Jac Ross IWD

This month, we are celebrating International Women’s Day. We’re happy to say we have a bit of international flavor on our Board of Directors. If she were a private label product, it would be a spicy little pickle, and we love it! Read more about board member Jac Ross, Sprouts Farmers Market, and her experience as an ex-pat working in the U.S.

WISE:  Hello Jac!  Can you tell us a bit about how you ended up in the US?

I’ve been in the US since January 2015, and prior to that spent almost all my working life in the U.K. The U.S. isn’t the first country outside of the U.K. that I’ve lived and worked though, as I’ve always had an interest in living and working abroad. My first experience of working overseas was as part of my degree course, when I spent a six-month internship working for Kraft in Munich, Germany. Later in my career, I took a break for a year and spent six months working in a ski resort in the French Alps. So, I think I’ve always had a little bit of wanderlust!

I initially worked for Ahold USA (now Ahold Delhaize) when I first arrived in the US. They reached out to me as they were looking for someone who had experience in Food Safety & Quality Assurance, product development, health & wellness, sustainability, and private brands. I thought the opportunity to work overseas, but for a European company, was a great chance for me to gain more depth in my career. I’m so glad I took the chance!  It opened up a world of different opportunities. I’m now working in Arizona for Sprouts Farmers Market. So far I have lived in central Pennsylvania; Boston, MA; Dallas, TX; and Arizona during my U.S. career.

WISE:  What are some of the general differences working in the U.K. versus the U.S.?

There are many similarities of course, but it’s certainly a different experience to the U.K. One of the areas that I’m sure most people would expect to be very similar is the language. Yes, both the Brits and the Americans, in theory, speak the same language, but it’s amazing how many times (and occasionally still happens) that I’m talking and am faced with a sea of blank looking faces–simply because something didn’t quite translate! We have a lot of phrases and that just don’t exist here (or mean something else entirely). Sometimes that can lead to a lot of crossed wires.

A major difference is that in most cases in the U.K. you will have an employment contract and within your contract is a clearly stated notice period (both for you and for the employer), whereas in the U.S. the standard is employment at will. This concept was quite a shock to me at first, and from my perspective, it seems that there is a lot more movement in the workforce here in the U.S. Essentially, it’s easier to move roles as there are fewer restrictions. But, on the converse, I’ve seen that this can have a negative effect as people can be more nervous about their job security. In comparison, my last few roles in the U.K. came with a three-month notice period.

And a final very big difference is the amount of vacation (or holiday) for which employees are eligible. My observation is that leads to people in the U.S. being very much more cognizant of their free time and making the most of it. I certainly see people being very busy at the weekends and cramming as much as possible into them!

WISE:  What have been your favorite opportunities working in the U.S. environment?

I think working in the Private Brand Industry in the U.S. is a great opportunity because, when I started here, the industry wasn’t as mature as the U.K. Private Brand industry.  Certainly, the consumer perception wasn’t the same. That meant there was a lot more to go for, discover and create than in the U.K. I felt very lucky to be able to initiate the work at Ahold Delhaize in reducing the amount of unnecessary sugar and salt in the Own Brand products, but still making sure they tasted fantastic. I loved the fact that I could help influence the health of the consumers’ basket but not impact the overall experience negatively! I’m now at Sprouts Farmers Market and am loving the opportunity to work in the Natural channel.  It’s great being able to develop and launch attribute-driven products that continue to help customers discover a more natural and healthier lifestyle.

I’ve also had the opportunity to travel a lot with my different jobs and been able to live in four different states. That’s almost like living in four different countries as all the states are so very different. It’s been a fantastic experience meeting a vast array of very different people with different perspectives has broadened my horizons and helped me understand how much I don’t know and how much more there is out there to discover.

WISE:  What differences have you noticed in the roles for women or the kind of support they receive at work in the U.K. versus here in the U.S.? 

I still find it difficult to comprehend that maternity leave is so short or non-existent in the U.S. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be to return to work after three months, or even shorter, whereas in the U.K. most women take at least six months but are eligible for up to 52. Parental leave, in general, is much more generous in the U.K. Another difference I’ve noticed is that in most of the different companies I worked at in the U.K., there were more opportunities for women (and men) to work part-time or even job share. This can be difficult for the individual to juggle, but it allows for more flexibility. I believe more women stayed at the companies because of this, often returning to full-time as their children got older.

I hope that, following the last couple of years of home-based working for some and certainly a more hybrid working environment, companies become more open to allowing greater flexibility within their workforce.

WISE:  What kind of advice would you offer to young women for their professional careers?

Be courageous and take a chance. You never know where an opportunity will take you. I’m lucky to have had different opportunities and I’ve never regretted a single one, even when they may not have all turned out as I wanted. I have learned and developed from each and every experience, built my network, gained mentors and friends each time. Ultimately, it’s my experiences that differentiate me from others and continue to bring me more opportunities that I might otherwise have never had.