Q. What were your first actions after joining Signet Jewelers?

I joined Signet in September 2019, six months before COVID-19 struck. I did the traditional listening tour initially, learning as much as possible about the company because this was my first foray into retail. I come primarily from consumer product companies. There is a greater speed to the overall retail sector, especially when it comes to how quickly consumer preferences change.

One key to success was engaging my team to develop our strategic plan vs. going off on my own and coming back to the team with the outcome once I had leadership approval. Conducting a SWOT analysis enabled me to integrate the team in the process and highlighted areas that I hadn’t fully appreciated from the outside. This inclusive approach set the stage for a collaborative and trusting culture within procurement. Our strategic plan, which included a new operating model, a multi-year capability-building plan, a technology road map, and an overall investment plan, was well received and fully endorsed by our CEO, CFO, and CSCO. We were then off to the races!

Q. What were your key lessons from the COVID-19 shutdown?

Transitioning from my former company, where demand remained high during the lockdowns, to Signet Jewelers, a retailer that had to close all 2,700 stores overnight, was undoubtedly challenging. My previous roles at consumer product companies like Coca-Cola, Kellogg’s, and Church & Dwight involved supporting operations for essential goods such as beverages, cereal, snacks, and personal care and household products — items that saw consistent demand even during the most stringent lockdowns. However, moving to Signet, where the sudden shutdown meant a complete halt to in-store operations, required a radically different approach to cost management and strategic planning.

When the pandemic hit, the immediate closure of all of our stores presented a significant challenge. We had to quickly pivot to manage costs effectively, ensuring that every dollar spent was aligned with our reduced operational needs. This situation tested our resilience and adaptability as a team. However, I firmly believe that every challenge presents an opportunity. The COVID-19 crisis was no exception; it allowed us to demonstrate our value and agility right from the outset by tightly aligning costs with the new realities of our business environment.

One of the most significant advantages we had was the foresight and leadership of our CEO, Gina Drosos, and CFO, Joan Hilson. Prior to the pandemic, they had already taken critical steps to strengthen our financial position. They emphasized building a robust e-commerce and digital infrastructure, which became pivotal when we found ourselves suddenly operating in a highly constrained environment with no physical stores. This strategic investment allowed us to pivot quickly to online sales, ensuring that we could continue to serve our customers despite the store closures.

The investment in our digital capabilities meant that we could capitalize on the shift in consumer behavior toward online shopping. This proactive approach not only helped mitigate the impact of the store closures, but also positioned us well for the future. As a result, while many in the retail sector struggled, we were able to maintain a level of operational continuity and customer engagement that kept us strong during the toughest periods of the pandemic.

Moreover, this experience underscored the importance of having a flexible and responsive procurement strategy. This involved moving very quickly to renegotiate contracts, optimize logistics, and ensure that our packaging solutions met the needs of a primarily e-commerce-driven business model. Our ability to adapt quickly to these changes was a testament to the strength and resilience of the entire Signet team.

Our approach during this period reinforced several key lessons about leadership and team dynamics under pressure. First, it highlighted the necessity of transparent and timely communication and collaboration across all levels of the organization. By fostering a culture of openness and inclusivity, we were able to mobilize our teams effectively, ensuring that everyone was aligned with our strategic objectives. Second, it demonstrated the critical role of emotional intelligence in navigating crises. By staying calm and composed, we could lead our teams through uncertainty, helping them to remain focused and motivated.
While the transition from a high-demand consumer products environment to navigating the complexities of a retail shutdown was challenging, it was also an invaluable learning experience for me. The proactive measures taken by our senior leadership, combined with our team's agility and resilience, allowed us to navigate the crisis successfully. This period not only proved our ability to manage costs effectively but also highlighted the importance of investing in digital transformation and fostering a strong, adaptable team culture. Through these efforts, we emerged stronger and better prepared for the future.

Q. What is your team’s area of responsibility and focus?  

My team covers non-merchandise spend including a wide range of traditional indirect categories, from marketing and advertising, IT, digital, general and professional services, store supplies to logistics, packaging, travel and relocation.
One of the significant areas of focus that was an outcome of our strategic planning was the development of a multi-year, customized, and personalized capability-building program. This initiative has been instrumental in improving our existing structure as well as increasing team member engagement and enabling our team members to grow their skillsets. By investing in the growth and development of our team, we have been able to enhance our overall performance and drive innovation within the procurement function.

In addition to our capability-building program, we recognized the need for more diversity among our suppliers. We launched the Supplier Diversity Program three years ago and have made great progress since then. In Fiscal 2024, Signet spent more than $54 million with diverse suppliers, bringing our cumulative spend to $160.5 million since the program launched. Since FY22 we have joined the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise Center, National Veteran Business Development Council and the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce to expand our Supplier Diversity Program. This commitment to diversity not only reflects our corporate values but also brings a wealth of perspectives and innovations to Signet. 

My team is structured into three key areas of focus: sourcing, operations, and program management. This structure creates the “horsepower” for our overall team by providing strong leadership and strategic direction. Here's a closer look at each focus area:

• Sourcing: This team is responsible for working closely with colleagues across the business, and in partnership with finance, to identify the right solutions with the best value for the company.  This team employs zero-based techniques to focus not only on price, but on specification standardization and optimization, consumption, and technology enablement. We take a multi-dimensional approach to manage our spend in the most cost-effective manner, through the filter of Signet’s purpose-driven mission.  
• Operations: The operations team manages the day-to-day procurement activities with a more tactical buying and category management approach for smaller spend areas, ensuring that all processes are efficient and effective. This team handles logistics, packaging, store supplies and utilities as well as analytics and budget management.  Tail spend management is also a focus for this team.
• Program Management: This team oversees our various procurement initiatives and programs, including capability-building programs, sourcing projects, ESG, supplier diversity and technology. This team manages travel and relocation operations, as well as overarching analytics and reporting.

One of the highlights of our procurement function is our commitment to sustainability, and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. We have integrated key ESG programs within our team, ensuring that our procurement activities align with our corporate sustainability goals. This includes everything from sourcing eco-friendly packaging to working with suppliers who share our commitment to social responsibility.

Q. How do you lead and foster high-performing teams?

I believe it’s all about the people, and it always will be. Building strong relationships means not putting yourself above others. As leaders, we have reached our positions through hard work, guidance from mentors, and support from those who have acted as our sounding boards. Sometimes, we've been in the right place at the right time and had a bit of luck on our side. Our individual journeys may differ, but there are many common threads. Despite the inevitable hierarchy, protocols, and bureaucracy in every company, at the end of the day, we’re all the same. When we retire, we leave our titles behind and the fact that we beat our budget by 10% five years ago is not quite as important. It’s crucial to treat each other with respect, kindness, and empathy, while remaining focused on our commitment to deliver for our company.

It’s all about engagement and how we treat others. For me, the "how" is often more important than the "what." I focus on how teams work together, how leaders lead, and how the team operates under stress. Emotional intelligence cannot be understated!  Having been in this profession for a long time, I’ve certainly made my own mistakes and it’s those learnings that inform much of my leadership style. I’ve learned that when people are in the heat of the moment, dealing with issues, they often feel like these challenges are insurmountable. One of my key approaches is focusing on the little things. I believe that when we get the small details right, we're better equipped to handle crises. During serious challenges, we think we’ll never get past them. Because I’ve experienced this numerous times, I’m now better able to help others put challenges in perspective and move forward. My focus is then on ensuring we don’t make the same mistake twice and are better prepared for the future. Having a manager who “has your back” is also critical.  

Recently, after some personal reflection and a willingness to be vulnerable with my team, I shared my personal journey and the wisdom I've gained during my career. Topics included how you learn, emotional intelligence, managing your manager, bias, taking ownership of your career, recognizing your audience, and finding paths to a "yes." My insights were well-received, and now, these discussions are part of our monthly all-hands meetings, where team members share their own stories and wisdom, further strengthening our team.

In the early days at Signet, I personally led our monthly all-hands meetings, but I soon realized they were not as effective as they could be. Now, I rotate the responsibility for developing the content and facilitating these meetings among the entire group, and I take a minimal role. Most of the time is spent on people getting to know each other, engaging, and having fun, along with some core content.

One popular activity we do is "Me in a Minute," where team members share something about themselves through pictures and storytelling. It's a highlight of each meeting! We also incorporate creative ice breakers and celebrate our diverse backgrounds and heritage. Recognition and shoutouts are key elements as well. My role is to bring everyone together, be authentic and vulnerable, and support and invest in the team.

Q. What are the keys to integrating teams effectively?

I believe it all starts with the leader. We set the tone, good or bad. As a leader, I make it a priority to spend time with all my team members, not just my direct reports, especially when they first come on board. Initially, my focus is less on work and more on getting to know them as individuals.

When it comes to individuals, I prioritize attitude over aptitude. Skills can be taught and developed, but a positive attitude, willingness to collaborate, and a genuine interest in each other’s success are qualities that are harder to instill. I look for individuals who demonstrate humility, a team-first mindset, and the ability to engage positively with their peers. Those with outsized egos or who seek the spotlight for themselves are not conducive to a collaborative environment. I’ve found that team players who support one another and work toward common goals are invaluable.

One critical aspect that people often overlook is how to handle failure. At some point, everyone fails. It's a natural part of growth and learning. However, the way we respond to failure can significantly impact team dynamics. Individuals with large egos who are always seeking the spotlight may find themselves isolated when they inevitably stumble. Their colleagues may be less inclined to offer support if they remember instances when that individual failed to help them. On the other hand, those who have consistently engaged and supported their peers will find plenty of colleagues ready to help them back on their feet. It's essential to cultivate an environment where team members feel safe to fail and learn from their mistakes. 

Another key to effective teams is taking the time to set clear expectations and goals. Team members need to understand what is expected of them and how their contributions align with the broader objectives of the organization. In our most recent Voice of Employee survey, this was one area that was highlighted as a strength, with 97% of our team members feeling they understand how their work contributes to our company’s purpose — Inspiring Love.

Promoting a collaborative and inclusive environment and recognizing and celebrating achievements, both big and small, play an important role in integrating teams. We are committed to continuous improvement, driven by regular feedback loops, both formal and informal. My leadership team and I are also always open to receiving feedback, which allows us to learn and grow alongside our team.

With a focus on what is within our immediate control, some of our core areas of strength are recognition, caring about each other, and respect — all of which received perfect scores in our VoE survey. Integrating teams effectively involves setting the right tone as a leader, building authentic relationships, prioritizing attitude over aptitude, creating a safe environment for failure, setting clear expectations, encouraging collaboration, recognizing success, and fostering continuous improvement. By focusing on these elements, we can build cohesive, high-performing teams that are well-equipped to achieve our organizational goals.

Q. What are your go-forward priorities?

Right now, it’s a challenging environment for every industry, with some exceptions. Our company’s focus is continuing to grow our top line while keeping our bottom line strong. I’ve worked for companies where we were the industry leader with the dominant market share and typically in the defensive mode. Signet is very well-positioned in the marketplace, and we can continue to grow. 

Financial delivery for procurement is, and will always be, first, second and third priority. I know procurement leaders always talk about other ways to contribute, but we should never fool ourselves.  Expense savings are the ticket to the party. We are consistently looking where we can cut expense dollars, specifically in non-customer value areas, to reinvest these savings back into the business. Financially we also focus on capital savings and cost avoidance, so we don’t save in one place and experience outsized cost ups in others. Risk management, supply continuity, innovation and supplier performance are also all critical elements of our work. 

Another focus is technology. When I came to Signet in late 2019, we did not have any procurement software solutions. We’ve been very thoughtful when it comes to what technologies we have selected and when, focusing on ease of implementation, manageable costs and resources, and measurable benefits. This helped us develop a long-term strategic road map.
For instance, the first solution we implemented was a transportation management system, aimed at optimizing the way we deliver our jewelry to the consumer when they want it, but at an optimal cost. We then systematically deployed contract lifecycle management, spend analytics, e-sourcing, project and lifecycle management, and third-party risk management technologies. This is the year we are taking a step back and not bringing in any more innovative solutions but focusing on leveraging and integrating existing solutions. We also continue to engage the marketplace to stay up to date on competitors to the solution providers that we have today, so we are not left behind. We have made very choiceful decisions in the past, but we do not want to be in the same spot a few years from now because of our supplier not investing in improving their solutions with an emphasis on AI. 

Lastly, making sure we do not get complacent. Our experienced, credible, and well-respected team continues to deliver year after year. Yet the business is evolving, and we need to continue to evolve with it.

Q. How do you track your team’s contribution?

To track my team's contribution, I rely on a mix of quantitative and qualitative measures. Quantitatively, I focus on financial performance, including expense and capital savings, cost avoidance, cash flow, budget accuracy, and ESG metrics like sustainable packaging and diverse supplier engagement. I also assess on-time delivery and supply continuity, especially where my team holds operational and budget responsibilities.

Qualitatively, I evaluate how tasks are accomplished, emphasizing skill development, innovation, and problem-solving. Stakeholder feedback, both formal and informal, is crucial. I gather 360-degree feedback annually for my senior leaders, incorporating input from stakeholders, peers, team members, and sometimes strategic suppliers.

In performance reviews, I share my assessments including the 360 feedback minus the names, with leaders at least a few days in advance to facilitate more meaningful and productive discussions. I have often been in the situation of being in a performance review trying to take it all in and finding myself in more of a reactive mode and then wishing for a “do-over” once I had absorbed the information. The approach that I take also helps avoid the "recency effect" and, from my viewpoint, enables balanced and fair evaluations. 

Q. Where do you think your first AI application will be?

We've actually been using artificial intelligence for some time; when I look at our transportation management, spend or contract lifecycle management, AI is already built into these tools. The business cases for CLM came during the height of COVID-19 when everybody was working remotely. To identify immediate cost reduction opportunities, we needed to get a clear understanding of our larger spend contracts and the necessary commercial and legal terms. To accomplish this task, we had to work across the entire company to manually gather key contracts, statements of work, extensions, and purchase orders. After a couple of weeks, despite a massive effort, we still weren't quite there but we did the best we could with what we had. This prompted our need for a CLM solution and allowed us to build a strong business case. In addition to retention and searchability, CLM also gives us proactive leadership reviews, governance, compliance and ensures adherence to delegation authority. 

Coincidentally, we just repeated a review of spend across the company. Although we can easily identify, for instance, all the contracts, there are still manual processes involved. While you may have all the contracts at your fingertips, you may not be spending money on them. So, we naturally leverage our spend tool to identify opportunities. Fairly basic to many, but important, nonetheless. Additionally, we connect our TPRM tool as well, which provides another key dimension to supplier sourcing assessments and ongoing management. 

Our focus right now is ensuring that we’re getting the most out of our existing software, further leveraging the AI that's built into certain tools and going deeper into generative AI. 

Q. What are the top frustrations with digital transformation projects?

They often take too long to implement, they cost too much money, they require too many resources, and they are oversold. Suppliers may focus more on the next sale rather than dedicating the right skilled resources to support implementation. Too many promise what they can do now vs. what the provider may actually develop in the future. 

Q. What are your ESG successes to date and issues and priorities going forward?

We’ve developed our corporate sustainability goals — and plans to achieve them — by working across our entire organization, pushing ourselves to clarify what we believe we can achieve, and inspiring one another with our commitments to reach higher. This past year we partnered with suppliers to introduce new packaging options to increase recycled content significantly in our largest banners (Kay, Zales, Peoples, and Jared). In those banners, we increased recycled content in paper-based packaging from 41% to 79% and increased recycled content in plastic-based packaging from 32% to 85%. For corrugated, we started at 40% and have increased to 42%. Additionally, from a base of $18.5 million of diverse spend with 90 suppliers three years ago, we have now spent $160.5 million with 266 suppliers!

Q. And finally, what are the top skills procurement teams must foster?

As I mentioned earlier, I place a heavy emphasis on attitude. The ability to build lasting relationships through collaboration and engagement cannot be overstated. In today's environment of in-office, hybrid, and remote work, it has become even more important and even more challenging. Today you need to balance pushing too hard vs. collaborating and connecting. Pushing too hard easily results in people ducking behind their Teams or Zoom. The old days of simply walking into someone's office or catching them in the hallways is not always possible depending on the work policies of your employer, so leveraging connectivity from a distance is a skill that needs development. To set team members up for success, onboarding in a post-COVID-19 world needs to be centered on hands-on support and connection. 

Other skills that are essential for procurement teams include having a broader holistic business perspective, strong financial acumen, and possessing the ability to deal with facts and data while removing emotions.

In conclusion, procurement is where I see immense value, innovation, and ESG efforts converging within the ever-evolving retail landscape. Our team navigates challenges and seizes opportunities with resilience and foresight, blending quantitative metrics and qualitative assessments, like financial performance and stakeholder feedback, to ensure our contributions align with organizational goals. Looking ahead, I am focused on optimizing our existing technologies, fostering collaboration, supporting the team, and furthering sustainability efforts. As the retail landscape evolves, we continue to adapt, leveraging our diverse skill sets and fostering a culture of growth and excellence.