MMR: Mass Market Retailers, June 24, 2019

MASS MARKET RETAILINGÕS MOST INFLUENTIAL WOMEN Monica Arnaudo member to have his or her voice heard and feel encouraged in their roles Arnaudo said her management style is best described by the phrase servant leader My team is everything to me and my role is to support empower mentor and develop my team to succeed she said My strengths are collaboration direct communication open and out of the box thinking and an ability to drive change as needed Often our strengths can also be our opportunities And while a strength is driving change sometimes I need to have more patience and accept things the way they are or just have patience until the time is right for change and motivators Badgley says They need be responsive show empathy and anticipate potential concerns so they can address them in a transparent way In recent years Walgreens has advanced the leadership capabilities of its district managers and area directors by equipping them with new skills and has coached them to listen more closely to team members while empowering them to solve problems Many of these efforts are part of the companys Frontier initiative Badgley notes that since 1901 customers have trusted Walgreens as their provider of pharmacy care and convenient frontend products while rapid digital growth in recent years has led to greater patient empowerment and a growing demand for convenience and greater access to health services Walgreens is combining the personal touch the company has always been known for with the latest best technology and digital service to give patients access to the care they need Our team members in operations are the ones who execute and make our strategy happen says Badgley For operations just as for everyone else at Walgreens our customers and their needs are at the center of our attention and are the reason why we exist Monica Arnaudo Senior VP Merchandising Ulta Beauty BOLINGBROOK Ill Ulta Beauty is known for reinventing how mass merchandising is brought to life with stores serving as beauty playgrounds where guests come to touch feel and experiment with numerous different products and brands Helping guide the metamorphosis is Monica Arnaudo who was hired by Ulta Beauty two years ago as senior vice president of merchandising and charged with driving and differentiating the mass hair and private label categories within the store Arnaudo and her team are elevating the mass side by building relationships with brand partners and creating unique stories that shape the way brands and products are presented In store fixtures have been updated with backlighting bolder graphics and testers to accentuate Ulta Beautys mass cosmetics skin care bath and sun care offerings as well as the companys private label line Ulta Beauty Collection We have been on a continuous quest to differentiate our assortment and experience within the mass side of the business Arnaudo said via email Our team has launched several incredible brands that have resonated with our guests such as Morphe Colorpop and Juvias Place We are laser focused on serving our guest and we will continue to evolve and elevate our assortment based on what he or she is looking for New brands allow Arnaudo to fill gaps in Ultas assortment and drive new guest acquisition into its stores she said A great example of this is Juvias Place Arnaudo noted Chichi Eburu the founder of this brand saw a need within the beauty industry to create highly pigmented products to serve the needs of all skin tones The products and visual We work closely with our existing brand partners imagery are stunning and our guests love this brand We also work very closely with our existing brand partners to create product assortments and in store experiences that inspire our guests to discover play and purchase she added A recent example of this was working with Revolution Beauty to bring in another collection within their portfolio called I Heart Revolution which caters to Gen Z and young Millennials with super fun affordable products like donut eyeshadow palettes For many shoppers mass cosmetics is their point of entry into Ulta Beauty and the lure of exclusive products and experiences brings them through the door This spring the Ulta Beauty Collection announced a collaboration with Marvel Studios on the introduction of a beauty and accessories line inspired by and timed to the premiere of Avengers Endgame the first film to earn more than 1 billion in an opening weekend and the fastest film to reach 2 billion at the box office The Ulta Beauty x Marvels Avengers Collection offers lip glosses lipsticks eyeshadow palettes and other items each featuring the visual hallmarks of the Marvel franchise In addition Ulta Beauty is partnering with Essences Girls United initiative to support and empower young black women The Beautiful Possibilities program finds six teens to take part in a digital video series that spotlights their journey to help shape a line for our Ulta Beauty Collection gain mentorship and get a glimpse inside the beauty industry Arnaudo said adding that the teens also receive a 10000 scholarship toward college Last month Ulta Beauty made a push into the wellness category Lisa Badgley Senior VP Operations Walgreens with the introduction of a new wellness collection within the bath and body sections of 350 of its stores The wellness sections feature skin care and beauty products from such brands as Yuni Bawdy Megababe Truly Organic and Plant Apothecary as well as Ultas own essential oils line Ulta expects to have wellness sections in 700 stores by summers end Arnaudo has extensive experience in the beauty sector She has held executive and sales positions at such companies as Bare Escentuals Sephora LOréal Smashbox Bobbi Brown and Chanel She earned a bachelors degree in business management from Saint Marys College of California What really attracted me to Ulta Beauty is the overall emphasis on creating a culture of openness and inclusion within the organization Arnaudo said All of our senior leaders work every day to help establish an environment where all associates are encouraged to contribute their ideas as thought leaders in the ever expanding beauty space There is a continual evolution of career development with numerous opportunities for growth as Ulta Beauty continues to expand Personally I like to lead my own team with a collaborative focus in mind and want each team DEERFIELD Ill The retail world had always been fascinating to Lisa Badgley senior vice president of operations at Walgreens and after she graduated college with a degree in marketing Walgreens was among the first companies she interviewed with and it just clicked Since I started Walgreens has changed tremendously and the company continues to evolve to meet consumer and patient needs Badgley says adding that as the company has evolved over time so have her roles For most of her career Badgley hasnt been in the same role for more than three years so she has had constant opportunity for new challenges and development Ive also had bosses who have coached me and provided the confidence and incredible opportunities to do different things including large cross functional and complex projects which were a great learning experience she adds Walgreens Badgley notes is transforming to address new market challenges and evolving customer needs and expectations and is focused on creating a modern pharmacy in which all communities have convenient access to personalized high quality care that helps them lead healthier and happier lives This evolution requires us to operate efficiently and adapt to change she says Leaders who can not only embrace this change but also leverage it to excel are essential to helping us maximize efforts to remain on the cusp of innovative solutions for our patients and customers A critical component for Walgreens success has been the Frontier movement which Badgley describes as a cultural program that empowers team members to actively contribute to the success of each store Some of the elements of the program such as quick huddle meetings or discussion guidelines are founded on lean and agile methodologies that help optimize the way the company solves problems she points out One important aspect of the program is that hierarchies become less important With Frontier we provide different tools to team members to help them bring in their own ideas and perspective she says This leads to better outcomes and motivates our team members because they feel they are being heard and valued Introducing these standards chainwide has been a multiyear process with the company now looking to introduce the program at its corporate offices This may sound like the wrong way to go Lisa Badgley Badgley adds but the program follows a bottom up approach so its appropriate to bring it to our corporate offices now that its ingrained in our field teams In the overall running of operations at Walgreens the individual store manager is an essential ingredient to the companys success according to Badgley As with most businesses Walgreens is a people business she says adding that focusing on personal development and ensuring that the company has the right talent in place is key This is particularly true for store managers who need to be role models and represent Walgreens at each of our more than 9500 locations throughout the nation she says We know that the performance of a store depends on many economic and local factors but equally important are engaged and motivating store managers who lead their teams with dedication and talent In Badgleys view it is vital for store managers and store team members to focus on Walgreens patients and customers in the best possible way The ability to care for our customers with knowledge and empathy needs to be demonstrated by our store managers and lived by all team members every day Simply put Walgreens greatest asset is its people which is why the company puts so much focus on ensuring that its leaders have the right skills to coach and develop their teams to drive a more engaged workforce District managers play a particularly important role in driving new initiatives cohesively within their areas Badgley says Both area directors and district managers are responsible for developing each team member to reach their potential which has yielded great self accountability across the business translating to a better customer experience and business results When challenges occur Walgreens leaders need to be more than just great communicators MMR June 24 2019 19