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From Home Furnishing Business

Home Depot Exec to Headline WithIt Conference

July 9, 2014  by in Industry, Special Events   

Mueller's presentation, “The Art & Science of Leadership,” will kick off this year's gathering of the networking and mentoring organization at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead Hotel and Conference Center.  

After five years at the marketing helm for Home Depot, one of the world’s largest retailers with more than 2,000 stores, the leadership trait Trish Mueller says she values most in herself and others is political acumen. It’s really about understanding your audience, “which is probably more of an art than a science,” she said. “If you lack political acumen, you won’t be successful.” 

At Home Depot, Mueller is responsible for the company’s strategic marketing vision, as well as brand development. Her journey to senior leadership at the home improvement retail giant has included senior marketing management roles at The Sports Authority and American Signature the $1 billion furniture retailer based in Columbus, Ohio as well as 15 years at Montgomery Ward.

In recent years, as she has worked to develop her team at Home Depot, Mueller said she has come to appreciate the value and importance of political acumen. She describes it as understanding the power structure within an organization and being able to maneuver through that structure to frame and sell your ideas.

“It’s not about manipulating people,” she said. “It’s about understanding their motivation and creating win/win situations.” The result is more adept communications that produce desired results.

The WithIt Professional Conference is open to all industry professionals. Registration is available online here. For a special group rate at the Atlanta Marriott Buckhead, which is centrally located in the heart of the Buckhead business, shopping and entertainment district, call (404) 261-9250, and request the WithIt Conference rate of $159.

A complete conference agenda is available here.