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In this episode of the Brave Commerce podcast, hosts Rachel Tipograph, founder and CEO of MikMak, and Sarah Hofstetter, president of Profitero, sit down with Meghan Archer, vice president of digital commerce at PepsiCo.
Archer shares her unique career journey from consumer electronics at T-Mobile, to a dynamic decade at Amazon, to her current role at PepsiCo. She reflects on how her varied roles at Amazon, including in supply chain, product development, and private label, prepared her to lead digital transformation in the complex world of grocery, where PepsiCo’s omni-channel strategy is paving new paths in the CPG space.
Diving deeper, Archer discusses the importance of nurturing curiosity and challenging the status quo, key traits that have fueled her success. She explores her approach to cultivating a team mindset at PepsiCo, where ambiguity and rapid change require a culture of continuous learning and adaptability.
Archer explains how she motivates her team to embrace these challenges, seeing obstacles as opportunities to innovate and collaboratively push forward digital transformation across PepsiCo’s well-known brands.
In the latter part of the episode, Archer shares her insights into PepsiCo’s commitment to talent and technology as cornerstones for its success. She highlights the importance of strong partnerships with retailers and the focus on getting the fundamentals right.
Wrapping up, she reflects on her bravest career move, a leap from T-Mobile to Amazon, which pushed her out of her comfort zone and laid the foundation for her growth as a resilient, forward-thinking leader.
Key Takeaways:
- Curiosity and comfort with ambiguity are critical for thriving in the ever-evolving world of digital commerce.
- PepsiCo’s omnichannel transformation is powered by a blend of talent, technology, and end-to-end strategic thinking.
- Strong partnerships and a focus on fundamentals, such as in-stock availability, drive sustained success in digital and in-store channels.
