Michael Irwin
Founder · Bottle Rocket Advisors
san diego, CA
In My Own Words
Founder at Bottle Rocket Advisors - Helping companies grow sales, improve profitability, and scale up.
Work Experience
Founder
Bottle Rocket Advisors2016 – Present
As Co-founder/President of a start up company, executive officer of a $1 billion market cap company, global strategy officer, VP marketing, public company CFO, and board member I faced many unique challenges and opportunities. Along the way, I saw that companies often struggle due to issues within their strategy, culture, or execution. I started Bottle Rocket Advisors to help address those challenges. I bring an experienced outsider's perspective, an insider's operational awareness, and an owner's sense of urgency to everything I do. The Bottle Rocket mission is to help clients grow sales, improve profitability, and scale up by leveraging my 20 years of experience in consumer goods and my network.
EVP - Strategic Development
WD-40 Company2008 – 2015
I reshaped corporate and brand strategy to amplify profitable growth. The strategic shift delivered a sharper focus in sales, marketing, sourcing, and innovation. In the first five years under the new strategy, overall company sales grew at 2X the prior rate and profit grew even faster than that. I also initiated and led a global brand assessment of WD-40 leading to the launch of WD-40 Specialist, WD-40 BIKE, and WD-40 Motorbike - the first-ever extensions of the iconic WD-40 brand.
President / Co-Founder
WD-40 BIKE Company2012 – 2015
Aimed at specialty retail, I set up WD-40 BIKE as an internally-funded start-up company with a purpose-built line of products and separate support functions and and a high-touch event oriented marketing program. We reached 3,500 stores in the US and 19 countries.
EVP - Chief Financial Officer
WD-40 Company2001 – 2008
As CFO of this $1 billion public company, I transformed the global financial function, integrated acquisitions, refinanced debt, integrated a new ERP system, and built relationships with the investment community.
VP Marketing - Americas
WD-40 Company1998 – 2001
I led the team in designing and executing effective marketing programs that achieved double digit annual growth rates across North, Central and South America, and also all-time record consumption in the biggest market.
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