Sarah Browning Recognized as Top 50 Women Chief Operating Officer of 2024
FRANKLIN PARK, IL — May 14, 2024 — Moss Inc., a leading provider of high-quality graphics and tension fabric structures, is thrilled to announce that Sarah Browning has been recognized as a Top 50 Women Chief Operating Officer of 2024 by Women We Admire, a professional women’s network that provides news on today’s women leaders. Sarah, the Chief Operating Officer & Executive Vice President of Moss, is featured in the Top 20 on the list of trailblazers.
In this interview, Sarah dives into her journey at Moss, analyzes her current role, and shares her commitment to driving organizational excellence.
Can you talk a bit about your work experience and how your current role has evolved over time?
I started at Moss in 1998 under Marilyn Moss as a seamstress in Belfast, Maine. The first technology I helped implement was the move from hand patterning and cutting to using CAD (computer-aided design) for fabric graphics. I went on to manage Technical Design and Graphics Preproduction before moving to Chicago and heading up the Moss US operations. I now manage our Moss global operations, which includes locations in Germany, Poland, and the UK.
What are some of your key responsibilities, and how do they contribute to the overall goals of the team at Moss?
My responsibilities center on leading a customer-centric, efficient operation. This includes strategy implementation, account management, and procurement, along with preproduction and global production operations. I enjoy leveraging technology, which includes custom software development, to drive solutions for both our customers and employees. I also focus on environmental, social, and business governance policies.
How do you approach problem-solving, especially when it comes to finding solutions for customers’ needs or challenges?
Moss has an army of problem solvers; I am just one of many who bring people together and focus their energy on our solutions. My approach to problem-solving centers around collaboration to foster different ideas and perspectives with open communication. Every day, we dive head-first into each challenge and develop adaptable solutions to address our customers’ evolving needs.
How do you measure the success of the solutions you provide to customers, and what strategies do you use to continually improve upon them?
Mainly, I measure success by the satisfaction and feedback of our customers. Their input is incredibly important in understanding the effectiveness of our solutions and identifying areas for improvement, whether that be in quality, efficiency, customer care, or cost. I also look to our employees for feedback on our internal operations and practices since their input is key to effectively streamlining processes to better serve our customers.
As a whole, we at Moss pride ourselves in our continuous improvement, and we are constantly looking for ways to provide new, state of the art solutions through advanced technology, innovation, sustainability, or automation.
In what ways do you collaborate with other departments to ensure customer solutions are effective and aligned with broader business objectives?
I work closely with other departments across the organization to ensure our solutions align with our broader business goals and priorities as a leader in the industry. From new product development to organizational practices on the production floor, I have my hand in virtually all areas of the company to maintain consistent execution across all departments. It’s my hope that our team sees me as a knowledgeable resource about our business that they can rely on at any given moment.
Can you share any insights or predictions about the future of the industry and how you envision your role evolving to meet upcoming challenges or opportunities?
Our industry has evolved tremendously since Moss first unveiled a fabric and frame structure at the Outdoor Retailer Show in 1983. We have seen unbelievable advancements in technology within print and fabric, and I anticipate that will continue as new machinery is tested. Sustainability is always a talking point for the future, and greener practices will become a key differentiator for customers when choosing what organization to partner with. We have some exciting upcoming projects on our sustainable materials—more to come on that!
My commitment is to continually adapt to new challenges and take advantage of any opportunity to help Moss flourish and grow.
