Tsering Namgyal is a powerful force at Chinese Laundry. The brand president recently talked to FN for its Women in Power series, sharing her thoughts on the obstacles facing women in the industry and the best advice she’s received.
Overall experience: “It’s been a pleasure to work with fellow women. Besides it being a good cause, it’s personally gratifying. I enjoy the interaction with so many amazing women.”
Biggest challenges for women: “Work and life balance — that’s the No. 1 challenge that we face. The retail landscape has changed tremendously with e-commerce and social media, and we are all going through a huge period of change. We are trying to help the [younger generation] cultivate new skill sets needed to navigate the landscape today.”

Advice for cultivating more young female talent: “We are going to help them communicate better and teach them that they can walk down the hall and have the face-to-face interaction. We are teaching them that old-fashioned things still work. Also, it’s important to have open communication starting first within your own company so you can have a better understanding and knowledge, so that they can carve out career paths and know what’s open for them.”
Best advice given: “First, don’t be afraid to ask for help or ask questions. For the young people, I think it’s important to understand that the basic fundamentals are still the basic fundamentals. I think the present generation can be impatient because everything is instant access.”

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