1. What have you found most challenging as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise?

The most challenging is continuing to shift the company culture to think DIGITAL First view while not forgetting about our customers/business partners. Ensuring that our investment in technology, improvement in our product road map and continued productivity focus should always support the Digital First while not losing how it is messaged to our customer.

2. How did you become a CEO or executive of a large enterprise? Can you please briefly tell the story?

I worked in retail for many years while in College. When I graduated in 2001, there weren't many jobs in the field of marketing that would support living in NYC. I remember calling my mum upset, She said " do you like being a manager? Do you enjoy what you do?" That was when I decided to stay in retail and focus on getting promoted to an executive level. During my retail career, I had the opportunity to be part of the training team, store opening team, visual merchandising and customer experience. After many years and becoming a regional director, the travel got to me, and I took an opportunity with a start up apparel brand in Brooklyn. This is where I took on ecommerce, digital marketing and websites. They gave me this opportunity and it allowed me to evolve into an omni-channel focus.

From there, I worked in the luxury market with Jewelry, along with mass market and DTC Iconic Brand Lands End. I had the pleasure of working at the New York Times in their Brand Extension division where I grew their DTC website, replatformed and rebranded.

For many executives that started out in retail, they usually stay in this course of career and thankfully I was able to transition into digital and ecommerce. And my many years in retail has been a benefit in how I create strategy because I also think of the customer and their experience.

3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?

I am an earlier riser, 530am and start with warm water and lemon. I work out in a studio that is focused on mindful movements and strength 5 times a week.

I am a TO DO LIST kind of person and on Monday, I give myself the first 15 minutes to create a TO DO LIST digitally. I think about what I need to do and what my team/partners need to do to move projects along.

I also do 25 minute time intervals where I allow myself that time to be focused, No answering emails, slack or text. This ensures that my productivity is on 1 project at a time.

I also take 10 minute walk breaks every hour to keep the body moving as well as 35 minute lunch, where I sit and enjoy a meal with no interruptions.

Bedtime is 11pm and no screen time at all, this helps me fall asleep right away.

4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?

When I worked at Land End, the founder Gary Comer said "Worry about the people and the rest will follow" and this has always stuck with me. When an organization creates a culture that is focused on people, how they are valued, how they are challenged, rewarded, things really do fall into place.

5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?

Early on in my career, I was given THE ONE MINUTE MANAGER by Ken Blanchard/Spencer Johnson. It may be dated but those techniques have stuck with me throughout my career and proven to be valuable to my success.

Creating One-Minute Goals, Praising and One Minute Reprimands has been a core on how I lead my team and work with others

6. How do you build leadership capacity in a large enterprise?

Building leadership capacity in a large enterprise starts with a common voice/vision for the company that both the leadership team and employees understand and more importantly support.

7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a CEO or executive of a large enterprise so far?

One meaningful story that comes to mind is that you can not take out the "human experience" while having a large digital focus. When working at the New York Times, I spent some time at our warehouse and call center to observe the team. It was wonderful to see the interactions between the customer and employees but also the need /want for the customer to have these interactions. It also provided some valuable insight on what could be improved based on this visit which I was able to add to the overall strategy.