425: Women In Supply Chain, Josephine Coombe

Josephine Coombe talks about her career journey; how marketing has changed; work/life balance; & why it’s never been a more exciting time to be in supply chain.   IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:   [07.26] Josephine’s career journey; her transition from the arts to technology and supply chain; and why embracing ambiguity is a good thing. “I wouldn’t say my career was planned, or at least the first half was more serendipity than planning. But, around halfway through, I started being much more deliberate about where I was going as a professional. And, particularly for young women, allowing a little bit of the unexpected can take you down paths that are very positive.” [08.49] How marketing has changed over the course of Josephine’s career; why it’s vital to bring creativity and analytics together; and why data isn’t everything when it comes to marketing. “It’s been a very interesting time to see the shifts in marketing. Back then marketing was, to some extent, more of an arts discipline… And it’s changed dramatically, as digital marketing has enabled a much more analytical approach.” “We can go overboard with trying to make the data tell us everything – and it can’t. I often see wild goose chases when it comes to attribution, but often what’s lost in those conversations is the influencing factors… Not everything can be perfectly measured but, just because it can’t, doesn’t mean that it’s not delivering value.” [14.33] Josephine’s role as Chief Commercial Officer at Nulogy – what it involves, how she approaches the role, and the importance of bringing sales and marketing together. “The ability to get out of your silo and into another area enables you to build empathy for other business areas.” [18.37] Josephine’s experience of moving from North America to Europe for her latest job role. [22.10] Nulogy’s vision of collaboration and co-innovation, and the big industry challenges they’re tackling with these core principles. “More and more, we’re seeing a reliance on external providers to enable growth. But if you don’t know what’s going on out there, it’s going to be difficult to achieve. It’s a big supply chain issue.” [25.02] The significant momentum driving women’s involvement in supply chain in the UK, and the different culture it’s creating for the industry. “In the logistics industry in the UK, there’s been a deliberate effort to move beyond the historical reliance and dominance of men to enable more women in leadership positions.” [27.40] Josephine’s experience as a woman in supply chain, and how things have changed for women over the course of her career. [29.33] Why it’s never been a more exciting time to be in supply chain, and Josephine’s advice for younger generations, especially women, who may be looking to join the industry and take advantage of that excitement and momentum. “The pandemic made very clear to the world that supply chain is critical to society. And it made very clear to big businesses that they couldn’t treat their supply chain organizations like an operational necessity, they had to recognize its highly strategic value to the business. So we’ve seen a tremendous focus and investment in supply chain.” [31.29] The turning point in Josephine’s career; the influential people who played a part in her journey; and why you don’t ever stop learning. [36.16] Josephine’s passion for the arts; achieving her diploma from the Royal Conservatory of Music; and the importance of embracing creativity as part of work/life balance. “For me, creative endeavors are part of work/life balance. It’s so important to make sure you’ve got that type of time to unwind and give your brain something fresh to think about.” [38.41] The future for Josephine.   RESOURCES AND LINKS MENTIONED:   You can connect with Josephine over on LinkedIn. If you enjoyed this episode and want to hear from more inspiring women in the industry, check out 422: Women In Supply Chain™, Kiran Mann or 380: Women In Supply Chain™, Christine Barnhart.