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Behind The Scenes: Strategic Impact and Authentic Leadership

Nov 1, 2024 • 3 min

Amanda Oren, Vice President of Industry Strategy for Grocery North America at RELEX, has carved out an impressive career in the retail industry. Born and raised in Manhattan, New York City, Amanda’s journey from consulting to her current role in tech reflects her passion, dedication, and adaptability.

A Rich Background in Retail 

Amanda’s professional journey began with an engineering degree, followed by a stint in consulting. After business school, she immersed herself in the retail world, gaining experience across various sectors, including apparel and home goods. The last thirteen years, however, have been dedicated to the grocery sector. This diverse experience set the stage for her current role at RELEX, marking her first foray into the tech industry. 

Amanda’s decision to join RELEX was influenced by her previous role as an executive sponsor, where she had the opportunity to purchase RELEX. She was deeply impressed by the company’s technology, culture, and the humility and brilliance of its people. “I fell in love with not just the technology, but also the culture and the people,” she recalls. 

Building a Collaborative Culture 

In her new role at RELEX, Amanda is pioneering the development of an industry strategy muscle within the company. She works cross-functionally across sales, pre-sales, field strategy, business development, partnerships, field marketing, broad marketing, product marketing, and product strategy. Her goal is to unify these diverse functions to drive pipeline and sales more broadly for grocery across North America. 

Amanda’s early initiatives include the formation of the Grocery North America Task Force. This group, comprising representatives from various cross-functional partnerships, has been meeting for about six weeks. Their collaborative efforts focus on defining key metrics, setting goals, aligning messaging, and ensuring everyone is rowing in the same direction. “I love being able to work with so many different people, and bringing together people from all different functions, without being kind of siloed in one function,” Amanda shares. 

Authentic Leadership and Career Advice 

Amanda is a strong advocate for authenticity and relationship-building in the workplace. Her advice to females pursuing similar careers is to stay true to themselves and build relationships with everyone they work with. “It’s really important to stay true to who you are. And to not try to emulate sort of the other people in the room ever. Building relationships both increases your enjoyment and helps you get things done better,” she advises. 

Embracing RELEX’s Core Values 

Amanda’s transition to RELEX has been smooth, thanks to the company’s core values, which she finds deeply embedded in its culture. Her favorite value, “colleague as friend,” resonates strongly with her. “We spend a lot of time at work, and it’s really important to enjoy our time and to build those relationships. It also has a huge benefit on work itself when you have built those relationships,” she explains. 

RELEX’s support for the “be yourself” value has also been instrumental in Amanda’s success. The autonomy she enjoys in her role allows her to build it out in a way that adds the most value, free from micromanagement. This freedom, she believes, leads to greater success. 

A Global Perspective 

Amanda’s global perspective, shaped by her international parents, adds another layer to her rich professional background. Her mother is from South Africa, and her father was born in Egypt, raised in Europe, and later moved to Canada, where her parents met and eventually settled in New York. Although her parents are not U.S. citizens, their diverse backgrounds have given Amanda a broad worldview, which she finds beneficial in her current role. 

In conclusion, Amanda Oren’s journey to RELEX is a story of passion, adaptability, and a commitment to authenticity and relationship-building. Her diverse background and dedication to collaborative culture make her a valuable asset to RELEX and a role model for others in the industry. 

Interested in joining the team? Explore our careers section and dive into the RELEX experience!

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