Jasdeep Deol - VP Of FP&A At Kruger Products: "Isn't It Worse If They Say Nothing?"

The Leadership Life Lounge and Jasdeep Deol Jasdeep Deol spent years terrified that senior leaders would catch something she'd missed in a presentation. One offhand question from a mentor she respected flipped that fear into one of the most powerful lessons of her career — and changed the way she walks into every room since. Jasdeep "Jas" Deol is the VP of Financial Planning & Analysis at Kruger Products. She began her career in retail and CPG, working across budgeting, reporting, and planning roles at TJX, Walmart, and Mars Wrigley, partnering directly with the people running the business. A move to McCain Foods pushed her into manufacturing and agriculture — an industry she knew nothing about — and taught her how fast you can learn when you're willing to roll up your sleeves and ask the obvious questions. Today she supports sales, operations, supply chain, finance systems, and process excellence at Kruger, with a career built around transformation: modernizing systems, redesigning processes, and turning planning into a decision-making tool rather than a reporting exercise. She's just as invested in developing people as she is in the numbers. Outside of work, she and her husband Al (also an accountant) are kept busy raising their two daughters, and she'd take a job as a professional traveler in a heartbeat. She explains: ◼ Why finance was never the plan — and the summer "university life crisis" that led her to accounting instead of dentistry ◼ Why she spent years feeling like she was competing against people with an unfair head start ◼ The manufacturing finance role she tried to talk her way out of — and why it became the best move of her career ◼ Why hitting the VP title didn't feel the way she expected it to ◼ Why she refuses to separate "home" from "work" — including presenting board decks to her kids first ◼ The mentor's question that erased her fear of presenting to senior leaders: "Isn't it worse if they say nothing?" 00:00 Intro & Guest Bio 03:36 Her Career Journey: Did It Turn Out As Expected? 05:06 Growing Up In An Immigrant Household — And The Lessons That Shaped Her Leadership 09:01 "I Don't Know What I Don't Know": Turning Insecurity Into A Strength 12:36 Falling In Love With The Business Side At Walmart 13:28 Chasing The "It Industry": Why She Moved To Mars Wrigley 15:43 What Mars Taught Her About Culture, Values, And Leadership 16:51 Nobody's Born A Leader: How Empathy Became Her Edge 18:14 The Manufacturing Finance Role She Tried To Get Out Of 21:48 Getting On The Plant Floor — And Why It Changed Her Leadership 25:03 Taking Leadership Global: What She Learned Working Across Cultures 25:35 Landing At Kruger Products And Leading Through Transformation 28:56 Why Success Is Never Achieved Alone 30:37 Systems And Processes Mean Nothing Without The Right Culture 31:15 Curiosity Over A "Perfect" Career Path 33:05 Reaching The VP Level: Is It What She Expected? 33:30 The Director Title That "Didn't Feel Like Anything" 37:16 Why She Refuses To Separate "Home" From "Work" 40:07 Her Best Career Advice: Ask For Feedback 40:29 "Isn't It Worse If They Say Nothing?" 43:51 The Line Every Leader Should Keep In Their Back Pocket 45:28 Her Final Message The views expressed are those of the guest, and this conversation is intended for general informational purposes only. The Leadership Life Lounge: ◼ Follow us - @theleadershiplifelounge ◼ Website - https://www.leadershipinlifecoaching.... ◼ Instagram (Amy) -   / amybrooke__life   ◼ Instagram (Leadership in Life Coaching) -   / leadership_in_life_coaching   ◼ Facebook (Leadership in Life Coaching) - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?... ◼ Facebook (The Journey to Confidence) - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...