The FMCG Guys

Ralf Miculcy is an Associate at WL Gore. But what does that actually mean? At WL Gore—a global materials science company known for its innovative products like GORE-TEX—every employee, from entry-level to the CEO, is called an Associate. This is just one example of its distinctive, non-hierarchical culture. In today's episode, we dive into Ralf's journey across Operations, Projects, and General Management at WL Gore. We explore how this unique culture functions in practice and what makes it so effective through: Ralf's cross-functional career Gore's Multi-category business A unique non-hierarchical culture How a company can scale while staying true to its founding values Career progression in a flat hierarchy More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Emilie Brault, Global Director of Digital Consumer Experience at NAOS—the innovative French skincare company behind Bioderma, Institut Esthederm, and Etat Pur—joins the podcast to share her journey from FMCG to digital leadership. An expert in building digital organizations from the ground up, Emilie offers insights into how brands can harness digital to connect with consumers and drive transformation. Tune in to hear about: Emilie's non-linear career, spanning international and cross-functional roles Building a digital infrastructure within a company Using digital to enhance consumer engagement Embedding digital across different functions Her approach to AI and data More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Eoin Comerford is an Outdoor Industry Expert, Consultant, Speaker & Podcaster. He's best known for his tenure as CEO of Moosejaw, one of the US' main outdoor Retailers. He drove its growth and oversaw its acquisition by Walmart in 2017, where he also managed the outdoor category for Walmart.com. He later oversaw Moosejaw's 2023 acquisition by Dick's Sporting Goods, where he remained until last year. The "Rock Fight" Podcast Host joins Daniel to speak about: His career in the sporting goods, outdoors and Retail world Analyzing Sporting Goods companies like NIKE, Adidas, Under Armour, HOKA, On Running and more The DTC vs Wholesale Equation Outdoor company Analysis: VF (North Face), Amer Sports, Columbia… Advice to European Companies trying to get into the US Market More: Tune into the Rock Fight Podcast: https://www.rockfight.co/ Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Our guest is Kai Boris Bendix, CEO of Carl Kühne KG, a 303-year-old family-owned company (founded in 1722) renowned for its pickles and sauces. Kai joins Christina and Daniel to share insights from his impressive career, which began at Beiersdorf—the makers of Nivea cream—and has taken him around the globe, ultimately leading him to helm one of Germany's most iconic family businesses. Tune in to discover: Kai's journey navigating international markets and cultures Key differences between developed and developing markets Transitioning from global corporations to traditional family-owned businesses such as Melitta and Kühne Strategies for resilience and adaptability in times of change More Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

The FMCG Guys will be back with all-new episodes very, very soon. In the meantime, enjoy this episode from one year ago which Daniel recorded in Iceland. Ever wondered what running supermarkets in a remote country like Iceland looks like? Daniel was lucky enough to learn this in this fascinating in-person interview live from Keflavík. Our guest (and host, in this occasion!) is Gunnur Gunnarsdóttir, who runs both Retail and Human Resources at Samkaup, one of the island's main players in FMCG Retail with a number of banners. This Episode is brought to you by Softserve Business System. Start a conversation about fact-based digital transformation today by visiting https://softservebs.com/ Listen in, transport yourself to Iceland and learn about: Gunnur's career path from Human Resources Manager to heading up a Retail Organization Iceland's FMCG market: Retail Footprint, Challenges and Opportunities for brands Samkaup's mission of serving the entirety of Iceland's population even at a financial cost HR initiatives in diversity, continuous learning and talent attraction Omni-channel initiatives and partnership with Lobyco in Loyalty

Sharon Lewis, Head of Digital & Data Latin America at Kimberly Clark, joined us week to speak about how she's driving eCommerce growth and culture change in this emerging region. Tune in to learn about: Sharon's career journey across the US and LATAM Critical Success factors when driving Digital Transformation Latin America's different levels of digital maturity and the region as a testing ground Influencing Headquarters to bring resources to the region

Sunil D'Souza, CEO of Tata Consumer Products and part of the renowned Tata Group, shares his insights into India's dynamic consumer goods market. He discusses Tata's strategic growth and commitment to sustainability through Project Aalingana. D'Souza emphasizes the challenges and transformations in the FMCG sector, particularly the vital role of digital innovation and e-commerce. He also reflects on leadership during the pandemic, highlighting the importance of adaptability and team support in navigating complex market landscapes.

Maria Gonidi, the People & Culture Europe Operations Vice President at The Coca-Cola Company, joins us from Athens to speak about her career in HR and what the present and future of People Operations look like in F500 companies. Tune in to hear about: Maria's career journey and what inspired her to build a career in HR The Pillars of HR: talent, connecting with the business, capabilities, culture & strategy What skills will future leaders need to have to be successful The impact of tech on business Company culture & the future of work More: Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Christian Stammkoetter is Danone's President AMEA (Asia Middle East Africa) and Member of the Executive Committee. He joins Efrain and Daniel to speak about how, in the course of his career, has worked on multi-billion mergers, moved geographies, led teams, grown as a leader and developed a reliable routine to manage frequent long-haul travel. Tune in to hear about: His career beginnings in FMCG and running a start-up Being Impact-driven and putting people at the heard of the business What's important when integrating large businesses The new world of hybrid working and how to lead these organizations His current role leading a wide, diverse geography Creating Global Talent Pipelines More: Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian

Francis Dufay, CEO of African eCommerce leader Jumia, joins us from his home base in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, to share how the company is navigating selling online in Africa. With the continent's population set to double in the next 30 years and a young, tech-savvy demographic, eCommerce has massive potential but challenges like low GDP per capita (~$2,000), political stability and logistics create unique hurdles (and opportunities!). In this episode, we discuss: Francis' journey from McKinsey to leading Africa's top online retailer The current state of eCommerce in Africa and where it's heading The largest markets and fastest-growing regions What a typical African online shopping cart looks like How Retail Media and digital strategies are unlocking opportunities for FMCG brands Join us at Candid Commerce in London (Feb 12th): https://mediummarketing.co.uk/candid-commerce-london More: Follow us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fmcgguys/ Audio Mixing by Rodrigo Chávez Voice Acting by Jason Martorell Parsekian