 Director of Campaign Planning"There are so many opportunities at Bloomingdale's that you can always be challenged in new ways. If it's something where they can accommodate you, they will. You don't have to go outside the Bloomingdale's family to move up or to explore new areas."
 | Why did you join Bloomingdale's and why have you stayed? |
Well, I actually joined Bloomingdale's as a temp. I had left another job and had just starting temping. My first day out I was assigned to Bloomingdale's. I was there temping for about two weeks when a position opened and they offered it to me. I've stayed because they have continued to give me challenging new work. Every time I think I've learned everything that I possibly could or when it feels like I've reached a plateau point, they've offered me a new position with different responsibilities and opportunities. I've gone from doing post-production work to account management to supervising the account managers and now to my new position. So every time I have ever felt like a job had become routine, I've been approached with a new challenge or opportunity to take on. I've been with Bloomingdale's 13 years, but I've also had five different jobs. It's been a great learning experience.
| What do you enjoy most about what you do and what are your overall job responsibilities? |
My responsibilities are to pull together all the areas of the Bloomingdale's organization - from the merchants to visual to store communications to public relations - to work on specific campaigns. So whether it's the Holiday campaign, the Mother's Day campaign, or any other program, together we come to a conclusion on what our joint effort is going to be. My role in it is to make sure we stay on time and on target and that we stay focused with all the different objectives that need to be accomplished.
What I enjoy most is that I work with phenomenal people who are willing to partner with you, no matter what position they have here, in order to get the end result that will drive the business. I also enjoy the open-door policy that the company promotes. I can set up an appointment with the chairman here, and he'll see me, and he'll listen to what I have to say. That's not something that happens in every company.
| What contribution do you make to your division and how do you feel you make a difference? |
In my current position, I keep people, who are otherwise very busy doing a million different things, focused on the big picture. Once or twice a week, I am able to bring people back together in the same room to clarify what decisions need to be made. I keep us on time. We're opening five new stores, and when you're consumed with opening the new stores, you can forget there are other things that need to get done. So I think my contribution is keeping the big picture in perspective for those who are making the decisions … keeping the time and action calendars running smoothly … and keeping people focused on what needs to be accomplished that day. I deal with the details so the big picture happens as we go along.
| What has been your most memorable moment since joining the company? |
This is a very hard question. In 13 years, there have been so many moments that have been absolutely incredible - the promotions, the daily recognition, when I won Best of the Best, and also just being part of an extended family. When I had one of my children, they threw a shower for me. I was amazed that so many different levels of people came together to celebrate something that was not a professional accomplishment but a personal one.
| How has the training you've received since joining the company benefited you? |
I think a lot of what Bloomingdale's has to offer is on-the-job training - where your boss is mentoring you and you are learning from being exposed to opportunities within your own pyramid. There are training classes that you can sign up for that are very good, but I think there's a lot of development that's done between boss and employee. And it's done very subtly. If you think back a year, you think 'wow, a year ago I had never done that before and now I'm handling it by myself.'
| Is community involvement important to you, have you been involved in any projects in your division and was this something you considered when joining the company? |
I did the Juvenile Diabetes Walk last year. I've been a Secret Santa for underprivileged children every year since I've been here. I think the community involvement allows Bloomingdale's to be a real neighborhood store. When we did the Juvenile Diabetes Walk, for example, it was just amazing to me the number of people who came out on a Sunday from every level of the organization to participate. It created a real community and family feeling. It brings the entire organization closer together.
| What do you like best about your work environment? |
It's definitely the people. I work with talented, creative people that I care about. I spend a lot of time with them, and they're just nice, good people. It's a place where if you need to get something done, you can go to the people that can make it happen. You can work with them, and people genuinely want to help you. They want to produce a good product, and they're proud of their work. They're proud of Bloomingdale's.
| What personal interests/hobbies do you have and how do you balance them with your work? |
I have two small children, so of course they dominate my time outside of work. And actually, Bloomingdale's started a flextime program, so I've been able to shift my hours around. Bloomingdale's and my bosses have been extremely understanding of those family responsibilities. Mr. Gould, the chairman here, asks about my kids by name. It's just been a nice way to balance both my personal and professional life. And whether it's school, family or something else that's important to you, Bloomingdale's is a great place to work if you do have outside interests.
| What advice would you give to a new executive joining the company? What helped you establish yourself and move ahead with your career goals? |
I would tell them to listen to everything that goes on around you. Talk and communicate to not only the people in your area, but meet people in different departments. Let your boss and supervisor know where you want to go, what you want to do and how you want to be challenged. There are so many opportunities at Bloomingdale's that you can always be challenged in new ways. If it's something where they can accommodate you, they will. You don't have to go outside the Bloomingdale's family to move up or to explore new areas. If you want an exciting and challenging place to work and grow, you would only benefit by coming to Bloomingdale's.
| What do you see in the future for Macy's, Inc. and the department store industry? |
I think Macy's, Inc. is going through some very exciting times right now. I think with the new brand strategy, Bloomingdale's will only see further growth in being able to target exactly who we are and in being able to communicate that to the customer. Department stores as an entire category are really going to have to bring theater and excitement to the store through third party partnerships and special events. And then I think you need service. There are so many options and there are so many different ways to shop. We've got to give people a reason to shop our stores and to reward them by giving them the kind of service they deserve.
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