A CLICK AWAY

We never know where our early work experiences will lead us. The college sophomore flipping burgers for the summer could well decide to become a chef. The high schooler babysitting on the weekends may find a career in early childhood development. For Alicia LeBeouf, fond memories of convincing strangers to buy Girl Scout Cookies ignited her interest in sales and commerce. “I loved the transaction between the buyer and seller and convincing people that a Girl Scout Cookie was the product missing from their lives at that moment.” Following her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, LeBeouf started her career in the Charlotte mayor’s office recruiting companies to hire at-risk youth as summer interns. To make extra money on the weekend, she took a job on the sales floor of Banana Republic. “Early on,” she recalls, “I only treated my retail job as a side gig, but the nostalgia of selling, running a business, and merchandising reminded me of my Girl Scout days. Since the heart of retail is about people and providing customer service, I knew my experience building an internship program would translate well into the retail industry.” After a random encounter with a recruiter during the financial crisis in 2008, LeBeouf left the familiarity of working in local government to pursue her passion—connecting people with products.

For more than a decade, LeBeouf has been a leader in the corporate suite, first at Target—in a variety of roles spanning corporate security, store operations, strategy, and supplier diversity— and now at Meta, where she leads a national team as the Head of Retail & Ecommerce, a revenue-generating division that supports digital advertising and commerce for the largest retailers in the country. “I am responsible for helping big box retailers, grocers, and marketplaces leverage our family suite of apps—Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp—to advertise, engage consumers, and conduct commerce,” she explains. “Ultimately, I am working with retailers to help them better understand the role that ‘social media’ and digital can play in driving profitable growth.”

The way we shop has changed dramatically since Amazon kicked into high gear in the early 2000s. Because of the pandemic, even traditional in-store shoppers who had never placed an online order found themselves embracing technology to discover and shop. “While many of those consumers have returned to shopping in physical stores,” observes LeBeouf, “brands are learning to meet customers where they are and create a multi-channel experience that allows people to shop when, where, and how they want to and on their terms. That could mean a weekly visit to your local grocery store, or a midnight impulse buy while scrolling Instagram. Embracing digital allows brands to stay competitive and extend their relationship with consumers beyond the aisles of a store.”

While a number of retailers have closed stores and scaled back expansion plans, LeBeouf doesn’t see stores disappearing completely anytime soon. “I believe retailers need to be strategic about where they have physical stores and capitalize on locations where they are getting ideal foot traffic,” she notes. “And there are some departments within stores that desperately need to be reimagined— like electronics—so that every footprint of the real estate is intentional and driving sales. Ultimately, the customer journey online and in the store needs to be complementary and retailers should invest in the infrastructure to be great at both.”

Well into her career, LeBeouf remains keenly engaged with her work, thrilled by the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. “We are at such an exciting and transformational time in retail. Local malls used to be filled with only traditional retail stores, but now we are seeing direct-to-consumer brands build storefronts as a way to have a physical showroom to display merchandise. Legacy brands are forced to pivot to manage unprecedented operational challenges like labor shortages, inflation, and global supply chain issues. Convenience is king, and ‘fast fashion’ continues to win shopping baskets across America, especially for Gen Z and Millennials who embrace social media to discover and research products. Creators are the new currency to build brand affinity, and several businesses are testing artificial intelligence capabilities to drive operational efficiency. All these shifts require businesses to innovate and adapt quickly to stay competitive.”

LeBeouf grew up in Charlotte, North Carolina, where her father started as one of the few Black engineers at IBM in the 1970s and her mother worked in insurance. Her parents have been married for 48 years and raised three children (LeBeouf is the middle child). LeBeouf describes herself as a true Southern girl who loves hosting and usually welcomes guests with freshly baked pound cake when they come to visit. “My childhood was filled with family vacations to the Carolina coasts, visits to grandparents, and church,” she shares. “Achievement was always an expectation, and I knew failure and laziness were not an option. I loved learning and in school, I gravitated toward student council, Girl Scouts, and clubs that focused on leadership and entrepreneurship.”

LeBeouf moved to Minneapolis for Target, then had a small stint back in Charlotte before moving to the Chicago area almost four years ago to join Meta. Her husband, Marcus LeBeouf, simultaneously became the first general counsel for the Chicago Blackhawks. “After searching for a home for a few months,” says the mother of two, “we visited Wilmette and immediately fell in love with the area. With its cobblestone streets and greenery, it reminds me of my Southern roots and the community is amazing. The Wilmette neighborhood has several gems that have become part of my weekly routine. I love meeting my trainer at Redefined Fitness and taking my son, Marcus (8), and daughter, Sydney (6), to the Wilmette Public Library.” Not surprisingly, with a busy job and young children, LeBeouf prioritizes convenience and does most of her shopping online—perhaps even coming full circle by buying from a Virtual Girl Scout Cookie Booth.