Channel Mastery - Ep. 184: Jacques Rene, Fabrics Divisional Leader at W. L. Gore & Associates

W. L. Gore & Associates

Fabric sustainability, climate change, organizational insights, and more

featuring

Jacques Rene is an experienced business leader who works cross-functionally to achieve tangible results and organizational change. Currently serving as the leader of the Fabrics Division for W. L. Gore & Associates, Jacques leverages his broad skills to drive a customer-focused strategy. Jacques has demonstrated the ability to set goals, create strategy, drive execution, and manage performance in a variety of roles.

From leading a startup business in the pharmaceutical industry, to driving effectiveness and customer initiatives across the enterprise, to leading as the COO of a major division, Jacques has created change, developed leaders, and implemented sustainable business models. Jacques is very active in diversity and is passionate about enabling positive experiences for others. Prior to Gore, Jacques worked for Mobil Oil Corporation and holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Jacques resides in Elk Neck, Maryland with his wife and two sons. He enjoys mentoring, sports, electronics, and cooking.

show highlights

I’m excited to welcome Jacques Rene, a 25-year veteran from Gore who is trailblazing in fabric sustainability, introducing expanded polyethylene (ePE), a newly released complementary material platform for Gore. In this episode, we talk about leading through climate change and pushing the boundaries of what’s possible due to brand and consumer demands - higher levels of performance with a lower environmental footprint. We also chat about gaining organizational insight within Gore and what the future holds. Gore is leading the way for ingredient branding, and we’re looking forward to seeing what innovations are to come!

Kristin Carpenter:
Welcome back to another episode of the Channel Mastery podcast. I'm so excited to have Jacques Rene here with us today, the global leader of the Fabrics Division of W. L. Gore & Associates. Welcome to the show, Jacques. It's so great to have you here.
Jacques Rene:
It is absolutely a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having me.
Kristin:
This is so exciting. We have so much to cover. It's such an important time for us to be meeting and sharing your viewpoint and vision, but we're here to talk about your leadership at Gore because you've definitely clocked quite a career there, 25 years, also about Gore's new complementary material platform, ePE [expanded Polyethylene], which we introduced in the fourth quarter of 2021, as well as what the introduction of ePE means for Gore in the larger industry.
So having you on the show to talk about all that with your global vision and perspective, and all of the years that you've spent on the Gore team is going to be fantastic for our audience. So thank you so much for being here.
Jacques:
My pleasure.
Kristin:
All right. So let's jump right in because we have a lot of awesome questions here. So you've been literally at W. L. Gore [& Associates] for a quarter-century, and that is a long time. What brought you to W. L. Gore [& Associates] and why have you stayed? I'm so curious.
Jacques:
Yeah. It's an interesting question. I worked for an oil company prior to coming to Gore and was really involved with a lot of great people, designing some products there. And a friend of mine tapped me into Gore and I learned a lot about the culture and the entrepreneurship that was really there and that really attracted me. I always felt like running my own business was kind of a long-term goal. And at Gore, you just had a lot of freedom to try that and do that and explore new opportunities. And that just really appealed to me a lot. And the second piece that was really appealing was the premium products that really improved people's lives.
And that was just super appealing to me. I wanted to work on things that really made a difference and being involved in things that save lives from stents all the way up through people that are enjoying and saving lives wearing GORE-TEX [brand products]. That was just a super appealing thing for me to get involved with. And that's what's kept me staying, being able to explore both of those avenues and just had different opportunities along the way has just kept me here. It's not been a boring day.
Kristin:
I bet. And there's so much going on right now. So I believe that you took the division leader for Gore Fabrics [Division] and that was a newer role for you, about three years ago, correct?
Jacques:
That's correct.
Kristin:
And what was it that pulled you from some of your other responsibilities and leadership roles at Gore to take that role on? I'm curious.
Jacques:
I've always been a fan of the GORE-TEX [brand] and I've always been into sports, so I was always engaged in outdoors and that was appealing in and of itself. But beyond that I just was really compelled by the opportunity where Gore has such a rich history, particularly what we've done with GORE-TEX [products] and in our Fabrics Division. And I was just really inspired to create that narrative for the future about where we're going to take it the next 10 years and in creating that future state, that's just as compelling as our past. So that's what really attracted me to take on the challenge.
Kristin:
And it's so interesting because as we're looking back, captain hindsight, right? It was right before the pandemic. So I have to ask, you were probably asked to lead at a much higher level and I know that's probably just who you are, but I would sure love to hear what was the most substantial change that you had to lead through within Gore Fabrics [Division] during that time?
Jacques:
Yeah. Timing is everything, isn't it, right?
Kristin:
Yes.
Jacques:
But for sure was an extra challenge for sure, but I'd say one of the biggest challenges is obviously, we know what's going on with climate change and it's sort of huge clamor from our industry about doing better in terms of what we can do to continue to improve our impact on the planet. And at Gore we've always been protecting people and the planet. So being able to really continue to stretch that was really a key thing for me.
And being able to usher that in and this complementary material set with expanded Polyethylene [ePE] was a great vehicle to continue to extend that. And I think that's the greatest challenge of really bringing that forward.
And obviously what's been really difficult for that along the way is doing that with COVID. So we are a very collaborative, innovative Enterprise where people work hand-in-hand, arm-at-arm with each other, with our customers face-to-face is a big part of how we've always operated.
And we have not been able to do that as much here. So we've had to get creative in how we collaborate with each other in order to kind of get these things done and [I am] very proud of us being able to navigate that. But that's been a huge part of the challenge for me personally is, how do you do these things in a way that's different than what we've done, really empowering and still supporting our teams to get there and allowing some pretty clear guardrails about goals that we need to achieve, to be able to create high performing premium products that still lower the environmental footprint.
Kristin:
And it is so critical, those partnerships and those interpersonal conversations about what's working and what isn't. And I would sure love to hear how... I mean, this is a really important time and an important new chapter for the history of Gore as a brand and an enterprise. You mentioned the entrepreneurial spirit is what really attracted you to the company. How are you seeing that carry through into one of the most challenging times in our business lives?
Jacques:
It's one of the proudest moments I've had in my whole history at Gore to tell you the truth. I think that entrepreneurial spirit has really lived on, I remember having great conversations with Bob Gore before he passed away and talking about our ePE journey and he was extremely proud of the direction that we've gone towards. It's very easy to sometimes second guess what's really feasible and possible because we've had such a strong, rich history with a lot of other materials that we've generated in the past predominantly ePTFE and continuing to push boundaries is kind of what we've been about.
So questioning what is doable? What is feasible? Working through challenges and not letting things stop us, clearly supply chain is a critical issue that we have right now, just getting materials, we've been able to navigate and have some teams work pretty hard to get through that as well.
So I think we've been able to work through this in a way that really speaks to our heritage, where I think when you think through stories and Bob used to talk to me about this all the time, starting in the basement of our founders, quite often, you start not knowing how you can actually solve problems and how you can actually achieve an outcome, but you just get smart people together.
You start to work through it, you get really clear on what you're trying to achieve and you don't let things stop you or get in the way. You try to see what's possible and you keep yearning towards that goal. And I think that's what we've been able to do as we've gone through this journey.
Kristin:
The headwinds have been quite a challenge, I think. And it's so great to have you here today to kind of get some insight into the enterprise itself.
So you've worked in different areas at Gore and obviously that innovation story permeates all of those. And I feel like with ePE, that proof of concept is obviously there with so many global partners who have worked with Gore for many, many years, but I would love for you to add anything you can around the different areas that you've worked within at Gore. And almost the cross-training that you're bringing to your new position here at such a critical time.
Jacques:
Yeah. It's been a very varied career at Gore through many different functions, through business, sales and marketing, technical and various markets. I started in the electronics industry working on wires and cables, [going] all the way up through industrial applications with sealed and gasketing for chemical plants. I then worked in the pharma industry and created products there, and then [held] some broad enterprise roles [before] eventually [coming] to Fabrics. It's been a huge span across all of those.
And there's been lots of experience where the learnings and materials that [Gore has] developed has spread across all. We worked on a cable product to create the world's most durable airframe wire. And a lot of the materials from that actually made it to some of our medical stents that are helping save people’s lives when they have vascular damage in their heart.
You never can predict it when you start, but they do have these connection points where you say, you know what? With these properties that we've learned in this one spot, it's really applicable someplace else. And we've seen it even in Fabrics where there's been situations where we've learned from different things we do in filtration businesses that allow us to apply it to fabrics, because at the end of the day, it's a matter of selectively allowing certain things to go through like air, but preventing other things from getting through like moisture, water, other types of things. So that applies to multiple areas and different businesses. Those learnings have just been gold for me and bringing some different ways of working as well, because we've done it in lots of different business models and waves. I think it allows us to be even a little bit more creative now in Fabrics with some of those learnings to bring that forward.
Kristin:
And that's so great to hear because I know as our outdoor recreation community, we know and trust Gore for... And I know Patagonia and Arcteryx and some of the founding brands with ePE have trusted Gore. They worked alongside to test the process, but it's all just been this, I think, years and years of trust. And it's really important also to talk about this because oftentimes the consumer and even a lot of people within the community are not aware of the cross-training and the great innovations that can come from other divisions of Gore and that you have brought, I think, hand-carried if you will, into ePE, which is where I think we should head now and where a lot of our audience is definitely wanting to learn more from you on the new technology that was launched.

So I talked with some of your Gore Associates last fall, Matt Decker, who's a Technical and Innovation Leader as well as Nora Stowell, the Global Sales and Marketing Leader on an earlier episode about the launch of ePE. And I would love to hear your vision and in your words about this new complementary material platform and what it means to Gore and the larger industry.
Jacques:
Absolutely. I'd say that what our membranes have meant in terms of the outdoor industry has been huge. It is taking that oxymoron of waterproof, but yet breathable and really putting them together and allowing both to actually be true in a really strong way has been a big part of our heritage. And we've always been committed to responsible performance. So our products will always do what we say they'll do. And then we want it to always be responsible relative to our impact on the planet. And I think this is just a reaffirmation of that in terms of this complementary material set where all this experience that we've built over the years of making these membranes, being able to expand them, create all sorts of different properties through that and really continuing to unlock new capabilities through that and ways how we can really get to even higher levels of performance and sustainability.
That's been a big part of the journey all along the way, and to be able to apply this to this [complementary] material set where we know we can achieve even higher levels of performance and what it means within this type of environmental footprint, I think it's a big result for us. And I think sometimes when people think about responsible performance, they might say, “well, I kind of understand what responsible means and being responsible, but usually that means you're not really performing very well, or if you're performing, then you're going to have to take a backseat on responsibility.”
And we really are striving to do both. And I think that's what this complementary material set is really continuing on that journey to provide that and still bringing that premium product and Guarantee To Keep You Dry type of level of guarantee to it. That level performance to this industry is what we're really continuing to shoot for. So nothing's changed a lot in terms of what we're trying to strive for and what we've always done, but continuing the journey with this [complementary] material set to do that in a way with the low environmental footprint and chemical footprint is a big piece of what this material provides.
Kristin:
So it is such an incredible time for this to come out because with the relationships that you have and the trust that you've built, we have a network effect with what you've created with ePE. You're literally creating the raw materials if you will, to help these brands reach their own climate goals.
And I would love to know, and you guys are so collaborative with your customers, but I would love to hear from you, what are you hearing from your customers that help to drive the creation of ePE and also just the attributes that you looked for in a brand new materials platform? I mean the first one in 40 years, that's a lot of listening, but let's look at it maybe through the lens of the last three years and how you've worked with your team to really work in tandem with your customers.
Jacques:
Yeah. It's a big deal. And I think one of the things I did when I first joined was really to work with our Associates and listen to our customers and what they were asking for. And clearly they were looking to make an impact for themselves in this industry and needing our help to do so because the material's such an important component of their product and brand and messaging.
So being able to do this and coming through with this [complementary] material set, the response from our customers have been extremely positive. They've been very happy that we've continued to innovate and create things that continue to push this envelope. And we share the same values of having high-performance products with this low environmental footprint. I think those are values we both share. So I think it's just been a very synergistic, very positive response to being able to introduce this complementary material set.
Kristin:
And they know that they can quote ”latch their brand to Gore” and that is going to deliver on the promise, which in this culture of call out, that's actually really, really scary for brands that I've worked for decades to build trust with consumers. So as we're looking at ePE, I'm very curious to hear from, again, your vision being a 25 year veteran of Gore, how does it further the legacy of a company that was built around ePTFE and how will these two material sets be complementary?
Jacques:
Absolutely. And there is such a strong affiliation to ePTFE and starting from when Bob Gore just did this rapid stretch out of frustration to really create this really unique [complementary] material set, ePTFE, that has had so many applications and has made such an impact across many people's lives. Going towards ePE, it naturally creates a lot of questions, okay? So what does that mean in terms of this new [complementary] material set? And the valuable thing is, we're leveraging a lot of that same know-how that we've developed over those 40 years with PTFE of how we can actually expand these materials and create unique attributes and really applying it to this [complementary] material set. So it's really still engineered to kind of create this durable performance and long product life which is a key tenant of our products and materials. So that's a really big piece of it.
Kristin:
I definitely think you'll have easier conversations around, obtaining buy-in from maybe some product developers, for sure, because you've shown up with this and it's being proven already and with some of the most important brands in our industry that consumers trust and look to.
And I think that you just encapsulated it, but I'm going to ask you to kind of future paste this a little bit, now that you've seen this success and you've been able to kind of... It almost feels like you've crossed a threshold. What would you say that ePE signals about where Gore Fabrics [Division] will be headed in the future?
Jacques:
Yeah. Absolutely. I still think we're just on the beginning of this journey, right? It's been a journey and I think we still have a ways to go. I think there's more development we can do with this [complementary] material set. We're going to continue to innovate and see new ways of how we can expand this material to create additional properties and bring them to new applications. One of the things that we do with all our products that we've always done is we test them rigorously. I think most people would be amazed to see the amount of testing that gets done and maybe some people might even think like, "wow, we wish we could get more new products sooner." But I think there's a reason why it takes us a while, because I think the standard and the bar that we raise in terms of what our products need to do and how we need to stand behind them is really high.
And we don't allow anything to get out the door unless it meets those standards. So it has to go through a rigorous amount of testing to ensure it meets the application which it's used in. So a consumer and a customer are going to feel super confident that if it has the Gore brand on it, that it will absolutely do what it says it'll do. And that takes some time. But I think as we see new opportunities for further applications, that it can make a difference. We'll continue to stretch the boundaries of that. And then we'll introduce those at those times when it meets those rigorous testing standards. And we'll feel proud to put it out on the market.
Kristin:
I have to ask, well, having you here, I would be remiss if I did not ask. I mean, it really feels to me that you're reinventing the value equation of an ingredient brand with what you're doing. I mean, the network effect, as we talked about at the beginning of our conversation, enabling these brands to affect positive change with the products that they're making with ePE and the partnership that you have built with them and the trust. But I would be remiss to ask, where do you see the importance of ingredient brands going, especially in the outdoor recreation spaces where consumers are so passionate and they truly are voting with their dollars today. I don't know about you having written about ingredient brands and now worked with them from a communication side for two decades, myself. I really feel like we're entering a new era of the meaning of an ingredient brand. And I would sure love to see what your opinion is on that and how Gore is influencing that in a positive way.
Jacques:
Absolutely. I think when we look at the world today, it is so much more complex. It is really difficult for a brand directly attached to end users to provide all that's required on their own to bring that value to the consumer, for them to really see it. And it takes a range of expertise to bring that. And as an ingredient brand, I think we see ourselves as a leader in this industry and that we need to lead and work with others to bring true value that floats all the boats. And I think that's what we're bringing and that's the responsibility that we actually have. And when it comes to material science and the ability to take some of the challenges that our planets face, as well as what consumers are really yearning for, I think we provide a unique opportunity to bring that.
So that's been a big part of our heritage. I think we've been able to leverage that, to speak directly to consumers as well, and help a lot of our customers to get that message out there and ultimately allow the consumer to be protected, enjoy doing what they love to do, being able to experience things in sometimes the most extreme environments and feel like they're making difference on the planet when they do so. So I think that's a pretty big responsibility that we have a role to play with our customers as an ingredient to do. And I think it's very difficult to do if you're not really focused with expertise to do that. And you can't invest in everything, but us being able to invest in that and allowing our customers to invest in the areas that they know and do well, I think just helps everyone.
Kristin:
Oh. That's so well put and I feel like going forward, the consumer is going to have the opportunity, I think, as their researching product and wanting to do the right thing, I think everybody's intention is clearer and sharper than ever being able to discover this innovation with what we have available to get in front of them and educate them really also helps the brand. So I just feel like that whole concept of trust in terms of, I know I'm going to be doing the right thing. And also, as you say, still being able to go out and enjoy what I want to do and in the environment, I want to do it in.
I wanted everybody to realize who is part of our audience here on Channel Mastery, we really are entering a brand new era and Gore is leading the way, and you are the global leader of the team that we work with. So it just has been an absolute honor to have you on here today at the beginning of 2022, it's going to be a very impactful year for Gore and all of its customers and ultimately the consumers. So you and your team are making so many positive things possible for this outdoor community at such an important time. So I just want to say thank you. And it was wonderful to have you on the show today.
Jacques:
Thank you. Much appreciated. We take it as really a badge of honor to be that kind of trusted brand around innovating [complementary] material sets for our customers so that consumers can take on that activity or mission-critical work in our professional sectors and feel confident that they can do it. So it is not lost on us, the responsibility that comes along with doing that. So it's just our honor, and my honor, to be able to talk about this and share what's coming. And then hopefully we continue to reach new frontiers. Even beyond 2022.
Kristin:
Things are definitely moving fast and you and your team are making that more of a reality for more brands. So thank you again. And I look forward to hosting you again to learn about more innovations here in the near future, I hope.
Jacques:
Sounds great.
Kristin:
All right. Thanks.
Jacques:
Thanks.