Jennifer Britton, Versique Search & Consulting
Title: Managing director, consumer packaged goods division
Age: 37
May 19, 2014 — Consumer products industry veteran Jennifer Britton is leading the newly launched consumer packaged goods (CPG) recruiting division at Versique Search & Consulting, a talent acquisition firm based in St. Louis Park.
Britton has more than 16 years of consumer products experience, calling on Target, Best Buy and Supervalu and other retailers while working for Colgate-Palmolive, Crayola and Bristol-Myers Squibb.
“The point of differentiation I have is I’ve been in the industry. I can use that knowledge to make sure that people are being put in the right spots whether for the candidate, the client or both,” said Britton, who’s held vice president of business development and national account manager titles. “I can use that knowledge to make sure that everyone’s getting what they want.”
Britton said she foresees building a three- or four-person team in Versique’s consumer packaged goods recruiting division. “With the manufacturers and the retailers that we have in the marketplace, we have a very strong consumer product growth opportunity, so the need exists.” Britton said.
Britton, a graduate of Western Michigan University, said her interest in consumer products goes back to her food marketing studies in college.
“It’s a fast-growing industry and an industry that’s never going to go away,” she said.
Versique offers both permanent placement and contract consulting, specializing in human resources, sales, information technology, marketing, engineering and operations, finance and accounting, in addition to consumer packaged goods. A sister company, McKinley Consulting, offers technology and business consulting services.
Q: How are you getting up to speed on recruiting?
A: I’ve been recruiting and talked to many recruiters … so I knew a lot of what went into it. But I’m spending a lot of time with colleagues and leadership at Versique, absorbing everything I can on how they talk to people, what are the questions they ask, why is a role open or why a candidate would be good for that role. Everyone is so collaborative that it’s so easy.
Q: What makes this role at Versique ideal for you?
A: It was a mix of being able to stay within CPG, which I have a definite passion for and knowledge of … but also trying something new. I can do sales, I can be entrepreneurial, I can coach, I can lead a team. I can do all these things that really kind of make that belly burn in the morning, what you get excited about.
Q: How does your experience help you in your new role?
A: I spent a lot of years trying to be that middle person, taking what the brand wants, taking what the retailer wants and making that fit, which is very similar to what I’m doing now.
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