Richard J. Sharoff
Senior Advisor – SBS Practice

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Richard is a proven entrepreneur and senior executive in the consumer products/services industries with a recent focus on multiunit retail and franchising.  He has a distinguished track record of building successful brands primarily through marketing innovation and execution.  Sharoff is known as a conceptual visionary who applies his understanding of consumer behavior to the development and execution of strategically sound and relevant business plans.  Through this process he has a legacy of successes in both Fortune 500 and entrepreneurial venues.  He has served as a senior officer (and board member) of three public companies and has extensive M&A experience including capital raises to launch several successful start-up businesses and fund various acquisitions. 

Richard is a Managing Partner of Windstar Advisors along with its affiliate Franstar.  Both companies serve the consumer products and services industries, with Franstar focusing on emerging multi unit retail companies.  Prior to this, he was the founder and CEO of an international restaurant chain, which he acquired and built to approximately 200 units. As one result of his efforts he was named a finalist in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Maryland in 2003.  He was also President and CEO of another 13 unit restaurant chain, and President and COO of a publicly traded foodservice manufacturing company where he affected a widely acclaimed turnaround.  He was Director of Corporate Planning for a Fortune 50 company where he was instrumental in several M&A transactions. 

Richard holds MBA and BS degrees from New York University.  He served on the Boards of 5 companies including one health care firm with revenues of $5 billion.  He is a past member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO) and has appeared as a guest speaker on several local radio shows.