July Member Spotlight: Mary Sue Findley, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, dunnhumbyUSA
Mary Sue Findley
Senior Vice President of Human Resources
As Senior Vice President of Human Resources at dunnhumbyUSA, Mary Sue Findley understands how important it is to maintain a consistent company culture. “At dunnhumby, our culture and values connect us across all locations. We believe that passion, collaboration, courage and curiosity are at the heart of all that we do including how we work together and the value that we add to our clients,” says Findley. For dunnhumby employees, this global consistency is reinforced daily through the open work environment and democratic seating to the on-boarding and training programs.
A member of dunnhumbyUSA’s executive team, Findley concentrates on talent acquisition, leadership development and management, as well as succession planning. While those responsibilities are important, especially as the company continues to rapidly outpace their growth projections, she also focuses on creating a work environment that promotes community involvement and employee engagement with a concentration on work-life balance.
Through the years, Findley has noticed that Americans prefer a work schedule that begins and ends earlier than is customary for Europeans. dunnhumbyUSA embraces differences like these by creating new traditions or programs that blend both customs. For example, dunnhumby adopted a five-week annual vacation program in the U.S. – that is customary for European employees – but kept standard U.S. office hours.
Findley has discovered that relocating families from other countries or areas of the United States is made easier because Cincinnati sells itself through the city’s unique charm and history. New employees appreciate the good-natured residents, great education options and the low cost of living. Though Cincinnati might initially feel like a small city, it does not take long to discover the variety of restaurants, rich culture and national sports teams. According to Findley, it is not uncommon for employees to continue to reside in Cincinnati at the end of their assignment.
As a Human Resources practitioner and a native Cincinnatian, Findley has been able to fully utilize dunnhumby’s membership with the EACC. European employees are referred to the EACC in the hopes that they will form connections and make a smooth transition to work and life in the United States. With their diverse company culture, dunnhumby values the EACC as a true partner.
dunnhumbyUSA Background:
- Formed by a joint venture of London-based dunnhumby and The Kroger Co. in 2003 with U.S. headquarters in Cincinnati
- Employs more than 1,900 people in 30 offices in Europe, Asia and the Americas
- Since 2003, the company has grown rapidly in the U.S. with more than 620 employees today
- Serves a prestigious list of companies including The Kroger Co., Tesco, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Kimberly-Clark, Macy’s, PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble
- Includes the word of mouth marketing experts, BzzAgent, and price optimization company, KSS Retail
