Leaders of Change: Amanda Greenberg

AMANDA GREENBERG is the Chief Digital Officer at Centre Lane Partners. As CDO, Amanda works with CLP’s portfolio companies to optimize their eCommerce and Digital efforts, and helps to advise the investment team on potential acquisitions from the same perspectives.  

Prior to Centre Lane Partners, Amanda was the Sr. Director of eCommerce & Digital at Ferrara Candy Company, one of the nation’s largest candy manufacturers. Amanda has a diversified background, having worked for KIND, Philips, Croscill, Experian Cheetahmail and the Orlando Magic, holding roles of increasing responsibility in eCommerce, marketing, business strategy, sales and supply chain.  

Within eCommerce, Amanda has deep experience in both the direct to consumer and in working strategically with eCommerce wholesale customers. Amanda has also managed all aspects of digital marketing, including launching and managing websites, and all forms of acquisition marketing.  

Amanda earned her BA from George Washington University and her MBA from the University of Central Florida.

Why did you choose to pursue eCommerce in your career? I sort of fell into eCommerce, but I found out quickly that it was something for which I had natural proclivity, was fascinated by the fast pace and ever-changing landscape and could quickly grow my career. Choosing a career where the demand was higher than the supply is something I have never regretted. 

What is your biggest strength, and how have you used it for your success in eCommerce? I’m driven, assertive and persistent. In the eCommerce space, you have to be both to be able to fight for the resources in organizations to be successful.  The flip side to those qualities is potentially being seen as impatient, aggressive and annoying, which I’m sure some have seen me as at times.  

How have you most successfully influenced change within your organization (or with your clients)? The clearer you can be with key stakeholders about where you’re going and what you’re trying to accomplish, the better. Additionally, when coming into a new organization, it’s imperative you identify key people in supply chain, marketing, sales, senior leadership, etc. that are going to help you accomplish your goals to get them on board. Making the, “we won’t be successful unless we all move forward as one team” message clear is super important.  

What was your most “valuable” career failure, and why? I really struggle with identifying failures in my career, because while I’m sure I have had them, I just don’t look at the world that way. When a mistake has been made, I work with the relevant teams to correct it in real time and pivot as quickly as possible. 

I would say that one of the most important lessons I have learned during my career is the importance of ensuring that everyone understands the KPI’s and what success looks like and then communicating how we’re doing against those metrics. If you’re not looking towards the same goals, you’re setting the team up for failure.  

In the last five years, what new belief, behavior or habit has most improved your life? I’ve always been a very regimented, structured person, so I don’t know that much has changed from that perspective. I’m constantly striving to be more patient, as this is, by far, my greatest weakness (positive flip side is driven). I foresee this struggle being life-long. :) 

What are you learning right now? I’m really interested in capital allocation. Totally fascinating.  

What are the 1-3 books you’ve gifted the most or that have greatly influenced your life, and why? I love this question, so I’m going to write a short essay. 

• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: This is the book that I’ve gifted most. He was a Holocaust survivor, neurologist and psychiatrist who founded logotherapy, which is a form of existential analysis. The main message that I got from this book is that certain activities that might give us immediate gratification aren’t the activities that we look back upon and give our lives meaning. Similarly, things that might seem painful in the short term give us incredible long term gratification. Frankl observes that, for the most part, the people who survived the Holocaust were people who had something that gave their life meaning.
• Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind by Joe Dispenza: Since I can’t stop at just one, another book that has had a huge impact on me is this one. This book is about neuroplasticity – the idea that you have the power (neurologically) to change the way your brain functions and there are literally no patterns or behaviors that we can’t change if we choose to change. It is an incredibly powerful and liberating message.
• The Outsiders: Eight Unconventional CEO’s and Their Radically Rational Blueprint for Success by William Thorndike: Finally, I’m in the midst now of reading this one, and I’m totally fascinated by the discussion on how the best CEO’s have been masters of capital allocation. I’ve literally never even thought about capital allocation before reading this book and it has totally consumed me recently.  

If you could have a gigantic billboard for the world to see with anything on it, what would it say, and why? "You are not the only one on the road."

People are incredibly self-interested by nature and often forget the impact their actions have on other people. As a leader, I’m constantly striving to be my best self. My favorite quote is from Jackie Robinson, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

What are the worst recommendations or advice you have heard related to eCommerce? Oh my! Where to begin?! Some of the below are situational….

• SKU Rationalization
• Not building a profitable business from Day 1
• Not taking into account the marketing impact eCommerce has offline
• Launching a direct to consumer website for EBITDA contribution (CPG side)
• Not measuring ROI and constantly evolving your marketing and promotional budgets
• Not saying “no” to retailers when whatever they’re proposing makes no sense

What advice would you give to a future leader of change about to enter business, or specifically the eCommerce field?

• Know your business inside and out
• Constantly learn: read, listen, question, research and observe
• Be ready to pivot
• Be a change leader
• Communicate 

What specific, industry-related change do you believe will happen that few others seem to see? I’m nervous about the environmental impact of shipping boxes everywhere. What happens to those boxes? When do we start to hear pushback about all of the waste in the ecosystem as a result of these boxes?

I’m also very bullish on Alibaba acquiring eBay as their entrance into the U.S. market.  

What is the last thing you bought online, and why? I buy mostly from Amazon, although I also have a guilty pleasure for RueLaLa. Because I travel a lot for work, the last thing I bought was travel-size hand moisturizer. I know, not exactly the sexiest of purchases, but a necessity. Also, my Subscribe & Save orders just shipped, so I’m excited to get my replenishables!  

* * * * * * *

Leaders of Change is a weekly interview series featuring select industry pioneers who are driving the evolution of commerce, the consumer and everything in between. If you would like to recommend a Leader of Change for consideration, please reach out to me on LinkedIn.