In Conversation with Fiona Cummings
Tell us about your background:
I have climbed the corporate ladder - learning most of the time - more when I became emotionally intelligent and focused every day on showing up as a fact based business leader and team player.
I enjoy learning and growing - I am a constant student of people and the business - this is how I fostered authentic relationships in good and bad times.
I love the fashion industry and have created a career balancing my creative and business acumen. My journey began when reading an article in a UK fashion magazine in the early nineties about a day in the life of a buyer for a UK retailer, and I was instantly hooked on that as a career. I come from a small town in Northern Ireland where I was lucky to have a part-time job during school and college holidays in clothing boutique where I learned to serve customers based on their needs, advise them on what could look great and help the owners with future buys based on current business and trends!
I studied Clothing Studies at college - it was a broad course covering textiles, apparel manufacturing, buying, retail and marketing and all the disciplines involved. Fast Forward 30 years later, and I have had a wonderful career across Buying, Merchandising and Wholesale for leading global brands.
My early career was based in the UK and Ireland, where I built my credentials in retail buying and learning how to work cross functionally and independently. I loved being a buyer, it was all the things I thrived on, serving the customer with great products and using trends (art) and science (data) to drive the business.
I joined adidas in 2005 and had a varied and fruitful career journey for 17 years across Merchandising and Wholesale. It was an amazing personal and professional experience, I worked on many businesses from e-commerce to department stores and expanded my global industry knowledge and business credentials but more importantly, I learned how to lead and build great teams! I decided to leave adidas for family reasons and take some time off.
I've tried a few things on over the last 2 years which has been a great learning, and now I am working on passion vs. profession, resetting to make my next move a great one for me!
What do you wish you’d known when you started out?
Don't look sideways to compare, be your authentic self.
Be confident in your strengths, and be equally confident to ask for help or guidance on areas you would like to learn more and improve on.
Deal with facts over feelings.
Curious is a winning mind-set. Ask questions and have fun!!
Follow your values and passion vs. title.
Best career advice you've ever received?
Don't look sideways to compare, be your authentic self.
Deal with facts over feelings.
Attention to detail.
Pause, slow down - understand the bigger picture - business and people.
What leadership qualities are important to you?
Provides clear direction and strategy.
Build their team through active listening, driving trust and empowerment.
Provides coaching along the way.
Empathetic leadership - humble yet driven.
Likes to have a laugh and have fun. Laughter is a great tonic and ice-breaker.
Consistent behaviors in good and challenging times.
What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far?
Transition from Account Manager at adidas to People Leader.
And for fun, what is your favorite wardrobe staple?
A great pair of leather pants.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-cummings-242b9910/
Instagram: @fifinyc38
