The CPG View

E-commerce Evolution in CPG: In your experience with major brands like Reckitt and Coca-Cola, how have you seen e-commerce strategies evolve in the CPG industry over the years, especially in the context of health and wellness products? Could you share insights on how these strategies differed from traditional retail approaches? Digital Marketing Innovations: Throughout your career, you've been at the forefront of digital marketing and campaign strategies. What are some of the most innovative digital marketing tactics you've implemented, and how have they transformed the way CPG brands engage with their consumers online? Cross-Functional Leadership: Leading a team of cross-functional members requires a unique blend of skills. Can you discuss how you've fostered collaboration and innovation within your teams, and how this has impacted business growth and digital transformation in the companies you've worked with? Future Trends and Challenges: Looking ahead, what do you see as the next big trend or challenge in e-commerce for the CPG sector? How should companies prepare to adapt to these changes, particularly in the context of health and personal care products? 

Given your role as an early adopter in the eCommerce channel and your focus on staying ahead of emerging trends, can you share a specific instance where your willingness to embrace new opportunities had a significant impact on advancing your organization within the consumer goods landscape? Could you elaborate on how your commitment to ongoing learning influences your leadership style? Additionally, how do you instill a culture of continuous growth within your team, ensuring they stay updated on the latest industry trends and advancements?  Having held significant consumer goods retail channel sales leadership roles, how do you balance the traditional retail channel strategies with the demands and innovations of the eCommerce space? Can you share insights on effectively navigating and integrating these two distinct aspects of the consumer goods industry? As a lifelong learner, how do you ensure that you and your team stay updated on the latest industry trends and advancements? Are there specific learning methodologies or resources you find particularly valuable in staying informed and enhancing your skillset within the dynamic field of consumer goods?

With experience spanning e-commerce, digital, key accounts, retail marketing, shopper marketing, indirect trade, and cross-functional projectsacross different geographies, how do you approach adapting your skills and strategies when moving between such diverse roles within the CPG industry?   Having led diverse teams of managers, what leadership principles have you found most effective in fostering collaboration and driving high performancewithin your teams? Can you share a specific challenge you faced as a leader and the strategies you employed to overcome it?   Your background highlights excellence in execution. Can you share a project or initiative where your focus on execution played a pivotal role in achieving outstanding results for a CPG brand? What were the key factors that contributed to the success of that particular execution?   Having worked in different geographies and countries, how do you leverage your global experience to develop and implement effective strategies in the ever-changing CPG landscape? Can you provide insights into the importance of understanding local nuances while maintaining a global perspective in the industry?

Reflecting on your time at The Citadel, how do you believe the institution's emphasis on discipline and honor has influenced your leadership style and decision-making throughout your military career? What were some of the key leadership challenges you encountered while commanding 1st Tank Battalion and how have these experiences shaped your leadership approach and growth as a military leader? As a graduate of The Citadel, how do you perceive the institution's role in shaping future leaders,  particularly in instilling values such as discipline, integrity, and service?  Don't want to restrict this to just the military – our young Alumni are in high demand and I have some theories why Considering our shared alma mater at The Citadel, how do you assess the institution's adaptation or consistency in upholding its values and training methods over the years, and how has this impacted the development of military leaders?  I will focus my response on the character crisis in this country and how The Citadel develops character as the cure. Your Book: Marine Maxims: Turning Leadership Principles into Practice (Scarlet & Gold Professional Library) .   Could you share what inspired you to publish a book and how did it come about? Your book has 50 lessons about turning principles into practice, any of those resonate within the Corps of cadets?

Could you share with us some of the key insights into the evolving landscape of supply chain recruitment and the challenges that companies face today when it comes to hiring the right talent? A large portion of our works within CPG and they are keen on staying competitive in a rapidly changing market. How can they leverage innovative recruitment strategies and talent acquisition methods, especially in the supply chain sector, to gain a competitive edge and address the unique challenges they face? The CPG industry often deals with complex and diverse supply chain networks. Could you share insights into how companies can ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion within their supply chain teams, and how this can positively impact their business outcomes in the consumer goods sector? Building CS Recruiting from the ground up and scaling it to a ~40-person team is an impressive achievement. Could you walk us through the strategies you implemented to foster sustainable growth and offer advice for aspiring entrepreneurs looking to achieve similar success? ⁠You recently emphasized⁠ in a social post the importance of viewing a group of people working together as a team rather than a family. Can you share some specific strategies or experiences from CS Recruiting that have helped foster a strong sense of teamwork among your employees? You made a compelling point in your ⁠recent post⁠ about DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging) being not just a moral imperative but also a smart business strategy. Could you elaborate on how organizations can effectively incorporate diversity, inclusion, and belonging into their business practices to benefit both their employees and their bottom line?

Your journey from studying physics and doing software development to becoming CEO of Grocery TV is quite unique. How have these diverse experiences influenced your leadership style and strategic decision-making at Grocery TV? Grocery TV has seen significant growth by focusing on digital in-store media in key areas of grocery stores. Can you elaborate on how this focus has driven your success and what future strategies you have planned for expanding this platform? You’ve mentioned the increasing importance of place-based retail inventory for advertisers, especially in the context of the grocery shopping mindset. How do you see this trend evolving, and what impact do you think it will have on retail and advertising industries? You highlighted some standout place-based media campaigns, like the Land O’Lakes cheese advertisement. What do you think makes a place-based media campaign truly effective and memorable, and how does Grocery TV contribute to creating such impactful campaigns?

You've been recognized as a leader in Digital, with accolades like being part of The Lead Top 60 in Digital U.S. and receiving nominations from DRUM & Glossy. How do you believe your experiences and expertise have contributed to shaping the digital landscape within the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry, and what trends do you foresee shaping the future of digital strategies for CPG brands? Your career has seen a shift from data for insight to data for growth, driving enterprise-wide impact. Can you share a specific example of how leveraging consumer data strategically led to a significant business growth or transformation, and what key lessons did you extract from that experience? With your expertise spanning various digital realms, including DTC, Marketplace, and Social Selling initiatives, how do you stay ahead of emerging trends and technologies in these areas?  Can you provide insights into how your forward-thinking approach has contributed to staying competitive and innovative within the ever-evolving digital landscape? With your extensive expertise across DTC, Marketplace, Omnichannel, and Social Selling initiatives, how do you navigate the unique challenges and opportunities presented by each channel within the CPG space? Can you share insights into developing a cohesive strategy that leverages the strengths of these different channels to maximize overall brand impact?

Innovation in eCommerce and Digital Marketing: In your experience, what have been the most significant changes in the landscape of eCommerce and digital marketing in recent years, and how have you adapted these changes at Rocketbook to maintain a competitive edge?        Leadership in Organizational Change: You’ve emphasized the importance of people leadership and organizational effectiveness in your career. Could you share an instance where your leadership significantly impacted organizational change, particularly in embracing digital transformation?     Strategy Behind Rocketbook’s Success: As the General Manager at Rocketbook, you’ve been responsible for growing a new category with smart reusable notebook innovation. Can you elaborate on the strategies you implemented to make Rocketbook a global household brand, particularly in merging the physical and digital writing experience? Future Trends and Predictions: Looking forward, what emerging trends do you foresee in eCommerce and digital marketing, and how is Rocketbook preparing to adapt to these future changes? Additionally, how do you envision the role of women leaders evolving in this space?

Jeffrey Bustos from IAB and Vin Lay from Albertsons Media Collective discuss data revolutionizing CPG companies' approach to retail media. They delve into data-driven strategies, measurement transparency for Albertsons Media Collective, challenges in getting other Retail Media Networks to adopt standards, and emerging trends in CPG advertising like data clean rooms and blockchain technology.

With the rebranding to Shipt Media™ and the introduction of new media assets and analytics, what are the key changes brands like Kraft Heinz, Unilever, and Target can expect? How will these changes enhance their advertising and customer engagement strategies? What are you hearing from brands when you engage with them on the platform? What are some of the key things they’re looking for when considering how to invest their dollars?   Shipt Media has doubled its ad products in the market over the past year. Could you elaborate on some of these new ad products and how they are tailored to meet the evolving needs of your partners? The partnership with Criteo is highlighted as a significant step towards standardized analytics. Can you discuss how this collaboration has expanded campaign performance insights for your brand partners and what this means for the future of retail media analytics? Shipt boasts a uniquely loyal audience that spends significantly more annually compared to the average omnichannel shopper. What strategies have been most effective in building this loyalty, and how does Shipt Media plan to leverage this to provide value for both customers and brands?