1 / 18

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW SALLY JEWELL Chief Operating Officer Recreational Equipment Inc.

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW SALLY JEWELL Chief Operating Officer Recreational Equipment Inc. INTERVIEW TEAM Rita Daily Stan Eastberg Teri Wisness. Sally Jewell - Background. BS Degree – Mechanical Engineering, UW Mobile Oil Corp. – Engineer (OK & CO) (1978-1981) 19 Years in Banking Industry

ostinmannual
Download Presentation

EXECUTIVE INTERVIEW SALLY JEWELL Chief Operating Officer Recreational Equipment Inc.

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. EXECUTIVE INTERVIEWSALLY JEWELL Chief Operating OfficerRecreational Equipment Inc. INTERVIEW TEAM Rita Daily Stan Eastberg Teri Wisness

  2. Sally Jewell - Background • BS Degree – Mechanical Engineering, UW • Mobile Oil Corp. – Engineer (OK & CO) (1978-1981) • 19 Years in Banking Industry • Rainer Bank/Security Pacific: Energy Banking, National Accounts, Credit Administration, Head of banking activities in WA (1981-1992) • WestOne Bank: President / CEO (1992-1995) • Washington Mutual: President, Commercial Banking Group (1996-2000) • REI: Appointed COO in March, 2000

  3. Sally Jewell - Board Affiliations • REI (Board member before becoming COO) • Avista Corporation (formerly known as Washington Water Power) • Premera (parent company to Premera Blue Cross) • UW Board of Regents • Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust, President • Corporate Council for the Arts • YWCA of Seattle-King County • Seattle Alliance for Education • Economics America • UW Women in Engineering Initiative

  4. Why Join REI? • Value alignment was primary criteria • Diminishing in banking role due to mergers • Strongly aligned with REI core values • Personal values • Able to speak my mind and be listened to, want to be able to engage • Want to make a difference – don’t want to be a rounding error – want to work for a company where everyone feels like they can contribute • Working for a company that values balance – work, home, community • REI required skills that Sally possessed

  5. Critical Challenges at REI • Company needed to change • Old formula not working – out of touch • Leadership had become complacent • Workforce needed infusion of energy • Atrophied and slowing • Areas requiring change • Leadership team – early retirements • Realistic view of industry dynamics and external trends • New vision and strategic plan

  6. Redefined REI Focus • Be a model financial performer • Employee excellence • Create an environment where employees chose to work • Expect them to work smart • Expectations of teamwork • Replaced players who weren’t getting along • Market driven • Increased focus on women’s categories

  7. Leadership Role in Change • Clearly communicate vision & values • Input from many • Board approval • Town hall meetings • Leadership visited every retail outlet • Every manager received copy of strategic plan • Every employee receives gift of REI merchandise at year-end • Use in-house publications to reinforce messages • GPS newsletter • Snapline

  8. Leadership Style • Informal (family-room casual attire) • Direct • Face to face • Speaks what is on her mind • Collaborative / consensus builder • Persuader – a little toward controlling • Myers Briggs – ENTP • Seeks feedback • 360 degree feedback used by REI

  9. Leadership Style (continued) • Has high expectations • Passionate about things • Remains calm – doesn’t show frustration • Supports people • Provide latitude to make decisions and exercise judgment • Decisive • May actually seek too much input

  10. Perspective on Ethics • Straight and honest talk is essential • Willing to say anything I am feeling to anybody • Should be no surprises • People know where I stand • Resolve disputes when they arise • Leave nothing to fester

  11. Leadership Philosophy • Every person is genuinely important • Low tolerance for differential treatment of people • Genuinely care about what everyone has to say • Everyone should have an opportunity to contribute • Create an environment where they can be successful • Large “No Whining” button prominently displayed on desk

  12. Fears / Uncertainties • Feel burden of people’s livelihoods based on her decisions • Agonizes over the impact of laying people off or cut backs (e.g. closure of Tokyo office) • Executive layoffs in a different category • Provided them with an option to perform differently • They self-selected out

  13. Balance - Definition • Not just work and family balance • Not just a tradeoff between working too hard and having leisure time • Need to fill in the gap in the heart • Other critical dimensions • Maintain physical fitness • Need to leverage personal strengths • Uses Board memberships to do this • Keep your mind sharp • Contribute to the community (very strong value)

  14. Balance (continued) • Very strong commitment to her children • Two children - 18 & 19 years old (recent pictures on desk) • Both parents play an active role with the kids • Creates time for family and honors the commitment • Refused attending Advanced Management Programs (UW, Stanford, Harvard) – too much time away from family • Example: Honored mountain climbing date with daughter even though it conflicted with important community meeting • Strong partnership with husband • He sacrificed his career for her career • Divergent career paths – managerial vs technical • Moved to Pacific Northwest so she could pursue her career • He picks up the family load

  15. Commitment to Community • Sees community involvement as providing the most important lesson in leadership • Chose to work for a company that values external activities • Has moved REI from a marginal commitment to a high level of commitment • REI now positioned as a community citizen • Contributes 3% of operating income to community donations • REI leaders have joined many more boards and service organizations • Huge increase in number of REI employees engaged in community service activities (e.g. trail maintenance)

  16. Mountain to Sound GreenwayExample of Leveraging Leadership • Intense passion for initiative – 13 year commitment • Dedicated to ensuring public’s ability to enjoy this amazing resource • An adaptive change • Forging a public greenbelt between Seattle and Thorpe (Kittitas County) along I-90 corridor • 60 member board • Business, government, and citizen representatives • Highly divergent stakeholder interests • E.g. Buddhist monasteries, Native American casinos, gravel mines, small towns, businesses and wineries

  17. Mountain to Sound Greenway -cont’dExample of Leveraging Leadership • Leverages consensus building and collaboration skills • Strong role model – Jim Ellis • Self-effacing & down to earth • Powerfully interacts with people • Ensures people listen to each other • Recognizes that all people have a legitimate point of view • Assumed Presidency of Ellis trust when Jim retired • A natural extension of her REI leadership into the community

  18. Reflections on Leadership • Leadership is multi-faceted • Does not come in a box with a bow • All REI direct reports are different from one another – yet all are very effective • Must create an environment that enables smart people to play in a way they feel they can have an impact • Must draw out ideas throughout the entire organization • Build cross-divisional teams to address strategic issues as a way of breaking down the silos • Culture is very very important • Must understand culture and work within it • People are the most important part of the culture

More Related