Tom Phenix

Hi, my name is Tom!

As a Director of Operations with over 20 years of experience across a variety of sectors, I am passionate about driving operational excellence and capitalizing on opportunities to implement new operational methods, evaluate processes, manage inventory, and achieve profitable results.

My most recent role as Director of Operations at Walnut LLC for the Wonderbrett brand has been a major highlight of my career. In this role, I directed crop forecasting, scheduling, packaging, fulfilment, and production. I also developed and implemented strategies to ensure compliance with various legal aspects of the cannabis industry taxes and regulations.

Through my leadership, I coached, mentored, and developed employees, resulting in peak levels of employee satisfaction, and a record low employee turnover rate.

Having a passion for cultivating success in any team, combined with my diverse skill set, makes me confident in my ability to contribute to any organization. I am a strategic problem solver with a proven track record of optimizing cultivation processes and increasing yields. My proficiency in developing standard operating procedures, quality control measures, and compliance programs has allowed me to successfully manage and optimize daily operations for cultivation and distribution-related departments.

I am excited about the future of the industry and the opportunities it presents. My experience and passion will enable me to bring value to any team and help drive success in a fast-paced and evolving market.

Walnut LLC / Wonderbrett Long Beach, CA

Director of Operations (14 Direct Reports; $30M P&L) September 2019 – April 2023

Leadership & Strategy

• Directed crop forecasting, scheduling, and production to meet financial demands, resulting in a 34% increase in production.
• Developed and implemented strategies to ensure compliance with various legal aspects of cannabis industry taxes and regulations (DCC, DPR, Metrc), resulting in a 100% success rate in passing state and city inspections.
• Built, coached, mentored and developed employees, resulting in a 45% improvement in employee satisfaction and a 9% decrease in employee turnover.
• Headed selection committee for new ERP software as well as all team training on the new platform, ensuring the software met all company needs and requirements.
• Directed the new ERP’s implementation to integrate cultivation, operations, harvest, post processing, manufacturing, inventory control, and strategic purchasing, resulting in an 8% reduction in inventory holding costs.
• Setup fulfillment and packaging departments to meet the needs of servicing over 250 direct retail clients.

• Managed and optimized daily operations for cultivation and distribution related departments, increasing productivity through the implementation of streamlined production methods and inter-departmental workflows.
• Identified and assessed opportunities and created corrective action plans to maximize cultivation operations, resulting in a 34% increase in overall productivity.
• Successfully set up and managed the packaging department to supply Wonderbrett with all packaged goods, reducing lead times by 35%.
• Spearheaded the setup of the fulfillment department to distribute Wonderbrett products to 250+ independent customers, increasing customer satisfaction.
• Coordinated schedules of daily activities for all departments and worked with logistics to allocate resources, improving on-time delivery rates.

• Analyzed inventory and sales data to identify opportunities for improvement and created corrective action plans, resulting in a 20% reduction in waste.
• Created executive reports for assessing facility performance and projections (KPI), providing stakeholders with key insights to make informed business decisions.
• Gathered customer data, synthesized feedback, and presented insights to stakeholders across all departments to ensure cultivation and production aligned with sales needs, resulting in an increase in customer satisfaction.

Store Manager (7 Direct Reports; $7M P&L) April 2015 – September 2019

• Mobilized a high caliber team to drive daily operations of a leading independent hydroponic store, achieving consistent revenue growth and profitability.
• Spearheaded all aspects of sales, operations, purchasing, bookkeeping, and employee development, resulting in a well-organized and efficient business.
• Expertly applied extensive knowledge in fertilizers, cultivation methods, pest management, quality control, and grow room design and planning, leading to improved product offerings and customer satisfaction.
• Provided exceptional customer service to hundreds of individual and B2B customer accounts, resulting in high customer retention rates and increased sales.
• Successfully managed purchasing and inventory planning, resulting in a 25% reduction in inventory holding costs and improved vendor relationships.
• Excelled in delivering results across the entire sales process, demonstrated through a 45% increase in revenue and the creation of a loyal customer base.
• Recruited, trained, mentored and managed a seven-member team, achieving minimal turnover, and improving overall team productivity.
• Traveled out-of-state to consult, train, and sell to clients, resulting in a 5% increase in sales and expanded market presence.

Cultivator August 2003 – April 2015

• Maximized yield and revenue by introducing innovative fertilization regiments and protocols.
• Successfully managed four independent locations in the Los Angeles area with optimal efficiency.
• Expert in all aspects of cannabis cultivation, including cloning, vegetative, bloom, harvest, and cure.
• Achieved outstanding results by taking charge of production from start to finish.
• Owned pest management issues, implementing maintenance & eradication practices to ensure quality yield.
• Reduced costs and minimized waste through streamlined inventory and purchasing processes.

Bachelor of Arts (BA), Political Science, German Minor - California State University, Northridge

International Exchange Student, Business Administration - Universiteit Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands