Jeffrey Gennette is the new CEO of the giant and high-end department store corporation Macy’s. He replaced the former CEO Terry Lundgren who recently stepped down. The big company boss is left in 2017 after serving at the helm for 13 years and the new boss is taking charge in grand style. Jeffrey Gennette has made a habit of keeping a low profile, to the best of his abilities, but a little research has found some interesting facts about him, and all of them positive. He’s doing a great job for Macy’s and here are 10 things about him that most people who aren’t in his inner circle don’t know.
1. He doesn’t like public attention
While this may seem a little odd for a big-time executive, Jeffrey is really a private person. That is when it comes to his personal life. He shares information about the job appropriately and he’s an amazing advocate for Macy’s. He keeps his business life public and his personal life private.
2. This isn’t his first role with the company
The buzz in the past year has been about Macy’s new CEO who just recently took leadership of the company, but the truth is, he’s intimately aware of the company on several different levels. Jeffrey has been with Macy’s for a total of 33 years now. He first came on board in 1983 as an executive trainee. It’s taken him more than three decades with the company to make it to the position of CEO, but the point is, he’s arrived and he knows what he’s doing.
3. He was Macy’s President
In 2014, Gennette was promoted to the level of President of Macy’s. It’s been shared by many at the top that his new role as CEO is an essential position. He has a keen working knowledge of most phases of the company so he knows how to tackle issues as they arise. Homegrown executives like Jeffrey, who have been with the business for years have gone through an evolution and changed along with the company.
4. He started with Macy’s when he was 22
We did the math and when Jeffrey Gennette first started as an executive trainee with the company, he was just 22 years old. He’s steadily worked his way up the corporate ladder with a dedication that is uncommon. He’s now 55 years old and when it comes to executive leadership, he’s in his prime.
5. Macy’s is resting their hopes on him
In the present day and age, it’s almost a necessity for retailers to have not only a brick and mortar presence but also an online presence. This has been a challenge for the giant department store. It’s been shared that the Macy’s corporate stakeholders are hoping that Gennette will be successful in resetting their business model and setting the company on the more solid financial ground.
6. He keeps his family life a secret
What really isn’t much of a secret at all is the fact that Jeffrey Gennette tries very hard to keep his family life a secret. It’s a wise move to protect his family from publicity, but enough people are familiar with his family that those around him know who he’s married to and how many children he has. He and his husband are the parents of one daughter. Jeffrey has done well in keeping a separation between his personal and business life. It shows that he’s a considerate husband and father.
7. He’s a hard worker
If you ask anyone who’s worked with Jeffrey at Macy’s they’ll tell you he’s a really hard worker. He has tremendous discipline and he’s not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get to work. He knows the value of putting in an honest days’ work and he’s experiencing the benefits of years of dedication in his new role.
8. He’s a patient executive
When Gennette was asked about his approach to business growth, he was quick to answer. He shared that he and the team are taking a store by store approach. They’re examining the stores that are surging ahead in business and those that are not. He’s looking for results and when they’re not getting results in a particular sector, that is what you have to examine.
9. His former CEO gives him Kudos
Terry Lundgren knows what it takes to run a business like Macy’s and to do it right. When asked what his opinion of Gennette is, he’s not shy about giving a reply. He sees Gennette as an “extraordinary leader.” He also believes that as a merchant he is skilled and the same can be said of his retail operating skills. It’s difficult to receive a higher compliment than that.
10. He is a Stanford Graduate
There aren’t that many people who can say that they graduated from an ivy league college, but Jeffrey Gennette is one of them. He attended Stanford University and earned his degree from the prestigious institution of higher learning. With a degree in hand, he embarked on a longstanding career and patiently worked his way to the top levels.
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