When faced with what some are calling a “retail apocalypse,” how does an iconic brick-and-mortar retailer reshape its in-store and online experiences in order to compete in a rapidly transforming retail world?

In the above video, Darden Dean Scott Beardsley interviews Macy’s President Hal Lawton (MBA ’00) — a Darden School alumnus who previously led the rapid growth of Home Depot’s online business in Atlanta and led eBay North America in the San Francisco Bay Area. They discuss the intersection of data, technology and retail; the importance of motivating both staff and self; and Lawton’s one most important piece of career advice. With Black Friday just around the corner, they also discuss the upcoming holiday shopping season and its continued importance for retailers such as Macy’s — organizer of the world-famous Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.