The Next Generation – Jr. Board Member Interview
In this month’s WISE Jr. Board newsletter, we are featuring Elysia Handy, Customer Business Manager at TreeHouse Foods. Elysia attended The University of Texas at Austin, where she majored in Corporate Communications with a foundation in business. She spent a good portion of her career with Newell Brands (e.g. Rubbermaid, Calphalon, Graco, Sharpie, Expo, Yankee Candle, Coleman, Contigo, Bubba, etc.) before joining TreeHouse Foods, one of the largest Private Brands manufacturers in the U.S. In her free time, she loves to watch her two daughters Zoe (10 yrs) and Ava (7 yrs) compete in sports. She also loves reading to her son Wil (2 yrs) every night, and going on vacations with her husband, Allen.
WISE: Elysia, please tell us about how you started your career.
ELYSIA: My senior year of college, I attended a career fair. Newell Brands was in attendance recruiting for their “Phoenix College Recruit Program.” This was an entry level program focused on learning their brands, merchandising at the store level, and supporting their sales team. I was intrigued by the idea of working from home, having a company car, and leaving Austin (Kinder-College was enough). After interviewing with the company, I got to pick between New Jersey or South Florida. I chose the sunny beaches of Miami, FL, and started my career in the Sanford Writing division working with brands like Sharpie, Expo, Uniball, Papermate where I called on Walmart, Office Depot, OfficeMax and Staples retail stores.
WISE: How did you end up at selling food after all those years selling branded general merchandise?
ELYSIA: After years of selling industry leading brands across multiple channels and divisions, I ultimately fell in love with selling food in the grocery channel during a short stint at Wholesome Sweeteners. While at Wholesome, I got an opportunity to sell both branded and private organic sugar, candy, pancake syrup, honey and other items. I loved the ever-changing food trends and flavors, the fast-paced environment that consumable items create, and the experience of selling across different food categories within the grocery store.
WISE: What are the pros and cons of selling branded vs. private label items?
ELYSIA: The pros for selling branded items is the established story, rich history and an existing place in the market. The con is those selling conversations felt more transactional because if “it’s not broken, don’t fix it” or just “don’t break it” attitude from customers. The pro for selling private brands is building a unique story, which is where the energy, excitement and creativity can be built. The con is many times you are starting from scratch and the commercialization process can be long.
WISE: What got you interested in joining the WISE organization?
ELYSIA: At TreeHouse, I have volunteered on multiple internal committees. Being on these committees, I was able to meet more TreeHouse employees and women in leadership roles throughout the company. This is how I learned about the WISE organization, and that TreeHouse Foods is a Premier Partner with access to membership. I did some research, and it didn’t take long for me to align with the acronym for WISE - Women Impacting Storebrand Excellence™ - and the foundation around diversity and inclusion which is reflected in both my professional and personal life.
WISE: After joining WISE, did your expectations match up with your initial thoughts?
ELYSIA: Yes, I think this is a great organization. I’m blown away by the level of talent and experience everyone brings. One of my favorite events was the 2022 annual meeting and listening to the Band of Sisters talk about their book “You Should Smile More.” I learned so much about the importance of maintaining a voice in the workplace from the conversation and the situations throughout the book.
WISE: How would you sum up your experience in this industry, and what advice would you give to those considering joining this industry?
ELYSIA: If you are looking for fast pace, ever changing work environment, and an opportunity to build a selling story, private brands is for you! It has been very rewarding and fun to see items you’ve played a role in come to life on shelf. Good communication is the pilar of most things in addition being organized, willingness to learn and navigating cross functionally will also help you succeed. Also, bringing the ability to forecast +/- 5% could be a superpower in private brands.