LEAD Network doubles membership again
From the modest start with 13 members in 2011, LEAD Network has grown exponentially in the last couple of years from 1000+ members in 2016, to 2000+ in 2017, and 4000+ in 2018. This is thanks to the hard and passionate work of 120 volunteers in the Advisory Board, the Executive Committee, the Steering Committee, the Marketing, Education and Membership committees, the Chapter committees, and from the LEAD Ambassadors at our 29 Partners.
In 2019, our growth strategy will focus on attracting more members from retailers. Currently, 18% of our membership is from retailers. Our target is 25% of membership. “Part of the attraction of the LEAD Network is a healthy balance between retailers, manufacturers, and service providers” says Helayne Angelus from Kalypso and Chair of the LEAD Advisory Board.
We also want to increase the number of men. Currently, 1 out of 7 members is a man. Peter Beets, from P&G and Chair of the LEAD Membership Committee, puts it succinctly: “LEAD is inclusive of men. We cannot do without them. We need to double the current number.”
The LEAD Network also tracks functional statistics. One metric of which we are proud is the high diversity among functions within our network, demonstrating that our mission is truly business-driven. Functions represented include General Management, Supply Chain, IT, R&D, HR, Store Management, with Sales & Marketing rating the highest at 25%.
We could not achieve the 2018 membership record without support from our 29 Partners. “We recognize the importance of our Partners for our continued growth and are adding resources to further improve our service to them”, says Sharon Jeske, Executive Director of LEAD Network.
