Suzanne Schweiss

Suzanne Schweiss has dedicated her entire career to retail since 1989. After working in retail during college, she was inspired by her first store manager at Kmart, a polished professional who encouraged her development and introduced her to independent business ideas. Although she briefly explored real estate to support her significant other, she returned to retail, drawn to the environment of employees and customers. In her daily responsibilities, she assesses physical conditions inside and outside the store, manages teams through multitasking, implements plans, oversees remodels, handles restructuring, and provides web-based training and mentoring to new leadership. She emphasizes staying involved and grounded by touching base with employees daily, walking all areas of the store, and building relationships. Her approach to leadership includes listening more than directing, using tools like stop-start-continue for feedback, and focusing on adaptability and accountability. She credits mentors such as David Grandorf, Alex Llorente, and Patrick Venditti for influencing her routines, teammate development, attention to detail, planning, and community involvement. She has been active in the Chamber of Commerce and maintains involvement in an influential women's group at work as well as the Retail Alliance, which connects loss prevention managers with the Virginia Beach Police Department to address organized crime and related issues.