Members Meeting
AICC ELs Treated to Invaluable Insights From Seasoned Professional
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Photo courtesy of AICC.
hat advice would you have wanted when you were starting out? The AICC Emerging Leaders (ELs) aren’t waiting for hindsight; they are finding answers now. Their inability to come together in person this past year caused them to create the Quarterly C-Suite Webinar Series. They invite leaders from inside and outside of the AICC Emerging Leaders sat down virtually with Robert Ruijssenaars, vice president of marketing at E. & J. Gallo industry each quarter to Winery, to learn valuable lessons about career growth. offer advice and suggestions to give AICC ELs new perspectives and participants submitted before and during Ruijssenaars gave concrete examples ideas. Each quarter, a new department is the event. Ruijssenaars, who has spent of effectively communicating as a chosen as the focus. Q2 brought Robert his entire professional career at Gallo, leader and shared some lessons learned Ruijssenaars, vice president of marketing encouraged the leaders to be willing to with the ELs. The hour-and-a-halfat E. & J. Gallo Winery, to the forefront look at their career ladders holistically long conversation also ventured into to share his history, tips to moving up in and understand that a lateral move, like marketing questions and strategy, with a family company, and vast experience to the one he made from sales to marketing, Ruijssenaars giving candid feedback nearly 30 ELs. might help them get to where they want to attendees. The event was brought together by the to be, focus on their soft skills, and as a In closing, Malone said, “The goal AICC EL delegates, Cassi Malone young professional, ask questions for the of these is to do exactly what we just of Corrugated Supplies Co., Lauren first 90 days, rather than share opinions did—have an intimate conversation with Frisch of Wasatch Container, and Daniel when they are in a new role. an executive in specific areas of expertise, Brettschneider or Kolbus America, with “The differentiator in my opinion for so we can listen to them and hear what it the support of Scott Ellis, Ed.D., of middle and upper management is not takes to get to that level.” Working Well, who is also an AICC the hard skills. It’s the soft skills,” said The Q3 Emerging Leader C-Suite consultant. The webinar began with a Ruijssenaars. “Most people around you Webinar, Wednesday, September 15, will short history of Gallo Winery, which is will have pretty good hard business skills, focus on chief operating officers. the largest family-owned winery in the just like you have good hard business world. With more than 7,000 employees skills. The differentiator ends up being worldwide, Gallo Winery has more than the soft skills, the ability to think on The AICC Emerging Leaders program 120 different brands and is available in your feet—make your point, use clear is an exclusive series of training, more than 100 countries. Gallo Winery language, and don’t get fancy. Make networking, and leadership has been selected as one of the top 50 best convincing points.” opportunities for ambitious young companies to work for by Glassdoor from He also suggested public-speaking professionals in the paper and packaging industry. Learn more at 2017 through 2020. training, to help them become more www.aiccbox.org/leader. Then, Malone moderated the convercomfortable and confident when sation and introduced questions that speaking with others.
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BOXSCORE July/August 2021
