South Coast Plaza names new marketing executive director, passing baton after 27 years
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As the window displays of South Coast Plaza transition from spring fashion to summer collections, the season is also changing within the center’s leadership circle, as longtime marketing head Debra Gunn-Downing transitions out of the role she’s held since 1999.
The Segerstrom family shared the news in February, announcing the appointment of Tenley Zinke as the new executive director of marketing.
A luncheon at the plaza’s Michelin-starred French bistro Knife Pleat earlier this month gave Zinke a chance to meet with local media face-to-face.
“Having the chance to meet you all is super important to me, and I know I can’t get enough time with you individually in this context, but at least we start by putting a face to my name,” Zinke addressed guests at the May 7 event.
The Daily Pilot later engaged in a deeper discussion on the changing of the guard with both Gunn-Downing and Zinke, via email.
Zinke was born and raised in New York City and has a background in global luxury fashion and retail with top luxury brands, including regional roles at LVMH and Kering, and international roles at Ralph Lauren and Tiffany & Co. She also added digital marketing and e-commerce to her portfolio when an opportunity was created at Net-a-Porter specially for her.
“Having worked at so many of the brands with an important presence at South Coast Plaza, from Loewe, Celine and Fendi to Tiffany and the portfolio of Kering Maisons, I bring many relationships and an extensive understanding of the industry to my new position, as well as the passion that comes with having such a unique role within the industry as there is only one South Coast Plaza,” Zinke said.
Still, she acknowledged the luxury retail industry has evolved since she began her career, with the primary difference being the demographic of the typical consumer.
“Back then, collections were tailored for a much older client, with the assumption that that was who could afford the products,” Zinke explained.
“A shift began with the internet and bloggers, who supplanted traditional media to an extent, and a feedback loop emerged whereby designers started to notice user-generated content and drew inspiration from how their products were being worn by younger, more diverse clients who interpreted looks to reflect their own personal style.”
Keeping such changes in mind, Zinke said its important carry tradition into the future while still fulfilling the expectations of the modern customer.
“From the day I arrived, I understood that our North Star is to be best in class,” said Zinke. “There is a special magic at South Coast Plaza that cannot be replicated, one that goes back generations. It’s an honor to be entrusted with maintaining the bond within the community and the meaning the center holds in people’s lives.”
Zinke has relocated from New York to Orange County and said she has thoroughly enjoyed the experience of discovering all Southern California has to offer, regularly visiting the Ecology Center in San Juan Capistrano and even taking up pickleball.
“Not being from Orange County, I had no idea of the astounding breadth of activities right in our community, from the breathtaking outdoors to the world-class arts,” she said. “In a single week, I saw an ABT production of “Sylvia” and pianist Yuja Wang at the Segerstrom Center, and then a cabaret-style performance by the legendary soprano Audra McDonald at a fundraiser for the Philharmonic Society — I could pinch myself.”
On the afternoon of the luncheon, Zinke had recently returned from a quick turnaround trip in New York City for the 50th Anniversary of Carnegie Hall’s “Concert of the Century.” Elizabeth Segerstrom served as lead chair for the gala event.
“It was extraordinary for my worlds to collide,” she said.
As for Gunn-Downing, after a nearly three decade career as South Coast Plaza’s executive director of marketing, she said she is looking forward to a change of pace. She has a list of business and leisure projects to start this summer, with her garden being at the top of the list.
“I like to say that I’m not retiring, I’m re-wiring,” said Gunn-Downing. “A dear friend recently gave me a book on roses, called ‘Grace Rose Farm: Garden Roses: The Complete Guide to Growing & Arranging Spectacular Blooms’ by Gracielinda Poulson, and I’ve already been poring over it and dog-earring the pages. There’s something about connecting to the earth and spending time with nature that helps to center and refocus me.“
Under Gunn-Downing’s leadership, South Coast surpassed $2.5 billion in annual sales, and while major milestones are important, what she will miss most is the people.
“South Coast Plaza was built on relationships, and nearly three decades in, the colleagues I’ve worked alongside, whether in Orange County, New York or Europe, have become family,” she said.
“Seeing the guests who have been coming here for years now and come back to share memories with their own children is amazing. There’s something beautiful about that kind of continuity being woven, even in some small way, into the fabric of someone’s life across generations.”
Reflecting on her long career, Gunn-Downing calls her time at South Coast Plaza “the privilege of a lifetime” and “the best job in fashion in the entire world.”
“What the Segerstrom family built here is extraordinary. From my first day 27 years ago, I understood that South Coast Plaza was never ‘just’ a shopping center,” the outgoing director said. “It is not only a global retail destination, but a place where real community has flourished, from treasured holiday traditions to our deep roots in the arts community and the philanthropic organizations that are embedded into our business and our DNA. I feel so fortunate to have been part of that story for as long as I have.”
To Zinke, Gunn-Downing offers the following advice:
“Remember that South Coast Plaza was not built on transactions, it was above all built on relationships,” Gunn-Downing said. “Invest heavily in those relationships with retailers, with the community [and] with the SCP family — it is the bedrock of the company’s success.”
Looking ahead, South Coast Plaza is preparing for its 60th anniversary next year. Gunn-Downing said she plans to be involved in the celebration. Zinke promises a memorable event.
“For anyone who remembers the 50th Anniversary of South Coast Plaza, you know we don’t do anything half-way,” said Zinke.
