3 4 longislandpress.com • EPS TEM BER 2017 SEPTEMBER 2017 • LONGISLANDPRESS.COM 35 C Karyn Schoenbart steps up Karyn Schoenbart is chief executive of the NPD
Group, a global leader in consumer research and
one of those quiet corporate jewels that a lot of
Long Islanders don’t know about. Her new book,
“Mom.B.A. Essential Business Advice from One
Generation to the Next,” came out in August.
Contributing editor Warren Strugatch tracked
her down in Port Washington to ask about leadership,
climbing the corporate ladder and goal
setting.
LIP: What were your early years like?
KS: My mother, Anita Schoenbart, was a stayat
home mom. She was the class mother, the
president of the sisterhood, and a role model in
showing my brother and me that whatever your
job is you can be a hard worker and be passionate
about it. She gave me the superpower of
being able to remember everyone’s name.
My father Zelman had a sewing machine and
vacuum cleaner store on Amsterdam Avenue in
Manhattan. He taught me business fundamentals
like the difference between revenue and
profits and the importance of hard work. They
were both incredibly supportive of my brother
and me. Both are still alive and they are the
best parents.
LIP: Can you describe your leadership philosophy
to me?
KS: It’s ‘Say what you’re going to do, then do
what you say.’ It starts with having a vision, then
articulating that vision so people see how they
fit into it and how they can contribute to it. It’s
inspiring people to be part of it.
LIP: In March you were named CEO of a
well-established company. Is your job maintaining
continuity with NPD’s culture and traditions,
or steering forward in a new direction?
KS: NPD is a terrific data company. We made
the decision a few years ago to change our
orientation from being about the data which is
from the past, to being predictive and helping
people with their future business problems.
Now we have to articulate that vision and inspire
people to see how their piece fits into the
puzzle. My role is to help people understand
the long term benefits to our clients. One of
the key skills in my role is communicating: up,
down and across.
LIP: Have you found a way to eliminate the socalled
CEO echo chamber where people tell you
only what they assume you want to hear?
KS: I know that because of my position and my
passion it’s hard to say no to me. If people think
my idea won’t work, it’s important they know
that they can tell me that. Maybe my idea is pink
sunglasses. I am teaching myself to say: ‘Let’s
just brainstorm all the ways that making these
sunglasses pink is a bad idea. I’ll go first.’
LIP: You’ve received regular promotions up the
ladder. Were these promotions planned on your
end, or the result of recognition from above?
KS: A sponsor is someone who sees something
in you and keeps pushing you forward. I talk
about the importance of sponsors in my book.
In my career, Tod (Johnson, NPD’s executive
chairman and preceding CEO) has been a sponsor.
When Tod first offered me the job of being
head of all business units my first response was
to say no. I really liked the job I was in, managing
one unit. I wasn’t sure I wanted the job of
managing my peers.
Tod said go home and sleep on it. I did. I talked
about it with my husband, who said first of
all you can do this job, and if you don’t take it
someone else will. I thought about the accomplishments
of my team and I had to admit I was
probably the best person for the job. This is the
modesty thing many women have. We find it
hard to say out loud that yes, I am the person
who’s most qualified.
LIP: Did the modesty thing reoccur when you
were offered the president’s job?
KS: One of the first meetings I had with Tod was
a career development lunch, which I asked for.
Tod asked me for my goals. I wrote out five pages
worth. He turned around and said, ‘I think
your goal should be to be president of NPD.’ I
thought, Really? Little ol’ me?
LIP: And now you’re CEO.
KS: And part of that job is helping other people
set goals like that for themselves.
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