ndbag brand for 14-plus years. Inside Retail: How did you get your start in the world of retail? Giovanni Zaccariello: My first job was in London for Uniqlo. I started as a store visual assistant. When I finished university, I was offered a full-time job leading Uniqlo’s visual merchandising for the UK market.  After that, I had a few other roles in London at Topshop, M&S and Esprit before I moved to Amsterdam for a global role at Mexx. From there, I joined Coach in Hong Kong, managing visual merchandising for the Asia Pacific market. After four years in Hong Kong, I moved to New York City to lead the global visual merchandising team at Coach.  IR: How has your previous experience in the industry primed you for your work with Coach? GV: Every role I had helped me shape the way I work today.  First, the global nature of the roles and my experience living in Europe, Asia and the USA have helped me at Coach tremendously.  Second, I have had such a diverse range of mentors over the years who have supported me in defining my own leadership style. It’s like I have taken pieces from all my lessons and created my own. While most of my roles have been creative, some have leaned into business and operations as well. This has supported me at Coach, where I need to balance ‘magic’ and ‘logic’.  IR: Many retail executives hop from one brand to the next in their careers. Few stay with a company for as long as you have with Coach. What has kept you loyal? GV: I knew from the moment I met the Coach team that this would be a long journey. The company ethos aligns with mine. At large, the people at Coach have been one of the biggest factors in my long tenure.  Also, having had many roles over the years has kept me incredibly challenged and motivated. I love to have a new goal and go together with my team after it. I truly think we are just getting started.  IR: Starting out as a visual merchandiser and space planner with the United Colors of Benetton to your current role, you have spent the bulk of your career in visual merchandising. What is it about this field of retail that’s captured your heart? GV: What I loved about this role from the start was the ability to create an emotional connection with consumers. Even today, seeing consumer reactions to the experiences we build worldwide at Coach is very rewarding.  IR: What do you think are the factors that make for effective visual merchandising for a retail brand? GV: Putting the consumer at the heart of everything you do.  IR: What have been your proudest accomplishments working with the Coach team thus far? GV: Having been part of the Coach transformation and seeing the incredible love our Gen Z consumers have for the brand.  IR: What does the day-to-day look like in your role? GV: To be honest, managing so many different teams every day is quite unique; however, there is a structure in the overall week.  I am a big morning person; I usually hit the gym at 6 am after meditation and then connect with my family in London.  The morning ritual for me is critical to set the day right. After that, I work with the Asia teams before getting into the office around 8 am. I tend to use the morning for most of the creative work and the afternoon for more of the operational tasks.  No one day is the same, as much as days are planned out, it’s the nature of retail that things change, and that’s the fun part about this role.   IR: What is a piece of advice you would give to aspiring professionals who hope to be in a similar position to you one day? GV: Truly be yourself. There is only one of you, and that’s what makes you stand out. In the earlier part of my career, I would try to fit in and not be fully myself. Coach has helped me fully be myself, which has pushed my creativity and leadership to the next level.  IR: What is one piece of advice you would give to the day-one version of yourself regarding your retail journey? GV: Follow your gut more. In most corporate organisations, especially at the start, I was waiting for direction or data. The more I worked in this field, the more I realised that data must be balanced with magic and with your gut feeling.  IR: What was the last item you got yourself from Coach? GV: The Coach Brooklyn bag! This story first appeared in the September 2025 issue of Inside Retail US magazine.