CFO Intelligence Magazine – Winter 2023
Brian Hart
Berjé President
Financial savvy is a key part of any business successful executive’s toolbox, but moving up the ranks requires more than just budgetary skills, and Brian Hart has certainly shown that. He joined Berjé — a leading, third-generation flavor and fragrance company based in Carteret, N.J. — as CFO in 2012 and was appointed as President in November 2021. The tale of his journey, which includes experience at a Big Four CPA firm and working with private equity-backed and family-owned companies, highlights the special dynamics at work in different categories of businesses.
“I started out with PwC in the Audit and Corporate Tax practices, where I worked with companies in the retail, manufacturing, and gaming sectors,” he says. “It was an excellent training ground where I gained exposure to different company cultures and business practices.”
Hart joined Mars Inc. in 1993. This marked the beginning of a 15-year run at the global CPG manufacturer of snack food, pet care, rice, and other food products. That stint included assignments as Supply Finance leader for the U.S. and Finance Director for the U.S. Chocolate business, eventually culminating with an appointment to Financial Planning and Accounting Director. In that role, Hart led the planning and controllership area for Mars Snackfood U.S., and provided accounting, controls, reporting, and plan[1]ning for the company, as well as commodity and currency reporting.
Leveraging the financial, strategic and communication skills he honed at Mars, Hart joined the international sporting goods company Sportcraft Ltd in February 2008 as Senior Vice President of Finance. He soon rose to become CFO of the PE-backed company
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“There are some similarities between a private equity portfolio company and a family-owned one,” he notes. “In both, you have a personal connection between the owners of the company and the operations of the business. Of course in any enterprise you’re seeking to maximize revenue and earnings, but in portfolio and family-owned companies, you’re also keenly aware of what the owners want, and you have to align the company with that. In both cases, you establish a strong degree of personal trust.”