Charlotte Russe Chief Executive Officer Jenny Ming visited the La Pietra campus last week to share her secrets of success in the fashion world.

From humble beginnings as a retail manager, Ming rose through the ranks, later leading a team of executives to launch Old Navy in 1994. She became President of Old Navy, growing it into one of the most successful retail brands in the world with 900 stores in the U.S. and Canada with $6.7 billion in sales. Ming signed on with Charlotte Russe in 2009 and has led a successful turnaround of the young women's fashion chain.

Ming shared lessons learned during her career, along with some of the challenges she still faces as one of the few female Asian CEO's in the country. She encouraged students to be observant of their surroundings to find the next great idea, to be proud of their uniqueness, and to believe in themselves.

After her talk, she fielded questions from students. Topics included how she identifies the latest trends, what she looks for in an employee, and how she manages a career and family.

Ming came to La Pietra as part of the school's partnership with the Wahine Forum, a conference aimed at elevating the status of women in the workforce. Previous Wahine Forum speakers to visit La Pietra include astronaut Sally Ride, journalist Lisa Ling, and Wall Street veteran Carla Harris.