ERNEST F. WATTS

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Ernie is the Owner and Managing Director of The Reilly Company (Chicago), Inc., the Chicago based affiliate of The Reilly Company.

Ernie's entrepreneurial and international experience includes several staff and operating level positions in industries from packaging to sporting goods to recognition and affiliation to commercial contracting. Along the way he has been directly responsible for strategic planning, budgeting, P&L and asset management targets, investment analysis, strategic alliances, M&A, contract negotiations and the development of cohesive, high performance teams.

Ernie has worked in corporate environments ranging from Fortune 50, publicly traded global companies to small, privately owned domestic businesses. Internationally, Ernie has worked and traveled extensively in all of the major world markets with significant experience in the emerging markets of Asia, Latin America and Africa. In each case he has demonstrated a unique ability to focus on critical success factors and make the necessary connections between strategy and tactics.

A list of Ernie's key accomplishments includes:

• President of key Chicago based subsidiary of a national commercial contractor.
• Vice President - International for a NYSE listed recognition and affiliation company.
• General Manager - Latin America/Africa for a major global sporting goods brand.
• Area Manager - International for a worldwide supplier of specialty film packaging.
• Leadership of multifunctional task teams on international development projects.
• Development of comprehensive guidelines and processes for international acquisitions and the negotiation of strategic partnerships.
• Direct management of international channels of distribution including the formation of wholly-owned subsidiaries, joint-ventures, strategic alliances, licensees, independent third-party distributors and direct sales reps.

Ernie holds a business and marketing degree from Marquette University and earned his MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management. He spent four years living in Mexico City and is a fluent, non-native Spanish speaker with a working knowledge of Portuguese.

Ernie, his wife Barb and their four children live in LaGrange Park, IL. He can be reached at:

The Reilly Company (Chicago), Inc.
721 East Madison Street
Suite 201
Villa Park, IL 60181
T 630.677.5850
F 630.282.0448
ewatts@thereillycompany.com