A Q&A With Top Women in Retail Honoree Jennie Weber, CMO, Best Buy

Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) recently released its 15th annual Top Women in Retail report. The valuable resource highlights female executives who impressed our Editorial team as well as colleagues from the industry. Jennie Weber, chief marketing officer of Best Buy, is one such example. Here’s a sampling of Jennie’s interview featured in the report.

Women in Retail Leadership Circle: You’ve spent the majority of your career at Best Buy. What are the significant transformations you’ve witnessed during that time, both across the organization and within the Marketing department?
Jennie Weber: I’ve been at Best Buy for a collective 17 years and been a key leader in the company’s digital transformation to meet customers where they shop today — across our app, online, and in-store. This includes the reimagining and modernization of the Best Buy brand in 2024, and the role we play in customers’ lives, as well as our 2018 brand refresh that included the first update to Best Buy’s logo in nearly three decades. I led teams that scaled Geek Squad into a household name; oversaw launch efforts for multiple iconic products from Apple, Samsung, and more; and helped create and scale Best Buy Ads into one of the top five retail media networks in the country.

WIRLC: How is Best Buy creating a differentiated, cross-channel marketing strategy that resonates with consumers and drives customer loyalty?
JW: One of the things I look for are ways we can be relevant and part of the conversation in our customers’ lives. These moments allow us to focus on helping customers take what they love to the next level through technology. One example of how we bring this to life is by partnering with tech influencers like Marques Brownlee to talk about how the tech will work for the new TGL.

I’m also proud of the work we do to drive meaningful relationships with customers through our My Best Buy membership program. Our portfolio of offerings provide a variety of benefits, including early and exclusive access to sales, along with personalized deals on products. 

WIRLC: What is Best Buy doing to create personalized shopping experiences for its customers? How does that show up in marketing?
JW: I always want to start with the customer and what’s important to them, their needs and how they use technology in their lives. We’ve heard directly from customers that they want personalized experiences based on their preferences and purchases. Therefore, we’ve focused on bringing customers personalized shopping experiences like our new app home screen and Discover Experience, both powered by AI. The Discover Experience provides curated inspiration and leverages scrollable video content to help users find new tech.

WIRLC: The role of the marketer has evolved. What are the qualities and skills that you value when building a marketing department?
JW: Innovation and technology move faster than ever and with it how consumers shop, interact and engage. Marketers today need to be both brand builders and traffic drivers for their business. We need to know our customers deeply and how those insights can impact creative is critical. Being highly analytical, data- and tech-focused is key, as you can combine these skills to drive innovation, efficiency and effectiveness.

WIRLC: How can you be a more effective leader in 2025 and beyond?
JW: I’m always looking for opportunities to listen and learn from my industry peers because we’re all facing similar challenges. I plan to lean into and harness the power of the rapidly evolving landscape of AI. I think it will be important to test and iterate finding ways to leverage new tools that unlock human ingenuity.

WIRLC: What’s a lesson that changed you as a leader? Why?
JW: There’s no singular lesson to point to, rather what I’ve learned by observing so many accomplished and brilliant leaders over the years. What I’ve realized is those that had the biggest value-added impact were the ones that were willing to invest time, energy and focus on the people around them. Those leaders were the most open and typically the most engaged in the work, sitting side-by-side with their teams to tackle the biggest challenges. Most of these impactful leaders show up when it’s tough, and they freely give their personal time to the development of their teams. They’re the most willing to have difficult conversations and share straightforward feedback even when it’s uncomfortable. Those are the leaders that have left the biggest imprint on me and helped me grow as a leader. I want to emulate those characteristics and bring that energy into my leadership every single day.