30 years of helping leaders grow their companies

To commemorate, we’re highlighting some of the incredible clients, partners and team members who have shaped our journey, and some of the things we’ve learned along the way

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industries
Insights
Client Stories
Reflections

Our History

Forming Denneen & Company’s Foundation

1993
1993

At the end of his first year at Harvard Business School, Mark Denneen founds Denneen & Company. The company opens its first office at a townhouse in Boston’s Back Bay.

1993
1993

Denneen & Company signs its first client, Olin Corporation, a fortune 200 company, to support growth of their branded specialty products business.

1994
1994

Helen Buford joins, and would hold various roles from 1994-1998 and 2010-2019, spending her last four years as President & COO. Helen remains on Denneen’s Board of Directors to this day.

1994
1994

Honey Baked Ham enlists Denneen in the development of a go-to-market strategy.

1995
1995

Frank Endom joins, beginning a tremendous 28-year career where he has played a key role leading our Private Equity and Energy businesses.

1996
1996

The Cadwell Davis Denneen partnership is formed in New York City, helping to build a number of strong, impactful, and long-lasting client relationships for Denneen that would be foundational to our company’s growth.

1996
1996

Denneen & Company expands into consumer healthcare, working with Johnson & Johnson.

1997
1997

Albert Lee joins. Albert has held numerous roles during three different stints with the company, helping to build our data analytics capability, once serving as CFO and continuing to play a key role to this day.

Energy and Healthcare Expansion​

1998
1998

Denneen & Company expands into energy, adding Mobil Oil Corporation as a client. With the merger leading to ExxonMobil in 1999, we have built a successful and enduring relationship over 25 years.

1999
1999

Arch Chemical acquires Olin Specialty Chemicals and engages Denneen to develop a growth strategy. The project would launch the development of our Enterprise Growth Strategy offering.

2000
2000

Jane Alpers joins, spending 23 years at Denneen & Company until her retirement, working across industries while also leading the growth of our healthcare focus area.

2004
2004

Denneen & Company headquarters relocates to 222 Berkeley Street in Boston’s Back Bay, which would become company headquarters for 19 years

2004
2004

Denneen adds its first Biotech client, Millenium Pharmaceuticals, now a part of Takeda Oncology

2005
2005

Denneen expands into Healthcare provider systems with Partners Healthcare, now Mass General Brigham

Private Equity and International Team

2010
2010

KPS Capital Partners becomes Denneen & Company’s first private equity client, a partnership that helped launch our M&A Advisory business

2011
2011

Pfizer becomes Denneen’s first major Pharmaceutical client

2012
2012

Denneen & Company reaches a key milestone, adding Merck consumer healthcare as its 100th client

2014
2014

Phil Ryan joins. Phil has spearheaded the growth and development of Denneen’s M&A advisory and enterprise growth strategy capabilities.

2015
2015

To better support its clients in Energy, Denneen & Company opens a location in Houston, TX. Niti Patel joins the Houston office.

2015
2015

Denneen partners with Gael Guillou and Igneos, a boutique consultancy in Brussels, to further build its network and better support European-based clients.

2016
2016

Denneen & Company’s M&A advisory offering begins to expand, forming numerous key client relationships and extending capabilities to include due diligence, portfolio company growth strategy, and exit planning.

2019
2019

Kim Vaughan and Summit are engaged in a long-term partnership to work on culture, talent management, and succession planning at Denneen.

2022
2022

Denneen & Company’s Boston headquarters is relocated to 34 Farnsworth Street in Boston’s seaport district.

2022
2022

To support growth in Asian markets and better serve its international clients, Denneen & Company opens a new location at Keppel Bay Tower in Singapore’s HarbourFront, headed by Michael Lim.

30 Insights Gained Over 30 Years

Insights_5a

Client Stories

Denneen Reflections

Hear from our people about their Denneen experience, what they value in a company culture, and how to develop and grow as a consultant

Meet Our Leaders

How Our Clients Inspire Us

Working at Denneen & Company

Denneen Perspectives on Strategy

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From our offices in Boston, Houston and Singapore, Denneen & Company partners with leading companies globally in a range of industries, providing purpose-built strategies and clear roadmaps to growth

Denneen & Company™
Out Think. Out Perform.®

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  • 1 HarbourFront Avenue, Lvl 13 Keppel Bay Tower, Singapore 098632
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Automotive

  • Ancillaries
  • Auto retailers
  • Automotive distribution
  • Commercial vehicles
  • Component manufacturer
  • EV fluids
  • Motorcoach and buses
  • OEMs

Consumer

  • Appliances
  • Food & beverage
  • Health & beauty
  • Hotels & hospitality
  • Home care & furnishings
  • Insurance
  • Lawn & Garden
  • Luxury goods
  • Office supplies
  • Pet products
  • Sport equipment
  • Tableware

Energy / Chemicals

  • Batteries & electronic power
  • Fuels
  • Lubricants
  • Oil field equipment
  • Specialty chemicals

Healthcare

  • Provider systems
  • Payer networks
  • Life sciences and Biotech
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Medical devices
  • Pharmacy distribution
  • Education and non-profit
  • Consumer health

Manufacturing

  • Building products
  • Glass bottles
  • Industrial thread
  • Industrial piping
  • Packaging
  • Machinery
  • Metals (including precision metal parts)
  • Plastics and composites
  • Pulp & paper
  • Timber
  • Sensors

Private Equity

  • Deal and targeting guidance
  • Commercial due diligence
  • Growth strategy development
  • Exit planning
Insights_1a
Successful growth strategies are grounded in developing a deep understanding of the market, consumer, customer, competitor, and internal business performance that drives strategic decision-making
Successful growth strategies are grounded in developing a deep understanding of the market, consumer, customer, competitor, and internal business performance that drives strategic decision-making
It's important for business leaders to explore and assess a wide variety of organic and inorganic opportunities. Too narrow an approach, and exploration in areas that are closer in and better understood can limit growth potential.
It's important for business leaders to explore and assess a wide variety of organic and inorganic opportunities. Too narrow an approach, and exploration in areas that are closer in and better understood can limit growth potential.
Using benchmarks, tracking competitors, and using best-in-class examples can help guide strategy development, but the best strategies are the ones that best fit with a client’s aspirations, capabilities, and understanding of the internal and external landscape
Using benchmarks, tracking competitors, and using best-in-class examples can help guide strategy development, but the best strategies are the ones that best fit with a client’s aspirations, capabilities, and understanding of the internal and external landscape
While tools, processes, and means of communication may continue to evolve, foundational concepts of strategy endure. Don’t allow buzzwords, shiny objects, and the “latest trends” to distract you; leverage them with core strategy fundamentals in mind
While tools, processes, and means of communication may continue to evolve, foundational concepts of strategy endure. Don’t allow buzzwords, shiny objects, and the “latest trends” to distract you; leverage them with core strategy fundamentals in mind
Strategies should have achievable and clearly quantified objectives, guide the organization as to where and where not to focus, and be periodically assessed via reviews of established and aligned KPIs
Strategies should have achievable and clearly quantified objectives, guide the organization as to where and where not to focus, and be periodically assessed via reviews of established and aligned KPIs
Insights_2a
Consultants need to have courage of conviction, an informed point of view, and the ability to positively and tactfully influence leaders and teams through trusted, candid, and value-added interactions
Consultants need to have courage of conviction, an informed point of view, and the ability to positively and tactfully influence leaders and teams through trusted, candid, and value-added interactions
At the end of the day, it’s the client’s strategy, not ours - It is imperative that client leaders are at the center of strategy development, have conviction to lead execution in the market, and can drive accountability across the organization
At the end of the day, it’s the client’s strategy, not ours - It is imperative that client leaders are at the center of strategy development, have conviction to lead execution in the market, and can drive accountability across the organization
We believe that the key to successful strategy is helping each company find its unique path to growth, and that requires adapting processes, tools, research and analysis to recognize varying states of readiness, different ambitions, and choices around where to focus
We believe that the key to successful strategy is helping each company find its unique path to growth, and that requires adapting processes, tools, research and analysis to recognize varying states of readiness, different ambitions, and choices around where to focus
Clients generally have deep industry expertise that is best complimented by consultants with broad B2B sector and B2C category experience, which can inform new ways of thinking and winning relative to industry competitors
Clients generally have deep industry expertise that is best complimented by consultants with broad B2B sector and B2C category experience, which can inform new ways of thinking and winning relative to industry competitors
One of the greatest intangible benefit that consultants can deliver is to make the organization stronger through skill and knowledge transfer, while helping to identify and develop next-level leaders in the company through active collaboration
One of the greatest intangible benefit that consultants can deliver is to make the organization stronger through skill and knowledge transfer, while helping to identify and develop next-level leaders in the company through active collaboration
Insights_3a
Data analysis can be extremely helpful at informing decisions, but data itself does not make decisions. Decision-makers need to use the right data and the right analyses and their own judgement to make strategic decisions.
Data analysis can be extremely helpful at informing decisions, but data itself does not make decisions. Decision-makers need to use the right data and the right analyses and their own judgement to make strategic decisions.
Many companies with whom we’ve worked take comfort in having a great amount of internal and external data. However, leaders need to drive their organizations beyond the data to uncover unique and proprietary insights that enable strategic decisions.
Many companies with whom we’ve worked take comfort in having a great amount of internal and external data. However, leaders need to drive their organizations beyond the data to uncover unique and proprietary insights that enable strategic decisions.
Companies often place too much focus on using data to understand the past and why it happened, when they should be spending more time on identifying the critical insights that inform what to do next.
Companies often place too much focus on using data to understand the past and why it happened, when they should be spending more time on identifying the critical insights that inform what to do next.
Benchmarks are starting points but should not be used as a way to make or justify decisions. Every company and industry is unique, and companies should “do the work” to find what works best for them and not solely rely on benchmarks.
Benchmarks are starting points but should not be used as a way to make or justify decisions. Every company and industry is unique, and companies should “do the work” to find what works best for them and not solely rely on benchmarks.
In our experience, determining “what has to be true” can uncover key gaps and issues with plans and forecasts. To achieve growth targets, determine the market, customer, competitive, and internal dynamics that must be true to achieve the objectives.
In our experience, determining “what has to be true” can uncover key gaps and issues with plans and forecasts. To achieve growth targets, determine the market, customer, competitive, and internal dynamics that must be true to achieve the objectives.
Insights_4a
Whenever reacting to or evaluating external content or communications, it’s important to do so from the perspective of the target consumer or customers. In almost all cases, we, both ourselves and our clients, are not the consumer.
Whenever reacting to or evaluating external content or communications, it’s important to do so from the perspective of the target consumer or customers. In almost all cases, we, both ourselves and our clients, are not the consumer.
While consumers and customers claim to behave in certain ways, they often do something different. Listen to what they have to say, but more importantly, watch and observe what they actually do in order to better meet their needs.
While consumers and customers claim to behave in certain ways, they often do something different. Listen to what they have to say, but more importantly, watch and observe what they actually do in order to better meet their needs.
Products, offers, and brands can’t be all things to all consumers or customers. Understanding and targeting unique consumer and customer segments vs. trying to satisfy everyone creates differentiation and is foundational element of a successful growth strategy.
Products, offers, and brands can’t be all things to all consumers or customers. Understanding and targeting unique consumer and customer segments vs. trying to satisfy everyone creates differentiation and is foundational element of a successful growth strategy.
A business can 1) Get more consumers, 2) Get consumers to trade-up to more valuable products/offers, 3) Get more consumer loyalty and share of wallet, and 4) Get consumers to increase consumption. Understanding the value and opportunity of each drives strategic choices.
A business can 1) Get more consumers, 2) Get consumers to trade-up to more valuable products/offers, 3) Get more consumer loyalty and share of wallet, and 4) Get consumers to increase consumption. Understanding the value and opportunity of each drives strategic choices.
Part of growth strategy development is knowing your consumers and customers, including habits, practices, needs, and unmet needs, better than your competition, and acting on those insights to design winning products, services, and offers.
Part of growth strategy development is knowing your consumers and customers, including habits, practices, needs, and unmet needs, better than your competition, and acting on those insights to design winning products, services, and offers.
Insights_6a
Identifying where consumers/customers are getting held up along the purchase journey (awareness, consideration, purchase, loyalty) and the key barriers preventing them from moving forward forms the basis for the marketing strategy
Identifying where consumers/customers are getting held up along the purchase journey (awareness, consideration, purchase, loyalty) and the key barriers preventing them from moving forward forms the basis for the marketing strategy
Marketers should have a clear understanding of the business impact that the marketing activities drive such that increases to the marketing budget means an increase to the forecast, while cuts result in business forecast declines
Marketers should have a clear understanding of the business impact that the marketing activities drive such that increases to the marketing budget means an increase to the forecast, while cuts result in business forecast declines
While marketers and brand managers want to deliver the desired brand experience to consumers/customers, they must be conscious of what they can control, as well as what they can’t, as any interaction or encounter with a brand makes up the brand experience
While marketers and brand managers want to deliver the desired brand experience to consumers/customers, they must be conscious of what they can control, as well as what they can’t, as any interaction or encounter with a brand makes up the brand experience
It doesn’t matter how much time is spent on marketing strategies, plans, and tactics if they aren’t executed with excellence, because that is all consumers ever see
It doesn’t matter how much time is spent on marketing strategies, plans, and tactics if they aren’t executed with excellence, because that is all consumers ever see
Brands are quantifiable assets, the value of which is built over time; neglecting and/or under-investing in brands will likely result in a devaluation of the brand, while consistent investment and brand-building efforts will increase brand value and resiliency
Brands are quantifiable assets, the value of which is built over time; neglecting and/or under-investing in brands will likely result in a devaluation of the brand, while consistent investment and brand-building efforts will increase brand value and resiliency
Insights_5a
To maximize exit value at sale, exit planning should include a refresh of the company strategy and deliver a credible 5-year growth plan grounded in a deep and current understanding of the market, competitive, and customer landscape.
To maximize exit value at sale, exit planning should include a refresh of the company strategy and deliver a credible 5-year growth plan grounded in a deep and current understanding of the market, competitive, and customer landscape.
A clear company strategy that is aligned with the original investment thesis should drive development of an M+A roadmap that provides clear prioritization of where to focus and growing inorganically.
A clear company strategy that is aligned with the original investment thesis should drive development of an M+A roadmap that provides clear prioritization of where to focus and growing inorganically.
While financial returns are paramount for Private Equity investors, PE firms have demonstrated a track record of success in transforming companies and industries that benefit all stakeholders.
While financial returns are paramount for Private Equity investors, PE firms have demonstrated a track record of success in transforming companies and industries that benefit all stakeholders.
Assessing and quantifying long-term commercial growth potential can materially enhance the value of the deal thesis.
Assessing and quantifying long-term commercial growth potential can materially enhance the value of the deal thesis.
While diligence includes a robust understanding of the market and industry, competition, internal business performance, and operations, customer insights greatly augment those perspectives and are essential in assessing future growth potential.
While diligence includes a robust understanding of the market and industry, competition, internal business performance, and operations, customer insights greatly augment those perspectives and are essential in assessing future growth potential.

Lendy Beatty

Co-Founder & Chief Innovation Officer
  • Logical Brands
  • Nashville, Tennessee
  • Consumer Packaged Goods

Lendy Beatty is the Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of Logical Brands, a Nashville-based pet company with a portfolio of premium brands and products. Logical Brands was formed in 2017, after Beatty decided to leverage her deep expertise in private brand product design, retail and supply chain to launch Playology, a line of innovative, premium dog toys that rapidly grew to #2 in value share in 5 short years.

We worked with Lendy and her co-founder and husband, Adam Beatty, on the launch of their brand portfolio, helping uncover key consumer insights, developing brand and marketing communication and advising on go-to-market strategy. Our work started with Playology, a super-premium line of scent-based toys designed for longer pet engagement; Hound 2O, a premium line of durable toys: Greeeen, a selection of sustainably manufactured toys; and Moose and Pig, a greeting card collection channeling the voice of pets.

Lendy has combined her passion and deep understanding of dogs and how they play, with consumer and shopper insights to drive the design of the brand portfolio. Playology is rooted in the understanding that scent strongly engages pets, and the products are designed with a proprietary scent release system that drives captivating play experiences. Over time, the line has expanded to cover the entire life stages of dogs: Playology Puppy, which helps puppies’ sensory development from 4 weeks to 4 months, and Playology Senior, to meet the needs of aging dogs, with a softer bite to keep them engaged well into their senior years.

Theme: Innovation grounded in deep consumer insight – shopper and end user – is the greatest source of brand and product differentiation. Logical Brands has disrupted a staid pet category and delivered meaningful innovation that improves the well-being of pets.

Charles Reppucci

Chief Operating Officer

  • Hinckley Allen
  • Boston, Massachusetts
  • Professional Services

Charlie Reppucci served as Chief Operating Officer of Hinckley Allen, a Boston-based law firm with a diverse practice focused on the Northeast. In this role, Charlie led a team of functional leaders that enabled the work of the firm’s Managing Partner, Executive Committee and Practice Leaders, where he brought new approaches to professional services that helped improve the firm’s competitive position. As COO, Charlie took a hands-on approach to driving change and transformation, making significant investments in marketing, business development, IT and talent management that were foundational to the firm’s success.

We worked with Hinckley Allen from 2003-2018, when Charlie retired after more than 20 years as COO. Hinckley Allen was our first and only client in professional services, but Charlie leveraged the full range of our capabilities as he helped drive impressive organic and inorganic growth over the period. Hinckley Allen pioneered brand and marketing fundamentals, from customer segmentation and targeting, brand positioning, go-to-market strategy and sustained multi-channel marketing investment to help build reputation and market recognition as a regional firm. Over our 15 years collaborating, Charlie tapped into our data analytics capabilities to understand business performance, identify drivers of client satisfaction and retention, assess industries and geographic markets, and inform ‘where to play and how to win choices’, including evaluating M+A opportunities. During this time, the firm joined the AmLaw 200, and is broadly recognized for its strong financial performance, and as an exceptional workplace.

Theme: Strategy, brand and marketing fundamentals can be applied across industries, and can help exceptional leaders create meaningful competitive advantage that accelerates growth

Stephanie Hogarth

VP, Chief Marketing Officer

  • Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP)
  • Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Healthcare

Stephanie Hogarth serves as VP, Chief Marketing Officer of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the world’s first pediatric hospital and one of the largest pediatric healthcare systems in the country. For more than 15 years, Stephanie has helped to build the institution’s brand, reputation and market position inclusive of its distinguished research enterprise, academic medical center hospitals, regional network, global medicine program and Foundation, which serves as the conduit to support CHOP’s philanthropic mission. 

We worked with Stephanie and the leadership team at CHOP from 2008-2010, when the organization began an ambitious growth strategy to expand the enterprise regionally, nationally, and internationally, and to grow its donor base to diversify revenue and invest in the institution’s mission. Our work spanned brand development, growth strategy, marketing strategy and planning as well as organizational design, leveraging industry best practice and the deep experience within Stephanie’s team at CHOP to optimize Marketing’s contributions to enterprise growth. Over the last decade, the institution has continued on an aggressive growth trajectory, expanding the reach and impact of its breakthrough research, deep and differentiated subspecialty expertise and world-renowned faculty to further pediatric medicine in the community and around the globe.   

In the time since we first worked together, Stephanie has continued to evolve the Marketing  organization to contribute both upstream to enterprise strategy and downstream to integrated full-funnel marketing and communications strategy and execution—an approach that has successfully extended the reach of the CHOP brand.  In 2012, we nominated Stephanie for, and she received, the Non-Profit Marketer of the Year, awarded by the American Marketing Association in recognition of best-in-class capabilities and performance among healthcare and other not-for-profit organizations. 

Theme:  Brand building and strategic marketing are key growth levers to expand reach into new markets and with new audiences, helping to build reputation and drive enterprise growth. 

*Mark Denneen was elected to the CHOP Board of Trustees in 2010, serving until 2021, when he was elected Emeritus Trustee, recognizing 11 years of distinguished service in Board leadership and governance roles. 

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