Retail Business Manager—Philadelphia
When Chris Cook was in college, he’d spend Christmas vacation working in the mall. A chance meeting with a Campbell recruiter one afternoon got him thinking that the iconic company might be a good fit for him. He kept in touch with her, and when an opportunity to apply for a position arose, she called to let him know. At first, Cook was taken aback by her kindness. But as he now knows, that’s just the kind of place Campbell is.
You must have been looking forward to starting the job. Would you say it met your expectations? Absolutely. I’m extremely proud to work for this company. When I wake up every day, I know I’ll be representing an icon—and I’m selling that icon to stores. I’ve learned so much here: from merchandising, to fact-based selling, to gaining distribution, to grassroots marketing.
Did anything surprise you? I was surprised with the amount of value that Campbell places on their field sales reps. At the last company I worked for, I felt like the senior managers didn’t put enough resources into their sales force. But at Campbell, you can sense that what we’re doing every day, at every level, is highly regarded and that the senior leadership at Campbell strongly believes in what we’re doing.
Do you have a favorite part of your job? The selling! I love being out in front of customers every day. I love meeting new people and selling Campbell products and helping customers any way I can. That’s the most fun for me: helping my customers grow business and make money.
What’s something about Campbell that only people who work there would know? The passion surrounding the Campbell brand. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. The way people feel about Campbell, about what the red and white stands for, it’s something you wouldn’t understand unless you came to work here. I have teammates that have been around for 40 years, and they’re just so proud to work here. You’d never know it unless you saw it firsthand.
Describe Campbell in three words: Passionate, iconic, diverse.
Do you have any parting advice for students who want to work there? The biggest thing for me is that you really do feel like a part of a family when you join this company. There aren’t a lot of companies out there that can give you the things Campbell has given me—opportunities to increase my education and knowledge, give back to the community, achieve merit awards. For anyone coming out of college, I’d say: “Take a look here.” There are opportunities for all majors, all across the country.