From left: Michelle Cutter, vice president of digital commerce at REI; Anjana Harve, CIO of BJ’s Wholesale Club; and Kimberley Gardiner, chief marketing officer at Tractor Supply Company, speak with Kevin Ertell, CEO of Mistere Advisory, at NRF Nexus 2024.
At NRF Nexus 2024, a panel hosted by Kevin Ertell, CEO of Mistere Advisory, highlighted the growing intersection of technology, digital and marketing functions within organizations and the challenge to find harmony between the different but increasingly intertwined departments.
Several key themes emerged during the moderated discussion with Kimberley Gardiner, chief marketing officer at Tractor Supply Company; Anjana Harve, CIO of BJ’s Wholesale Club; and Michelle Cutter, vice president of digital commerce at REI.
A culture of collaboration
One of the foremost challenges discussed was how to cultivate a culture of collaboration among technology, digital and marketing teams. “What we try and do is really build trust with our teams … in good practices and meetings where we have shared goals,” Cutter said, “and a good prioritization process.” She further emphasized the concept of unity and collaboration driving productivity by sharing one of REI’s central tenets: “We go farther together.”
Harve echoed that sentiment, highlighting the significance of setting the right tone from the top and using regular ideation sessions to bring teams together. Executives “recognizing the importance of each function and the expertise they bring to the table” is integral for getting teams to collaborate, she said.
“It’s hard enough to stay ahead of the customer experience, [the] expectations and dynamics that we’ve talked a lot about over the last day or so,” Gardiner said, “so it’s important to work together.”
All three underscored the importance of intentional efforts to create a collaborative environment: shared objectives, regular communication and a mutual understanding of each function’s value.
Overcoming challenges to shared goals
Though obstacles can rise along the road to achieving shared goals, Harve underscored the need to thoughtfully architect and build long-term solutions to obstacles, rather than opting for quick fixes. “It starts with, at least, recognition that there is a challenge,” she said. “It’s not just that people are putting up barriers for the sake of it, but understanding the why and working through it.”
Gardiner emphasized the importance of early alignment on common goals, business objectives and performance metrics. “How do you identify those common goals upfront — business objectives, business KPIs?” she said. “How do we identify those upfront so that everyone feels like they have good skin in the game, so to speak, and they know exactly what’s expected?”
Ensuring everyone has a stake in the project’s success fosters accountability but also facilitates iterative progress, allowing for adjustments and refinements along the way.
Managing conflict while driving innovation
Conflict is inevitable in any collaborative environment, and the panelists offered valuable strategies for managing and mitigating it. Cutter said REI has convened what it calls a “product council” in the past few years.
“We bring together product leaders, engineering leaders and UX leaders across the organization to work things out,” she said, which promotes accountability and transparency.
Harve stressed the role of risk management as a driver of innovation, suggesting that constraints can often lead to creative solutions. “Constraints can drive innovation,” Ertell agreed. “I do think we have been able to mitigate a lot of conflict just purely through A/B testing,” Cutter said, saying it “takes the emotion out of it. It is all data.” Teams can experiment and find the best solutions without significant friction, eliminating potential biases.
Another critical aspect discussed was the need for flexibility and alignment with cross-divisional partners. “Ultimately, it is about getting aligned with your cross-divisional partners,” Cutter said, and making sure you’re educating senior leadership.
“Our teams really do delve into a lot of technical pieces and that does have to get up-leveled for senior leaders,” she said. “They won’t and don’t need to understand all of the technical details on how we are going to implement something.”
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