How I Hire

Shaun Belongie is the CEO of New Belgium Brewery. He previously served as VP of Marketing for New Belgium before becoming CMO and then CEO in 2023. Shaun has over 20 years of CPG experience, having managed marketing innovation and brand direction for iconic companies like Nestle Purina and Kraft Foods. He’s helped build and maintain New Belgium’s human-powered business model as the brand grows and expands, all the while stewarding the brewery’s legacy and people-centric culture. Shaun joins Roy to discuss the challenges and opportunities during his journey from CMO to CEO, the differences between working at a large CPG brand versus a smaller, more nimble company, how New Belgium embodies and enacts their foundational values, and much more. Highlights from our conversation include: Shaun’s transition from CMO to CEO at New Belgium (3:35)Challenges he’s confronted as New Belgium’s CEO (6:14)Shaun’s experience serving as New Belgium’s CMO (9:53)Shaun’s perspective on building and shaping culture as CEO (12:09)New Belgium’s human-powered business model (14:55)Maintaining authentic values throughout periods of growth (16:16)How his son’s health crisis inspired him to think differently about life and leadership (18:35)Leadership lessons that carried over from Shaun’s Kraft and Purina days (21:11)How changes in the industry are affecting Shaun’s approach to hiring (23:08)Leadership qualities that Shaun seeks in his senior executive team (25:01)How technology fits into his strategic plan (25:48)Guidance he’d offer to somebody early in their career (28:18)What Shaun’s most excited about in the future (30:13)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

David Stever is the former CEO and CMO of beloved ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s. David started with the company back in the early 80’s, working as a tour guide at their factory in Waterbury, Vermont. Over time, David ascended within Ben & Jerry’s, helping to grow the then start-up into an iconic, multinational corporation. Over the course of his decades-long career there, David led marketing initiatives, drove massive brand growth, expanded global market share, and helped facilitate reinvention and product innovation, all while keeping Ben & Jerry’s social mission front and center. He joins Roy to discuss his journey from tour guide to C-Suite, the many learnings he took from founders Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the profound effect of pursuing a triple bottom line, and much more.        Highlights from our conversation include: David’s initial interest in the ice cream industry and how it evolved into his career (1:32)Working with Ben and Jerry in the early days (3:50)Leadership lessons learned through periods of massive growth and scaling (6:13)David’s strengths and keys to success as Ben & Jerry’s CMO (8:48)What surprised him the most when he transitioned from CMO to CEO (13:48)What it means to do “business as unusual” (15:29)The influence of Ben & Jerry’s blend of activism and commerce on his leadership (18:12)How David defines Ben & Jerry’s unique culture and how he helped sustain it through the years and through acquisition (20:26)Successful hiring throughout Ben & Jerry’s different phases (22:48)Qualities David sought in his top leadership team (27:40)What he believes is often overlooked when assessing prospective talent (28:47)David’s next chapter and what he’s most excited about in looking ahead (31:00)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Jason Bronstad is the CEO of Malk Organics, a clean-label, plant-based milk and creamer brand. Jason began his career in the food and beverage industry at Sara Lee, serving across several managerial and directorial positions between 2004 and 2010. He then went on to become VP of Sales at Mike’s Hard Lemonade and then the President of Mighty Swell Cocktail Company before joining purpose-led start up, Malk Organics, in 2020. He joins Roy to discuss the ins and outs of shaping culture, values-driven hiring, evaluating talent, learning to keep things simple, and much more. Highlights from our conversation include:Core beliefs and values that comprise Jason’s leadership playbook (3:55)Connection to mission (6:12)Hiring lessons learned during periods of brand growth and development (8:20)Key characteristics of high-performing leaders (11:40)Important traits Jason seeks in his direct reports (14:15)Evaluating cultural fit in prospective talent (15:50)The parts of Malk’s culture that make Jason most proud (18:08)Jason’s definition of success and how it’s evolved over the course of his career (20:22)His advice for the next generation of CPG leaders (21:10)

Christiana Smith Shi is a seasoned leader in global, multichannel retail, co-author of national, best-selling book Career Forward: Strategies From Women Who’ve Made It, founder and principal at Lovejoy Advisors, LLC., and an experienced corporate director on multiple Fortune 100 boards. Christiana made an early career pivot from finance to join McKinsey & Company, where she ultimately served as Senior Partner. After 25 years in management consulting, Christiana became the President of Direct-to-Consumer at Nike. In 2016, she retired from Nike and founded Lovejoy Advisors to help provide guidance around digital transformation for consumer and retail businesses. She joins Roy to share insights into navigating a rewarding career, talent lessons from McKinsey and Nike, and much more. Highlights from our conversation include:The timely issue that prompted her to write a book (3:58)Why Christiana puts career first, job second (9:18)How to take a strategic long view with your career (10:55)Advice for building “professional equity” (15:27)What it means to “think like an investor” when it comes to your career (16:58)Christiana’s core leadership philosophy (22:20)Her perspective on the value of leadership coaching (25:38)The role of feedback as a leader (26:47)Lessons learned about hiring and talent and the major differences between hiring at McKinsey and Nike (30:25)How Christiana worked to integrate her team into the culture of Nike (35:35)Identifying strengths and opportunities of a team (37:20)How to avoid what she calls "benevolent stagnation” (42:09)How Christiana has applied her career experience and strategies to her work on boards (45:19)Advice for landing board roles (46:45)The ultimate payoff of a rewarding career and what Christiana is thinking about for the future (55:05)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Fabrizio Gamberini is a seasoned executive with nearly three decades of strategic leadership expertise and global brand management across a wide variety of business sectors. He currently serves as Vibram Corporation’s President and Global Chief Brand Officer. Prior to his time at Vibram, Fabrizio led large-scale marketing and retail management efforts for major brands like HP and Nike. He also led brand redevelopment, evolution, and acquisition for eyewear companies like Marcolin and Geox before landing at Vibram. Fabrizio joins Roy to discuss how his foundational leadership skills were honed at HP, the importance of getting out from behind the desk to engage the consumer, how truth and trust are key to effective teambuilding, and much more. Highlights from our conversation include:Core leadership lessons learned in his early career (3:19)Key values and beliefs instilled during Fabrizio’s tenure at Nike (6:05)Navigating and leading through cycles of massive consumer change (10:07)The role that talent has played across his many executive positions (11:21)The efficacy of leadership coaching in developing teams (17:06)Attracting mission and purpose-aligned candidates (19:01)Hiring in large companies vs. smaller, scrappier organizations (22:47)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Jennifer Ingraffea is a seasoned executive leader with over 25 years of experience in the retail, apparel, product merchandising, and management sectors. In July 2025, Jennifer became the CEO of Pendleton Woolen Mills; a family-owned business since its founding in the 1860s. Before joining Pendleton, she served as Chief Product & Merchandising Officer at The North Face, prior to which, she worked at Nike in a number of high-level executive leadership roles. Jennifer and Roy discuss her new role and dig into essential leadership skills like curiosity, stewardship, and much more.Highlights from our conversation include:Core beliefs, values, and principles in Jenn’s leadership playbook (2:53)Leading through cycles of massive consumer and retail evolution (5:39)Identifying areas of a business that are in need of clarification and simplification (7:36)Aligning a team towards a long term vision (11:01)Lessons learned around hiring and team building at major brands (14:58)How Jenn developed her hiring process and philosophy (17:07)What a great leader looks like to Jenn (18:36)Valuable traits that Jenn identifies when hiring direct reports (22:58)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Kiernan Laughlin is the General Manager and co-creator of Deep Indian Kitchen, a growing CPG brand whose mission is to bring a modern, high-quality Indian food experience to consumers worldwide. Kiernan previously held senior brand management roles at large CPG companies like Johnson & Johnson and Unilever, and he spent his early career in marketing, promotions, and partnership leadership at Gorton’s Seafood.Highlights from our conversation include:Core business and leadership lessons from Kiernan’s career in multi-stage CPG (1:26)Useful skills Kiernan picked up outside of work that have percolated into his leadership style (5:27)Going from a structured corporate environment to leading an emerging brand (8:01)The challenges and opportunities of building a team through rebranding (11:22)Elements that make a successful relationship between CEO and Founder (19:36)Keeping his team aligned and agile as the company evolves (21:48)Hiring for qualities that go beyond the resume (22:49)How Deep connects their mission to action through their foundation (27:08)Advice for the next generation of CPG leaders (30:13)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Executive leader and board member Wilma Wallace joins Roy to discuss her experience recruiting and mentoring leadership teams at Gap and REI during her extensive career at both legacy brands. After spending over 20 years in senior roles at Gap, Wilma served as Chief Diversity and Social Impact Officer, as well as Chief Legal Officer at REI. In 2024, she retired to focus on impacting change, particularly from an equity, access, and justice perspective, on several boards. Her work centers social impact, environmental justice, and human rights in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. Wilma and Roy discuss accounting for and addressing changing levels of trust across organizations, internal succession planning versus seeking external candidates, the link between alignment of purpose and successful performance in leadership teams, and much more.     Highlights from our conversation include:How Wilma evaluates candidates’ leadership abilities (4:18)Creating an environment that fosters high potential future leaders (6:48)Recruiting external talent (8:26)Leadership assessment practices at Gap & REI (11:08)Ensuring that an organization’s culture stays dynamic and resilient (14:01)Leading and hiring through periods of growth and change (17:35)Ways in which leaders should be vetting culture and values before taking on new leadership roles (20:30)What gives Wilma hope about the next generation of leaders (23:00)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Talent acquisition expert Heather Flynn joins Roy to discuss the ins and outs of successful recruitment strategy. Heather recently served as the SVP of Talent Acquisition for Aritzia, prior to which she led hiring efforts for other major brands like Nike and ASML. Roy and Heather dig into the essential role of talent strategy, the importance of strong employment branding and candidate engagement, the emerging application of AI in recruiting, and much more.Highlights from our conversation include:How holistic talent strategy informs a successful business strategy (5:52)Current trends, challenges, and opportunities facing top talent acquisition leaders (7:54)Key elements of a successful talent acquisition strategy (9:58)How Heather assesses an organization’s hiring bar (13:45)Ways that hiring leaders can step up their game (16:11)Heather’s approach to helping hiring teams make the best candidate decisions (17:45)What growing consumer brands look for in a leader and how it’s evolved recently (20:07)How she approached talent strategy at Aritzia (22:14)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Coach, speaker, and author Patrick Galvin joins Roy to discuss the principles laid out in his recent book The Connector’s Way. Patrick’s work focuses on the essential role of personal connection and relationship building in our day to day life, our business practices, our sense of success, and more. As co-founder and partner of The Galvanizing Group and author of several books exploring the nuances of social connection and trust building, Patrick helps high-performing companies and individuals achieve greater levels of success in business by strengthening internal and external relationships. Patrick and Roy dig into the many ways to practice relationship building, the pitfalls of networking without connecting, why it pays to be “the keener,” and much more.Highlights from our conversation include:The important distinction between connecting and networking (5:02)Ways in which hybrid/remote work impact connection (7:11)Using Patrick’s methods to build trust, engagement, and performance (9:16)Embedding relationship building into company culture and leadership development practices (12:53)The intersection of connection and recruiting (18:52)Balancing work, life, and maintaining strong relationships (20:58)Metrics that leaders can use to track or improve their ability to foster connections (26:36)How Patrick sees technological advances impacting the formation and maintenance of relationships (29:59)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Fred Miller and Judith Katz of The Kaleel Jamison Consulting Group have spent the last few decades on the cutting edge of diversity and inclusion thought leadership and organizational development. For the last 50 years, KJCG has assisted organizations in creating inclusive, collaborative workplaces that leverage differences to achieve higher performance and engagement. Judith and Fred have co authored multiple books on diversity, inclusion, collaboration, trust, authenticity, and teamwork, and they join Roy to discuss their latest groundbreaking book, The Power of Agency: Cultivating Autonomy, Authority, and Leadership in Every Role.Highlights from our conversation include:The next crucial step beyond inclusion and diversity (2:30)How agency impacts organizational efficiency and performance (4:24)The key difference between empowerment and agency (7:18)A leader’s role in an agency-forward organization (8:50)How to evaluate a leader for their capacity to promote agency (10:00)What this leadership shift means for organizations (11:10)How the COVID 19 pandemic influenced changes around agency (12:28)Six critical factors that foster a culture of agency (16:00)How to avoid a “runaway train” when implementing this strategy (18:36)The first steps leaders can take toward unleashing agency (20:42)How to evaluate the level of agency in an organization (22:45)Common barriers in unleashing agency (23:30)The important distinction between being kind and being nice (24:55)How AI and other technologies might affect agency in the workplace (27:06)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode, and check out Roy’s past conversation with Fred and Judith on recruiting, supporting, and retaining a diverse workforce.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Career coach and HR consultant Kate Sargent returns for the third installment of our series exploring tips, insights, and advice for job seekers. Kate is the founder of KJS Consulting, where she helps candidates prepare and polish all aspects of their job search strategy. Prior to starting her coaching business, she recruited for brands like The North Face, Allbirds, Method, and The Citizenry. In Part 3 of their deep dive, Kate and Roy discuss the art – and science – of negotiation. Together, they dig into the complexities of reaching agreeable compensation for a new role, the pros and cons of equity, how to leave a job graciously, and the importance of maintaining positivity through employment changes. Highlights from our conversation include:Negotiating compensation when fielding a job offer (1:43)Skillfully navigating and understanding equity, bonuses, and benefits (5:03)Other important variables to be aware of while negotiating a new role (7:16)How to quit and gracefully negotiate your exit (12:33)When, why, and where to get HR involved (14:27)The nuances of separation agreements (16:36)Contracting after leaving your role versus making a clean break (21:48)Dos and don’ts of posting on social media after leaving your job (23:02)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode, and check out Part 1 and Part 2 of Roy and Kate’s job search series, as well as our in-depth conversations about networking and interviewing.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Career coach and HR consultant Kate Sargent is back for Part 2 of our three-part discussion series around strategies, guidance, and best practices for job seekers. Kate is the founder of KJS Consulting and has led extensive recruiting efforts for brands like The Citizenry, Method, The North Face, and Allbirds. In Part 2, Kate and Roy explore the ins and outs of interviewing. Together, they dig into important topics like recommendations for feeling and appearing prepared, ways to successfully frame competencies and experience, how to best approach challenging interview questions, and much more.   Highlights from our conversation include:Important things to research about a company before your interview (1:44)Preparing for difficult interview questions (3:47)How to clearly and accurately convey leadership experience (7:14)Going high level in answering interview questions vs. getting into the details (9:39)Cues to be aware of (11:24)How to communicate weaknesses or limited experience (17:24)The value of having good questions prepared as an interviewee (20:54)How to follow up after an interview (24:30)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Career coach and HR consultant Kate Sargent returns to the podcast for a special, three-part deep-dive into advice, insights, and recommendations for job seekers. Kate is the founder of KJS Consulting and has an impressive track record in recruiting for major brands like The North Face, Allbirds, Method, and The Citizenry. At KJS Consulting, Kate helps job seekers contextualize, articulate, and organize their stories in order to land ideal opportunities. In Part 1 of this conversation series, Roy and Kate dig into the functions of different kinds of recruiters, best practices for candidates in cultivating relationships with search firms and consultants, major do’s and don’ts during the hiring process, and the long range perspective necessary to building a comprehensive job search strategy.Highlights from our conversation include:Ways in which Kate supports and coaches job seekers (3:12)Understanding the role of different recruiters and how they work (4:30)Why communication from recruiters might feel inconsistent or challenging at times (5:58)How candidates can evaluate whether or not a search firm is a good fit (10:18)What candidates should expect when reaching out to a recruiter (12:29)Effective ways for candidates to build relationships with search consultants (15:00)Respecting the recruiter during the hiring process (16:08)The importance of candidate honesty and accuracy in targeting opportunities (21:51)Leveraging your relationships for a long game strategy (23:43)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Board recruiting advisor Kris Stred breaks down the role and impact of an effective board and how to find experienced directors. Kris has over 15 years of board search experience and is the founder of Stred Executive Search LLC. Before starting her own firm, Kris was a lawyer for publicly-traded and privately-held companies. Her first-hand involvement with the board’s fiduciary duties in high-stakes situations and the important dynamics of teams of business leaders propelled her to become a recruiter. She gained a deep understanding of what it takes to form a balanced and functional board of directors.Highlights from our conversation include:The role and common structure of a board (3:19)How boards are evolving (5:59)When companies should develop a board (7:20)Why companies might look for professional support when recruiting a board (9:28)Pitfalls of the traditional board recruiting process and how to avoid them (11:56)The biggest difference between board and executive recruiting (15:27)What to look for in a board candidate (17:42)Screening for mission and values (21:14)One vital lesson from successes and failures (22:40)Mitigating risk factors (24:00)Key advice for incoming directors (25:27)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

Noto Group’s team of principal search consultants break down key workforce and leadership trends they’re seeing for 2025 and beyond. Sara Spirko, Lena Knofler, and Tami Bumiller discuss predictions and actionable advice for those seeking top talent in the year ahead.Highlights from our conversation include:Challenges, opportunities, and reflections on 2024 (2:27)How client and candidate priorities are shifting (5:01)3 essential competencies for modern leaders (10:00)How boards and CEOs can leverage search firms for success in 2025 (13:00)What’s making employers competitive in the talent market today (17:46)Creative compensation packages (20:11)Smart solutions to persistent hybrid/remote/on-site challenges (22:35)Attracting top talent to outlying locations (22:58)Current factors to consider when asking candidates to relocate (25:12)Guidance for executives seeking new roles this year (26:29)Reasons to be optimistic in 2025 and beyond (29:29)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Listen to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

When the stakes are high, hiring the right leader can make or break your business. How I Hire dives into bold hiring strategies, historic market shifts, and heroic leadership stories from the best executives in the game.

Organizational psychologists Dr. Ted Freeman and Dr. Stacey Philpot return to the podcast with a deep dive into their approach to working with teams. Ted is the founder of Ted Freeman Advisory, where he applies his decades of experience in organizational knowledge and strategy to help companies function more smoothly. His clients include major brands like Arcteryx, Eileen Fisher, Bristol Myers Squibb, Wüsthof.Stacey is a managing partner at Executive Development Consulting, where she utilizes over two decades of leadership development, executive coaching, and high-performance succession planning. Stacey’s clients include Apple, General Mills, Harley Davidson, Johnson & Johnson, and Nike.Ted and Stacey often collaborate on their advisory work, leveraging their combined experience in organizational effectiveness and culture and brand development to help increase the competitive edge of some of the world’s largest companies. Both are longtime friends and colleagues of Noto Group and How I Hire.In this episode, Ted, Stacey, and Roy delve into the complex dynamics inherent to working with teams. They discuss challenges they consistently hear from leaders, how to enhance a sense of inter-team competency, the necessity of translating and communicating context between leaders and teams, as well as commonly accepted myths about what constitutes a high-performing team.Highlights from our conversation include:How leaders and team members struggle with team dynamics in different ways (5:35)Common concerns expressed by leaders about teams (9:21) How to diffuse and rectify a lack of trust between leaders and teams (11:29)Important guidelines for Ted & Stacey’s approach (14:17)What high-performing teams really look like (18:33)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

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)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon

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)Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.Follow Roy Notowitz and Noto Group Executive Search on LinkedIn for updates and featured career opportunities.Subscribe to How I Hire:AppleSpotifyAmazon