EPISODE 8

Roger Burnley on Customer-Connected Strategies

Can you flex your leadership style based on the day’s priorities? Tune in to today’s episode where Andy talks with Asda CEO, Roger Burnley, about the key to reading customer trends, how to lead adaptively in a crisis, and what the future of retail will (and won’t) look like.

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3 Insights from Roger

1. On a path to CEO, the best experience comes from boots-on-the-ground, customer-facing experiences.

In the retail sector, the job that best prepared Roger for CEO was the position of store manager. He states:

“I think there's no substitute. I always say, in the end, however centralized you become as a retailer, the difference in a great store and a store with opportunities is the caliber of the store manager and the culture he or she engenders across the store.”

2. Customer connection is the key to a competitive advantage.

Grocery Retailers in the UK can exist and thrive in close proximity to one another because of the connection to their community and shoppers.

“Increasingly, things like range in price can become hygiene factors that people take for granted. And it's how you show up for customers, the extra things you do, be that service, be that in the community, that can make the difference.”

3. Leading in an unpredictable environment means knowing when to employ what kind of leadership style and when.

“There's a bit of tell and do straight away on what we'll need to do. But then to quickly be able to pivot to a shepherd-style leadership, to a reassurance, to letting people make decisions which they can make better locally in a scenario. So I think it's that style flex of knowing when on a daily, hourly, weekly basis to employ what leadership style.”

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Episode Links

www.bigQUEST.com
Andy Murray- LinkedIn
Andy Murray- Twitter
bigQUEST- Twitter
bigQUEST- LinkedIn
bigQUEST- Instagram
Roger Burnley
Asda - https://www.asda.com
Sainsbury’s - https://www.sainsburys.co.uk
Sam M. Walton College of Business - https://walton.uark.edu
Peter Principle - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_principle
Tesco - https://www.tesco.com
Morrisons - https://groceries.morrisons.com

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About Your Host

Andy Murray

CEO and Founder of bigQUEST

Andy is a highly effective senior leader with a passion for growth, creating cultures that unleash talent, and building capabilities through collaboration across functions. He has held leadership roles across retail (Walmart), CPG (P&G), start-ups (Mercury 11, Saatchi X) and global organizations (Asda U.K.). A creative problem solver, innovator, and marketer, he is known for building high-performing teams and delivering results.

Andy is a lifetime Honorary Board member of the University of Arkansas's Center for Retail Excellence where he helped developed the Center's presence and Innovation conferences. He is also an Early Board Member for the Soderquist Center for Leadership and Ethics college. Andy was inducted into the Shopper Marketing Hall of Fame in 2013 for his pioneering work in developing best practices and industry leadership in the emerging field of Shopper Marketing. He currently serves as Chairman of Asda Foundation.

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