Providence, R.I.--Does your employer encourage you to play at work?

Well, Hasbro, Inc., a worldwide children and family leisure time products and services leader, wants Providence College alumna Leigh Anne LeMoult Cappello '87 & '92G to do just that.

Cappello is vice president and "play futurist" in the Design and Development Department of the new Future Now Group at Hasbro, which is based in Pawtucket, R.I. She helps lead the global team in forecasting, conceptualizing, and designing what children and families will want in fun and educational products in the future. She does so through research and development--and by playing regularly.

In addition to studying children as they play with Hasbro's newest items, she has her own "focus group" in daughter Katie, whom she and husband Michael adopted in 2003.

She occasionally talks about the concept of "play" at business and academic forums, most recently at Michigan State University.

"It's a critical part of our well-being as humans, from the newborn child whose innate curiosity leads to playful exploration with their senses, to the middle-aged executive who plays to escape, all the way to seniors who can prolong life and happiness through play as it stimulates their minds and provides connection to others," she said.

Cappello joined Hasbro in 1988 and calls working there her "dream job." Her product development and marketing roles have included serving as a vice president in the Disney Business Unit, where she focused on Disney's film business, and as a vice president of marketing for Preschool toys--most notably the Play-Doh and Tonka brands--and other products.  

PC provides foundation
After earning a B.A. in French and a certificate in business studies in 1987, Cappello received her M.B.A. from PC in 1992. She was a basketball cheerleader as a freshman and spent her junior year studying abroad in Strasbourg, France, through the Division of International Programs Abroad at Syracuse University.

Cappello stays in touch with PC by volunteering in student shadowing and mentoring programs and by attending sports events.

In addition to helping forecast, conceptualize, and design fun and educational products, Cappello assists Hasbro development teams that are working on near-term projects to reach their goals through brainstorming sessions and innovation events.

Much of her success in doing this, she said, harkens back to her Business 407 Decision Making class with Dr. Stephen J. Mecca, current professor of physics, who one day discussed a real-life work experience on implementing change.

"To illustrate a human being's natural resistance to change, he told a story about the pain and anxiety that broke out across an entire department as a result of a simple suggested process change that challenged the status quo--until they tried it and realized it actually simplified their tasks, freed them up for other activities, and was better for their overall well-being," she explained. "To get them to try it, however, required persistence, empathy, and creativity.

"I am regularly tasked to get others to initiate change--innovation--and embrace and respond to the inevitable change that is coming. I find myself recalling that story often and using the tools and insights he shared with us to help achieve my goals," she added.

Reinventing "thinking"
Noting the energy and inspiration she gets from achieving her goals, Cappello said, "When your job is to find inspiration, it's hard not to get inspired. This new role at Hasbro has challenged me to reinvent my 'thinking.' Rather than just relying on the experience you have, I've found it's best to immerse yourself in new experiences and use them to help you create new ideas.

"Now, instead of looking at competitive toy catalogs, I get inspiration from examining other industries, art forms, design processes, and approaches to innovation," she said. "I have learned so much from this role, not the least of which is that I will never be able to approach any assignment the same way again. Whether it's inventing toys or attending PTO meetings, I will forever challenge myself to find new ways to inspire innovation."

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