Kelly Cook Shares 5 Lessons Learned From Her Leadership Evolution
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Co-Founder Melissa Campanelli interviews Kelly Cook, president of marketing, IT and finance at David’s Bridal, the nation’s leading bridal and special occasion authority. Listen in as Kelly discusses her role at the bridal retailer (1:18), the brand’s strategy to emerge successfully from bankruptcy (2:10), and how she’s able to galvanize her teams around growth strategies (4:30). She shares the top five leadership lessons she’s learned during her career (9:25), and what it means to her to be a servant leader (16:40).
Cook discusses how she’s stayed authentic to herself as she climbed the corporate ladder (20:18), and how David’s Bridal is working to become more accessible and inclusive across the business, from pricing to product to loyalty (23:58). Lastly, she shares the trends she’s most excited about in the retail industry right now (28:12).
Cook is a seasoned omni-channel, digital, IT, brand, and marketing executive who loves the challenges of growing companies and transforming brands. She specializes in centering brands around the customer, advancing brands down the digital and innovation paths, and galvanizing a workforce behind growth strategies. Her industry experiences are as diverse as they come, from airlines to recycled waste to fashion to big box retail to home décor, and now brides. Companies include Continental Airlines, DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, Pier 1, Sears and Kmart, and now David’s Bridal where she proudly leads marketing, IT, digital, harmonious experiences, analytics, and insights plus e-commerce.
Cook is an expert public speaker with past speaking engagements including Forbes: 2021 CMO Summit, keynote speaker at Chicago AMA Momentum’s 2015 Conference, and many more. She considers herself a leader with a servant’s heart who is thrilled by ordinary folks doing extraordinary things. She knows the power of a made-up mind is transformational and believes that if cauliflower can become pizza, anything can happen!
Date: October 31, 2023
Credits: Kelly Cook
Duration: 31:08
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