302: Women in Supply Chain, Charlie Saffro

In today’s episode of Women In Supply Chain, I’m joined by Charlie Saffro – entrepreneur, industry expert, master networker and mindful leader.

Charlie began her career as a marketing account manager, working on big name accounts like Procter & Gamble, PepsiCo and Gatorade. But, as a connector by heart, Charlie found her true calling when she embraced a career in supply chain recruitment. Charlie founded her own firm, CS Recruiting in back in 2010 and has gone from strength to strength, growing the business from a team of one to 40 and boasting an impressive client list, whilst earning some top industry accolades along the way.

Today Charlie will be talking to us about her career so far; tackling supply chain labor shortages; creating a culture of connectivity; and why recruitment is both a science, and an art. Plus, she’ll be sharing her experiences as a woman in supply chain, as well as her words of advice for all of the women following in her footsteps.

This Women in Supply Chain feature was sponsored by Sifted.

As a business dedicated to empowering confidence within the shipping industry, we’re proud to support women in supply chain. Sifted is the leading logistics intelligence software, that combines insights with expertise to empower bigger, smarter shipping decisions. As growth and disruptions present ongoing challenges for supply chain leaders, thousands rely on Sifted to set their businesses up for success. Learn more about Sifted here.

[07.12] Charlie’s early career in marketing, and her experience of working on big name brands like Proctor and Gamble and PepsiCo.

“It feels like it was a different lifetime!... But when I reflect back, it actually makes so much sense that I landed where I am today with those roots.”

[08.59] How, and why, Charlie pivoted in her career, away from B2C marketing to logistics HR and recruitment.

“Starting very scrappy is what got me, not only interested, but it got me very well-rounded exposure to the industry.”

[13.02] Charlie’s experience of being entirely self-taught, and the general move, in recruitment, away from a focus simply on education.

“We are seeing more and more employers now really emphasizing: ‘We want the right person. We want the personality, we want someone who aligns with our values, who’s going to fit in with our culture.”

[18.59] Charlie’s experience of founding CS Recruiting, whilst raising a family.

“Looking back, it was so crazy that I never stopped, but that’s what gave me that head start. It was almost like I was competing with myself to take advantage of every spare moment I had to either learn or network or put myself out there.”

[24.25] Charlie’s perspective on the current recruitment landscape, and how she is tackling key industry challenges within her business.

“The market is very confusing right now! We’re talking about this recession, we’re hearing about layoffs, but yet what we’re seeing is that the demand for people is way greater than the supply. There are more jobs than there are qualified, available, interested people.”

[28.11] Why Charlie calls herself a master networker, and her top tips for networking success.

“Being passive is a big part of networking, finding what you have in common with someone before just trying to sell them something… LinkedIn makes it easy to network, but it also makes it very hard to sift through the garbage to find out who’s legit.”

[33.55] Charlie’s role as the very first Blended Pledge grant recipient, how she used the grant, and the potential impact the Blended program could have on the industry.

“There’s so much talent out there… and I want to see more females in the industry.”

[40.15] From her parents to a young author, Charlie shares her inspirations.

[42.15] Charlie’s advice for all of the girls and women looking to follow in her footsteps.

You can connect with Charlie over on LinkedIn.

If you enjoyed the show, why not check out episode 21 of Blended - Boost Your Bottom Line: Why You Should Be Retaining Diverse Talent, in which an expert panel discuss the current landscape in supply chain when it comes to talent; how to successfully hire and retain talent; and how we navigate bias to improve company culture.

And if you want to hear more from our next Blended Pledge grant recipient, Dr Gennifer – Founder/Executive Director at TransNewYork – check out episode 20 of Blended: DEI in the Workplace – Not Just The Smart Thing To Do, But The Right Thing To Do or episode 22 of Blended: Tokenism: The Wrong Route to Diversity.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.