The CPG View

You’ve had a dynamic career leading various aspects of digital commerce and retail media. Can you tell us a bit about your career journey? What experiences have been most pivotal in shaping your leadership style and approach to commerce excellence?

As the leader responsible for driving the vision of commerce capability at Omnicom, how do you stay ahead of evolving retail and eCommerce trends? 

What do you believe are the key components of building high-performing, agile teams in today’s rapidly changing digital commerce environment?

As someone who’s had a successful and evolving career, how do you approach lifelong learning? What strategies do you use to continuously grow your knowledge and skills in such a fast-paced industry?

What are you most excited about when you think about the future of CPG? Are there any emerging trends or innovations that particularly inspire you?

You've had a successful track record of reigniting growth in storied brands through strategic brand direction and ecommerce channel development. How do you approach integrating omnichannel strategies to ensure consistent brand growth across both digital and physical touchpoints?

As consumer expectations continue to evolve, particularly in the sporting goods industry, how do you ensure that Rawlings Sporting Goods stays ahead of trends in both digital marketing and ecommerce to meet these changing demands?

With your diverse background in classical CPG functions, including Brand Marketing and Ecommerce, how do you strike the right balance between maintaining brand integrity and driving sales across multiple channels?

How do you leverage data from various channels to inform your marketing strategies and optimize the customer journey from awareness to purchase?

What are you most excited about in the future of omnichannel marketing? 

How have digital strategies and technologies transformed the way companies operate and engage with consumers? Can you highlight some key trends or shifts you've observed?

In your role, you handle consumer data from acquisition to monetization. What are some best practices for effectively collecting and utilizing consumer data? How do companies balance the need for data-driven insights with the importance of maintaining consumer trust? 

You've successfully launched a breakthrough rewards program at Grupo Bimbo. What elements are crucial for designing a rewards program that truly engages customers and drives loyalty? How can companies continuously innovate to keep these programs fresh and appealing?

Doubling an eCommerce business in three years is impressive. What strategies or innovations do you believe are most effective for driving eCommerce growth in the CPG sector? What challenges commonly arise, and how can they be overcome?

With your experience in creating omnichannel eCommerce roadmaps, what are the essential components for delivering a seamless omnichannel experience to consumers? Looking ahead, what emerging technologies or trends do you foresee having the most significant impact on the future of retail and consumer engagement?

With over twenty years of experience across various leadership roles, what have been the key lessons you've learned as an entrepreneur, and how have they shaped your approach to leading Bazaarvoice? 

You’ve discussed the evolution of shopping experiences in an omnichannel world. How is Bazaarvoice adapting to these changes, and what role does user-generated content play in this evolution?

As Bazaarvoice has adapted how has your engagement model changed with customers to drive their success?

 Bazaarvoice emphasizes values like customer success, authenticity and transparency. Can you share how these values influence your approach to ldecision-making within the company?

What is your long-term vision for Bazaarvoice, and how do you plan to navigate the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in the retail e-commerce industry?

Over your 15-year career at General Mills, you've held various roles from field sales to zone operations and now as Customer Vice President of eCommerce. How have you seen the industry evolve over this time, and what has been the most significant shift in your opinion?

As the Senior Customer Manager for Target, your team was responsible for a P&L and budget. Can you share some insights on the strategies you employed to accelerate relationship and Joint Business Plan (JBP) performance, ultimately leading to improved RNS and market share results over three years?

General Mills was recognized as Target's 2020 Food & Beverage Vendor of the Year under your leadership. Can you talk about the key factors that contributed to this achievement and how you fostered a best-in-class engagement with your team, as evidenced by the 96% engagement survey score?

In your current role as Customer Vice President of eCommerce, how do you see the future of the CPG industry in the context of rapidly evolving digital channels and consumer preferences? What strategies is General Mills implementing to stay ahead of the curve in this highly competitive market?

As the digital landscape continues to transform, how has General Mills adapted its digital strategy to ensure a seamless customer experience and maintain a competitive edge? Can you share some examples of successful digital initiatives that you have spearheaded or been a part of?

With the increasing importance of data analytics in driving digital strategy, how has General Mills leveraged data to better understand customer behavior and optimize its marketing and sales efforts? Can you discuss any particular insights or trends that have emerged from your data-driven approach and how they have informed your decision-making process?

SELF-AWARENESS

Many people lack a proper understanding of what they project and how they come across.  Their behaviour and attitudes may be holding them back without them realising.  Coaches use a number of techniques to help people get a better understanding of how others see them.  It’s important because leaders are role models and set the benchmark.  So it’s crucial that they understand how they come across.

Johari model

Feedback

Active listening

Reading the room

Importance of silence

In your role at Albertsons Media Collective, how do you approach innovation in building data and marketing products for retail media? Can you share a recent project that exemplifies your innovative approach and its impact on the business?

The retail media landscape is constantly evolving. How do you stay ahead of industry trends and ensure that Albertsons Media Collective adapts effectively? Can you provide an example of a trend you capitalized on early and its outcome?

What are some of the key challenges you face in product development within the retail media sector, and how do you overcome them? Could you describe a particularly challenging product you developed and the innovative solutions you implemented?

Building effective teams is crucial for innovation. How do you foster collaboration and creativity within your team at Albertsons Media Collective? Can you share an instance where teamwork significantly contributed to the success of a project?

Reflecting on your extensive career, what has been your most rewarding professional experience, and what advice would you give to aspiring leaders in the product and innovation space?

In the CPG industry, how have you seen the approaches and strategies for engaging consumers online differ from those used in traditional retail channels, and what lessons can CPG brands learn from these differences to optimize their online presence?

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, what emerging trends or technologies do you believe will have the most significant impact on the CPG industry, and how are you preparing your teams at Mondelez International to adapt and thrive in this changing environment?

With the growing popularity of online grocery shopping and delivery services like Instacart, how do you see the relationship between CPG brands and these platforms evolving in the coming years? What opportunities are there for CPG brands to collaborate with platforms like Instacart to enhance the customer experience and drive sales?

In your role as Executive Sponsor of the US Women's Sales Leadership Network at Mondelez, what initiatives or strategies specific to the CPG industry have you found to be most effective in promoting diversity and inclusion, and in supporting the career growth of women within the organization?

The digital shelf plays a crucial role in the CPG industry's online presence. How do you ensure that Mondelez International's brands are effectively leveraging the digital shelf to engage consumers, increase conversion rates, and maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic online CPG market?

As the Global Director and Head of CPG Partnerships at Uber, could you share some insights into how you've leveraged your experience in digitalmarketing to forge successful collaborations with consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies? 

What unique challenges and opportunities arise in partnering with such brands within the context of a tech-driven platform like Uber?

Uber has become synonymous with convenience and accessibility. How do you integrate CPG partnerships into the Uber ecosystem to enhance the overall user experience while also driving value for both Uber and its partner brands?

Given your background in retail media and commerce, how do you see the landscape evolving for CPG companies in terms of marketing and distribution channels? How does Uber's platform fit into this evolution, particularly in terms of reaching consumers at various touchpoints in their daily lives?

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT

 People often think that getting on and getting to the top is all about hard skills:

Decision-Making Skills

Financial Acumen

Budgeting and Forecasting

Financial Statement Analysis

Cost Management

Investment Decisions

Market Analysis

Competitive Strategy

Innovation and Creativity

Risk Management

But the truth is that soft skills are what make the difference. It’s the soft skills that set the true visionaries apart:

Vision and Strategy

Ethical Leadership

Communication Skills

Active Listening

Public Speaking and Presentation Skills

Conflict Resolution

Negotiation Skills

Emotional Intelligence

Real leaders have empathy

Self-Awareness

Self-Regulation

Advanced social Skills

True leaders have charisma.  How can we develop it?

And remember that culture eats strategy for breakfast.