How Somia Farid Silber is Transforming Edible Brands as its New CEO
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Managing Editor Marie Albiges interviews Somia Farid Silber, CEO of Edible Brands, a family of consumer and service brands including its flagship brand Edible, formerly Edible Arrangements, the world’s largest franchisor of stores offering fresh fruit snacks, dipped treats, and fruit arrangements. Listen in as Farid Silber discusses her recent promotion to chief executive and her career journey (1:40), her family ties to the company (3:15), and what drew her to work in retail technology (4:05). She shares how Edible Brands’ tech team works in two week-sprints to stay nimble (5:40), the evolution of Edible Brands to its current personalization model (6:50), and gifting industry trends (9:20).
In addition, Farid Silber discusses social media and influencer marketing to appeal to younger generations (11:20), working with franchisees on marketing efforts to grow e-commerce sales (12:55), and her leadership style with both franchisees and corporate teams (15:10). She details the biggest changes in taking on the CEO role (16:35), the qualities she prioritizes in her teams (18:00), employee retention (19:30), and her non-negotiables as a working parent (21:40). Lastly, Farid Silber shares what her typical day looks like (23:00), her advice for future female leaders (24:40), and her goals for Edible Brands (25:45).
Somia Farid Silber serves as the CEO of Edible Brands®, a role she assumed in October 2024 after a transformative tenure as president. As CEO, Somia is dedicated to guiding her family-owned business into its next phase of creativity and expansion, steering the strategic direction for Edible Brands and its subsidiaries, Edible Arrangements®, Edible.com®, Netsolace®, BerryDirect®, and FreshFruit.com™, with a focus on innovation, growth and expanding the brand’s market presence.
During her time as president, Somia built a world-class executive team and redefined Edible’s brand identity across its digital and physical platforms. As CEO, she continues to drive this innovation, ensuring Edible’s growth across its core brands and subsidiaries. Somia’s journey to this role is marked by a personal history with the brand and years of dedication and innovation within the company since joining full-time in 2016. Her prior experience as vice president of e-commerce and general manager of Netsolace, Edible’s technology arm, was instrumental in driving digital transformation and operational excellence.
In 2024, Silber was named one of Georgia’s top 100 C-level executives by Titan 100. She was also recognized as one of the “100 Influential Women in Franchising: Ones to Watch” by What Franchise Magazine in 2020 and as one of the top 40 retail professionals under 40 by Retail TouchPoints and design:retail in 2021. Somia holds a Bachelor’s degree in business administration from Babson College and has served on its board of trustees since 2021. Outside of her professional life, she enjoys family time with her husband, Jared, their daughter, Aya, and their goldendoodle, Luna, in Brookhaven, Georgia.
Date: October 25, 2024
Credits: Somia Farid Silber
Duration: 27:33
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