In recent months, Spanish fashion retail brand Mango has been hitting the accelerator on its international brick-and-mortar presence. Mango plans to open 500 stores by 2026 in key markets such as Canada, France, the United Kingdom, and especially the United States. Inside Retail spoke to the man behind the plan, Mango’s international retail director for North America Shane Grenley, to learn more about his retail career so far.  Inside Retail: Tell us about your career journey. How did you get into the retail industry, and what have been some of the different roles you’ve held along the way?Stephen Grenley: I began my journey in the retail industry as a sales associate at Abercrombie & Fitch while pursuing my college education in finance.Through hard work and dedication, I gradually climbed the ranks and quickly assumed managerial roles. I have had the privilege of occupying various leadership positions within previous organizations, including president of North America, vice president of retail, head of US, and US director of stores. This diverse range of experiences has provided me with a comprehensive understanding of all facets of the retail business, enabling me to understand how a company turns ideas and processes into commercial actions, where I take all of my learnings and use them every day at Mango.IR: How has your previous experience in the retail industry aided you in your current role?SG: During my tenure in the retail industry, I have had the privilege of spearheading the opening of numerous stores in various locations. This experience allowed me to gain invaluable insights into identifying prime and strategic locations. Additionally, I fostered strong partnerships with colleagues and established a robust network, which further contributed to my success in the field and transferred this to Mango. IR: What do you love about your role?SG: I thoroughly enjoy witnessing the progression of teams and internal development. It brings me immense satisfaction to observe the accomplishments and advancements of our Mango team. IR: What challenges have you faced in your career and how have you dealt with them? SG: I have had the opportunity to introduce new brands in the United States. This experience has taught me the importance of truly comprehending the art of curating a client’s wardrobe and actively listening to their unique requirements. To foster the growth of my clientele, I have consistently employed innovative thinking and devised strategies to drive traffic and attract new customers which I apply to our teams here at Mango.IR: What are some of your career highlights so far? SG: Throughout my career, I have achieved several milestones such as expanding and opening new markets in North America, as well as leading online, wholesale and buying. This experience has given me the knowledge to [achieve] Mango´s double-digit growth across our stores. I believe it’s very important to allow your client to feel connected with the brand and to achieve that it is critical to listen to our client while ensuring we have the right product and experience at all levels in all markets in North America. IR: What is your favorite part about working in the retail industry?SG: Seeing the process of ideas coming into action and rolling out from a global perspective. IR: What is your approach to work/life balance?SG: One of the primary objectives is to establish robust teams that prioritize empathy and foster a culture of transparency. It is essential to cultivate an inclusive environment of psychological safety where team members feel comfortable and confident in sharing their thoughts and concerns, knowing that their input is valued. This mutual trust enables effective leadership, allowing for the appropriate balance between being hands-on when necessary and delegating tasks to the team while always prioritizing our clients’ needs.  IR: What advice would you give someone who wants to get into your line of work?SG: Listen more than you speak and always spend as much time with the client as possible.