Seth Ellison (Nike, Levi’s, Quiksilver) on his Favorite Interview Questions, Cultivating Internal Talent, the Elements of Successful Talent Strategy, and More

How I Hire

Seth Ellison has led teams at iconic brands like Nike, Levi Strauss & Co., and Quiksilver. Today, he joins Roy to discuss how these roles have shaped his hiring philosophy and what we can learn from the talent strategy of top apparel companies.

Seth has decades of experience in brand building and merchandising, having led and built global teams for legendary brands. Seth’s extensive resume includes the growth of large-scale DTC and wholesale businesses across international markets, industry leading corporate strategy, widely successful C-Suite leadership, extensive team building and brand development, and high level execution across diverse consumer segments.

Highlights from our conversation include:

• Lifelong lessons from Seth’s early days in the surf apparel business (4:15)
• How his time at Nike shaped his hiring philosophy (9:05)
• Developing internal talent vs. seeking external talent (11:55)
• Opportunities and challenges he experienced during Nike’s acquisition of Hurley (15:26)
• Seth’s process for making decisions on important hires (18:13)
• Seth’s interview strategy and criteria (22:35)
• The elements of successful hires vs. hiring mistakes (25:22)
• Advice for young and emerging leaders (27:31)

Visit HowIHire.com for transcripts and more on this episode.

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