Kent Thompson, MBA, CPA,

Experience

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  Blue Mussel Cafe / Doyles Cove Inc.

  Jun 2003 - Dec 2013

  Operator/Controller

  Assisted in planning and implementation of updates and renovations at Blue Mussel CafeResponsible for bill payments, payroll and other required remittances for restaurant, gift shop and distribution companyResponsible for day-to-day operations of a successful restaurant (2003 ­ 2007)Assist owner with any technical issues in businesses or in bookkeeping software

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  Custom House, A Western Union Company

  Jan 2005 - Jan 2006

  Pricing Analyst

  Negotiated rates with new customers seeking online currency exchange solutionsAnalyzed current customer rates and adjusted as necessaryProvided customer assistance for clients while processing transactions

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  PEI Department of Agriculture

  Nov 2007 - Jul 2012

  Product Development Officer

  Led projects including developing a brand for premium beef product sold in Ontario market, PEI Burger Love promotion, and developing new funding programs under Federal-Provincial Growing Forward FrameworkAssisted farmers in developing new products and selling products direct to consumers, developing systems for calculating costs and tracking salesActed as liaison between applicants and decision-making committee for multiple funding programsStarted as Intern and did term as FPT Policy Coordinator during this term Show less

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  PEI 2014 Inc.

  Aug 2012 - May 2015

  Member of management team that developed and implemented plans for celebrations of the 150th Anniversary of the 1864 Charlottetown ConferenceResponsible for all internal operations of the PEI 2014 Celebrations including contract development and management, approval process for procurement, and overall logistics of all activities throughout the 2014 calendar year Led development, implementation and administration of $5 Million PEI 2014 Fund Applied for and managed funding from Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments and corporate sponsorsDeveloped and managed cash flow forecasts and worked with auditors completing Audited Financial Statements

  • Chief Operating Officer

    Nov 2013 - May 2015

  • Director of Finance

    Aug 2012 - Nov 2013
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  Lucky Fox Snack Co.

  Feb 2015 - Sept 2016

  General Manager/Consultant

  Lead the launch of PEI's only handcrafted potato chip and gourmet popcorn company including:- Developed sales leads, met with potential retailers and restaurants and sold product in over 45 stores during Summer season- Oversaw Production Manager and Research Chef to hire staff, develop processes and food safety plan- Oversaw Retail Manager and Distribution Coordinator to manage inventory levels, retail tracking systems and social media marketing- Work with ownership team to solve issues as they arise and act as representative when they were not present Show less

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  Business/Accounting Advisor

  May 2015 - May 2017

  Advisor/ Project Management

  - Work with owners to work through Business Model Canvases and write business plans for startups and expansions. - Assist business owners to select an accounting program that works for them and set up the system to ensure it works now and can grow with the business. - Prepare and review financial projections including cash flow, income statement and balance sheet. Work with owners to prepare them for meeting with funders - banks, governments, or other sources of funding. - Assist owners to create processes for their business to allow them to step back from operations and hire staff to complete day-to-day tasks. - Project Management - providing a turn-key solution for short- or long-term projects where organizations need a project completed without adding staffing overhead Show less

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  Food Island Partnership

  May 2016 - Oct 2021

  Director of Finance and Food Tourism

  - Coaching PEI food companies to develop new food products, expand their markets and develop ways to improve profitability- Led the development and delivery of the Canada's Food Island Gift Card Program; a province-wide response to covid-19 that allows consumers to purchase prepaid branded credit cards for use at over 350 merchants. In 1 year, there were over $5 Million worth of cards sold- Member of Board of Directors for C3I (Canadian Centre of Cannabis Innovation), including role of Director of Operations for cannabis licensed analytical lab, creating Cannabis Product Development Bootcamp (scheduled for November/December 2019), and assisting entrepreneurs in developing products in this sector. - Developed, delivered and acted as company resource for Atlantic Canada's only food startup program (Food Xcel) and food accelerator program (Food Propel)- Overseeing the award-winning Fall Flavours culinary festival to ensure continued growth and sustainability of the festival; including a major pivot in 2020 that included meal kits in Toronto, virtual festival series, and assisting companies reopen for the summer. - Overseeing finances and strategic direction of Food Island Partnership; including leading the development of the strategic plan, managing project budgets that have grown by over 300% over three years, and navigating the organization through covid-19 Show less

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  Upstreet Craft Brewing and Libra Bev Co.

  Nov 2021 - Dec 2023

  Chief Operating Officer

  Lead the operations of Upstreet Craft Brewery and spin out of Libra Beverage Corp. Oversaw staff of 40 with five direct reports.While in this role, I restructured the senior management team, implemented EOS to navigate growth and an uncertain time in the industry and worked with co-packers to grow the non-alcoholic production in Ontario

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  Alive Consulting

  Mar 2024 - now

  Owner

  - Providing fractional CFO services to the Canadian Alliance for Skills & Training in Life Sciences (CASTL)- Helping entrepreneurs and business owners create and implement plans for long-term business success. Including costing/pricing, identifying ways to set aside profit for reinvestment or owner withdrawals, systems to implement strategic plans and coaching to help the business grow