(BRK.A), (BRK.B)
Berkshire Hathaway’s Borsheims has promoted Adrienne Fay to Vice President overseeing the customer purchase journey. In this newly created role, Fay will ensure that customers shopping online, by phone, or in person will have the same excellent experience that is a hallmark of Borsheims since its founding in 1870.
In her new position, Fay will bring together every part of the store that interacts with customers and unite them in a true omnichannel approach. It is a strategy Borsheims has been focusing on as it moves toward its 150th anniversary, making several changes including:
• Implementing and converting to a new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution,
• Developing ‘virtual showroom’ technology to allow the sales team to create personalized selections for retail and business customers,
• Implementing new eCommerce and Gift Registry platforms that allow for ease of navigation and ordering for customers,
• Promoting new customer outreach tools, both in traditional and new media methods,
• Creating a new role, eCommerce Fulfillment Specialist, dedicated to ensuring online orders and customer interactions receive the same instore exemplary customer service, and
• Unveiling a new corporate gifts online ordering functionality, working with companies, educational institutions, and nonprofits throughout the United States to help reward their employees.
Fay is a 15-year veteran of Borsheims, most recently serving as the Director of Marketing and Business Sales. In that role, she led the marketing team, grew and managed Borsheims’ business sales division, and guided the store’s philanthropic efforts. She also oversaw the store’s participation in the annual Berkshire Hathaway shareholders weekend, including the shareholder-only parties at Borsheims and the mini-Borsheims at the exhibitor’s hall.
Borsheims President & CEO Karen Goracke believes in the importance of serving the customer however they choose to shop. “Customers value Borsheims integrity and quality, and we in turn value making shopping a seamless experience for them – no matter how they come to us,” Goracke said. “Whether it’s an online sale, a live chat that leads to an instore consultation, or research conducted on borsheims.com for a special purchase—we are designing all our business functions with the customer in mind. Adrienne has the ideal skills to lead us in that direction.”
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman Warren Buffett echoed, stating, “Borsheims has been in business for nearly 150 years due to its leaders’ ability to adapt to the environment around them. The evolving business focus and Adrienne’s promotion to this new role are evidence of that.”
© 2019 David Mazor
Disclosure: David Mazor is a freelance writer focusing on Berkshire Hathaway. The author is long in Berkshire Hathaway, and this article is not a recommendation on whether to buy or sell the stock. The information contained in this article should not be construed as personalized or individualized investment advice. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.