BRAVE COMMERCE

Author Rishad Tobaccowala joins hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter to discuss navigating remote work environments. Rishad opens by explaining the value of working from home and how the COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to utilize technologies they had at their disposal to make remote work fully functional. He explains how many companies are quick to come back to the office and return to...

Neel Arora, newly deemed Global Head of eCommerce at Nestle, has gained an impressive expertise in the eCommerce industry across regions, industries & retailers. Using his experience, Neel advises brands on where to invest & focus their longterm strategies to fulfill effectively balance profitability with consumer needs. Specifically, he discusses the value in of “Q-Commerce”, educating or...

Kalen Thornton, Chief Marketing Officer of Gatorade at PepsiCo, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter to discuss marketing and product innovation. Kalen begins by explaining his atypical career, being a professional athlete and finance professional, and then applying those skills to his current work in marketing. As a leader of the Gatorade brand, Kalen shares how his experience as a f...

Antoine Borde, VP of Global eCommerce at Danone, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph and Sarah Hofstetter to discuss adding value to a product with the consumer’s needs top of mind. Antoine starts by speaking about how Danone has been challenged and inspired by its competitors. He also explains how smaller and newer brands have an “always on” mindset when connecting with customers. Recalling his vast exp...

Julie Bowerman, Chief Marketing Officer of Kellogg Company, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss evolving marketing measurement in an omnichannel world. Julie first recalls her experience working for Coca-Cola and how educational it was for her to work there as eCommerce for food and beverage was emerging. Further, she talks about the importance of culture and how she’s b...

Mark Edmonson, Chief Marketing Officer of Materne North America, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss diverse representation. He talks about his experience as a marketer and how he came to his current position with Marterne. He speaks on the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion and being represented as a black gay man in the marketing field. Recognizing the impo...

Francesca Hahn, VP of Digital Commerce, eCommerce, and DTC at Mondelēz International, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss seamless brand experiences for consumers. Francesca shares how online media is an extension of the brand. She mentions that the goal is to make the brand experience, online or in person, seamless for the consumer. She talks about learning from mistake...

Cindy Gallop, Founder & CEO of MakeLoveNotPorn, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss regulated industries. To begin, Cindy shares how she created MakeLoveNotPorn, a company that is “Pro sex, Pro porn, Pro knowing the difference”. She explains how the SexTech industry is highly regulated, labeling all content as “adult content”. Cindy speaks on how she first defined Se...

Clive Sirkin, Executive Chairman of Screendragon, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss business strategy. Clive shares the major blindspots he’s recognized that most brands endure. He shares the importance of learning from past mistakes and evolving strategies accordingly. Clive explains how to inspire high performance from talent and get the right people to work for your...

Esi Seng, CEO of Tate’s Bake Shop, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss scaling an acquired brand. Esi shares the remarkable story of Tate’s Bake Shop and how founder, Kathleen King, created the cookie brand. She talks about the brand’s more recent acquisition by Mondelez, and how as CEO, she has maintained a keen focus on culture in this process. She discusses the integr...

Brie Olson and Alfred Chang, the President and Co-CEO of PacSun, join hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss consumer identity. Brie and Alfred speak on how PacSun, as a clothing brand, is catering to evolving views on gender and gender neutrality. They explain how they promote inclusivity with their product while still catering to their target audience. They also discuss using d...

Charlie Chappell, VP of Media at The Hershey Company joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss retail media. Charlie discusses Hershey’s company structure, which emphasizes alignment among media, creative, and growth. He explains the importance of streamlining any touchpoint with which the consumer interacts. The three talk about retailer relationships, educating and negotiati...

Claudine Patel, CMO of Post Consumer Brands joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss customer relationships in the CPG eCommerce space. Claudine speaks on how everything a brand does impacts how consumers see them. The three of them discuss inflation, and Claudine explains how to assess the value of your product, gauging the impact it has on the consumers’ everyday lives. In...

Gentiane Barret, Global eCommerce Lead at Sanofi, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss how her nonlinear career has contributed to her success as a leader in global eCommerce. Gentiane explains how she uses the innovation skills she developed from her time at Google to impact her current role at Sanofi. She discusses how now, working at a smaller company she can make a la...

Seth Kaufman, President of Moët Hennessy, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss building an exceptional workplace. Seth talks about the importance of tracking success and achievements transparently so the company can be agile and stay motivated. Seth discusses the vitality of inclusivity, sustainability, and DEI. He explains how this empowers employees through servant lead...

Katie Kirkpatrick, VP of Digital Commerce at Bacardi, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss how the digital shelf influences omnichannel consumers. She talks about how employees are inspired to develop an “ownership mentality” and take pride in their work at Bacardi. She then discusses the future of alcohol eCommerce, and last-mile delivery. She explains that the digital s...

Marie-Jeanne Matei, Vice President of eCommerce at Ferrero, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss how to stay on shopping lists in a constantly evolving market. Marie-Jeanne talks about Ferrero as a confectionary brand, and how they manage to stay relevant to consumers. She speaks on the importance of strategically executing paid media and methods to get on the first page...

Sara Aubitz, Director of Customer Insights and Analytics at Clorox, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss embracing and building eCommerce as a company. Coming from a sales and merchandising background, Sara speaks on how she transitioned to work in CPG eCommerce. She talks about how Clorox built their eCommerce team early, allowing them to mature and adjust as eCommerce h...

Keith Bryan, President of Best Buy joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss the evolution of digital commerce and media. Since technology shoppers typically take longer to make a decision on a purchase, Keith talks about the need for first-party data to curate customer-centric advertising. This includes creating standardization among marketing efforts, leveraging advertising...

Surabhi Pokhriyal, Chief Digital Growth Officer at Church & Dwight, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter for a second time on the podcast, this time with Chief Marketing Officer, Barry Bruno. Together, they share how their experience in various fields (marketing, supply chain, sales) have shaped their approach to business. Barry talks about the process of developing a role that...

Kara Rousseau, VP of Marketing at Walmart Connect, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss best practices for developing omnichannel marketing strategies. Kara explores the significance of creating “customer moments” in eCommerce, aligning brand and marketing strategies with the customer at the right point in the shopping journey, and connecting content and commerce.  Hosted...

Channan Sawhney, Director Global eCommerce at Johnson & Johnson, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss global eCommerce. Channan shares her expert opinion on assortment strategies for large eCommerce brands and discusses the practice of maintaining and building global retailer relationships. Further, they talk about the evolution of the eCommerce ecosystem, the role of...

Chris Perry, Chief Learning Officer, and Oskar Kaszubski, Chief Growth Officer of firstmovr join hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss the importance of innovation in the retail industry. They speak on the benefits of client and global partner networking. Chris and Oskar recall their extensive experience in the CPG and retail industry and how willingness to adapt, storytelling,...

Pam Kaufman, Paramount’s President, Global Consumer Products and Experiences, joins hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to discuss the evolution of consumer products. In this episode, they talk about the IP-to-consumer goods pipeline, the metaverse, NFTs, and livestreaming. Pam also shares what she’s learned about leading a major brand. (Note: Since recording this interview, ViacomCBS ha...

Tony Navin, Head of eCommerce, International at Kraft Heinz sits down with BRAVE COMMERCE hosts Rachel Tipograph & Sarah Hofstetter to talk about global eCommerce. In this episode, they discuss the importance of interrelationships between brands and retailers. Navin speaks to his experience in scaling startups and the value of applying the startup mentality to the corporate world. Additionally...