Magnit EMEA President on Staffing Industry, Women Leaders & Sneakers

As part of our new monthly interview series with Magnit leaders, we recently chatted with Sam Smith (President EMEA & Global Client Delivery) about her background, what she loves about the industry, the evolution of work, and her vision of leadership in business:

Tell us about yourself and your background.

I grew up in a sleepy little town called Bexhill-on-Sea, on the south coast of Britain. I made an early choice to leave Bexhill and join the Royal Air Force, where I trained as a helicopter mechanic. Unfortunately, I had to leave the Air Force sooner than anticipated for medical reasons.

From there, I got into the staffing industry. I learned the hard way about the light industrial sector, retail, FMCG, high volume, and low margin. I was driving minibuses collecting people for their various shifts – 20, 30, and 40 people at a time. Then, I got into the engineering side of the staffing industry, the white-collar side, the outsourcing side, and really specialized in this sector.

Today I've been in the industry for over 25 years – I've been very lucky along the way, and I love it!

Before we get into your career in the staffing industry, are there any fun facts you’d like to share with us?

I’m a big sneakerhead. As a child, I'd work because I wanted to buy my own sneakers. It was an independence thing. My first shoes were a pair of Nike high tops. I saved up to buy those Nikes, and that’s how my collection began. It includes a pair of rare first edition Jordans, Rod Lavers, Stan Smiths, K-Swiss, and many more. I probably wear the same rotation of six pairs and have done for 10 years but, because I take care of them, they all look brand new.

I also have a fetching collection of employer-themed Nike Air Force 1s, and I even have PRO Unlimited themed shoes - luckily, I bought those in a striking orange color which resembles the Magnit logo so I got lucky with that pair!

Because I’m not your typical corporate executive, I rock my own style and footwear is one of those ways that I can create a conversation. Folks even reach out to me about my shoes. It’s clearly a good conversation topic, right?

So, you originally landed in the staffing space by accident?

Yes! I applied for a job through a newspaper – this was pre-internet -- to work for Jaguar Land Rover. Back then I didn't know that recruitment agencies even existed. When I was contacted regarding the job, I was given an address for an owner-managed independent recruitment agency called Gravity Personnel which was located above a sewing machine shop in the town center. Instead of taking the original assignment, I wound up accepting a job offer at Gravity as a light industrial recruiter, and that’s how I got into the industry.

I was with Gravity for three years before moving to Resourcing Solutions, where I became a team manager, then a director, and finally a senior director. I've only had five jobs in this industry, and I've loved them all. My military training, particularly the leadership piece, accelerated my path. But, along the way, I've been a temp desk manager, a top billing perm recruiter for the railways, a £1,000,000-a-year biller, and a team manager. So, I've grafted my way through the industry, and I've certainly not had anything given to me.

What do you like about our industry?

I love the people. Being able to connect with people, be it customers, talent, third-party vendors, or partnerships across the board; the collaboration is what excites me. It’s predominantly about being a good leader and focusing on two areas of the business.

The first is employee experience and the second is customer experience. If you're enjoying what you do, the customer is going to feel that energy and positivity, meaning everything interlocks and interplays with each other. I just love it. We work with very talented people, and I have fun doing what I'm doing.

Why did you join Magnit?

Firstly, I love Magnit’s go-to-market strategy around the Integrated Workforce Management platform,  the industry-leading software, services and data. I think it's a great opportunity to disrupt the industry.

Secondly, it’s the people involved. I met with Kevin Akeroyd, Gregg Spratto, and other senior executives and really enjoyed the fact that we had people from outside the industry along with some real talent within. I also knew Teresa Carroll, who joined Magnit’s Board of Directors last year, from KellyOCG. So, it was a combination of people and products that really excited me.

What is your vision regarding female leadership in business?

There must be equity. If women are in a role, it’s because they’re competent and not because a quota or a box has been ticked to give them that opportunity. I think it’s incumbent on businesses to ensure that women are well represented, and that they have the skill to deliver on the requirements of the role. It’s important that we support people to be able to do so. Otherwise, they’ll fail and that would then feed into an unpleasant cycle.

I think the role of a business is to create an equitable platform for everybody. Inclusivity is critical. If we get inclusivity right, then diversity will follow, and I believe that women play a significant role in that. What I’d like to see is more and better education around things that are unique to women in the workplace. And not just as young women in the business, but mature women too.

In your perspective, is remote work the future standard?

It’s certainly part of the future. I think it’ll definitely play a role and, as a business, we need to be equipped to support people to work remotely. Being able to work from anywhere is great, but I also think there's real value in human connection that creates faster, more impressive connectivity and creativity.

If we look at Gen Z candidates and employees, they thrive in the workplace, and there's a learning experience that early talent is missing out from not being based in an office environment. I learned so much as a young person by observing what was going on around me. I learned about the type of leader I wanted to be and, perhaps more importantly, the type of leader I didn't want to be. That is what’s missing in a virtual work environment.

Moving forward, a blend of virtual and connected working in physical spaces is often going to be the best option. I think we can lead with a remote-first strategy in some areas, but completely losing that in-person connectivity will slow down our ability to be more creative and design better solutions.

What are your primary ambitions today?

At this stage in my career, my main ambitions are delivering on company goals and achieving what I've committed to as a leader.

The other piece is pulling people through and pushing them ahead of me because I shouldn't be chasing anything anymore. I should be delivering on company objectives. I've achieved what I want to from a positioning perspective. Where else is there for me to go?

I'm doing great, and now I’m all about supporting our employees to do a great job and feel that they have a career ahead of them. If I can do that, my ambition for each day will be fulfilled.

If you’re interested in learning more about how Magnit is helping organizations implement winning contingent workforce programs globally, please contact a Magnit representative at info@magnitglobal.com.

Disclaimer: The content in this blog post is for informational purposes only and cannot be construed as specific legal advice or as a substitute for legal advice. The blog post reflects the opinion of Magnit and is not to be construed as legal solutions and positions. Contact an attorney for specific advice and guidance for specific issues or questions.