Building People-First Cultures From Retail to Manufacturing with Monica Anderton of DS Smith

We’re thrilled to welcome Monica Anderton in this week’s episode. Monica’s journey spans industry giants — including The Home Depot, global metal leader Novelis, and her current role as Chief Human Resources Officer for the North America Packaging and Paper Division of DS Smith, a global heavyweight in sustainable packaging. At each stop, Monica has shaped organizations, built world-class cultures, and led teams through transformative growth. Monica’s experiences are the kind that electrify any HR, leadership, or business community.

Key Takeaways:

00:00 Introduction.
06:51 Curiosity and feedback-seeking accelerate early-career growth.
11:12 Professional volunteering builds networks that last for decades.
15:18 Community involvement directly creates unexpected job opportunities.
19:48 Culture fit matters more than skills during organizational transformation.
24:21 Authentic interviewing reveals the real person behind every candidate.
28:30 Assessment tools provide valuable data points beyond interview impressions.
32:03 Companies should automate HR processes without losing human touch.
36:00 AI translations can save millions while maintaining quality standards.
40:21 Leaders should be kinder to themselves since perfection isn't expected.

Resources Mentioned:

Monica Anderton
  / monicazanderton  

DS Smith | LinkedIn
  / ds-smith  

DS Smith | Website
http://www.dssmith.com

Human Resources Leadership Forum Atlanta
https://www.hrlfatlanta.org/

“Living a Generous Life” by Mary Elizabeth Sadd
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DVWQ6BZZ




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Connect with our host, Oz Rashid, on LinkedIn:   / ozrashid  .

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