Celebrating International Women’s Month: Women Leading the Way in Retail

As International Women’s Month draws to a close, we are reflecting on and celebrating the remarkable contributions of women around the world—and in our own industry.

I am an unusual retailer in the sense that I knew by the age of 13 that this was the career I wanted to be in. It was not a part-time job that I fell into or pursued while looking for something else; it was the end goal. Part of that determination stemmed from the fact that I had good role models. Both my father and brother were retail senior executives, and their experiences showed me that if you started on the sales floor, you could make your way all the way up to the C-suite. Hard work, flexibility, and a passion for customers could lead to a promising career.

After graduating from college with a degree in retail management, I accepted the lowest paying job (my mother was aghast) as an assistant manager for a junior apparel retailer called Brooks Fashions. My regional manager was Sharon Neeley, and her office was in our Columbia, Maryland store. I was lucky, because Sharon took a liking to me, pushing and challenging me to learn and grow. I was eager to learn as much as I could from her, and it paid off. I was promoted to store leader and, in less than two years, was promoted again to an area manager position reporting directly to Sharon. She mentored me, gave me stretch assignments, and spent time and attention in helping me build my career.

Within a year, I was recruited by a local men’s and women’s traditional retail chain called g.Briggs. At just 26 years old, I was being offered the job of Director of Store Operations. It was an exciting opportunity, but I was afraid to tell Sharon. I felt like I would be abandoning her, letting her down. Instead, she was thrilled for me. She encouraged me to take the position and to soar. She added that, as much as she hated losing me, she had a plan in place for one of my store leaders who could step up to take my place. And so the succession cycle would begin again, because that is what Sharon truly loved—growing talent.

Women Leaders: Stepping Up to Today’s Retail Challenges

At MOHR Retail, we’ve had the privilege of partnering with and developing thousands of women leaders across the retail sector. From frontline store managers to C-suite executives, we’ve seen firsthand how women are influencing and creating the future of retail in powerful ways.

Here are a few key areas where women in retail leadership are helping drive considerable business impact for the industry:

Leading with Agility: From dealing with market volatility and shifting consumer habits to developing and retaining an engaged, resilient workforce, today’s retail environment is tougher than ever. What worked yesterday doesn’t necessarily apply today. Women leaders are demonstrating exceptional adaptability and resilience in the face of this constant change. Store leaders are balancing staffing constraints with the need to deliver exceptional service, while field leaders are finding creative ways to optimize productivity without sacrificing the customer experience.

Pioneering New Retail Roles: As retail continues to evolve, more women are stepping into emerging roles in areas such as loss prevention, data analytics, and digital transformation. As they move into these areas, they’re also bringing more diverse perspectives, insights, and experiences to the table. It’s a powerful combination that is fueling innovations around store operations, customer experience strategy, and employee safety and retention, as well as product offerings that more closely align with the needs and interests of consumers.

Leading Outside the Stores: As these new retail roles demonstrate, women are making significant strides, both in traditional store leadership roles and in some of the more male-dominated functions, such as technology, logistics, and loss prevention. Leaders like Michelle Gass (Levi Strauss), Lauren Hobart (Dicks Sporting Goods), Corie Barry (Best Buy), Mary Dillon (Foot Locker), Kecia Steelman (Ulta Beauty), Amy Sullivan (Kirkland's), and Barbara Rentler (Ross Stores) are just a few of the women leaders who are proving that diverse retail leadership across the board fosters innovation and resilience.

The Business Case for Gender Diversity in Retail Leadership

Grant Thornton’s 2025 Women in Business report emphasizes, “Increasing gender diversity isn't just about parity for the sake of it — it’s a strategic imperative driving measurable business results.”

And the evidence just keeps piling up. McKinsey’s latest research shows the business case for gender diversity on executive teams has more than doubled over the past decade. Companies with the greatest gender diversity have a 39 percent greater likelihood of financial outperformance versus their bottom-quartile peers, up from 15 percent in 2015.

These studies highlight a range of business benefits that come from increased gender diversity, including cultural benefits and improved innovation, decision-making, and client and investor attractiveness. When women are represented at all levels of leadership, retailers benefit from:

• Improved customer insights: Women leaders bring valuable perspectives that reflect most retail customers.
• Enhanced employee engagement: Gender-diverse teams foster collaboration, creativity, and stronger morale.
• Better business outcomes: Companies with gender-diverse boards see higher returns on equity and greater financial stability.
• Nimbleness in the face of ongoing workforce challenges: From staffing shortages to increased fulfillment demands, agile leadership with diverse perspectives and ideas is essential.

Investing in Women in Retail: Don’t Ignore the “Pipeline Problem”

While their influence and impact continues to grow, women in retail still face challenges in breaking through to leadership roles and advancing in their career journeys. One study found that women hold just 12% of retail CEO roles, even though women drive an estimated 70% to 80% of purchasing decisions.

This imbalance, which exists not just at the top but in executive- and senior-level positions as well, has been attributed in part to a “pipeline problem,” that very issue that my mentor Sharon Neeley was so deliberate about addressing. It’s clear that as we celebrate the impact of women in retail leadership, we must also understand the obstacles that remain in place and take positive steps to fortify the pipeline of future leaders. That means breaking down the barriers to success and investing in their development.

At MOHR Retail, we’ve witnessed how empowering women with strategic leadership skills drives real business impact. Across the retail enterprise, from multiunit leadership and frontline store leadership to leaders in the store support centers, our retail-specific development and supportive coaching services equip women with the behaviors and strategies they need to excel in decision-making, coaching, and leading with influence—skills that are essential in today’s dynamic retail environment.

By investing in the development of women leaders, retailers can build stronger, more adaptable teams prepared to thrive in the shifting tides of retail.