Our latest leadership spotlight features Ecommerce leader, Jay Banerjee!
Jay has a proven track record of delivery within complex and challenging scenarios and international markets.
Jay considers himself a "data-driven problem solver, and team player who loves celebrating & winning together."
Jay is the Ecommerce Director at Melissa & Doug, LLC. He has also worked with well-known names such as the likes of BIC, Birds Eye, and Newell Brands.
In our exclusive Q&A with Jay, he reflects on his career to date, his background in blue chip FMCG / CPG companies, what it was like to work with a team partnering with Amazon EU, challenges scaling the business for COVID demands, and why he is excited about ChatGPT.
Why did you join the Digital Leaders Club?
I was speaking to Jack (the founder) & we started talking about my interests and experience, this conversation led to Digital Club. It’s a great initiative of having a group of industry experts providing valuable insights and feedback.
What's your career journey been like to date?
My background is mainly blue chip FMCG / CPG companies, having done various trade, commercial, and marketing roles I picked up my first Ecommerce project in 2016 and never looked back since then. Felt it was a natural home as it tied in perfectly with broad skill sets. I have done various Ecommerce leadership roles, I am currently working with Melissa and Doug toys, and I have been responsible for setting up the Ecommerce division for Intl (all markets excl Americas).
What is your current position?
I'm the Ecommerce Director at Melissa and Doug Toys for International business. I am responsible for all Ecommerce channels.
Have you had any interesting moments in your career so far?
I worked with a team that was partnering Amazon with the EU launch of their Dash buttons initiative, at the time it was considered a strategic initiative for both parties. I was amazed at the level of data and insight I got access to; it was definitely eye-opening to see the metrics, KPIs at granular level and glimpse at machine learning capability.
Have you had any challenges in your career to date; and how did you overcome them?
Working during Covid lockdown with Ecommerce sales going through the roof and having a 2-year-old at home was extremely challenging, I'm extremely thankful to my wife and my team for their support. From a business perspective, we were not ready to scale with COVID demand. I put together a framework and expansion strategy on how we can effectively scale the business.
Tell us about your best success story. Triple-digit growth on ~$100M P&L in 2 years was definitely the highlight in my career. It was amazing to see the strategy in action.
What’s it been like transitioning to a hybrid setup over the last few years? After a bumpy initial period. We've had to learn new ways of doing things as a business and as leaders, this is the 'new normal'. As someone with a young child, I relish the opportunity of the flexibility this has provided. What's the coolest/most interesting trend you're excited about? I’m really excited to see how ChatGPT plays out. This has phenomenal potential for content, copy, visual aids, and strategy.
What are your hobbies and interests outside of work?
I'll be playing cricket as much as possible this summer. Keen to improve my poor golf swing outside in summer. Also, I'm an avid music fan.
What's your plan for the future?
Continue making a difference in the business, scaling, and digital transformation is my main passion and I hope to continue within this field.
What would you be doing (for a career) if you weren’t doing this?
Probably a financial advisor, I am very interested in macroeconomics, stock markets, crypto, and tax-efficient investments.
Connect with Jay Banerjee on LinkedIn