Timothy John Flannigan

2/28/52 - 3/25/05

It is with a very heavy heart that The Partnering Group (TPG) announces the passing of Tim Flannigan, this past Friday, March 25, 2005.

Tim was Managing Partner and Business Center Leader for TPG's Retail Strategy and Business Planning Practice.He was acknowledged as an industry expert in Category Management, Supplier Management, Pricing and Promotion, and Supply Chain optimization across Retail and Wholesale Distribution.Tim was well known for his expertise in retail and sales organization design and development, category business planning, value chain optimization, and decision support system design.

Beyond his outstanding client work, Tim was a principal author of the Menu Services Best Practices Report and TPG's North American Retail Landscape Report, and a contributing author to several industry best practice publications.In addition, he designed and delivered retail training programs covering category management, supplier management, collaborative negotiating and planning, and supply chain process improvement, and was a frequent speaker at industry forums and seminars.

Prior to joining TPG in 1998, Tim worked in the grocery industry for over twenty five years, working at both Lucky Stores and H.E. Butt Grocery Company.While at HEB, Tim held several management positions in Store Operations, Category Management, Marketing, and Procurement.As Director of Category Planning and Analysis, he developed HEB's Category Management Information System, and as Director of Procurement, he served on the ECR Operating Committee and the A.C. Nielsen Retailer Advisory Board.

Tim is survived by with his wife, Susan, of 28 years, his sons James and Kenneth, all of Austin, Texas, and step-daughter, Kristen Tracewell of Grass Valley, CA, his mother, Jane Flannigan of Castro Valley CA, and his four siblings and their families.

Tim will be greatly missed by his friends and partners at TPG, his clients, and the industry as a whole.His drive for perfection, his enthusiasm and positive attitude toward everything he did, and his unwavering dedication to always doing the right thing with complete honesty and integrity will long be remembered and cherished.

Donations in Tim's memory may be directed to the Sisters of the Holy Family for their charitable works.P.O. Box 3248, Freemont, CA 94539.