Jackson Jeyanayagam is an accomplished executive leader whose work has spanned across many industry sectors and a wide range of organizations. He began his career on the agency side, where he worked for 15 years before pivoting into digital marketing, P&L management, and DTC growth for top brands like Chipotle, Clorox, and AB InBev. Jackson also has experience on the startup side, having served as CMO for Boxed, a DTC startup. Most recently, Jackson was responsible for founding and scaling RTD brand Hey, Hei for AB InBev, helping to incubate the brand and develop a startup mentality under AB InBev’s larger corporate umbrella.

Jackson and Roy discuss the parallels between agency work and developing a startup, the necessity for widening the hiring funnel to better include outside strategies and perspectives, and the ways in which conventional interviewing methods are keeping brands from attracting and securing top tier talent.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Jackson’s experiences at startups vs. more established brands (2:07)
• How he builds teams when coming into new organizations (5:11)
• Jackson’s process for determining opportunities for change (and what not to mess with when starting a new role) (8:19)
• Gauging intentional and unintentional toxicity within one’s team (13:21)
• The intersection between curiosity, vulnerability, learning, and hiring (16:07)
• How Jackson is intentional about influencing and shaping culture (21:58)
• His process for making executive-level hiring decisions and who’s involved (23:18)
• Ensuring the hiring process is equitable and attractive to a diverse range of talent (24:06)
• Talent market trends Jackson’s noticed from both the candidate and hiring sides (25:26)

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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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Nadine Hall is a cross-functional business leader, having spent decades innovating in apparel and consumer products at companies like HanesBrands and Sara Lee. At both the president and SVP levels, Nadine oversaw billions of dollars of retail value, built and developed successful teams, and established high-growth business models across a variety of product lines and business units. Nadine’s leadership style includes a collaborative approach to innovative business strategy, data-driven analytics, and breakthrough models for brand growth and development. She’s also a board member, consultant, and advisor for companies in and outside the apparel industry.

Nadine and Roy discuss how she developed her approach to leadership, what she looks for when interviewing potential candidates, the importance of a forward-thinking hiring strategy, and much more.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Experiences that shaped Nadine’s approach to leadership and hiring (3:20)
• Development internal teams vs. recruiting external candidates (10:34)
• What Nadine looked for when hiring for her leadership team (12:28)
• Evaluating a candidate’s ability to navigate a large corporate matrix (19:14)
• Supporting her team when they were making high stakes hires (25:37)
• Lessons learned from hiring successes and failures (27:43)
• What Nadine wishes she knew earlier in her career (31:16)

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International business leader Hans Melotte has over 30 years of experience that combines global P&L accountability with functional leadership expertise across supply chain, procurement, technology, and sustainability. Hans is originally from Belgium, where he began his career in CPG at Procter & Gamble. Hans then spent over 20 years at Johnson & Johnson in the United States where he ultimately served as the Chief Procurement Officer before moving into food and beverage retail at Starbucks. Hans retired from his role as President of Global Channel Development at Starbucks in 2022 and is now focused on giving back as an adviser and mentor.

Hans and Roy discuss what it takes to be a modern supply chain leader, the lessons Hans learned working with some of the largest brands in the world, the differences between North American and European business cultures, and much more.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Factors that influenced Hans’s approach to leadership (5:07)
• CPG experience at P&G and J&J versus retail experience at Starbucks (6:48)
• Differences between American and European business cultures (11:38)
• His motivation to change industries and roles (15:09)
• Assessing and developing the capabilities of teams (18:06)
• The value of authentic leadership (21:06)
• Hans’s hiring strategy (22:40)
• Qualities that Hans looks for in fellow leaders and teammates (24:51)
• Incorporating stakeholders/partner perspectives into the recruitment process (27:42)
• Authentic interviewing and talent evaluation (29:02)
• Essential qualities of a successful supply chain leader (32:26)
• The importance of being in the moment (38:15)

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Kate Sargent is a talent acquisition expert and job search strategy coach, assisting both companies and candidates alike in matching top talent with career defining roles. In Part 2 of their deep dive conversation, Kate and Roy dig into best practices for interview preparation, how to effectively assess whether a job opportunity is a good fit, the most common mistakes job seekers make when interviewing, and what interviewers are listening for in the process.

Kate lends a unique perspective to the conversation – she’s served as Head of Global Talent Acquisition for iconic brands like Allbirds and Method, and has most recently served as the VP of People Operations at The Citizenry. Simultaneously, Kate’s built a successful career coaching business, helping candidates refine their search strategy, hone their job seeking assets, and distill their experience into highly relevant and engaging interviews. Her expansive knowledge of the talent pipeline and acquisition process make this discussion essential listening for both candidates and recruiters.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Common interviewing mistakes (1:19)
• Tips and tricks for getting back on track during an interview (5:21)
• How interviewees can gather information about a potential opportunity during the interview process (10:00)
• What you should know about a company before interviewing (11:28)
• One important skill to demonstrate interviews (13:44)
• How to expertly answer the notorious “weaknesses” question (16:10)
• What interviewers are listening for in a job seeker’s responses (20:56)
• Assessing whether a role is right for you as a job seeker (23:06)
• Kate’s advice on staying resilient during the job search process (25:01)
• The importance of being a good steward for others (26:56)

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Kate Sargent is a talent acquisition expert and job search strategy coach, assisting both companies and candidates alike in matching top talent with career defining roles. In Part 1 of their deep dive conversation, Kate and Roy discuss how candidates can successfully approach and prepare for a job search, and how fostering authentic relationships in the networking process can make or break a job search.

Kate lends a unique perspective to the conversation – she’s served as Head of Global Talent Acquisition for iconic brands like Allbirds and Method, and has most recently served as the VP of People Operations at The Citizenry. Simultaneously, Kate’s built a successful career coaching business, helping candidates refine their search strategy, hone their job seeking assets, and distill their experience into highly relevant and engaging interviews. Her expansive knowledge of the talent pipeline and acquisition process make this discussion essential listening for both candidates and recruiters.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• How Kate coaches and supports job seekers (3:59)
• How to prepare for a job search (5:47)
• The importance of distilling and communicating personal narratives (11:29)
• Ways in which Kate helps job candidates develop a focused job search (17:02)
• How to track progress during the job search (22:23)
• Using resources like Linkedin to research roles, network, and maintain relationships (25:36)
• Ways to foster authentic and reciprocal relationships (27:29)
• Tips to help job seekers network more successfully (30:26)
• Building and maintaining relationships with recruiters (34:18)

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Bryan Adams is the founder and CEO of Ph.Creative, an employer branding agency helping companies attract top talent. Ph.Creative works with brands to distill and express clear, authentic employee value propositions in order to enhance the applicant experience and retain candidates. Their clients include LinkedIn, Apple, Nike, and many more.

Bryan is also the best-selling author of Give and Get Employer Branding: Repel the Many and Compel the Few with Impact, Purpose, and Belonging, in which he discusses the ins and outs of employer branding, as well as the philosophy and methodology behind his work. Bryan and Roy discuss the integral role of brand reputation in talent attraction, the importance of culture and citizenship within a company, recent recruitment trends, and much more. 

Highlights from our conversation include:

• The concept of repelling and compelling the right talent (3:22)
• How Bryan and his team at Ph.Creative help client companies (4:45)
• The process of distilling and refining an organization’s EVP (6:01)
• Finding the balance between an organization’s reality of today and their aspirations for tomorrow (7:36)
• The business case for employer branding strategy (9:19)
• When differently sized brands should start developing/implementing their employer strategy and who typically initiates the process (10:55)
• Aligning business strategy with employer brand strategy (14:30)
• How to measure ROI on employer branding and talent attraction efforts (17:36)
• Maintaining an employer brand (19:52)
• Recent talent acquisition trends, challenges, and opportunities (21:51)
• Where companies typically fall short in employer branding and talent attraction (27:23)
• How Ph.Creative helps companies avoid false negatives and hiring mistakes (29:16)

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