Having a say is an important part of feeling valued at work, but at many companies, job titles and departmental lines can sometimes keep opinions from being heard.
Jay Topper, the newly appointed chief digital officer at FTD Companies, an international floral and gifting company, spoke to us about how, and why, he tries to get input from a wide variety of people when he makes decisions.
What does the role of chief digital officer entail?
Overseeing FTD’s technology, customer service and experience departments. I picked up all the different components and creative services of mass marketing, and the merchandising departments for all of our U.S. brands. We put all these departments together to operate as more of a single company. It’s a broader role than any other I’ve ever had, so it’s the opportunity of a lifetime.
What’s the most exciting thing about being part of FTD in this moment in the company’s history?
Technology is at the core of much of what we do. In the early 20th century, we were one of the top players in the U.S. technology industry, sending orders over telegraph and deploying them across the country. Getting back to those roots of being technology leaders is critical. One of the reasons I joined this company, and why I’m still thrilled to be here, is to reinvigorate that.
I like a lot of different people to have eyes on the decisions we’re making, even if it’s not in their respective areas.”
What technological growth should we expect from the floral and gifting e-commerce space in coming years, and how does FTD play into that?
We’re creating a single platform for our customers and our companies with a foundation in microservices. When we get that foundation laid before the end of this year, that will enable us to draw on a lot of new technologies — things like testing digital asset creation and photography recognition.
What is your leadership style like?
I like a lot of different people to have eyes on the decisions we’re making, even if it’s not in their respective areas. If you’re in marketing, you can have a merchandising perspective. If you’re in technology, you can have a have a customer service perspective. I like involving people around the company to help formulate ideas.
What are some milestones you use to measure success?
We take risks and try different things and we’re going to increase the velocity of those tests. If 20 percent of our tests are successful, it’s better to do 50 tests than 10. So I measure the throughput of these tests and the risks we take.
What do you look for when hiring?
You can do a lot by just being honest. This is a fast-paced environment, and we expect people to take risks. You have to be willing to fail. For some people, that’s a perk, and for some, it’s hard. I like to flesh that out with people and let them know what they’re really walking into.
What advice would you give someone interested in a tech career?
It’s great if you can love the product. When you can embrace the product offered, that helps keep you humble. Stay as modern as you can. You have to try to look a year or two down the line at where the company is going technologically.
