NaN:NaN
- ABC News
- September 18, 2019
Madewell CEO's denim and retail strategy
Madewell CEO Libby Wadle knows how to stand up to the challenge.
Upon joining the J. Crew Group, Wadle had an impressive retail resume having held executive positions at Coach and The Gap Inc. and getting to learn from former CEO Mickey Drexler.
View this post on Instagramall indigo / all the time. have you shopped our fall denim yet? link in bio. #denimmadewell
A post shared by Madewell (@madewell) on Sep 2, 2019 at 4:25pm PDT
With years of experience under her belt and a strong team supporting her, Wadle said she felt ready to raise her hand and ask for more responsibility by stepping in and helping start Madewell.
\"It didn't feel risky to me, it felt like this is exciting and I know that I'm on a good track with my current business and I have a great strong team of people building the brand from the very beginning,\" Wadle said. \"I was able to really focus 100% of my time on driving that business forward.\"
In 2017, Wadle was named president of the Madewell Brand, and in April 2019 she was promoted to CEO. Serving as the head officer of the company meant Wadle had to know how to manage an expanding company.
\"I manage people the way they need to be managed individually and I don't have like a one size fits all approach,\" Wadle said. \"You can't expect that everyone sort of conforms to how you want to lead and manage.\"
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Madewell (@madewell) on Jun 26, 2019 at 7:22am PDT
Her leadership style proves to be working as the company continues to expand. While growth is evident, Wadle wants to make sure Madewell stays patient with their initiatives and keeps storefronts at the center of their approach as the future of retail is constantly changing.
\"No fit technology can replace the experience you have trying on and having that dialogue with either your friend that you're shopping with or the person who's helping you,\" Wadle said. \"There are categories of business where it's all about the convenience of it, but I think especially with regards to denim and that connection with a community and a brand, we don't have a ton of stores, but they are the hub of the Madewell community, and I think they will be still a key part of the business.\"
Hear more from Madewell CEO Libby Wadle on episode #129 of \"No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis.\"
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