Monday Moves: Katie Weeks
Welcome to Monday Moves the latest series from Monday Talent. Each edition celebrates a recently-placed candidate, delving into their journey, aspirations, and the unique value they bring to their new role.
We're not here to showcase a placement; we're honoring the diverse narratives that make up the rich mosaic of our talent community. It's not just a move; it's a story. Join us as we celebrate the faces and experiences that define Monday Talent.
This month, we’re featuring Katie Weeks, a brand, digital, and retail marketing leader with extensive experience in the footwear space. From growing her career at Nike for ten years to becoming Head of Global Brand Transformation at Timberland and now entering the luxury space as Vice President of Digital at Louis Vuitton. Below, Katie shares her Monday Moves.
What was important to you in your next career move?
When you get to the stage of your career where I am, you stop looking for jobs and have to do things like networking, working with recruiters and executive coaches, and leveraging social platforms like LinkedIn to market yourself. As great a marketer as I am, marketing myself is complicated.
However, I knew I wanted to move into the luxury space, so I was hedging my bets on an opportunity coming to life and putting my name in with the Monday team. When people reached out on LinkedIn, I was very forthcoming about what I was looking for.
First and foremost, when it comes to where I wanted to go, it was at a company that upholds values that are important to me. As a woman in corporate America, specifically in footwear and apparel, a company that deeply cares for its people is important. When you feel cared for as an employee, you can do your job: caring for the customer.
On the work side, I want to be somewhere with imagination and innovation. I come from one of the greatest innovators in the world. I grew up at Nike, and it’s something I yearn for, whether that be product or system innovation. I knew that wherever I ended up, I would be surrounded by prominent thinkers and big ideas. I want to work with people who are like-minded in that they have a really strong desire and will to win, and when it comes to LVMH, they are winners.
Was this your first time working with a recruiter?
Honestly, it is the first time it’s mattered. More or less, the answer is yes. I worked at Nike for many years, and then I was recruited out of Nike to a horrible situation that isn’t even on my resume or LinkedIn. I was sold on a dream that didn’t exist, but it was great because it got me to where I am now.
How did the experience working with Monday differ from your previous recruiting experience?
From the moment Ruby reached out to me until now, I felt like I had someone rooting for me and in my corner. I had someone I could be honest with and who would be honest with me—also someone who gave me a lot of confidence along the way. If there were things I was uncertain about, she would give me a level of certainty that put me at ease and made me more comfortable throughout a process that can be intimidating.
Whether you’re in the stage of looking for a new job (which I wasn’t) or being actively recruited, it is still a very lonely process. You don’t have the inside scoop on the company you're considering, and you can’t share it with anyone, so it’s pretty isolating. However, the team at Monday made this usually very lonely experience an empowering and enriching process. I hope I‘ll be at LVMH for a long time, but if I ever have someone say, “Hey Katie, who would you recommend for recruiting?” I would give them Monday’s name.
What are you most excited about in your new role?
I’m excited to work with all the fantastic people I’ve met throughout the process. I’m also happy to continue sharpening my acumen and bringing my skillset, experience, and imagination to this company, where I feel it will be very welcomed. Overall, I am thrilled to learn a new type of business. I have been in this industry where I first focused on athletes and then moved to that blue-collar worker, and now I get to focus on that luxury consumer. I wish that many people who do what I do get the experience of learning how to talk to and reach all these different people.
Most importantly, coming into this company as a leader is not a title or responsibility I take lightly. The most rewarding part of my job is always the team, and I’m excited to learn from the people I work with daily. Specifically, the people on the team I will be leading because, in my experience, those are the people who teach you the most about yourself and make you dig deep.
