Gary Coombe

I am honored to have contributed an expert insight to the new book Powerful Phrases for Dealing with Workplace Conflict by Karin Hurt and David Dye! Whatever your career / volunteer tenure, I promise you will find valuable nuggets here. Appropriate for C-suite & board members to recent grads, Karin and David have mapped paths using 300+ phrases to successfully navigate many tricky situations...the advice is specific, practical, and immediately applicable! #extraordinarywomenonboards #ewob Lisa M. Shalett https://lnkd.in/eXbmzEa5

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Have you heard the phrase, “it’s not the years in your life, but the life in your years?” It’s a cliché to be sure, but it also gets to the heart of the difference between lifespan and healthspan – the number of years you live vs. the number of years you’re in good health and have positive overall wellbeing. Health and wellbeing can mean different things to different people, of course, but there are some universal characteristics. You can be healthy physically and mentally. You can have a strong social network of friends, family and coworkers who support you. And you can feel fulfilled through your personal growth or achievements. I feel fortunate to work for an organization that has supported people’s health and wellbeing in a variety of ways for more than 60 years – even longer for our Nutrilite brand of vitamins and supplements, which was founded in 1934. Amway, its employees and Independent Business Owners (IBOs) work to help people live healthier, happier lives. That could be through our health and wellbeing products and solutions that are backed by our team of more than 800 scientists, engineers and technicians. It could be our promotion of healthy lifestyles for people and their families and our support of healthy communities through philanthropy and volunteer efforts. It could be our sustainability measures that work toward a healthy environment or the support we give IBOs as they serve their customers and work toward their personal entrepreneurial goals. All those things – and more – empower people to support their health and wellbeing in a way that works for them. I don’t know how long my healthspan will be, but I do know I work for a company that is helping me extend it – and not just through the Nutrilite supplements I take each day. Read more about how Amway helps people live healthier, happier lives in my full article published in Crain’s New York Business. I’d also like to hear how you might be supporting your healthspan. What do you do regularly to put more “life” in your years? What advice do you have for others? I welcome your thoughts. Article: https://lnkd.in/eimradpX

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Earlier this year, I was fortunate to attend a Spencer Stuart presentation on the latest US public board trends. Just as interesting was reading how those trends compare and contrast to those around the world: - Board size: Boards are dealing with an increasing number of issues, but average board size hasn't changed much over the years and varies between 9-11, with Germany at the high end (average 15) and Peru at the low (seven. The US average is 11.) - Independent directors: Independent directors now make up the majority of public company board seats, with an average 94% in UK companies, 85% in the US, and 41% in Turkey, the latter an example where controlling shareholders are represented and hold sway in the boardroom. - Director tenure:  Tenure in the US has declined over the last 10 years but is still the highest at 7.8 years. (Spain has the lowest, 3.2 years.) Boards are looking to balance experience with new perspectives; some countries impose term limits: The UK doesn’t consider directors independent after nine years; its average tenure, 4.2 years, is among the lowest. In Hong Kong, a new category, “long-serving Independent Non-Executive Director (INED),” was created for those who have served for more than nine years, and a company board can’t be made up of only long-serving INEDS. - First-time Directors:  Bringing in first-time directors is a way to bring in fresh thinking (and diversity). France has the highest proportion (63%) of new directors who haven’t served on a public company board before; other European countries (Norway, Denmark, Ireland) have also increased the proportion of new directors, while there are fewer this year in the UK (36%) and the U.S. (34%). - Gender diversity: In nearly every country, the proportion of women on boards has increased since 2022. Most countries in Europe have government-backed targets or quotas to ensure greater gender diversity: Of the top public companies, 95% in France, 80% in Norway, and 53% of the top 150 FTSE in the UK have at least 40% women on their boards. This compares to 21% of S&P 500 boards in the U.S. - Board leadership: Women are chairing more boards, though in most countries, they still chair fewer than 10%. Italy and the U.S. have the highest percentage; women chair 18% of S&P 500 companies vs 7% a year ago. With more women independent directors in leadership roles like committee chairs and senior/lead directors, there should be a pipeline to move up to board chairs. - Board effectiveness: More boards are looking at how they can operate more effectively, whether by being evaluated by an external facilitator (in some countries, governance requires boards undergo an external review at least every three years) or internal assessment. I n South Africa, 59% of boards used an external facilitator in 2023, while fewer than 10% of boards in Norway, Finland, Switzerland and Hong Kong used them. #boardofdirectors #corporategovernance #governance #directors #womenonboards

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What do grocery data (how, when, and what you buy) and traditional credit scores have in common?  According to research by Professor Eric Anderson and his colleagues at Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management, they both effectively predict how consistently you’ll pay off your credit card bills, making it an interesting alternative for lenders to gauge the creditworthiness of applicants who have no credit score. This could bring new customers to banks and improve access to credit for the 26 million in the US (and more than a billion globally) who are “unbanked.” Some findings: - People with consistent supermarket behaviors tend to pay their credit cards on time: They shop at regular times of the day and weekdays. They make repeat purchases. They spend about the same amount of money each time and look for bargains. Even controlling for credit scores, income, and socio-demographic factors, there was a correlation between grocery habits and credit risk. - It’s not just about how you shop but what you buy: Cigarette purchases are a big predictor someone will default (i.e., miss two consecutive credit card payments), as are those of highly processed foods and energy drinks. “The single greatest indicator of a non-defaulter. . . was spending a significant amount on vinegar salad dressing,” as well as ingredients that suggest healthier eating and home cooking, such as milk, flour, beans, and fresh produce. - Grocery data is most effective in determining the creditworthiness of credit card applicants who don’t yet have credit scores, but less effective in incrementally assessing those who already do. Similarly, the data is most helpful at predicting whether someone will default soon after they get a credit card; less useful once they begin to build a credit score. “‘That’s the world we’re heading towards, which is your data is going to be cutting across lots of different domains and being used in ways you may not have thought before,’ Anderson says.” On the one hand, it could provide access to a loan in the case of an emergency to those who might not otherwise be able to get one, and it can help lenders anticipate a default and intervene in advance, which is better for everyone. “Still, . . . the idea that the choices you make while filling up your grocery cart could impact other parts of your life in ways you don’t understand, or consent to, may sit uneasily with many.” #credit #data #shopping #shoppers #consistency #habits #creditrisk #supermarket #insights

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𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩𝐬 Five years ago, during a business trip to Korea, I traveled over two hours to visit one of our lip care contract manufacturers. We had just launched our lip care line with them in 2018, buoyed by exceptional consumer feedback. 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 However, gaining traction with key retailers was a challenge initially, leading to sluggish growth that didn’t meet our business case expectations. Our partner, having already invested in a production line on behalf of us, was facing less than 50% capacity utilization and understandably nervous. I felt responsible to reassure them of our product's potential and that growth would follow. 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 Meeting the Owner and CEO for the first time, I realized we shared a common goal—exponential growth. I communicated our vision for the Vaseline lip care line and the building blocks to achieving it, stressing how crucial his team would be when (not if) we unlocked more markets and retailers. With a clearer understanding of our growth journey, we leveraged mutual trust and respect to brainstorm strategies for winning over retailers, including emphasizing our 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬-𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 pack—a crucial factor in the impulse purchase category. This laid the foundation for our long-term commitment to our common goal - exponential growth. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 Though it took time, we eventually secured the necessary retailer listings, expanded into new markets, and got our 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬-𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 pack listed in Walmart—a significant milestone and growth driver. With regular check-ins, our partner proactively invested in more lines and capacity on behalf of us, anticipating new listings. Today, despite the initial challenges, we have grown the lip care business by 10X since our first meeting, establishing Unilever International as the largest and fastest-growing lip care business within Unilever. This success was made possible by a shared vision with our partner, who also grew their factory to become one of the five largest lip care manufacturers in the world. A true win-win situation. 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 This experience taught me valuable lessons about building strong business partnerships: ·       Align on shared vision and goals ·       Build mutual trust and respect ·       Leverage complementary strengths ·       Focus on long-term commitment ·       Recognize and appreciate contributions We often share our visions internally but sometimes forget that our partners are equally invested in our growth journey. Through this partnership, we’ve not only grown our business but also built a stronger and more cohesive team. Now, whenever I meet a partner, I make it a point to take a picture to remember the moment. Who knows where our partnerships will take us five years from now? #UniquelyUnilever #UnileverInternational

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Recommend following this one as an example of a brand designed for what’s next. 75% of calories are from protein. Half the weight of the bar is protein. In a share driven, economically challenged environment this level of efficiency will win. The density gives shoppers and retailers what they want with less diesel, packaging, water, shelf space and commodity use. Built for speed. Unsurprising coming from Peter Rahal of Rx, the name is great and the design is modern. Of course it needs to taste good, but RXBAR proved that you just have to taste good enough. One to watch!

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In the current inflationary market, PE’s value creation model must embed Operating Performance. Once a nice-to-have, this is now essential for achieving expected returns. Specially for smaller and mid-market companies, the Operating Partner has become an essential ingredient in unlocking value creation, moving from backseat to frontseat. The Operating Partner is crucial to drive bespoke margin expansion strategies to offset compressed multiples and potential valuation mismatches. Bridging private equity’s value creation gap - Private Equity & Principal Investors Practice - McKinsey & Company

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Check out this McKinsey podcast that captures trends in consumer wellness. In the interview, Anna Pione discusses key insights from recent research on the consumer wellness market, highlighting the global shift in consumer priorities toward health and wellness. The research, involved a survey of consumers in the US, UK, and China, and revealed that a significant majority view wellness as a crucial aspect of their lives, with increasing investment in categories like health, fitness, and nutrition. Interestingly, consumers are showing a preference for clinically effective products over merely "clean and natural" options, driven by a desire for proven results. The interview also touched on the importance of healthy aging and the rising interest in weight management and gut health, underscoring the opportunities for innovation in these areas. Lastly, Anna noted the pandemic's impact on consumer behavior, accelerating the focus on proactive health management and the potential of gen AI to personalize wellness interventions. LIsten to or read the script below. Happy learning! What’s new in consumer wellness trends? | McKinsey https://mck.co/4bhGGGZ

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Executive transitions of any kind — advancement in leadership responsibility, new career track direction, or retirement from one's core career into 'what's next' — can bring about unrivaled opportunity and excitement, as well as feelings of challenge and uncertainty, even for the most seasoned professional. As an Executive Advisor with MyNextSeason (see below), I am privileged to support extraordinary professionals during their unique moments of growth and transition and help them enter their next chapter with increased confidence, readiness, and zeal. What's next for you? MyNextSeason #PioneeringBusinessLeadership #leadershipdevelopment #executiveadvising #executivecoaching #careertransitions

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YOUR STORY MATTERS! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of being part of the British Design Fund investment committee, listening to eight high-powered entrepreneurs telling us about their life's work. Each of the founding teams gave a 10-minute pitch followed by a short Q&A session. There were nine of us on the committee, and we voted unanimously to invite no fewer than three companies to the next stage. All eight founders had already been through a tough vetting process. The three chosen ones stood out because they chose to share their (very personal) stories, which were linked to the business they started. When someone is hiring, making investment decisions, or considering cooperation, they often compare and vet hundreds of people or companies. What stands out in a meeting is a person’s story. Why? Because it can reveal their relationship with success and failure, their motivations, and their resilience. DON’T BE AFRAID TO SHARE YOUR UNIQUE STORY. BE VULNERABLE. EXPLAIN YOUR WHY! Are you holding back your story, or are you leveraging your unique experiences and motivations?

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Great article by Esha Chhabra in CEW (Cosmetic Executive Women) with Tips for not just a sustainable business, but a REGENERATIVE one! Really great thoughts here. Esha's book is amazing too!

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On this day four years ago, I woke up from a month-long coma… I opened my eyes to a world I hardly recognized— full of confusion, fear, and overwhelming loneliness – I could only see the eyes of the nurse sitting next to me, as her face was almost completely covered by multiple face masks, goggles, plastic covers and hair nets. While everyone celebrated my return to consciousness, I felt my true battle had just begun. In terms of statistics, I had defied the odds, emerging from a death-defying situation where mortality rates loomed large (reported mortality rates range from 50–97% in COVID patients requiring mechanical ventilation). Yet, for me, survival was merely the first step on a long and arduous road to recovery. Unable to move or speak, I found myself feeling imprisoned in my own body. I had to learn how to talk, to chew and swallow, to stand up and walk – tasks we all take for granted, now posing difficult challenges I was not sure I was going to be able to overcome. With the support of my husband, family, friends, and the whole medical staff, I started to make progress. Every hurdle conquered, every milestone achieved, served as a beacon of hope enlightening my path forward. Today, as I reflect on this journey, I am reminded of a few things: 1) None of us knows what life has in store for us, don’t get too stressed when things don’t go your way 2) Time is the most valuable thing we have and we must appreciate it, make sure to use it wisely 3) The power of perseverance and the depth of human capacity for adaptation are immense, just keep pushing 4) It is OK to borrow some faith from others - when you think you can’t make it, the support of your community will help you through 5) Life is too short to spend time doing things that do not make us happy – it does not matter how big the paycheck is, or how nice the new title sounds… You do not think about that when you wake up from a coma, trust me! While the scars of this experience (both physical and mental) may still linger, they serve me as reminders of the strength that resides within each of us to keep pursuing our dreams!

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The governance standards need looking at here.

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✨ Still feeling the energy from our dynamic discussion on "Navigating Through Your Transformational AI and Commercial Capabilities Journey." 🌟 Michael Kantor, CEO and Founder of POI, moderated an insightful dialogue alongside industry leaders Mohasin Mithu (VP, RGM, PepsiCo), Curt Balara (VP, RGM, Kimberly-Clark Corporation), and Matt Campbell (MD, Accenture). Together, they delved into the transformative power of advanced analytics and AI in reshaping Revenue Growth Management strategies. Leaving inspired and equipped to embrace the future of RGM with unwavering confidence and purpose. 🚀 #POI2024Chicago #CPGIndustry #CPG #CPGSolutions #CPGTechnology #POISpringSummit #POISummit #AI #Analytics #BusinessTransformation

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Does this ring true for you? Across all generations, more Americans would choose to feel 25% healthier than live 25% longer. We’re in a healthspan revolution propelled by people who are eager to feel better, healthier and more energized as they age. Some fantastic tips from Alexa Mikhail on lengthening your healthspan — so you can live longer in good health and free from disease: - Adopting a “longevity mindset,” which refers to changing the way you view aging. - Routine physical exercise to boost cardiovascular health and protect against heart disease. - Sleeping the recommended 7-9 hours a night. - Feeling connected to family and friends, which protects against loneliness, chronic conditions, and dementia.  More on this here: https://lnkd.in/eXUXaYuF    Would you rather feel 25% healthier or live 25% longer? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. #HealthSpan #BetterSleepMonth

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When is it time for a brand to find a new home?... The potential sale of Oscar Mayer reflects a proactive approach to adapting to evolving consumer demands and market dynamics. Here are some thoughts that this WSJ article sparked in me. 1. Brands and companies at some point lose alignment. Brands can be very strong and consistently deliver a consumer promise. However, the brand promise may not be permanently in alignment with a company strategy. By prioritizing healthier product options and realigning its portfolio, Kraft Heinz shows a commitment to long-term growth. The focus on improving nutrition in its products reflects a broader industry trend towards addressing concerns over ultra-processed foods and health-related issues linked to diet. 2. The best decisions are grounded on the consumer. Kraft Heinz is considering selling Oscar Mayer to restructure its portfolio amidst growing consumer interest in health and nutrition. This move can help align with changing consumer preferences towards healthier options. 3. Stock performance and financial results matter. This strategic move is crucial for boosting the company's stock performance, which has been stagnant over the past five years. Kraft Heinz is facing challenges in its quarterly results due to cooling demand for some products and increased input prices. Profitable growth is about having the right portfolio for the long term. When brands lose alignment to the broader business strategy, they part ways with companies. In the end, it is about the consumer, what the consumer wants / expects and the competitive advantage of an organization to win with the consumer in a profitable way. What do you think? #marketing #branding #management #mentoring

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Overall CPG growth across all categories is an almost zero sum game within the US. Why almost zero-sum game? Data from the US Census bureau shows that resident population growth rates and household growth rates are less than 1% a year. If you analyze the pre-covid and now also the 2024 outlooks for the largest CPG category players you will notice that the US is going back to the "old" revenue growth model of low single digit annual price increases that a) mitigates stagnant or low volume growth and that b) has a larger impact on gross and contribution profitability (than an equivalent increase in volume). Shoppers and consumers as a whole are not going to suddenly consume and use 10 to 15% more CPG products each year. For emerging CPG brands and for large CPG brands, that level of double digit volume growth is going to mostly be sourced by stealing consumption/usage share from competitors within the category and more importantly from stealing usage and consumption from other categories. Or by creating a new category that does the same. Unfortunately, within the US, we also see income level bifurcation and the growing polarity between premiumization and affordability. So there is a natural tendency by many emerging CPG brand founders to "follow the money" and launch in the premiumization price-tier of a category. Few are, however, able to innovate and painstakingly build a brand that is both premium-priced and that can capture mass-market growth from large cohorts of shoppers and consumers who have switched from other brands and other categories. John Foraker has shown the industry how it can be done with emerging CPG brands. Twice. Contrarian Note 1: There are too many foo-foo brands chasing hyper-fragmented categories that are too small to ever scale, given quick growth and exit expectations of founders. Contrarian Note 2: An emerging CPG brand that can innovate a "good enough" brand-product-solution for a large underserved "affordability" segment will create category disruption in its true sense. #CPGbrands #EmergingBrands #innovation #disruption

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❓ How do you measure #researchanddevelopment Return on Investment? 📈 Listening to recent client conversations we frequently hear just how difficult it is to measure a return on #investment for innovation and R&D ⏮ The consistent proxy measure appears to be the number of #rework loops required i.e. going back to the drawing board when a concept or product test fails (sometimes repeatedly) to meet success criteria ⭐ Successful initiatives are those with significantly fewer rework loops, judged to meet or exceed criteria earlier in the development process. At Untapped Innovation we have 3 x #investment #strategies to avoid frustrating rework loops, and maximise your #r&dbudget ... 👋 Get clear on the needs of your user, what are their pain points today? 🏗 Build an #idealproductmodelblueprint which specifies your user needs and connects specific product features to do the required jobs 📚 Create a product #story with the user as the #hero and the product as the #mentor and articulate your benefit with a consistent narrative to guide product design ❓ Tell us how do you measure #researchanddevelopment Return on Investment? We would love to hear from you ... Here's a great video example from Nuala Donnelly and Federico Pasquini from Kimberly-Clark as they explain how they drove significant #roi on Andrex https://lnkd.in/gMbEb3Hv

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I came across a thought-provoking McKinsey article today that got me thinking about how consumer companies can revamp their operating models to stay ahead in today's fast-paced market. It's about focusing on a few key consumer-centric priorities and aligning them with individual and team goals. I recently met with a client who had a laundry list of 15 priorities for their organization. I couldn't help but wonder, how are they going to tackle all of that? This article really resonated with me because it emphasizes the importance of doing fewer things better, rather than spreading yourself too thin. McKinsey highlights six hallmarks of high-performing operating models, and a few of them really stood out to me. Firstly, they suggest creating dynamic, cross-functional teams to break down silos and encourage collaboration. Secondly, the idea of establishing end-to-end business units ensures that decisions are made closer to the action, leading to faster response times and alignment around consumer-centric goals. And let's not forget about the importance of knowledge sharing and continuous learning across the organization to avoid reinventing the wheel. Check out the whole article below if you are looking for ways to streamline priorities, foster collaboration, and drive success in today's competitive consumer market. Happy learning! Sue #ConsumerCompanies #OperatingModels #McKinseyInsights #Teamwork #SuccessFactors High-performing operating models for consumer companies | McKinsey https://mck.co/3Ltr4ot

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