In Conversation with Mary Malabanan

Tell us about your background: 

I am currently finishing up my last semester of my MBA at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. Prior to pursuing my MBA at Ross, my 15 year career spanned a range of industries from media agency work in advertising, to brand management in CPG, and retail where I had roles predominantly in merchandising and buying functions. Post MBA, I am excited to take on a new role in management consulting as a Vice President for AlixPartners, a global advisory firm based in New York City. In this position I will be in their Performance Improvement practice specializing in the retail industry.

From a retail perspective my experience is widely varied where I have had the opportunity to work for global publicly traded corporations such Coach and Kate Spade, as well as a startup fashion brand in Kansas City. It was my experience at the start up, Bldwn, that really motivated me to pursue my MBA. The entrepreneurial environment at Bldwn ignited my interest in looking at a business from a macro perspective. In my capacity as the Vice President of Merchandising and Financial Planning, I had direct involvement in operations, marketing, corporate strategy, product development and finance, and worked closely with the Board of Directors. My intellectual curiosity combined with a passion to develop innovative solutions to address business challenges led me to pursue my MBA at Ross, and ultimately pursue a career in management consulting.

Going back a little further, prior to Bldwn I started my retail career at Tapestry. I was a merchandise planner at Coach, this was where I got my training wheels. I experienced the rigor of financial planning and sku management and how that data impacts topline financials. I was at Coach for over 4 years; I had a brief 1 year stint as a Merchandising Assistant at Club Monaco afterwards, and then moved onto Kate Spade where I started as a buyer and was promoted into Senior Buyer of North American Retail. In this role I managed a multi-category portfolio that was 75% of the business, and I also managed a team of 7 direct reports. Overall it was an interesting 4 years at the company, where I grew both personally and professionally and learned a lot about myself.

As we all know life takes many unexpected turns and my husband and I moved to Kansas City for a job opportunity for my husband. After a few short months of playing the role of stay at home mom to my 5 month old and 2 year old, I discovered BLDWN denim company. This was a very edifying experience for me as I worked in a fast-paced, high stakes environment where you operated with a lot of ambiguity and unknowns which I really enjoyed. However, the experience also made me realize that I had a lot to learn and I decided to pursue my MBA at Michigan.

On a more personal level, I have 2 little girls Olivia (7) and Gwen (almost 5), and an amazing and supportive husband who takes all my experiments in stride. I live in the Midwest; never thought I would EVER say that! I love fashion and the retail industry, no matter what new paths I have taken in my career, I am inevitably led back to retail.

What do you wish you’d known when you started out?

That your career development is an iterative process and you should not be afraid to try new things and fail. Challenge yourself and choose the harder path, because the end result tends to be the most rewarding.

Best career advice you've ever received?

Always think bigger, and ask for more.

What leadership qualities are important to you?

Empathy, Communication, Collaboration and Clarity in thought process.

What has been the biggest challenge in your career so far? 

Pursuing my MBA which required me to fly out to Ann Arbor, Michigan every other weekend, while trying to balance my family and a full time job! I learned how to be more organized and protective of my personal time, and realized if I could get through that - I can do anything!

And for fun, what is your favorite wardrobe staple?

Well-made outerwear, good shoes, and a bright lip.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mary-malabanan/

Instagram: @mmalabanan82