2. I grew up performing.
From figure skating competitions to
musical theatre performances at art
school, I understood results were to be
had through practice and hard work.
A well rehearsed performance had lasting
emotional effects on an audience –
iterations being the name of the game.
This element of performance carried
through to my career, translating itself to
the retail world; The sales-floor became
my stage, associates my cast members,
and customers my audience.
Here I am capable of orchestrating a
customer experience.
ORCHESTRATOR OF
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES
3. THE UNION OF
ART & BUSINESS
SCHOOLS
Have given me a unique perspective on the ability to
blend a creative and abstract imagination with
strong analytical skills and business acumen.
4. The Hudson’s Bay Company is a historical
Canadian establishment that needed a
breath of fresh air.
It faced increasing competition and a
changing demographic.
Our challenge was to transform
perceptions; To change company
culture from within.
And so began construction.
THE HUDSON’S BAY NEEDED
REJUVENATION
5. TOPSHOP & HBC PARTNERSHIP:
A WIN-WIN
Topshop sought to expand in new markets.
The partnership with HBC was a perfect fit: Topshop wanted the
infrastructure and financial support of a solid, established business.
Both became the new cool kids on the block.
6. A large portion of HBC revenues came from
loyalty programs. We tried to leverage this
established customer base to kick-start
sales, though there was a disconnect
between the mature customers that held
loyalty cards and the early adopter teens
who followed Topshop on fashion blogs and
social media.
Topshop stores needed to appeal to
seasoned HBC shoppers and bridge
the gap between
old and new.
TRIED BUT NOT SO TRUE
7. A careful balance was struck between a mature,
classic shopping experience for Moms,
while ensuring buy-in from younger Teen shoppers.
Two-pronged target approach
REDEFINING THE
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
TEENS
MOMS
8. TOPSHOP DEMONSTRATED
VERSATILITY IN 3 AREAS
For Teens and Moms
alike, we strove to
demonstrate the
versatility of Topshop
by providing:
Personalized styling to meet
individual tastes
Trend education and inspiration
behind them
Exceptional customer service to
ensure repeat shoppers
Trend boards
were created by
associates to
help live the
trend
inspirations
9. ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS
TO DRIVE RESULTS
Hiring the right team
• Onboarding and training to educate team
• Pass onto customers a deep level of understanding of trend inspirations
Visual merchandising
• Ensuring the store reflected customer tastes precisely
• Decisions where to feature best-sellers
Data collection & field competitive research questions
• Where were we winning?
• What could we do better?
• What could we do differently?
10. REALIZING SUCCESS
Highest sales per square foot of
all Topshops in HBC
($325 vs. $200 total store average)
$54K Black Friday in 2013
Store sales averaged $40K
per week
Customer Compliment Emails
Cathie Kelly Award
Featured on Marilyn Denis Show
My Personal Takeaways
I developed adaptability & resilience.
I became a synthesizer of information &
know-how across multiple dimensions.
I built lasting relationships & mentored
aspiring managers.
11. THE ROLE OF DESIGN IN MY
MBA @ROTMAN
A high level of participation in the
Rotman Business Design space has
helped me to refine and practice
skills that focus on ethnographic
research and need-finding.
Rotman DesignWorks Workshops
Empathy & Need-Finding
Designing Iconic Customer
Experiences
Systems Thinking
Strategy & Innovation
Rotman DesignWorks Sprint Challenge
Rotman Alumni Association
