SCHMOOZING: MR CELEBRATES KAREN MURRAY AS PERSON OF THE YEAR
It was an evening filled with respect and love as colleagues, family and friends gathered last night in Nautica’s offices to honor VF’s Karen Murray as MR magazine’s 2015 Person of the Year.
Featured industry notables Liz Rodbell, Howard Socol, Jeff Gennette and Karen Castellano spoke, with both deference and humor, about Karen’s various assets (a brilliant merchant, a strong leader, an exceptional fundraiser, a compassionate friend, a loving mother, wife and daughter) as well as her quirks (a severe shopping addiction, an usual appetite for eggs).
Accepting her award, Karen pointed out how reluctant she was to accept this recognition considering last year’s winner was Macy’s chairman Terry Lundgren; Lundgren jumped in with a gracious comment noting that after this week’s earnings reports, he’s hardly a tough act to follow.
Concluded Karen Alberg, MR’s editor in chief and the evening’s emcee: “What a privilege to honor this amazing industry executive who’s taught us all that with vision, creativity, and resolve, one person can in fact make a big difference in the lives of others.”
I greatly admire the success of people like yourself, and the stones of leadership you have laid for others to follow. I, like many others thank you for that.