In episode 320 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Christine Grasser, manager of corporate communications, giving and volunteerism, and Sam Di Scipio, vice president of corporate communications, giving and volunteerism at Macy's. Grasser and Di Scipio discuss Macy's recent partnership with the National Retail Federation Foundation's RISE Up training and credentialing program, and how the initiative works with youth through the Boy's and Girl's Clubs of America to develop retail career skills. They share why social impact is core to the retail organization's DNA, how their teams help integrate corporate social responsibility into everyday business, and how these programs are bringing awareness to the long-term careers available in the retail industry.
Furthermore, Grasser and Di Scipio discuss how Macy's identifies the right nonprofit partners to invest in, some of the many charitable organizations the retailer works with nationwide, and how the department store chain communicates its work with these programs. They share how select Macy's team members act as Giving Captains to further colleague engagement, as well as what the company has planned for charitable giving and volunteerism this holiday season and into 2022.
Christine Grasser is a manager of giving and volunteerism at Macy’s. She has been with the company for almost 18 years, starting her career there in human resources then transitioning to corporate communications. She oversees colleague giving and volunteer efforts, which are an important part of Macy’s company culture. She influences a strong network of Giving Captains located around the country who are bringing this value to life every day in their communities. She brings people together and leverages ideas while partnering with organizations to see where they need support and how Macy’s volunteers can best engage with them. Christine is an avid volunteer herself and loves to make an impact in the community through engagement with local and national nonprofits. One of her favorite ways to give back is being a mentor through Read Ahead NYC’s program.
Sam Di Scipio joined Macy’s as senior director, corporate communications, giving and volunteerism in May 2017. In this role, she leads a team to put programs in place to help make life shine brighter for Macy’s colleagues, customers and communities. Sam has a passion for unlocking the potential that companies have to play an important role in their communities, whether through smart programming, creative storytelling to share impact, great partnerships, or engaging customers and colleagues. Sam has 16 years of communications experience spanning internal, external, CSR and everything in between, predominantly at Avon Products in the U.K. and New York City. During her role at Avon, Sam worked as the connective tissue for multiple areas of the business, across markets and cultures in Europe providing communications support and counsel. Sam holds a BA (Hons) in Business and Marketing Management from Oxford Brookes University in the U.K.
