Visionaries 2017
By definition, a “visionary” is someone who “thinks about or plans the future with imagination or wisdom.” Although the executives presented here are chock full of imagination and wisdom, the biggest challenge they often face is getting others to jump on the bandwagon and get behind a new way of thinking, a new technology solution or a revolutionary process change.
Whether new to their roles or well entrenched at their organizations, there is one recurring theme in all of their efforts: change. The rate at which technology is transforming the business, digital capabilities are changing how consumers shop, and new and better sources of data are arising, has been staggering recently. Fact of the matter is that anyone can have a vision. But it’s how the following individuals are driving change in their own unique ways that truly makes them Visionaries.
Julia Anderson
Chief Information Officer
SMITHFIELD FOODS
21 months with company and in current role
Vision in Action: Anderson has helped align Smithfield’s business and technology investments into a process with governance, communication and change leadership that has “simplified how we make decisions and deliver against program and company goals,” she says. “We have buy-in on our priorities, and when we need to address a new competing program, such as an acquisition or change of partner or service provider, we’re able to quickly assess the impact and make a recommendation … to gain alignment on the best course of action.”
On the Horizon: As Smithfield completes its IT transformation to align with key business areas and move all applications to the cloud, the company can now be more agile. With this newfound agility comes better data, insights and analytics to help drive smarter business decisions. “As we complete the rollout of our ERP, we will move to digitize our front office as well as further automate our internal processes and expand our use of information to drive efficiency and simplification,” says Anderson.
Favorite App: The camera. “What a great thing to have the ability to snap a picture and then share it immediately,” she says. “A picture is worth a million words.”
Leadership Philosophy: Anderson’s strategy is to contribute to overall business objectives and know where stakeholders and associates are on the journey toward realizing the company’s goals. “Being able to articulate and communicate the reasons for change, and to take the time to listen to all levels in the organization as well as external partners, is the critical path to growth.”
Finding Inspiration: “If we don’t change, we will be passed by. The rate at which technology is emerging and becoming affordable and available is something I stay focused on.”
Advice for the Next Gen: “Put yourself in the shoes of others. Doing this allows many things to become clear, and a little empathy can go a long way in any situation involving change.”
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Tony Anzovino
Vice President, Global Sourcing
HAGGAR CLOTHING CO.
5 years with company and in current role
Vision in Action: As VP of global sourcing for apparel maker Haggar, Anzovino is focused on “aligning the goals and strategies of our team, consolidating our vendor base and making huge improvements to our overall garment quality.”
Among his proudest accomplishments at Haggar has been continuing to increase the sourcing team’s “Apparel Intelligence Quotient.” “This allows us to make better decisions and understand the needs of both our customers and our factories,” he explains.
Elsewhere, “We’ve saved 125 million water bottles from recycling by converting them to a yarn” that is woven into the fabric used for Haggar’s Eclo Stria — which currently is the No. 1 selling dress pant in the U.S. “He has been able to build and reshape a stronger and more driven team than ever before,” noted the Haggar colleague who nominated Anzovino for recognition.
On the Horizon: Anzovino is looking toward “new product launches that capitalize on our fabric and garment construction development, as well as finding a way to use more sustainable yarns.” Both efforts will seek to deliver incremental sales and increased brand awareness.
Favorite App: “It’s probably my Formula 1 app, which allows me to follow the races in real time!”
Leadership Philosophy: “I never ask the team to do something I wouldn’t do, and I’m always pushing them to be better,” he explains. “We’ve read Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War’ together several times and have dissected each verse. It’s really interesting to hear everyone’s take on each one.”
Finding Inspiration: “There are so many quotes. Don’t get attached. Don’t screw up. Those are the ones my friends give me. The one I give the team is that there are only two things we control: our effort and our attitude.”
Advice for the Next Gen: “Understand how competitive the field is, and how quickly technology is changing things. The industry is changing daily.”
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Dennis (Denny) Belcastro
Vice President, Industry Affairs and Collaboration
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORP.
2 years with company and in current role
Vision in Action: Belcastro is no stranger to the CG industry: He has 40+ years of experience with Nabisco/Kraft Foods and Hillshire Brands/Tyson Foods, and even a couple of years with the nonprofit GMA in Washington, DC. Belcastro’s current role is a new position created to help Kimberly-Clark raise its level of collaboration with trading partners and industry associations, engaging in key issues and opportunities that ultimately will better serve the consumer.
On the Horizon: Everything that Kimberly-Clark does — from helping parents care for their families to watching out for the planet — is part of the company’s vision to provide essentials for a better life. “For our business to succeed, we must continue to care about the future of our communities and our planet on sustainability. We’re focused on build- ing a variety of new skills and capabilities within the organization,” he says.
Favorite App: Belcastro cites iTunes as his most-used app. “However, I’ve gained a high level of appreciation for Evernote, a virtual notebook.”
Leadership Philosophy: Early in his life, Belcastro was heavily influenced by the game of baseball, which promotes building individual skills but also relying on the team. “My philosophy is grounded in the fundamental themes of servant leadership and the development of people as well as the overall team,” he says.
Finding Inspiration: “A quote by legendary college basketball coach Jim Valvano states, ‘If you laugh, you think and you cry, that’s a heck of a day!’” Belcastro always looks for opportunities to apply this motto to key situations.
Advice for the Next Gen: “With the advent of technology, the next generation of industry leaders will learn and develop at a much faster pace, spending shorter periods of time in roles than my generation did.” Therefore, Belcastro recommends gaining experience in different disciplines, like finance, marketing and supply chain. “Even if it’s not a promotion, grab it. Seek out both mentors and sponsors for guidance and direction.”
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Alan Boehme
Global Chief Technology Officer, Chief Innovation Officer & Head of Enterprise Architecture
COCA-COLA CO.
6 years with company; 4 years in current role
Vision in Action: Boehme was instrumental in fast-tracking “The Bridge,” Coca-Cola’s commercialization program for start-up technology companies that provide solutions for consumer engagement, retail, supply chain, marketing innovation or health & wellness. (The program went from concept to reality in just 90 days.) Now a partnership with Turner Broadcasting System and Mercedes-Benz, The Bridge is “a win-win scenario for everyone in the ecosystem: corporations, start-ups, investors, incubators, accelerators and local communities,” Boehme says.
Since joining the company (from ING) in 2011, Boehme has also served as CIO for global customer and commercial activities and IT, and has been responsible for global enterprise architecture for both Coke and the Coca-Cola Global Bottling System. He also has been helping Coca-Cola move to the cloud globally, working to overcome the many legal, regulatory and security issues that make the technology implementation even more complex.
“He has that rare combination of business acumen, creativity, discipline and ability to complete complex initiatives. That makes him a scarce commodity in the business world today,” according to one LinkedIn colleague.
On the Horizon: Boehme will be further expanding The Bridge program to find new and more engaging ways to connect with customers and consumers, and to scale the capabilities of start-ups to Coca-Cola’s global ecosystem.
Favorite App: “I have two. Fusic.com, which is from the Bridge program, is a fun fan engagement app. The other is Accompany, which offers a new way to manage your business relationships.”
Leadership Philosophy: “I think listening is a forgotten art. But it’s something we all need to do more of to be better leaders.”
Finding Inspiration: “Innovation is an engine, a journey toward something new that can be frightening. It must be pursued and fought for,” Boehme told Forbes last winter. “The things you achieve through perseverance and by taking risks are worth all of the obstacles that you are facing.”
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Peter Martin Byck
President and Chief Executive Officer
WX BRANDS
18 years with company and in current role
Vision in Action: WX brands is a successful business today, but that didn’t happen without a few bumps along the way. The company started out as two businesses: a business-to-business exchange auctioning grapes and selling bulk wine and industry supplies online; and a wine industry information portal (as a traffic-driving strategy). When the exchange business proved unsuccessful, Byck and his team went back to the drawing board and recreated the company as a private label wine maker.
That business took off, but WX again faced adversity when top-client Albertsons deemphasized private label after being acquired. To reduce dependence on any one customer, Byck led the charge to diversify and begin sourcing beer and spirits, too. Today, the successful private label business has been merged with acquired national brands and wineries, leading to even greater growth.
On the Horizon: Selling the information services portal earlier this year “allowed us to increase our investment and focus on the growth of our private and national brands businesses.” Since the divestiture, “We have made significant investments in the national brands area” by acquiring the Bread and Butter brand and Jamieson Ranch Vineyards, Byck explains. WX has also increased its sales and marketing staff to better execute on both sides of the business.
Favorite App: Google photos “organizes all your photos in an easy-to-use fashion. It also backs up all your pictures in the cloud — and it’s free.”
Leadership Philosophy: “You need to lead by example, be honest, have integrity and communicate directly.” I have an open-door policy, which I think is effective in improving communication. I also try to surround myself with smart, savvy people who I empower to run their business areas. It’s all about the team.”
Finding Inspiration: “Live life to the fullest and make a difference,” says Byck.
Advice for the Next Gen: Byck’s advice for the next generation is to “work hard and have strong ethics. Good things will happen.”
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Darren Carlat
Senior Director, Supply Chain Planning
FRITO-LAY
30 years with company; 5 years in current role
Vision in Action: A few years ago, Frito-Lay “transitioned our demand replenishment maintenance activities from a distributed model to a centralized model,” explains Carlat, whose 30-plus years of supply chain experience have all been spent at Frito-Lay. The transition led to the implementation of standard operating procedures where a wide range of loose activities had previously existed.
“We also implemented a ‘pull’ replenishment strategy, which enabled a significant reduction in system-wide inventory while enhancing fill-rate performance. The central planners were a key enabler to the replenishment change.”
Carlat “is considered a visionary not only at Frito-Lay, but also in the entire consumer goods industry,” said his Visionary nominator. “He recognized that incorporating real-time retailer data in the company’s demand forecast would provide better insight and help Frito-Lay achieve its goal of improved on-shelf availability.” In addition, “[Carlat] and his team are considered thought leaders within Frito-Lay for making an important step toward the transformation to a digital supply chain.”
On the Horizon: Frito-Lay is currently deploying a new process that lets sourcing changes be made six to eight weeks prior to production. “This enables expected capacity shortages to be resolved prior to raw material deployment, and also allows increased leverage of our lowest-cost manufacturing and distribution facilities,” Carlat explains. “This project is a key enabler for future initiatives.”
Favorite App: “I love the ability to deposit checks without making a trip to the bank.”
Leadership Philosophy: “When it comes to managing people, I like to set up a cadence of interactions that allows me to remain informed and provide guidance, but also gives my people the space to make their own decisions.”
Finding Inspiration: “I’ve learned to place a higher value on collaboration. Early on, I was able to be successful while doing most everything on my own. As my responsibilities have increased, working with others has become dramatically more important.”
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Emily Culp
Chief Marketing Officer
KEDS
2 years with company and in current role
Vision in Action: As chief marketing officer of a retail and consumer goods brand, Culp’s attention to e-commerce and omnichannel initiatives are a major undertaking. In that regard, getting board approval to be the first brand CMO in the Wolverine Worldwide portfolio to oversee both marketing and e-commerce is Culp’s greatest accomplishment of late.
The assignment was necessary “so we could truly deliver a global omnichannel experience for our consumer,” she says. This forward-thinking focus has led Culp to earn several industry accolades, including being recognized as one of Business Insider’s “50 Most Innovative CMOs in the World,” as one of Adweek’s 50 “indispensable executives,” and as a “Rising Star” at the 2015 CMO Awards.
On the Horizon: “Ensuring that Keds and our amazing products resonate with our consumer” is ever on Culp’s radar. She also strives to foster authentic female empowerment: “We have been creating shoes for women since 1916, so we fundamentally have been empowering women to be who they want to be and go where they want to go for over 100 years,” she explains.
Among Culp’s goals is to continue to “walk the walk” internally at Keds, where four out of the top five senior positions are filled by women. “We champion female entrepreneurs with our ‘ladies for ladies’ footwear collaborations, and we focus on key events that celebrate women (like Women’s Equality Day and International Women’s Day).”
Favorite App: Culp picks Waze. “I am still learning the Boston metro area, and Waze has literally made it stress-free and entertaining,” she says.
Finding Inspiration: Culp believes in the Golden Rule. “Treat people how you would want to be treated.”
Advice for the Next Gen: “Be courageous, embrace smart risk and understand that you will need to fail — optimally, quickly and cheaply — in order to succeed and really grow,” Culp says
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David Dittmann
Director, Business Intelligence & Analytics
PROCTER & GAMBLE
20 years with company; 2 years in current role
Vision in Action: Tasked with leveraging analytics capabilities into Procter & Gamble’s marketing, product supply and customer business development operations, Dittmann goes above and beyond the call of duty by employing his passion for analytics to make unconventional connections across the business functions.
His team currently is working on restructuring and repositioning business intelligence and analytics from a back-office operation into a front-office organization by moving from ad-hoc projects to scaled, repeatable, analytical algorithms and solutions that positively impact P&G’s business on a daily basis.
On the Horizon: Dittmann and the team are also working to “digitize and operationalize analytic algorithms across our daily decision-making processes that will drive superior shareholder returns and improve the lives of P&G consumers,” he says.
Favorite App: Considering his professional background, it’s not surprising that Dittmann’s favorite app is Google’s Waze. “The ability to integrate dynamic, real-time data such as traffic or hazards into a GPS is an example of the future of analytically led decision-making.”
Leadership Philosophy: The P&G business intelligence and analytics organization is filled with world-class professionals, according to Dittmann. “My role is to make sure each person is working on the most challenging, game-changing opportunities for P&G in an environment that is highly collaborative, with access to create and use state-of-the-art tools and techniques.”
Finding Inspiration: “Henry Ford said, ‘Vision without execution is hallucination.’”
Advice for the Next Gen: Dittmann advises the next generation of business professionals to “be relentless in continuing to build your personal capability, especially technical skills. The field of analytics has transformed drastically over the last five years with big data and machine learning concepts. The future will be even more disruptive as analytical algorithms will be recognized as a fundamental building block to the success of every company.”
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John Gallucci
Director, Demand Planning
BAYER CONSUMER HEALTHCARE
7 months with company and in current role
Vision in Action: Gallucci is architecting a new vision for demand planning at Bayer, where “we are fortunate to have a management team that understands the value created by this critical function,” he says.
One key accomplishment so far has been “linking the demand plan as the baseline of our financial forecasting process. This has allowed us to accurately identify ‘where we are’ versus ‘where we want to be,’” Gallucci explains. “We are leveraging the expertise of each cross-functional partner, which leads to healthy debates and better results.”
On the Horizon: “One of the most pressing challenges in the consumer packaged goods industry is the creation of an accurate, unbiased forecast for new items. I’m currently launching a project that will redefine our approach,” he says. “This will allow the functional experts to provide inputs for each critical assumption, where they can then be refined in a team environment. We’ll also work closely with our colleagues in supply chain to ensure we’re making the best production and procurement decisions, breaking the traditional siloed approach that leads to higher costs.”
Favorite App: “I played lacrosse in school, and I currently use the Laxpower app to stay up-to- date with my favorite teams.”
Leadership Philosophy: “I like to implement a methodology — or a ‘way of working’ — instead of a set of directives. Teach the leaders on your team to be adaptive so they create innovative solutions that are sustainable.”
Finding Inspiration: "Paul 'Bear' Bryant said, 'It’s not the will to win that matters — everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters.'”
Advice for the Next Gen: “Diversify your experience early in your career so you gain many perspectives on what it takes to win in business. People who put the business’ needs before their own are often the most successful.”
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Dustin Heslep
Director of Finance and Commercial Excellence
GEORGIA-PACIFIC
3 years with company; 1 year in current role
Vision in Action: Heslep joined Georgia-Pacific by way of finance at EY. But he was able to add analytics to his portfolio of expertise by initially leading a team at GP to focus on identifying, prioritizing and delivering valuable projects for internal constituents through data, analytics and advisory services.
Heslep’s current role combines both aspects of his professional background, making him responsible for finance, strategy and commercial excellence for the global nonwovens business while focusing on applying market-based management. The MBM philosophy includes 10 guiding principles that, when put into action, “combine to create a dynamic and positive culture,” Heslep says.
On the Horizon: With Heslep’s analytical background, it’s logical that next up on the radar is to “improve the way we leverage information to make better and faster business decisions.”
Favorite App: Heslep names two: “BBC News, which I usually read on the train, and Apple Podcasts.”
Leadership Philosophy: “Leadership is not a title, but rather a set of actions that inspire others to accomplish great things,” says Heslep, who notes that he always “liked the Morehouse edict of well-read, well-traveled, well-spoken, well-dressed, and well-balanced.” He also believes that “diversity increases team cohesion.” Heslep once wrote that when hiring, focus “much less on the technical skills and more on the values of a person.” Once hired, “let them operate.” He notes that when you have a clear vision and get out of the way, you’ll find that your employees are self-motivated and amazing things happen.
Finding Inspiration: "Gandhi said, 'Be the change you wish to see in the world.'”
Advice for the Next Gen: Heslep believes that being an avid reader and learner is crucial for success. “Contrary to consensus, the young generation that just graduated is really, really talented and is challenging some of the stale practices we’ve developed over the years — even if some of them have never heard of ‘The Big Lebowski,’” he says.
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Laura Wallace Houghton
Director, Digital Shopper Marketing
THE COCA-COLA COMPANY
6 years with company; 2 years in current role
Vision in Action: Demystifying the digital path to purchase is Houghton’s greatest accomplishment to date. “Through innovative, custom research, I was able to glean game-changing insights for how to best connect with shoppers through digital touch points,” she explains.
On the Horizon: Houghton is next focused on building a custom, digital navigation solution that 97,000 independent retailers can utilize to drive traffic and transactions. “Connecting to shoppers through mobile proximity and giving them a reason to turn right to the store is a critical marketing tool in the digital age if you are to drive sales,” she says.
Favorite App: Houghton also picks Waze. “Living in Atlanta, you have to know how to efficiently navigate traffic. Waze provides the best solutions to get me where I want to go as quickly as possible."
Leadership Philosophy: “I try to lead through clarity, collaboration, and humility,” says Houghton. “You can’t lead if others are unclear about where you want them to go or don’t understand your desired endgame.” She also finds that a collaborative leader is much more successful than one who doesn’t understand the value of giving others a stake in the game. “Lastly, humility ensures you always remember that you are but one voice and one source of ideas. I believe that we are always stronger together than apart.”
Finding Inspiration: Robert Woodruff, the legend who guided Coca-Cola from 1923 until 1985, had a life creed that Houghton has also tried to live by: “There is no limit to what a man can do or where he can go if he doesn’t mind who gets the credit.” Too often, getting credit is the focus of doing the work; by not caring who gets the credit, “I believe you end up doing what is right for the business over yourself.”
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Mukund Kaushik
Vice President, IT Capabilities, Sales, Supply Chain & Marketing
KIMBERLY-CLARK CORP.
4 years with company; 5 months in current role
Vision in Action: Kaushik built the IT team that supports Kimberly-Clark’s marketing technology group worldwide. In addition, he led efforts to establish and deploy marketing capabilities globally in the areas of digital shelf, CRM, content, e-commerce, media and social media while also “connecting these capabilities with a data backbone to enable data-driven marketing to our consumers,” he explains.
On the Horizon: Kaushik and his team are re-imagining the digital capabilities needed to keep up in an ever-changing marketplace. “By building talent, sharing best practices, and strengthening our digital capability across the value chain, we’re able to meet our consumers’ needs better,” he says.
Favorite App: Professionally, Kaushik uses various apps to stay connected with his teams and stakeholders. “My personal productivity apps are Evernote and Asana, which help me stay organized; LinkedIn, Flipboard and Twitter to be social; American, Delta, Concur and TripIt to help me with my travel needs; Golf Channel App, which satisfies my passion for golf; and FaceTime for connecting with my family.”
Leadership Philosophy: Kaushik seeks to leave things in a better place than when he inherited them and “to achieve this in a way that creates a lasting value and makes a significant contribution.”
Finding Inspiration: “Oftentimes, we wait around for someone else to solve the problem that we’re facing,” says Kaushik. “Lean in and don’t be afraid to offer solutions. The worst thing that can happen is people will say no. [But] you may learn the reason or context for the current solution, or you may lead to breakthrough thinking.”
Advice for the Next Gen: Kaushik offers this advice for the next wave of packaged goods professionals: “Be curious and learn to work in cross-functional teams. The best innovative thinking comes when people from different experience sets and backgrounds come together to solve problems.”
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Ali Kefeli, PhD
Head of Data and Decision Sciences
GEORGIA-PACIFIC
1 year with company and in current role
Vision in Action: Kefeli considers himself “a staunch proponent of the democratization of big data, along with the demystification and socialization of sophisticated mathematical techniques across large organizations.” Over the last 10 years, he’s led teams that undertook multi-million dollar initiatives in product supply, working capital, pricing, revenue management and trade promotion optimization around the world. The common denominator has been a focus on “the often-missing link between business knowledge and advanced analytics.” His latest work involves “building a machine learning platform to help identify and quantify business drivers.”
On the Horizon: “E-commerce will become a double-digit contributor to most P&Ls in the very near future,” he predicts. GP’s plan is to use a “data-driven, decision-making framework” to drive profitable growth through such initiatives as omnichannel assortment optimization and shipment-efficient product bundles. “There is a lot of opportunity to apply data science principles in this exciting new space.”
Favorite App: “I recommend Quora for those with lots of intellectual curiosity. You will find amazing personal anecdotes for questions like, ‘What can I learn right now in 10 minutes that will be useful for the rest of my life?’”
Leadership Philosophy: “To be successful, I believe leaders should use the ‘3Ps’ as their foundation: ‘Passion,’ which provides the fuel; ‘Purpose,’ which provides the meaning and a sense of belonging; and most importantly, ‘People,’ who actually make it all become reality. In my personal and professional life, I strive to seek and provide those 3Ps for others.”
Finding Inspiration: "Carl Sagan said, 'Science is not perfect. It’s often misused. It’s only a tool, but it’s the best tool we have. Self-correcting, ever-changing, applicable to everything; with this tool, we vanquish the impossible.'”
Advice for the Next Gen: “Learn to effectively influence others without having any authority over them. That’s a perfect exercise in thinking customer first and is the best test of how much value you create for your organization.”
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Dave King
Chief Technology Officer
MADISON REED
2.5 years with company and in current role
Vision in Action: While King acknowledges that he loves the work he’s done with artificial intelligence and photo recognition, “my biggest accomplishment has been creating a data-driven culture” at new-age hair-color company Madison Reed. Building a strong analytics capability was one of his first initiatives, and it’s had a lasting impact throughout the organization. “We rely heavily on data to inform every aspect of our business, from product development to the digital experience,” says King.
For example, the company has more than two million customer profiles. “We match those ‘hair profiles’ to our products, then factor in customer satisfaction scores. These insights inform the development of new products and result in better color recommendations.”
On the Horizon: Cutting-edge technology will continue to play a major role in the future for Madison Reed. King is currently working on a machine learning solution to enhance the customer journey along every touch point. “This means increased personalization, as well as an improved prediction of outcomes. We believe this will provide step-function improvement to many fundamentals in our business,” he says.
Favorite App: “Slack has truly transformed how we collaborate, both internally and with many of our partners,” says King. “With new ‘Slackbots’ constantly being added, plus Slackbots we’ve developed in-house, we can turn conversations into action in a single, topical, real-time interface.”
Leadership Philosophy: King believes that the leadership role of “player-coach” is highly effective. “My team knows I support them, plus I’m willing to actually do the work. This helps me stay in touch with technology in a meaningful way, which improves my ability to coach.”
Finding Inspiration: King is known for quoting French writer Antoine de Saint-Exupery. “In the tech world, there is no better quote than this: ‘Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.’”
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Michael Martiny
Chief Information Officer and Vice President, Global Business Solutions
GENERAL MILLS
25 years with company; 9 years as CIO, 5 years as VP, Global Business Solutions
Vision in Action: Martiny and his team are enabling 150-year-old General Mills to embrace the many changes taking place in the food industry while maintaining the fiscal fitness needed to reward shareholders. The Global Business Solutions group’s blend of technology, business process simplification, real estate, and employee services provides multiple levers to accelerate change. But the real accomplishment is “the quality of the team: talented, driven, global leaders who understand the competitive environment and their role in making General Mills successful,” Martiny explains.
On the Horizon: “Food is a critical component of happiness, and our purpose to ‘serve the world by making food people love’ is a rapidly moving target,” he says. “Our data, tools, techniques and priorities all reflect the speed of change we’re seeing. We’re not a technology company; we’re a food company. But the way we decide ‘what’s next’ needs to look a lot more agile to remain successful.”
Favorite App: Martiny chooses Sonos. “I love how it makes the transition from solo listening to ‘Everyone listen to this’ easy and fast.”
Leadership Philosophy: Martiny has four tenets that he talks about regularly: Be present (“If you want to keep the meeting the most important thing, keep your phone off the table”); Know your stuff (“Share what you believe to be true often, while listening for new information”); Ask for help (“You can’t do it alone, and asking for help enables others to grow and develop”); Be a good person (“Competition doesn’t work here”).
Finding Inspiration: One of Martiny’s favorite quotes is, “Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about. Be kind — always.”
Advice for the Next Gen: “Pay attention on the days when time flies by, and make a note of it. Being clear with yourself about what you’re motivated by, and linking it to the needs of the organization you’re part of, will lead to more great days.”
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Josué Muñoz
Vice President Global Customer Service, Logistics and Supply Chain Systems
COLGATE-PALMOLIVE
26 years with company; 6 years in current role
Vision in Action: Muñoz’s exemplary work at Colgate has included spearheading a transformation of the customer service organization. Leveraging the Colgate Shared Business Services structure globally “allowed our teams on the ground to engage with customers and support the commercial teams in achieving our objectives while optimizing cost structure,” he explains. “We transformed our planning processes to be end to end … and are implementing the tools to be exception-driven and have shelf-to-supplier visibility into our supply chain.”
“We’ve also created a truly global organization that leverages technology to stay connected, share best practices and assure that our processes and tools are standard and best in class worldwide.”
On the Horizon: Muñoz and his team currently are working on expanding Colgate’s supply chain analytics capabilities, a project with two key elements. “The first is the expansion of our Center of Excellence for supply chain design to model the outbound customer fulfillment network and the manufacturing and supplier network to globally optimize our costs and capital investment. The second is the deployment of an enhanced analytics solution that will allow us to leverage all plant floor information to do predictive analytics and global benchmarking.”
Favorite App: “Since I travel a large percentage of the time, it’s TripIt, which allows me to have my whole travel itinerary in my phone and provides updates on flight status.”
Leadership Philosophy: “I believe in surrounding myself with the best people, making sure we all know where we want to go, then ensuring that we have the resources and motivation to achieve those goals. I want whoever takes my role in the future to find a high-performing organization of talented people fully aligned behind our shared goals.”
Advice for the Next Gen: “Always be inquisitive. The world is moving so fast that you have to keep learning and asking questions to stay abreast of technology and understand the consumer.”
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Allison Radecki
Chief Information Officer
BEAM SUNTORY
3.5 years with company and in current role
Vision in Action: With Radecki at the helm, Beam Suntory has pulled all IT resources into one high-performing, interdependent global team. “Our team’s goal is to ‘create exceptional experiences, forge new connections, drive untapped possibilities,’” she says.
Radecki has also helped expand services across Beam Suntory with a commitment to increasing revenues through the creation of digital sales, marketing and analytics capabilities and “continuing to fuel our growth through productivity initiatives. The ability to work across every function and geography to advance our ways of working and employee productivity has been a challenge, a source of professional growth and a thrill for me personally,” she says.
On the Horizon: The next task at hand is sponsorship of a commercial analytics platform with her sales and finance teams that’s been appropriately branded “The BAR” (for “business analysis reporting”). “We’re incorporating external data sources with internal information to create new dashboards and query capabilities that measure brand performance in-market and develop insights for new growth opportunities,” she says. The platform has launched in the U.S., Germany and India, providing new capabilities and ways of working across organizations. “With this success, we are now looking to expand The Bar to include analytics centered on revenue management and consumer analytics.”
Favorite App: Radecki loves using Waze and Google Maps to help navigate the “crazy Chicago traffic and find my way when traveling,” she says. “With my poor sense of direction, I don’t know how I managed in life before!”
Leadership Philosophy: Radecki’s goal is to unlock potential in each of her team members and across the entire organization to “help our staff find the right opportunities to lead and grow, introducing new processes and tools to make our employees most productive, or launching business capabilities that create incremental sources of revenue.”
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Swan Sit
Vice President of Global Digital
REVLON & ELIZABETH ARDEN
2 years with company and in current role
Vision in Action: Sit has spent the past 10 years of her career accelerating digital transformation within large companies. “Two years ago, I joined Elizabeth Arden and built a global digital platform from the ground up to drive e-commerce, online retailer sales, digital marketing, social media and digital innovation,” she notes. Breaking traditional models of digital content creation, paid media performance and influencer marketing helped drive a financial turnaround at Elizabeth Arden and modernized the 100-year-old brand’s voice via influencers like Chelsea Handler and Iris Apfel.
On the Horizon: Revlon acquired Elizabeth Arden earlier this year, thereby creating a powerhouse portfolio of global beauty brands. Sit was asked to transition to Revlon to recreate Arden’s digital platform, as well as to turn traditional offline events and experiences into immersive 360-degree activations with digital at their core. “I’m excited to innovate with the latest tools and technologies to take story-telling and consumer engagement to the next level for this iconic brand.”
Favorite App: With a jam-packed calendar, Sit tries to make every minute count, so one of her favorite apps is Starbucks. “I order ahead and waltz past the 15-minute line of impatient faces.” She also loves anything that democratizes: “Turo allows me to rent cars from owners with excess capacity. I can get luxury sports cars … for far less than a boring sedan from the major car rental companies.”
Leadership Philosophy: “I manage everyone individually by their Myers Briggs type. Whether I have group brain-storms or give someone space to think, or communicate answer-first versus answer-last, my style completely flexes to the person I’m managing. When they tell me I’m the best boss they’ve ever had, I know I’ve done my job right.”
Finding Inspiration: Hanging in Sit’s office is this quote from Nelson Mandela: “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” She notes that who said it is just as important as what it says.