How I Hire – Details, episodes & analysis

Ben Steele is a seasoned marketing and brand development leader, having most recently served as REI’s inaugural chief customer officer. Prior to carving out this new role at the Co-op, Ben began at REI in 2014 as chief creative officer. Over more than ten years at one of the country’s largest and most preeminent outdoor retailers, Ben has led brand stewardship and strategy, shepherded large-scale marketing initiatives, engaged and grown REI’s 24.5 million-strong worldwide membership, and connected essential merchandising, digital, and physical assets – amongst many other functions at the Co-op – all with the goal of sharing and facilitating a deep passion for the outdoors.

Ben and Roy discuss the inspiration for creating the chief customer officer role (as well as the challenges of being the first to occupy the position), navigating the ever-changing context of customer experience, and vital competencies he’s learned to nurture and develop within his teams.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• His initial action items upon joining REI (3:57)
• How Ben translated REI’s brand and culture through its employee base (6:07)
• The functions reporting into the chief customer officer role and the structure of Ben’s former team (9:55)
• Opportunities he’s had to bring the REI brand life for customers and members (12:35)
• Necessary adaptations and evolutions at REI in the past five years  (17:42)
• The ways in which being a part of a co-op influenced Ben’s approach to leadership and collaboration (20:40)
• How to determine whether or not a company is serving their customers well (26:58)
• Ben’s predictions for the future of retail (32:03)
• Recommended resources for professional development, news, and networking (35:48)

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To kick off a new series of special episodes here at How I Hire, we’re taking a close look at the chief digital officer role. Throughout this series, we’ll hear from different C-level executives about their unique functions, responsibilities, and skill sets in order to learn just what it takes to successfully hire – or be hired as – top tier talent. 

Jamaliya Cobine is an accomplished chief digital officer and digital marketing expert, having spent the past decade plus helping businesses develop their user experience, e-commerce platforms, and strategic digital initiatives. Jamaliya has an impressive track record, working for major brands like Urban Outfitters, Burton Snowboards, Wüsthof, and Topshop. She is currently the CDO of Omorovicza Cosmetics, where she continues her legacy of implementing consumer-centric business strategy, omni-channel technology, and transformative approaches to digital marketing. With in-depth experience across the apparel, outdoor, beauty, home goods, and fashion industries, Jamaliya is the perfect leader to help us learn everything there is to know about the chief digital officer role.

Jamaliya and Roy discuss the key functions of a CDO (and how they vary, depending on business structure), how competitive the market is for hiring CDOs, important trends affecting CDOs’ work, and much more.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• The scope and primary accountabilities of the CDO role (2:13)
• Strategy and goal-setting when starting at a new company (4:44)
• Challenges and opportunities facing CDOs today (6:30)
• How company structure affects a CDO’s functions and responsibilities (12:03)
• The structure of Jamaliya’s team (13:08)
• Competencies and capabilities necessary to be a successful CDO (17:15)
• What boards, investors, or CEOs should be aware of when initiating a CDO search (20:00)
• Common hurdles or barriers to success faced by incoming CDOs (21:28)

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Seth Ellison has led teams at iconic brands like Nike, Levi Strauss & Co., and Quiksilver. Today, he joins Roy to discuss how these roles have shaped his hiring philosophy and what we can learn from the talent strategy of top apparel companies.

Seth has decades of experience in brand building and merchandising, having led and built global teams for legendary brands. Seth’s extensive resume includes the growth of large-scale DTC and wholesale businesses across international markets, industry leading corporate strategy, widely successful C-Suite leadership, extensive team building and brand development, and high level execution across diverse consumer segments. 

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Lifelong lessons from Seth’s early days in the surf apparel business (4:15)
• How his time at Nike shaped his hiring philosophy (9:05)
• Developing internal talent vs. seeking external talent (11:55)
• Opportunities and challenges he experienced during Nike’s acquisition of Hurley (15:26)
• Seth’s process for making decisions on important hires (18:13)
• Seth’s interview strategy and criteria (22:35) 
• The elements of successful hires vs. hiring mistakes (25:22)
• Advice for young and emerging leaders (27:31)

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International marketing specialist Katherine Melchior Ray joins Roy to discuss her impressive career and the wisdom that she’s gained as a global business leader. They dig into what makes an outstanding, modern CMO, the benefits and challenges of pursuing a global career, and how to connect across cultures as an expat leader.

Katherine’s professional journey spans nearly three decades and includes mobilizing growth in a variety of businesses across five different industries and three continents. Her wealth of experience extends across a wide spectrum of business sectors, including beauty, hospitality, and fashion. She’s worked with legendary brands like Gucci, Shiseido, Nike, Louis Vuitton, and Hyatt, and currently teaches International Marketing at the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley.  

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Factors and experiences that shaped Katherine’s leadership and hiring philosophy (6:48)
• Navigating language barriers and developing cultural competency (8:27)
• Lessons learned from hiring and leading global teams (10:10)
• How to develop and manage the capabilities of new teams (11:22)
• How she makes decisions around important hires (14:09)
• Insights gained from hiring successes and failures (14:54)
• What makes a great CMO (15:58)
• How Katherine applies her knowledge of history to marketing strategies (17:19)

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Trove Founder and Executive Chairman Andy Ruben joins Roy to discuss his journey to entrepreneurship, how his business’s needs and culture have evolved over the years, and why he values thoughtful talent strategy.

Andy has spent the better part of the past three decades working in brand strategy, retail, consumer products, and sustainability. In 2004, he became Walmart's inaugural Chief Sustainability Officer, where he led change across the business and its suppliers before serving as a VP with the retailer. While Andy hadn’t always planned to pursue sustainability, he discovered a passion for the work and went on to found Trove, one of the most innovative companies in the space. 

Over the years, Andy and his team have helped drive the growing re-commerce market. Through their trade-in and branded resale services, Trove has teamed up with world-class brands like Lululemon, Patagonia, Levi’s, REI and others to keep their products in circulation and reduce waste.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Andy’s unexpected path to sustainability work (3:24)
• How he brought sustainability into Walmart’s boardroom (6:09)
• Taking the leap from Walmart to Trove (9:44)
• How Trove’s hiring needs changed as the brand scaled (15:13)
• The role vision and mission plays in recruiting prospective talent (17:43)
• Andy’s approach to building success profiles (20:23)
• Lessons learned from past hiring mistakes (26:16)
• Understanding cultural elements that attract or repel talent (30:25)
• How Trove is navigating in-office, remote, hybrid, and flexible arrangements (39:02)

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Darcy Winslow is an inspiring leader whose decades of experience at Nike and sustainability-focused nonprofits have cemented her legacy as a forward-thinking, values-driven executive. In her time at Nike, Darcy focused on how the company could employ sustainable practices in footwear and apparel manufacturing. As a part of this process, she created Nike’s groundbreaking Sustainable Business Strategies Division and set her sights on sweeping systems transformation within the company. Darcy was able to marry Nike’s distinct approach to design and creation with the innovative spirit inherent to sustainability work. Darcy left the company in 2008 to further pursue these goals, founding the Academy for Systems Change and the Magnolia Moonshot 2030 project. She and her collaborators empower current and emerging leaders with the skills, networks, and values needed to tackle the climate crisis via global systems change.

Darcy joins Roy to discuss her foundational experiences at Nike, the necessity for authenticity in effective leadership, her vision for building networks of future leaders and system thinkers, her unique perspective on assembling teams that can collectively work towards widespread, positive change, and much more.  

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Darcy’s career journey and sustainability achievements (1:50)
• Experiences that influenced her leadership approach (7:25)
• How Darcy was able to put sustainability on the radar at Nike (9:30)
• Contemplating and incorporating values as part of her leadership (12:46)
• The inner and outer journey of a leader (14:06)
• How Darcy’s experience influenced her approach to hiring (15:02)
• Examples of hiring successes and challenges (16:46)
• How she inspired leaders to integrate and scale sustainability (18:37)
• Her connection and work with MIT’s Peter Senge (21:04)
• The vision and accomplishments of the ASC (22:36)
• How leaders and businesses can affect positive change in the climate crisis (23:47)
• The Magnolia Moonshot 2030 Project (26:23)
  • The UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
• Advice for current and emerging leaders (28:22)

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Award-winning global creative executive Jean Batthany sits down with Roy to dig into the nuances of creative leadership, when organizations should hire a creative leader, and how to assess the skills and competencies that make them successful.

Jean brings a wealth of experience and insight to the podcast; she has spent over thirty years leading brand-side and agency creative teams. Jean began her career at top advertising agencies like BBDO, M&C Saatchi, Merkley+Partners, and Saatchi & Saatchi before transitioning to leading in-house creative strategy for Disney Parks and Resorts, where she served as VP, Global Creative. Most recently, she led a team of over 300 creatives at Walmart as Chief Creative Officer.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• The key elements of a successful brand strategy (4:44)
• Balancing creativity and leadership skills in teams (5:33)
• When and why brands should hire a Chief Creative Officer (7:14)
• How to measure the success of a brand creative leader (7:50)
• The role CCOs play in driving great creative (9:59)
• The best advice Jean received as a young creative (12:28)
• What she looks for in creative leaders (13:40)
• The difference between a brand creative leader and a CMO -- and how they work together (14:29)
• Jean’s advice to early-career creatives (15:51)

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Music and entertainment marketing executive Amani Duncan joins Roy for a conversation about empathetic leadership, why she chooses to be a mentor-manager, how the justice, equity, diversity and inclusion movement impacts the kind and quality of the work you’re doing, and much more.

Amani has more than 20 years of experience spanning a variety of industries. She began her career at Def Jam Recordings. She navigated a time of sweeping change in the music industry as she worked with iconic companies like Bad Boy Entertainment, C.F. Martin & Co, Virgin Records, Capital Music, and MTV/ViacomCBS. Most recently, she served as the CEO of creative agency BBH USA, where she and her team delivered data-driven, full stack marketing and strategic partnership support to leading consumer brands. Today, she serves on the board of Fender Music Instruments and FYLi. 

Highlights from our conversation include:

• How hiring happens in the music industry (5:55)
• What leaders can learn from the ever-evolving music industry (8:32)
• How being a mentor-manager influences her hiring approach (10:09)
• Balancing gut with calculated risk when hiring (13:20)
• Red (and green) flags when assessing a candidate (15:12, 27:29)
• How Amani and her team set a vision to diversify BBH... (17:16)
• ...And how their success transformed the business (20:41)
• The “spark” she looks for in candidates (24:27)
• How Covid impacted hiring...
• And how she handled mis-hires (29:04)
• The benefits and pitfalls of references (30:31)
• What teams need from leaders in this moment (33:33)
• Amani’s advice for candidates (38:08)

Get your tickets for MO Summit 2023: April 24th-26th in Austin, Texas!

Tickets are available at mo-summit.com - use code NOTO for a discount.

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In this special episode of How I Hire, Roy is sitting down with Noto Group’s team of executive search consultants. He’s joined by Sara Spirko, Bridget Hope, Tami Bumiller, and Lena Knofler to dig into essential leadership, workforce, and hiring trends that they’re seeing for 2023 and beyond, along with the best ways to navigate them successfully for candidates and companies alike.

Managing Director Sara Spirko began her career in recruiting with large consumer products companies. She then transitioned into marketing and brand activities before moving into project management for supply chain and global HR functions. She worked with companies like Gibson Guitar Corporation, Mars Incorporated, CSL Behring, and Godiva Chocolatier before moving back to Portland, joining Noto Group in 2019, and reentering the world of talent recruitment.

Executive Recruiter Bridget Hope has over 20 years of experience in leadership, merchandising, and category management in the outdoor sporting goods, athletic fitness, and lifestyle industries. She got her start at Banana Republic as a project manager before relocating to Nike to work in category management. She went on to work in merchandising, licensing, and consulting for brands like Eagle Creek, Puma, and Skull Candy before reconnecting with Roy and joining Noto Group in 2022. 

Principal Search Consultant Tami Bumiller has 20 years of experience in hospitality operations, retail human resources, and agency recruiting. The first 10 years of her career were spent in restaurant operations for a variety of independent brands across the country, after which she transitioned into retail, working at Eddie Bauer and eventually serving as their Senior VP of HR. After working with Roy to build out Eddie Bauer’s leadership, Tami joined the team at Noto Group in 2019. 

Principal Search Consultant Lena Knofler started her career doing accounting and tax work at a family-owned aviation engineering investment company. After coaching sports teams in the area, she was inspired to shift gears towards talent development for a small local agency in Portland, in addition to doing in-house recruitment work for Providence Healthcare. Her career journey led her to Noto Group, where she has been a Search Consultant since 2019. 

Highlights from our conversation include:

• What it’s like to be an executive recruiter (5:54)
• What today’s candidates want and need (9:06)
• Key talent strategy trends for 2023 (13:38)
• Leadership qualities executives should have in order to stand out (19:30)
• Factors that will make the difference between success and failure in hiring this year (24:59)
• Developments in executive compensation (29:22)
• What the team is excited about moving forward (31:07)

Get your tickets for MO Summit 2023: April 24th-26th in Austin, Texas!

Tickets are available at mo-summit.com - use code NOTO for a discount.

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Roy sits down with Seungah Jeong, President and CEO of MPOWERD, a Certified B Corporation specializing in sustainable, affordable, and thoughtfully designed renewable energy products. Not only does MPOWERD offer a host of highly functional, energy efficient tools for lighting, charging, utility, recreation, and power storage, they are also dedicated to distributing clean energy to people worldwide via their partnerships with hundreds of NGOs and non-profit organizations. Prior to her tenure at MPOWERD, Seungah built her experience in CPG at companies like Procter & Gamble and Nest Fragrances. She came to MPOWERD in 2016 to help develop the brand, expand their range of products, and amplify the company’s social and environmental impacts in the process. Seungah and Roy discuss her team building experience at Nest, how MPOWERD’s mission and values influence their recruitment practices, as well as the key characteristics she looks for in bringing talent along on a purpose-driven brand journey.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Building a successful team from the ground up at Nest (4:36)
• One crucial trait she looks for in potential candidates (7:56)
• Similarities between the outdoor and beauty industries (12:19)
• Why an innovation mindset is essential in business (15:10)
• How MPOWERD’s values factor into their recruitment process (17:53)
• How she assesses a candidate’s connection to mission and purpose (20:38)
• When to hire internally vs. externally (26:20)
• Developing an effective hiring strategy and roadmap (28:40) 
• How to maximize a team’s potential during periods of growth (29:38)
• Key qualities Seungah looks for in evaluating leaders (32:23)
• Factors that have contributed to hiring mistakes (36:27)
• Seungah’s perspective on in-office vs. remote vs. hybrid work (40:22)
• Her advice to entrepreneurs just starting out in their career (44:24)

Use code HOWIHIRE at MPOWERD.com to receive 20% off your order.

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