Second week of my internship, and there’s already been so much learning.
We had an amazing call where I had the incredible opportunity to learn from Peter Charles, Chief Supply Chain Officer at Tapestry. He walked us through the impressive “Craftsmanship at Scale” strategy, covering everything from product development to materials management, supply operations, and logistics.
What inspired me the most was seeing how ESG initiatives are not just a part of the process but a driving force behind the brand’s present and future.
We learned about every step involved in the product journey—which can take more than 16 months to complete before reaching the shelves. Tapestry, the owner of COACH, produces over 50 million products a year, working with more than 123 suppliers across 21 different countries. Their supply chain is incredibly vast!
I also had the chance to meet with Glen King, the Divisional Vice President of COACH. We spoke a lot about the brand’s future projections and the key role Gen Z plays in ensuring its continued success.
Another highlight was a call with Lauren Mucci, the Senior Manager of Customer Development. We discussed the customer experience and how to leverage digital channels to enhance that experience and attract more clients. We analyzed the entire digital process and how data is tracked to create more personalized and direct customer interactions and improve the overall digital journey.
Aside from that, I’ve been spending a lot of time working on my project, which we will present at the end of the internship. I believe I now have a clear direction for what I want to do and how I want to approach it.
16 months is a big shift when you are used to student-scale projects that finish over a few weeks. It is important to edit and revise and improve when you are preparing something for a large audience. I hope seeing this firsthand in a commercial setting gives you an appreciation for how much time and effort goes into a final product.
As you meet these people in leadership roles, be sure to ask some of them how they got started. If you aspire to reach a similar role, it’s helpful to hear from people at the top how they got there.