Fashion trends may come and go, but for Kim Fleissner (BBA ’01, MAcc ’02), a business education is always in style.
As chief executive officer of the Madison-based clothing e-tailer Shopbop, Kim curates the latest and greatest styles for her customers while also shaping the strategic evolution of the business. While fashion has long been one of her passions, it was an interest in accounting that brought Kim to the Wisconsin School of Business, a decision which ultimately helped her break into the industry.
“I wanted to understand how businesses work on a deep level,” she says. “I knew I had to understand end-to-end business processes to properly do accounting. No matter what area of business I chose to pursue down the road, I had a feeling accounting could serve as a stepping stone.”
After earning two accounting degrees at WSB, Kim worked in New York City before jumping at an opportunity to join Shopbop as a financial analyst and return to her hometown of Madison, where she once shopped at the company’s brick and-mortar predecessor Bop. Since then, she’s worked her way up the ranks, serving as the company’s chief financial officer and chief operating officer before taking over as CEO in 2018.
Running a global company with offices in Madison and New York City isn’t always an easy feat, but for Kim, the challenge is part of the appeal.
“Learning and growth is why I’m still here,” she says. “It’s what keeps me excited each day.”