When Jennifer Wong was an economics student at the University of British Columbia, she walked into an Aritzia store with her resumé. The company at the time was only three years old and operated two locations. She landed a part-time job, which led to other Aritzia jobs as the company grew. 

Three decades later, she became Chief Executive Officer of the clothing retail giant that now boasts 117 stores in two countries, plus a global online presence.

“My journey has really been about figuring things out, learning new things and overcoming problems,” she tells Goldy Hyder in the Speaking of Businesspodcast. 

It helps that she knows the business from the shop floor up, an experience that gives her a unique approach to dealing with the ups and downs of the marketplace. “I like to seek to understand,” she says.

That problem-solving approach helped Aritzia weather the COVID-19 pandemic. When retail stores were closed, employees pivoted to working for the company’s online business, resulting in no layoffs.

Wong says the staff felt they were part of a bigger common goal, which was to keep Aritzia going during the pandemic. “That's another thing that I love about Aritzia,” she says, “we have a lot of heart.”

Listen to the full conversation – including how Aritzia expanded to the United States, and why it makes a point of supporting women throughout its supply chain – on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/