What’s the best part of your job?
The challenge of bringing the consumer something new and innovative in a challenging segment of the grocery industry. There is a lot of risk taking in the general merchandise seasonal world, which is a little out of my comfort zone, but is also a fun and exciting area of the business to work in. In my role, I have to consistently keep up with trends on both the style of products and methods that they’re offered to consumers while making assortment decisions almost a year out. I enjoy the change of the seasons and the segments within the season and drive to try new things in the seasonal categories.
What inspires your leadership approach?
In taking on my first position with a team of people reporting to me, my leadership inspiration comes from what I desire to have in my own leader. If a leader has a strong foundation of trust and hard work, they can inspire their team to achieve great things. I want to empower my team to always learn and challenge themselves to do new things. I want to create opportunities for them to find passion in what they do and areas of growth each and every day.
What do you cherish most about being a part of the industry?
I truly enjoy being a part of an industry that is focused on quality and value for consumers. As part of Retail Business Services, we have the privilege of serving six retail grocery brands, all with different customers and unique opportunities and challenges. I have shopped at Hannaford since I was a kid and I never understood or appreciated what went into each and every product on shelf in the store. It is amazing the amount of work that goes into each product, from ideation to scan at checkout.