Entrepreneur Of The Year
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How Simon Hay brought a new bag of tricks to America
Smart Business Cincinnati | July 2009
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Simon Hay came to America and changed the way a retail giant does business.
Hay, now the CEO of dunnhumby USA, was working in the U.K. when The Kroger Co. asked dunnhumby for help applying its market research and abilities in customer databases to Kroger’s customer programs.
Hay had helped dunnhumby build Tesco’s ClubCard to help catapult the grocer into Britain’s largest retailer. When Hay had an immediate impact in his original short stint with Kroger, dunnhumby USA was formed in 2003 as a joint venture between Kroger and dunnhumby, giving Hay a chance to lead the company and to further make his impact on American business. With that, Hay started to build his own team and work on new ideas. It started with one office in Cincinnati, but today, there are offices in New York, Minneapolis, Atlanta and Chicago. In that same time period, dunnhumby USA has picked up retailers such as The Home Depot and Macy’s.
Along the way, Hay has created a culture of ownership. His philosophy has been to hire leaders and liberate them to build the right teams. By embracing a commitment to curiosity and a passion for work as part of its core values, the company gives talented individuals the opportunity to stretch their abilities and the freedom to excel. This commitment has helped people to feel empowered, leading to more productivity and, in turn, a quicker promotion track. Today, the average employee is promoted after two years. Moreover, all the steps taken at dunnhumby USA have helped it keep turnover low — it’s at 5 percent in an industry with an average of 12 percent — and helped it be recognized by a local publication as one of the best places to work for three years running.
How to reach: dunnhumby USA, (513) 632-1020 or www.dunnhumby.com
