Bill Cross

Current

Vice President of Restaurant & Food Brand Licensing at Broad Street Licensing Group

Past

Director of Marketing at Broad Street Licensing Group
Asia Correspondent at International Business Magazine

Education

Yale University
University of California, Santa Barbara

Recommended

4 people have recommended Bill

Connections

247 connections

Industry

Marketing and Advertising

Websites

Bill Cross’s Summary

I am a specialist in the area of food marketing with an emphasis on brand extensions through licensing. Additionally my company provides food marketplace information to clients and subscribers through a weekly digest. Our goal is to serve the needs of clients in the restaurant, CPG, foodservice and not-for-profit brands by helping them leverage those brands through licensing.

Additionally we seek out brands and properties for companies looking to secure the rights to leverage their products through "licensing in." We also have experience in the area of technology licensing as it applies to food products and processes, especially in the environment of building brands through the marriage of the right product with the right brand name.

We also offer consulting to the private equity, hedge fund and other segments of the investment sector, along with expert witnessing on matters relating to licensing.

Bill Cross’s Specialties:

Food marketing, foodservice products, international, retailing, QSRs, casual dining, quick-casual, CPG (consumer package goods).

Bill Cross’s Experience

Vice President of Restaurant & Food Brand Licensing

Broad Street Licensing Group

(Privately Held; Marketing and Advertising industry)

2004 — Present (5 years )

I am in charge of all aspects of food brand extension licensing at my company with special focus on leveraging restaurant chains to retail (grocery, c-stores, club stores, vending). As part of my tasks, I monitor the retail food industry and the foodservice business (restaurants, hard goods, B2B) and publish a weekly subscription news overview (free to our clients). Recently one of my deals (Burger King-branded snack chips) was named "Best Brand Extension 2008," and the Apple Fries license will be in 10,000 supermarkets this Fall.
Director of Marketing

Broad Street Licensing Group

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

1995 — 2005 (10 years )

In charge of marketing & sales for all licensed properties but with a focus on foods and food brands.
Asia Correspondent

International Business Magazine

(Marketing and Advertising industry)

1985 — 1995 (10 years )

I covered the Asian market with an emphasis on China: success stories, Joint Ventures, navigating the complicated commercial landscape where signing the contract is the first step in the negotiation process.

Bill Cross’s Education

Yale University

MPhil , Comparative Literature , 1972 — 1975

Fun but a total waste of time career-wise.
University of California, Santa Barbara

BA , German , 1968 — 1972

The Campus By the Sea, a blast (literally when radicals blew up a bomb at the Bank of America branch off-campus).

Activities and Societies:

Phi Beta Kappa, Summa cum Laude.

Additional Information

Bill Cross’s Websites:

Bill Cross’s Interests:

History (the Civil War), literature, movies.

Bill Cross’s Groups:

LIMA (licensing industry trade association)

CPG Branding and Marketing Forum
China Business
Private Equity and Venture Capital Group
BUSINESS IN CHINA
China Networking Group
Speakers and Panelists
China Trade Group
Private Equity Investment Group
Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. and Canada), Inc. (LES US/C)
Private Equity Networking
The In-Store Marketing Institute
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Network
Licensing Executives Society International
Licensing, Merchandising & Brand Management
International Licensing Industry Merchandisers' Association (LIMA)
Brand Licensing Contacts
Restaurant Network
Food Service Professionals Network
Food Industry Marketing & Communication Professionals
Intellectual Property Professionals
National Restaurant Association Professionals
RETAIL & WHOLESALE FOOD NETWORK
Restaurant Chain Executives
Brand Innovators, Branding Leadership & Creating Innovation Network
Chinese-Speaking & China-Experienced Business Executives
Restaurant & Hospitality Experts
All Food, Beverage, Hospitality, Hotels, Restaurants, Culinary, Catering, Coffee, QSR Professionals
Intellectual Property Licensing
High Powered Food & Beverage Forum - Foodservice & Retail Executive Networking - Job Opportunities
Food and Beverage Sales and Marketing Global Network
GLOBAL LICENSING OPPORTUNITIES
A Management Consultant @ Large
Food ingredients Europe
PROGRESSIVE GROCER
Marketing Search
Friends of Chain Leader
Corporate Planning & Global Industry Segmentation
Food Jobs UK
Foodservice Restaurant Networking
Food Licensing
Innovative China 创新中国
Local Marketing Group (LSM Strategies, Tactics, Research Exchange)