Leader Spotlight: Alessandro Vecchi, Head of Strategy

Welcome to the next edition of J&J Global Fulfilment’s ‘A Day in the Life’ series, where we sit down with different members of the team, reflect on their career to date, gain insight into where they see the business and industry going over the coming months and into them as a person outside their role.

How did you get started in the industry?

“I started from the ground up, first in the warehouses. In my first major job, I was running an operation in Essex for an Italian company and began as a customer service manager. I joined when the business was first starting, and it eventually became one of the niche leaders in fashion logistics. I became operations manager within the first year and helped the company grow for over five years.

From there, I had the opportunity to work with one of the clients of that business, Abercrombie and Fitch. I got to a point where it was a lot of logistics and supply chain work, and the world was changing in the direction of eCommerce. At A&F, I was running the transportation network in Europe, so I got to see the digital side of the business too. The big jump was when I joined TikTok Shop, which was just before J&J. It really opened up and blew my mind on social commerce, eCommerce and everything that can be done online nowadays. Life at A&F was great, but I needed a bigger challenge, and I thought that the marketplace experience would enhance my knowledge base in the industry.”

What attracted you to J&J?

“The main thing that attracted me was the culture. The leadership team conveyed a sense of family, and it is a very nice environment where you can express yourself and do some great work for the business. Of course, on top of that, it is a very stable and structured company with high potential, too. But those things together, the culture and structure, gave me the spark to say yes.

The flexibility is a big plus, too. I live in London, and J&J is based in Northampton, and the fact that I can work remotely is something I have not been able to do previously. The team here is very mature and trusts us to get things done that are needed. We also have very clear objectives for what we want to achieve and how we are going to get there.”

What does a typical day look like for you at the moment?

“Every day is very different. When I first started, my focus was to expand our Navigator programme, and that is still part of the role, really. It’s a lot of research, speaking to partners and potential partnerships, finding companies that could bring added value to the business. I have a strong team behind me, and we are handling the long-term roadmap right now, alongside any developments from a tech and compliance perspective. We need to make sure that everything we do is in line with the client, but also the company.

We are constantly checking in with each other, whether that is chats in the office or video calls. There are a lot of cross-functional check-ins within the team. You also still have to find time for emails and admin! But the core of my day is really about driving the strategy forward.”

Have you learnt anything new since being at J&J?

“Yes definitely. This role gave me the opportunity to be in contact with each department, whereas in previous roles, it was sort of siloed into that single department. Now I’m literally in the middle of everything, so I’m learning a lot from each way of working, whilst also trying to improve processes and make things easier for everyone. I’ve learnt a lot about how the business is run from a leadership perspective, and being part of that team is the big difference. I get to see how others run their departments, gain inspiration from them and then apply that to my own role.”

What do you enjoy most about working for J&J?

“I really love the fact that when you come into the office, there are always good feelings and a good environment. Everybody feels at ease. But everyone also knows there’s stuff to get done, and it is a fast-paced environment. There are challenges that come into our places, and the fun thing is to dismantle every request, see if we are able to do it, the challenge and opportunity, and how we can make it better. For every challenge, we look for the opportunity. We have the flexibility to work on what we think is going to be a really powerful project. It is all about company potential; we just need to find the right way to unlock it.”

Where do you see J&J and the overall industry going in the future?

“That’s a tricky one. I think we are looking in shorter timeframes now than before, so in three to six months, a lot can happen. We have the tariffs in the US that have a worldwide impact, and there are a lot of things with various wars that are sadly happening as well. That also impacts the general landscape of eCommerce.

I think J&J needs to continue growing steadily and keep an eye on what competitors are doing. There are a lot of companies that grow continuously out of nowhere, and maybe they have the right tool or software to make them explode. We are very obviously focused on our growth and our offering, making sure it is in line with market requirements.

China is shaping a lot of eCommerce right now, followed closely by the US. But there are a lot of other markets, like South America or the Middle East, that are just around the corner. If we could achieve growth in those areas, it could be a big game-changer.”

What do you consider your biggest career achievement or standout moment to date?

“In terms of my career itself, this is the biggest role I have had. So that is definitely a career achievement. Throughout the years, I’ve dealt with a lot of crazy things and different problems, but nothing stands out quite like this role. It is also something I can hopefully continue to grow in.”

Aside from J&J and the eCommerce industry, what else interests you?

“I love travelling, although we have slowed down a bit now as we have a three-year-old. So the past few years have been more focused on kid-friendly vacations rather than backpacking around the world. I also love sports, and running is currently my main activity. I’ve signed up to run the London Marathon next year for a charity as well. I also do a bit of cycling and basketball, although it’s more difficult to do that in the UK. Aside from that, there is just a lot of parenting. It’s wild, fun and takes a lot of energy, but is also incredibly rewarding!”

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