups and 13 individual products.
- Managed relationships with 30+ customer accounts, including annual compensation negotiations, sales plan development, and difficult issues regarding inter-company conflicts.
- Oversaw IT initiatives to improve sales efficiency, reporting accuracy, and overall customer service satisfaction.
Product Manager - Urea
CF Industries Holdings Inc.
10.2016 - 05.2019
- In conjunction with Urea Product VP, responsible for managing 5 million ton granular urea portfolio with objective to maximize profits on limited production capabilities.
- Main point of contact within commercial team regarding sales strategy from new-build Port Neal facility generating 1.5 million tons of product.
- Negotiated warehouse agreement for Cincinnati and sales contract with Scott's Miracle Grow, allowing CF greater access into Eastern Midwest geography.
- Collaborated with other Product VPs, Sales Managers, and Supply Chain to decide on optimal product mix decisions.
- Represented CF to customers and at industry events to communicate Company's message into marketplace.
Sr. Analyst, Financial Evaluations and Analysis
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
06.2015 - 10.2016
- Developed valuation model and pro-forma financial statements to support CHS partnership negotiations.
- Analyzed installation of inbound ammonia truck capabilities at Company terminals to absorb new product from Wever plant.
- Created financial model to value nitric acid sales out of Donaldsonville complex, comparing trade-off of potential new nitric acid sales to existing sales of ammonia, urea, and UAN.
- Became a main point of contact for methanol analysis, both macro and OCI specific.
- Prepared and supported preparation of numerous Board items including Huntsman nitric acid agreement, multiple ARL ammonia railcar leases, and historical AFE audit.
Risk Manager, Cheese and Dairy
Kraft Foods Group
01.2015 - 06.2015
- Negotiated and executed multiple agreements to convert commodity exposure from dairy markets to feed grains, allowing Kraft greater liquidity to hedge commodity price risk.
- Managed risk for $3 billion of annual commodity spend through use of exchange traded instruments, over-the-counter derivatives, and physical supply contracts.
- Led bi-weekly meetings with Finance and Marketing directors to identify trends in dairy market fundamentals, provide commodity price forecasts, and make recommendations to support Kraft's retail pricing strategy.
- Served as main point of contact for all areas of organization regarding dairy market analytics, including to CEO's staff.
Commodity Research Analyst
Kraft Foods Group
07.2013 - 01.2015
- Part of a three person team responsible for providing the entire organization both macro-economic analysis and specific insights related to Kraft's $6 billion commodity portfolio.
- Built dynamic product costing tool to assist Marketing and Finance personnel with retail pricing strategies.
- Supported category managers in contract negotiations by providing fundamental commodity market analysis.
- Led project to determine optimal hedge coverage by analyzing correlation between commodity costs and retail prices to identify how effectively Kraft is able to pass through cost increases to the consumer.
Raw Materials Analyst
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
04.2010 - 07.2013
- Negotiated and executed commercial agreements in support of natural gas procurement needs at several facilities.
- Leveraged Company's position as largest end-user on Oklahoma Natural Gas's pipeline system to secure two supply contracts priced below relevant market indexes, saving $1 million.
- Executed financial derivatives and reported against Company's hedge position.
- Performed end-to-end supply chain management for 750,000 tons of molten sulfur deliveries to phosphate operation in Florida.
Liquid Products Scheduling Coordinator
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
06.2008 - 04.2010
- Scheduled shipment of fertilizer products by truck, barge, rail or export vessel.
- Collaborated with Sales Team to analyze where potential future sales are most likely to originate and utilize Company's distribution system to stage product accordingly.
- Monitored product balances across Company's distribution system to help Sales team react quickly to unexpected changes.
Education
MBA - Corporate Finance
DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
Chicago, IL2013
Bachelor of Science - Agricultural Business
University Of Illinois
Champaign-Urbana IL2007
Timeline
Director, Rail
CF Industries
09.2021 - Current
Head of Sales and Customer Service
CF Fertilisers UK
05.2019 - 09.2021
Product Manager - Urea
CF Industries Holdings Inc.
10.2016 - 05.2019
Sr. Analyst, Financial Evaluations and Analysis
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
06.2015 - 10.2016
Risk Manager, Cheese and Dairy
Kraft Foods Group
01.2015 - 06.2015
Commodity Research Analyst
Kraft Foods Group
07.2013 - 01.2015
Raw Materials Analyst
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
04.2010 - 07.2013
Liquid Products Scheduling Coordinator
CF Industries Holdings, Inc.
06.2008 - 04.2010
MBA - Corporate Finance
DePaul University Kellstadt Graduate School of Business
Bachelor of Science - Agricultural Business
University Of Illinois
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