Black MBA - Fall 2008 - (Page 47)

loyal and, for that, we are grateful. It is a little known fact that Fashion Fair has the highest loyalty of any department store brand. What I mean by that is that the length of time that consumers have used our brand is the longest of any prestige brand in the marketplace. Fortunately, our consumers acknowledge Fashion Fair as a brand that meets their needs and has been there for them throughout the years. And for some, that’s 35 years – as long as we’ve been in business. BT: Would you say that the fact that it’s a Black-owned company have anything to do with this? ASW: I think there’s definitely a pride in the fact that we are a Blackowned company. And I would say there’s a sense that our “by us, for us” roots are something worth supporting. But I think more than that. It’s not only that it’s Black-owned, but it’s that we truly understand women of color and what they’re looking for in a beauty brand. To many, it wouldn’t matter who owned it as long as you speak to them – Black women – authentically. And that’s what we do; we come from an authentic place. We don’t claim or pretend to be something that we’re not and we always keep ourselves rooted in why we were created – and that is to service women of color, and particularly Black women, for their beauty needs. BT: One of the questions I hear from so many of our corporate partners is difficulty in retaining talent. I understand Fashion Fair is a lot like the National Black MBA Association – once you join our organization you join for life, and you just never want to leave. So what is the secret? ASW: When I came on board about a year ago, I had come from large Fortune 100 companies and I was absolutely amazed at the passion that Fashion Fair employees have for this business. Many of them have been here since its inception, but most of them recognize that this company is bigger than just a brand – there’s a purpose here. When I think about what keeps them coming here every day, it’s the fact that they know that we’re doing more than just selling you a product that you might want. It’s that we’re actually serving an unmet need for Black women. As market dynamics change, people are afforded other career opportunities, and one of things I’m really working on is how we make sure that we maintain our best people. One of the things I have implemented is encouraging my team to take time out for themselves during a very busy day. I call us a “lean but mean” team – we have a great staff and we don’t have hundreds of thousands of people roaming our hallways. Therefore, it can be hard during the day to just take a few minutes for yourself. There’s so much work to be done, and there’s so much that you can be proud of, you just want to do it. One thing we’re doing is relaxation and meditation. We do this twice a week. It’s optional, so an employee can come in Boehringer Ingelheim ranks among the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical corporations. Our vision drives us forward. It helps us to foster value creation through innovation in our company and to look to the future with constantly renewed commitment and ambition. Value through Innovation At Boehringer Ingelheim, we believe our innovation comes from diverse ideas that spring from an environment fostering a collaborative approach to problem solving. Please visit our website at: http://us.boehringer-ingelheim.com to learn more about our growing, dynamic company, with a vision of making the world healthier one person at a time. BlackMBA 12:02:16 PM 47 5/8/08 • Fall 2008 381563_Boeringer.indd 1 http://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/corporate/career/career.htm

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Black MBA - Fall 2008

Black MBA - Fall 2008 Contents Online From the Chairman From the President & CEO Up Front Who is Middle Class? Life and Times of the Middle Class Modern Times CEO to CEO: Why Didn’t I Think of That? Pass it Forward 30 Years of Conference NBMBAA Board of Directors Honorary Co-Chairs Conference History Speaker Showcase Industry Theatre NBMBAA Case Competition® Scholarship Winners NBMBAA Chapter Presidents Conference 2009: New Orleans The New Face of Recruitment Part-Time is the Right Time Across the Pond On Campus Board Bound MBAs for the USA Market Reality: Good Tapping Company Resources On the Move Employer Profiles Leading Bias-Free Mentoring Matters Faith in Corporate Circles Mideast Region Steps Up its Game Collegiate Chapters All in the Family How to… International Markets Are You Happy? Survive and Thrive Striking a Balance Advertiser Index In Focus

Black MBA - Fall 2008

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