Recession offers opportunities, NEW Executive Leaders Forum told
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Today’s tough economy will have long-lasting effects on the consumer products and retail industries, not all of them bad, according to speakers at the third annual NEW Executive Leaders Forum July 14-16 in Dallas.
Network President Alison Kenney Paul, principal at Deloitte, told more than 100 senior-level leaders in attendance that "we’ve all been through things like this in the past.” She said, "We can take this as a challenge and be defeated by it, or we can see it as an opportunity and really thrive.”
Keynote speaker Shelley Broader, president and COO of Michaels Stores and former president of Sweetbay Supermarket, said the time to "wait things out” had passed. "We have to plan on this being the way it is. Forever. So how do we take advantage of the fact that the world has changed?” She said executives should "challenge every assumption” they have about consumers, "know who you are and who you are not” and have a "bold plan for addressing the changes that should have been addressed for the past thousand years.”
Excess is out and value and sustainability are in, according to Broader. "Our associates want to believe in the future, our consumers are willing to accept change – but this golden opportunity is not a license to kill.” She said companies that misuse the economic crisis will be left with "nothing by mediocre employees” when the economy recovers. Transparency and leadership are key, she told the audience.
Event moderator Trudy Bourgeois, president of The Center for Workforce Excellence, said, "We are not the first generation to face tough times, nor will we be the last. But what we do with these tough times will make the difference for those who come behind us and face tough times. There will be winners and there will be losers.”
Extreme conditions
Sweetbay Supermarket President and COO Mike Vail discussed how his chain recovered from the devastation of Hurricane Charley in 2004 as an example of leadership in a crisis. He told the audience that effective leadership requires that you "jump in, know your stuff, look around, and make the call.” He said the same lesson applies whether your sales collapse or your roof does.
Extreme athlete Yvonne Camus, a finisher in television’s grueling "Eco-Challenge” team competition, told the audience that maintaining your edge is the difference between winning and losing. "Everyone has 10 good years,” she said. "The ones who could maintain their intensity shot ahead of their peers.” Addressing the issue of diversity, she said, "If two people on your team think exactly alike, one of them isn’t needed.”
The Forum included more than 12 hours of programming, including the following
highlights:
• Special remarks on employee motivation by Marilyn Johnson, vice president of market development for IBM.
• A learning workshop led by Sarah Chartrand, vice president of learning and organizational development for Shop & Shop/Giant, and Debbie Rookstool, director of leadership development for Safeway.
• A presentation on strategic planning by Beth Springer, executive vice president of international and personal natural personal care for Clorox.
• Donna Stella, a partner at A.T. Kearney, presented the findings of a joint NEW, GMA and A.T. Kearney report,"Talent Triage: Raising the Bar for CPG Sales Force Talent Management.”
• Stephen Sibert, executive vice president of the Grocery Manufacturers of America, moderated a panel on business partnerships that featured Anne Fink, vice president for PepsiCo Sales; Lisa Klauser, vice president of brand building and marketing excellence for Unilever; John Morioka, vice president and merchandising manager, housewares, for Target; and Chad Rucker, vice president of sales for Mass Connections.
The Forum also included three concurrent sessions led by senior industry leaders:
• "The Making of a 21st Century Trailblazer: 7 Keys to Reinventing Yourself to Meet the Demands of Today’s Environment,” was moderated by Kathy Hannan, partner at KPMG. She was joined by Jayne Homco, vice president of merchandising for Kroger; Sue Klug, president of Albertsons Southern California; Rebecca Szelc, a principal at Deloitte; and Shawn Welch, vice president of customer management for Sara Lee.
• "No Bailout Available: Making the Right Financial and Strategic Choices to Drive Sustainability” was moderated by Helayne Angelus, principal of Inspirational Performance LLC. The panel featured Kathy Samuels, partner and director of business development, North America, for Accenture; Jeff Joyner, a partner with The TABS Group; and Marnette Perry, senior vice president for Kroger.
• "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Chapter 11” was presented by Dave Henry, former senior vice president of marketing for Winn-Dixie, and Lisa Wassenaar, senior creative director for Retail Sense.
For more information about this year’s NEW Executive Leaders Summit, including video, photos, blogs and presentations, visit our ELF home page.
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Julie Hamilton (left) shares a laugh at the NEW Executive Leaders Forum with Network President Alison Paul, past presidents Kim Betts and Helayne Angelus and President-Elect Michelle Gloeckler. More
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