How CEO Kathryn McLay is making Sam's Club stand out

How CEO Kathryn McLay is making Sam's Club stand out | Crocs marketing chief embraces the eclectic | Executives share advice on supporting female leadership Created for {EMAIL} | [Web Version]( April 28, 2022 CONNECT WITH NEXTUP  [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( €‰€‰[Tik tok]( [NEW SmartBrief]( Gender equality news for retail, CPG, financial services and tech [SIGN UP]( â‹… [SHARE]( [] Top of the week [] [How CEO Kathryn McLay is making Sam's Club stand out]( [How CEO Kathryn McLay is making Sam's Club stand out]( (SOPA Images/Getty Images) Sam's Club CEO Kathryn McLay is on a mission to bring her banner out from under the shadow of parent Walmart and distinguish it from Costco and other warehouse club rivals. Sam's Club has served as the innovation hub and testing space for new retail technology now in use at both Sam's Club and Walmart stores, and, while Sam's Club soared on pandemic-era sales of essential home goods, the retailer also aims to appeal to new customers with a focus on trendy apparel from brands including Gap. Full Story: [Fortune (tiered subscription model)]( (4/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( Just the Facts, Ma'am "I've been on a news blackout for some time. I have been searching for an alternative that would just tell me WHAT happened, and maybe HOW it happened with NO editorializing. I found it. It's called 1440. It assumes you are smart enough to form your own opinions without some partisan news media person telling you how to think." [Join for free now](. ADVERTISEMENT: [] Today's leadership [] [Crocs marketing chief embraces the eclectic]( Heidi Cooley has embraced the quirky vibe of Crocs to bring the brand into a new era of hype and success since joining the company's marketing department in 2016. An open mind and sense of creativity have led her to form partnerships with an eclectic lineup of celebrities, movie franchises and food brands like Peeps, KFC, "Space Jam," Justin Bieber and Bad Bunny, says Cooley, now chief marketing officer and one of 50 named to the first Forbes list of Entrepreneurial CMOs. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (4/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Executives share advice on supporting female leadership]( Not assuming things about a woman's career path when she has children and sponsoring women rather than just mentoring them can help open doors to advancement and leadership roles, say Heidrick & Struggles' Bonnie Gwin and Ancestry CEO Deb Liu. Choosing female employees for important assignments can also propel a woman's career advancement, according to Walmart International CEO Judith McKenna. Full Story: [Business Insider (tiered subscription model)]( (4/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Will remote work reduce gender pay disparities?]( Some HR executives believe the increase in remote work could help close the gender pay gap by emphasizing employees' talents, although there are concerns about losing face time and the burdens of child care. "There's a risk for something called proximity bias, where, if you're not in the office and you're not getting face-to-face contact, then that may affect assessments or even being allocated key work assignments," says Ruth Thomas, a pay equity expert. Full Story: [HRO Today]( (4/25) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] SmartBrief Originals [] - [How a health scare led one executive to rethink success]( SmartBrief/Leadership (4/25) [] - [4 ways to get the most out of an executive coach]( SmartBrief/Leadership (4/27) [] - [Why openness and generosity make you a better leader]( SmartBrief/Leadership (4/21) Free eBooks and Resources Free eBooks and resources brought to you by our partners - [50 Tips on Effective Delegating]( - [10 Ways to Work Smarter, Not Harder]( - [Book Summary - The 5 Second Rule]( - [Free course - Microsoft Excel Training]( - [The 80 Best Micro Habits to Change Your Life]( [] Diversity & Inclusion Trends [] [Ulta, Target, Sephora bet on Black women's startups]( Incubators and diversity programs created by retailers including Target, Ulta Beauty and Sephora are giving a boost to beauty startups created by Black women entrepreneurs. Ulta held its second pitch competition for startups this month, in partnership with Rare Beauty Brands and Black Girl Ventures, and the startup that gets the most votes from consumers will win a place on Ulta's store shelves. Full Story: [CNBC]( (4/22) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [Forbes unveils list of Best Employers For Diversity]( Some of the best-performing companies on Forbes' America's Best Employers for Diversity list have leadership programs geared toward women and underrepresented groups. Clorox, Vera Bradley, Blue Buffalo, The Estee Lauder Companies, General Mills, VF, Procter & Gamble, Mars and Sephora scored in the top 50. Full Story: [Forbes (tiered subscription model)]( (4/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [How to create a more inclusive workplace for Muslims]( Religion is an important aspect of diversity often overlooked in the corporate world, leaving many Muslim Americans feeling left out of the conversation. A meditation space for praying, halal menu considerations and scheduling important meetings outside of times of religious observance can go a long way toward inclusivity, says Muslim Women Professionals CEO Sofia Haq. Full Story: [Business Insider (tiered subscription model)]( (4/21) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] [What HR leaders are doing to advance DEI]( Building cultural competence and creating employee resource groups that are specific to people's identities are among HR leaders' efforts to improve diversity, equity and inclusion. "As a DEI executive I'd like to not only see companies continue to develop and offer DEI trainings, but also hold managers accountable and make DEI trainings available outside of their organizations," says Sandra Altine, vice president of workforce diversity, equity and inclusion at Meta. Full Story: [Protocol]( (4/26) [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( [] News from NEW [] [We Must Link Arms: DEI&B and What Comes Next with Karen Jones]( [We Must Link Arms: DEI&B and What Comes Next with Karen Jones]( Jones (NextUp) Karen Jones came to NextUp with 25 years of DEI&B experience in the corporate world. This month she lent us her insight into what comes next in DEI&B in an interview on our blog. We plumb her insights into what she's seen in searingly honest conversations at the heart of the toughest topics facing corporate America, and what comes next. [Read More]( [LinkedIn]( [Twitter]( [Facebook]( [Email]( LEARN MORE ABOUT NEXTUPâ„¢: [About Us]( | [Events]( | [Regions]( | [Partners]( | [Learning]( [] [] I'm deciding to be my own individual self. And it looks nothing like what anyone else is doing. 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