Jennifer Pritchard is the vice president of business process for White House Black Market. She was a speaker at RILA's Logistics 2009 Conference.
1. Tell me about your first job in retail.My first job was working at a Belk store during the holiday season while I was in college. It was such a great experience in understanding how a consumer shops and the importance of ensuring the product is available when she wants it.
2. What excites you most about the field of supply chain?Change! Every day we have the opportunity to improve performance by utilizing our supply chain partners in innovative ways and leveraging technology to provide better visibility and information flow to support faster, more effective decisions.
3. What is the biggest challenge your supply chain department faces right now?On-boarding of more sophisticated planning and merchandising tools and integrating these new toolkits, practices and processes into the DNA of our brand.
4. What new or recent trend will have the biggest impact on supply chain, and why?I believe that supply chain visibility is already a top priority for many of us in today’s business environment, but it is slow to be realized. To ensure that we are providing the best possible service to our customer, we require more accurate insight into the flow and status of our product so that we may make more accurate cost and service decisions faster. We are seeing more technology providers working alongside the business to create a better “mousetrap” for these visibility needs.
5. Who do you feel is the most influential person in the supply chain field, and why?It is our customer. She tells us via each channel of our business whether she is loving what we are providing or not. She has limited disposable income, so she is looking for great trend-right product at a great value. We have to be very tuned into her needs and have a flexible supply chain to be able to adjust to her needs.
6. What is your favorite quote?“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” – Maya Angelou
7. What’s your favorite non-job-related pastime? I enjoy playing golf, cycling and cooking. Being with friends and family and hanging out doing something we all enjoy brings great joy.
8. What’s one thing your co-workers don’t know about you?I enjoy bird hunting! I grew up in a family who enjoyed early morning walks with our dogs and flushing birds. There’s nothing like the fog rising over the field and watching the birds take off in flight against the sunrise.
9. What’s the last book you read? / What book are you reading now?I’m always reading several at once since I travel quite a bit. I am reading Primal Leadership – Daniel Goleman and also Post American World – Fareed Zakaria
10. If you could invite any four people (dead or alive) to a dinner party, who would you invite and why?I’d invite Maya Angelou, Queen Noor, John McCain and Paul Newman. They have such a story to tell. Maya, a noted teacher, writer, poet and lecturer with a very colorful history; Queen Noor for her service to her adopted country and her dedication to providing opportunities for Arab women; John McCain, to understand his journey from a prison camp to the political stage; and last but not least Paul Newman, the beloved American actor whom we all wanted to know how he remained so seemingly normal all those years in Hollywood!
Bonus: Are you a dog, cat, bird or fish person? Definitely a dog person! Currently have a yellow Labrador.