Do you ever go grocery shopping without any sort of list and end up forgetting half of what you actually needed? Not fun, right? So why would you take that same approach with how you operate your supply chain?

On our season finale of Supply Chain Therapy, listen to how Rebeca Illsley, COO of Thermacell Repellents, successfully incorporates process into an ever-growing demand pipeline. Yet another veteran in the industry, Rebecca held a variety of roles at The Clorox Company, including Director of Manufacturing & Director of Supply Chain Integration, before making the leap to Thermacell.

In the conversation with Alex and Michelle, Rebecca shares what big lessons she’s brought to the Thermacell team, and what she’s prioritized first since joining the organization. Some of the highlights include segmentation, team building, and focusing on S&OP first and foremost. Given that Thermacell products are EPA registered, Rebecca highlights the ways in which your manufacturing is impacted when producing safe, high-quality products.

Later on, you’ll also hear Rebecca talk about what it was like to partially step away from her career in order to build her family and raise her two daughters. Hint – It’s totally possible! In addition, she gives her take on how her experience has been in this male-dominated industry, and what advice she has for others looking to tighten the gender gap.

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Guest Bio

Rebecca Illsley is the Chief Operating Officer of Thermacell Repellents Inc. She started her career in consumer packaged goods 24 years ago in Research and Development with Frito-Lay followed by Coca-Cola. Rebecca took a pause in her career for six years opting to stay at home with her two daughters. She returned to work full time at The Clorox Company where she held a variety of roles in supply chain over 14 years.

Those roles included Manager of Contract Manufacturing, Director of Global Quality Assurance, Director of Supply Chain Integration and Director of Manufacturing. Rebecca is very proud to be leading a talented supply chain organization at Thermacell, driving growth by disrupting the mosquito repellent category with exciting product innovation.

Rebecca grew up in Nova Scotia Canada and has a BSc in Food Science from Acadia University and a MS in Food Science from the University of Minnesota.

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Guest Quote

“My opinion is: S&OP is the brain of the supply chain. So if you don’t have S&OP where it needs to be, then you really can't manage your demand. And you really can't manage your inventory, and you can't manage your supply plans.” - Rebecca Illsley

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Time Stamps

*(2:00) Dynamic logistics in VMS

*(7:56) All about Thermacell Repellents

*(9:37) Joining the team from Clorox

*(12:39) Recuperating in-house manufacturing

*(16:16) Why you need to reinvest in your supply chain

*(19:14) How to shift to a quality control mindset

*(22:21) Overcoming the gender gap in supply chain

*(27:35) Advice for ensuring equity

*(30:55) Speed round

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Sponsor

This podcast is powered by the team at Stord. Turn your supply chain into a competitive advantage. Go to Stord.com to learn more.

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Links

Connect with Rebecca Illsley on LinkedIn

Connect with Alex Kent on LinkedIn