On today’s episode, I am interviewing Jackie Tardif, the President of the Reitmans banner, as part of the Unmistakable Series, on Speaking with Women.
Jackie Tardif joined Reitmans Canada Ltd in 1995 and she successfully progressed through a series of roles gaining extensive management and leadership experience in the retail and fashion business. A passionate, dedicated and driven leader, Jackie always provides guidance to her team to inspire innovative business strategies and high standards of brand execution.
As President, Jackie has been able to establish a positive culture of Diversity and Inclusion leading to a real change in the direction of the brand and advocating for diversity, inclusion, respect and equality, whether within the company, in clothing collections or in marketing campaigns.
Jackie’s Word: Authenticity
By now you've noticed that every woman in this unmistakable series has a specific word for her. For Jackie, that word was authenticity, which is strange because it's not a word that I like, and I like Jackie a lot. From the very first time that I met her, I felt like she was totally trustworthy, which is another strange word to use, but she seemed like someone who was so fully herself and who showed up in a way that made you feel welcome, even as her leadership was very, very clear.
So that's why I was so happy when Jackie accepted to come onto Speaking with Women, because leadership is something that we talk about, think about but that I haven't addressed that much on Speaking with Women.
I am super happy to be bringing leadership to the lens of this conversation with someone whose actual leadership I admire so much.
3:45 - Jackie speaks about her childhood, growing up as the last one of 4 girls, and the impact that had on her.
5:15 - On the impact that sports had on her, how it taught her how to handle pressure, how to be a team member and to lead
9:50 - On how to build diverse teams based on chemistry, respect, and shared values
13:20 - I asked Jackie how she has stayed in retail for most of her career, and what keeps her engaged
18:25 - Why Reitmans decided to take a stand on Diversity & Inclusion
23:00 - Her take on being a visible woman in the workplace, and how to keep self-care at the center
25:45 - Jackie’s 3 key takeaways: networking, lobbying, and staying true to yourself.
To learn more about Jackie, you can find her on LinkedIn and Instagram
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