Andrew Ross Joins XRC Labs as Senior Advisor & Venture Partner
Ross Brings Three Decades of Experience Spanning The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., Conagra Foods and McKinsey & Company to Support XRC Labs Founders and Venture Investments
New York, NY – October 12, 2022 – Today, retail technology and consumer goods venture firm and startup accelerator, XRC Labs (XRC), welcomes Andrew Ross to the team as a Senior Advisor & Venture Partner. Ross is a brand-builder and global business strategist with more than three decades of experience driving profitable and sustainable growth in mature and developing markets.
Prior to joining XRC, Ross served for the last six years as Executive Vice President of Strategy, New Business Development & Integration for The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC). During his tenure, he drove multiple growth engines across brands, categories, geographies and channels through a progressive corporate strategy, disciplined business execution and targeted transformation initiatives. Specifically during his tenure, global digital channels accelerated to become the company’s largest distribution channel. He also created and executed an end-to-end M&A strategy which spanned venture investments to large acquisitions and strengthened ELC’s brand portfolio to deliver world-class returns.
Previously, Ross was the Executive Vice President & Chief Strategy Officer for Conagra Foods, where he repositioned the company for stronger sustainable growth through strategic acquisitions, dispositions and alliances. He also counseled numerous CEOs, boards and executive leadership teams in global retail and consumer goods at McKinsey & Company. He earned his Master of Management degree from Northwestern University and his Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Edinburgh.
In his XRC Labs role, Ross will bring portfolio founders insights and guardrails from sectors in which he spent the last 30 years operating and acquiring companies as a strategic player. He will also screen potential XRC venture investments and assist in governance.
“Heading into this next stage of my career, I wanted to find a place where I could continue to learn new things and add value through my strategy, M&A and execution experiences in corporate leadership roles,” says Ross. “Advising founders and acting as a Venture Partner is an ideal vehicle to accomplish these goals. XRC has a dynamic, externally-focused culture where new ideas are welcomed, and an experienced and collaborative team that works hard to see founders and investments be successful.”
“XRC has been connected to Andrew for many years, as ELC is a long-time corporate partner. We’re thrilled to welcome him to our team, and he is already identifying industry trends and opportunities to strengthen our Accelerator and venture funds, creating multiple engines of diversified growth,” says XRC Labs Founder & Managing Director, Pano Anthos. “We also appreciate that he’s a mentor and champion for others who are growing into positions of leadership and an advocate for cultural understanding, diversity and inclusion.”
Connect with Ross on LinkedIn, and learn more about XRC Labs at www.xrclabs.com.
About XRC Labs
XRC Labs (XRC) is a NYC-based venture capital firm and startup accelerator focused on retail technology, consumer goods and the consumerization of healthcare. The company launched in 2015 and has since invested in more than 130 startups. Notably, XRC was an early investor in razor and personal care DTC brand Billie; award-winning, all-in-one enterprise gifting platform Snappy; livestream shopping platform ShopShops; and others. XRC has built a world-class ecosystem with corporate sponsors including The Estée Lauder Companies, the TJX Companies, Inc., Mastercard, GS1 US and its 330+ business mentors. For more information on XRC Labs and its startup portfolio companies, please visit xrclabs.com. To follow, visit @XRCLabs on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Amanda Bell
XRC Labs Director of Public Relations
Email: amanda@xrclabs.com