December 15, 2022 – Global digital commerce specialist Astound Commerce has announced that it has hired Deborah Hankin as Chief People Officer, strengthening its commitment to bolstering employee experience as the company enters the new year. As part of the leadership team, Deborah brings more than 17 years of experience and a deep commitment to providing excellent end-to-end experience for employees.
Having lived and worked in Japan, Deborah will apply the concept of sei-katsu-sha, or “seeing the whole person,” to transform Astound’s approach to its people experience. This Japanese tenet stresses the importance of focusing on a person’s lifestyle, aspirations, and dreams to understand them holistically. As CPO at Astound, Deborah does not just view employees and candidates through the narrower framework of the employee-employer relationship. Instead, she demonstrates the power of innovation by taking a well-honed concept — one that is far removed from ecommerce — and applying it to the ecommerce space. Hankin will report directly to Astound Global CEO Michael Kahn (MK).
Her previous tenures include Connatix, Mediabrands and Real Chemistry (formerly W2O Group), leading award-winning initiatives to advance diversity, inclusion and women’s equity in today’s dynamic technology arena. But it is her experience working directly in account management and strategy at Wunderman, FCB, Deutsch and Dentsu that affords her a unique perspective as CPO.
“I understand what it’s like to do the work, and because I don’t just come from a human resources background, I’m not afraid to try something that hasn’t been done before,” Hankin said.
“Deborah is the right person to steer our people experience in this important moment,” said MK. “She will advance and strengthen our efforts in support of our global team, as we strive to ensure our people experience at Astound is as wonderful as our client experience.”
With a BA in communications studies from UCLA and an MS in marketing from Northwestern University, Deborah has authored numerous articles on talent management, including “How to Avoid Innovation Imposters” and “5 Interview Questions to Detect an IT Innovator.”
To learn more visit www.astoundcommerce.com
About Astound Commerce:
At Astound Commerce, we create digital experiences that engage consumers and fuel exponential growth. With a strong global presence, more than 20 years’ experience, and a team of more than 1,600 deeply passionate experts in the areas of growth, design, demand and technology, we’ve had the opportunity to partner with visionary brands such as L’Oréal, Boohoo, Halfords, FLOR, TOMS and Crocs. Astound is responsible for more than 3,000 successful digital commerce projects and 400 end-to-end website launches—sites which last year generated nearly US$10 billion in revenue.
We partner with best-in-class technology providers like Salesforce to provide the best possible experience for our clients. Astound has earned Salesforce B2C Commerce Expert and Retail Industry Specialist status, among other distinctions, reflecting our ongoing excellence in the Salesforce ecosystem. For more information about Astound’s digital commerce services and solutions, visit astoundcommerce.com/solutions.
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Astound Commerce PR Contact:
Adrienne Scordato
CEO
Atrium PR
917.402.5377