Liz

Liz has been promoted to Director, Internet Merchandise.

"I have been able to spend time with my son, and had a flexible schedule at one point so I could volunteer in his kindergarten class. People here are very understanding that you have a personal life and that different people need different things."

Why did you join Macy's, Inc. and why have you stayed?

I started out as a merchandise manager for Macy's. I wanted to do something on the corporate level. When this position opened up, I was very excited about it. I liked the atmosphere, the people I interviewed with and the opportunity to work a start-up company that is a part of Macy's, Inc. It's very challenging and very fast-paced. The atmosphere and the people I work with are great.

What do you enjoy most about what you do and what are your overall job responsibilities?

I enjoy coordinating with the different teams, being able to express ideas, have them heard and to be able to affect my business. My overall job responsibilities are to merchandise my respective areas on the Web site. I work with marketing to publicize the different promotions. I also keep track of how things are selling and what buyers feel are the big items so I can place them in key locations on the site.

What contribution do you make to your division and how do you feel you make a difference?

The biggest contribution merchandise managers make is tracking business and seeing what the trends are. I make a difference because I work closely with both the people above me and on my level to strategize what will drive our business and what improvements we can make to the site.

What has been your most memorable moment since joining the company?

My most memorable moment is when I went from assistant product manager to associate product manager. We launched a bridal site with WeddingChannel.com and there was no one to manage it. I was working under the merchandising manager for Home and got to help build the database for bridal and do all the merchandising. People let me help make decisions and really get into the business. In the end, I got to launch that site.

How has the training you've received since joining the company benefited you?

It makes me a lot more productive. They offer technical classes that help you do your job faster, like gross margin or finance, and classes that apply to your everyday job to make you more productive. We also have classes that are developmental about things like managing people or conflict resolution. I think that's really made a difference for me when managing people and understanding how to work with different kinds of people to have a productive relationship.

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?

Community involvement is important to me, but I have less time then I'd like to have to do it. I have been involved in some projects we do every year, like United Way and I contribute to canned food drives. I knew about it when I joined the company, and it made me feel better about Macy's, Inc.

What do you like best about your work environment?

I like everybody I work with. The most important thing in a job is to be able to get along with people. I admire the people I work with and think they are the best at what they do. I enjoy working with them. I also have some flexibility within work. We have pretty much a Monday through Friday schedule, but because we are relatively small, we do have some flexibility.

What personal interests/hobbies do you have and how do you balance them with your work?

My biggest personal interest is my 7-year-old son. Macy's, Inc. has been great for being a working parent. At macys.com I have been able to spend time with my son, and had a flexible schedule at one point so I could volunteer in his kindergarten class. People here are very understanding that you have a personal life and that different people need different things. People have been accommodating. I've been able to come to work, get what I need to get done, and then leave to go home. It's been a great thing.

What advice would you give to a new executive joining the company? What helped you establish yourself and move ahead with your career goals?

Macy's, Inc. is not the kind of place where someone is going to tell you what to do on any day. You have to learn to manage you time and your priorities. You have to figure out what you need to get done and what will drive your business. What helped me establish myself was to take ownership of things that I didn't necessarily have to take ownership of. The Wedding Channel wasn't necessarily something I had to do, but my boss let me take it on and gave me a lot of freedom to do what I wanted. I was able to move ahead to the next level because I did a good job.

What do you see in the future for Macy's, Inc. and specifically for macys.com?

In Macy's, Inc.'s future, I see the same overall performance. We are a gigantic department store. We are leaders in putting fashion forward and will continue to lead the department store industry.