Meet another past TWISB recipient!
Nicole Kostrova, Director of Customer Service and Fulfillment, TreeHouse Foods
Nicole, how did you launch your career in store brands?
It was kind of accidental. I actually started in the construction industry. I was looking for a customer service job and was recruited by a friend as a customer service representative 16 years ago. That launched my private label career. It’s so fun to see your products on the shelves, and I find it so interesting to be a part of the day-to-day in the industry.
What have been some personally fulfilling moments in your career?
Some of the high points really come down to the ability to advocate for people within my teams. I love to work people into their skill sets and get people into careers or positions within CPG that fulfill them. Recently, I’ve had five people promoted and one out of my department. It’s bittersweet. I’m happy for them, but sad to see them go.
What did it mean to you to receive the TWISB nomination and, ultimately, award?
I thought it was amazing to be recognized. The award was really a representation of the work that all my team did dealing with COVID and supply constraints. It was recognition of a team’s hard work. Honestly, it did feel a little awkward to have my face on the work even though it was a team effort. Prior to COVID, we closed our Omaha location and had to hire 32 CSRs in Green Bay. I thought that would be the biggest challenge of my career. Then, COVID hit and the work was incredibly hard. We had to develop a lot of new processes, but we worked as a team. After the TWISB award presentation, Treehouse had a great celebration here as recognition of my award and the whole team effort.
What excites you about the future of store brands?
I love that brands don’t control the narrative anymore. I feel that the store brand has more control in driving the market. There is so much more opportunity for store brands to become leaders and develop specialty items.
What advice do you have for people who are new or early in their store brands career?
Start in customer service! We touch every department within the company. If you’re not sure where you want to start your career, start here. It’s a great way to get a lot of experience in different areas and to meet different people across the organization. You get to work with internal partners and you learn a lot.
Are you involved in any DEI efforts or Employee Resource Groups currently? If so, please tell us a bit about it.
I’m a part of the Women in TreeHouse group. I participate in activities that they host like lunch and learns and speaker webinars. I also encourage my team members to be a part of the group.
Specific to WISE, are there any programs that you have benefitted from personally or any suggestions for future programs/offerings that you’d like to see from WISE?
I think WISE programs are an awesome resource. I attend the webinars when I can and I encourage others to benefit from them, especially the younger generation starting their careers. WISE is a great skills resource and a great network to meet other people.