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I\\u2019m so sad to say that this is the final episode in our \\u2018You Won\\u2019t Believe What We\\u2019ve Seen\\u2019 mini-series, in partnership with SQA services. But over the course of these four episodes we\\u2019ve had a blast! We\\u2019ve chatted to some inspirational people, learned a lot and heard some amazing stories \\u2013 we really can\'t believe what they\\u2019ve seen! I hope you\\u2019ve enjoyed the series just as much as I have and don\\u2019t forget, you can still catch up on any episodes you might\\u2019ve missed HERE.

In last week\\u2019s episode \\u2018High Stakes\\u2019, we were joined by father and son team Jim and Mike McKay to tackle the ever-changing landscape of technology. We talked about the latest technological advances in the industry and really did a deep dive into the importance of quality, right from the outset, and how it\\u2019s achieved through honesty, communication, collaboration and partnership.

And today, last but definitely not least, we\\u2019re headed to the multi-billion-dollar world of beauty. Mike McKay is joining us one last time alongside the incredible Ashley Goldberg, Executive Director of Quality and Operational Excellence at Merz North America. We\\u2019re taking a closer look at the changing face of the beauty industry, the rise of social media and the impact of influencers, and why quality is more important than ever.

IN THIS EPISODE WE DISCUSS:

[01.03] Introducing Mike McKay.
[02.19] Introducing Ashley Goldberg.
[03.46] SQA\\u2019s key beauty industry partnerships, from Estee Lauder to Colgate-Palmolive.
[04.18] An introduction to Merz.
[05.32] How SQA\\u2019s early partnership with Colgate-Palmolive helped the business take off.

\\u201cI went from zero sales to several hundred thousand, by employing two or three hundred people in three different cities and shipping over 38,000 tubes of toothpaste!\\u201d (MMK)

[11.40] The importance of relationship-building in every stage \\u2013 from raw materials to manufacturing to supply chain \\u2013 to ensure quality, particularly in the start-up space.
[15.26] The relationship between Merz and SQA, and the importance of teamwork.

\\u201cThey\\u2019re going to come in as an honest partner\\u2026 to support it, augment it, and ultimately make sure you have the ability to build a robust supply chain.\\u201d (AG)

[19.36] Why it\\u2019s essential to ensure quality at source.

\\u201cEnsuring that your entire supply chain and all of your partners have the same values and integrity you have for your product is so important, because ultimately your customer is what matters.\\u201d (AG)

[23.14] Why cost-cutting strategies aren\\u2019t always the best approach, particularly for quality.

\\u201cIs the risk really worth it? What\\u2019s the cost of customer dissatisfaction?\\u201d (MMK)

[26.25] How consumer behavior is driving supply chain optimization.
[29.30] How social media, communication speed and influencer impact can have a very positive, or negative, effect on your brand \\u2013 making quality even more important.
[31.29] SQA\\u2019s \\u2018Quality Is\\u2019 campaign and how it helps customers to ensure quality is an accessible and better understood topic.
[35.08] Why designing quality into the supply chain from the beginning is going to be vital to the future of the beauty industry.

You can connect with Mike on LinkedIn, or head over to SQA\\u2019s website now to find out more, meet the team and discover how they could help you too.
You can also connect with Ashley on LinkedIn or find out all about the different facets to Merz on their website.

Check out our other podcasts HERE.