“Schwan’s People You Need to Know” is an ongoing series of stories about some of the people who help make Schwan's Company and its subsidiaries a great place to work.
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| Julie Shaffer has worked on Schwan's Company's consumer insights and analytics team for more than nine years. |
Shaffer adds valuable data-driven analytics to help team
Nov. 28, 2018 — Director of Business Information and Analytics Julie Shaffer is one of Schwan’s Company’s go-to people when we are looking for the “why” behind our business results.
Julie has worked with Schwan’s consumer insights and analytics team for nearly a decade. When starting out, her main responsibility was primary research and partnering with brand teams to bring the “voice of the consumer” to the company’s retail business. Her role has since transitioned to doing syndicated research and driving analytics across the company to help make better business decisions.
“I love problem solving and enjoy partnering with teams on answering key business questions. There’s a lot of data available, and I’m passionate about identifying the ‘why’ behind business performance and the ‘so-what’ to take action,” Julie said.
In our latest “Schwan’s People You Need to Know” feature, we talked with Julie about her career journey and what she likes about working at Schwan’s.
“My role has allowed me to further develop my critical thinking and business acumen. I’ve had the opportunity to wear a number of hats and be involved in a broad range of projects that I wouldn’t be able to experience at other companies,” she said.
Continue reading to find out what else Julie had to say about her career at Schwan’s:
Q: Tell us something about yourself that most people at Schwan’s do not know.
A: In college, I majored in marketing, but my first major was psychology. I initially wanted to be a therapist or school counselor.
Q: What’s your typical day like?
A: Day to day it varies, but I’m primarily focused on analyzing our categories, monitoring the competition and helping brand teams figure out how to win in the crowded retail space.
Q: What are you most proud of in your career with Schwan’s?
A: I am most proud of expanding the level of influence business analytics has at Schwan’s across all business units. I have worked closely with some great teams across the organization, and I’m proud of the trusting relationships I’ve been able to develop.
Q: We often talk about working as “one Schwan’s team.” What does that mean to you?
A: It means teamwork to me. We are much stronger working, collaborating and supporting each other toward a common goal than we are working in silos.
Q: How would you describe the culture at Schwan’s?
A: I have seen it evolve the past few years, particularly with our one-team approach and open communication. I also appreciate that we encourage constructive conflict. We may have different opinions or points of view, but that helps us all think differently and at the end of the day, we are one team working together.
Q: What do our company vision and values mean to you?
A: I’m proud to work for an organization that values growth but also helping one another when adversity hits. I’ve worked with amazing people during my career at Schwan’s who embrace our values, and I strive to do the same every day. We’re all on the same team and that makes Schwan’s a special place to work.
Q: What is your favorite food product from Schwan’s?
A: Red Baron® Brick Oven Pepperoni Pizza is a staple at our house!
