From intern to leader: A career path built for growth

Charlotte is a banking town, but finance careers don't have to start and end at financial institutions.

The story: At Lowe's corporate headquarters in Mooresville, Davis F. found a different path that took him from an MBA internship to a director role in just eight years.

We asked Davis about making the jump to retail, finding growth opportunities and building an impactful and fulfilling career.

What is your professional background, and how did you get started at Lowe's?

"My first job out of college was working as an underwriter for a residential mortgage company. While it was a good start, I did not feel like my role was aligned to my intellectual interests and the company did not offer much career mobility."

This led Davis to pursue an MBA, where he took an internship at Lowe's working with the Financial Planning and Analysis team.

• "It was a good opportunity to better understand the financial levers of the company and to start building a network in the finance organization here."

What attracted you to Lowe's compared to other opportunities in the Charlotte area?

"I worked for a financial services company before, but I really wanted to apply my skill set at a company where I could see the direct impacts of my work in stores, on the website and in the financial results."

Here's what else: "I really like working for a company that is highly customer-, community- and home-focused."

What is your current role, and what does your day-to-day look like?

"I recently took a new role as finance director supporting Marketing and Credit."

• "I spend most of my time working with the marketing team on their strategic priorities, helping them understand current business trends and working with them to ensure we hit our financial targets."

What was a lesson you learned in your first role that you took with you as you grew?

"My first project at Lowe's was working on a high-priority real estate analysis that went to the CEO and board of directors. My initial reaction was, they really want the new guy working on this?"

The takeaway: "At a large company like Lowe's, there are always a variety of important and high-priority decisions that require financial analysis. Those are great opportunities to make a meaningful impact but also for your work to gain visibility."

How has Lowe's culture and leadership supported your growth?

"The culture and leadership team here are highly focused on action, results and learning. Things move quickly at Lowe's and there is always a new opportunity to learn. The finance leadership team has been very supportive in allowing me to take new roles and continue my development here. "

What has been one standout moment in your career at Lowe's so far?

Now that Davis has moved up the ladder, he's eager to share his knowledge and learnings to help lift up colleagues.

• "The most rewarding thing is seeing the development of others on the team. I really enjoy working with my team to find solutions, helping them learn and getting them into a spot to advance within the company."

What is your favorite part of working with the finance team?

"Our finance group is highly collaborative and cross-functional. We have teams that support supply chain, store operations, merchandising, marketing, technology, Lowes.com and many other areas.

• The benefit: "While working on different projects, I get to walk down the aisle and work closely with the subject matter experts."

What surprised you the most about working at Lowe's?

"The biggest adjustment for me was the size of the company. I had only worked at a small company with fewer than 100 employees prior to joining Lowe's."

But Davis used the potential culture shock as a learning opportunity.

• The results: "I became more resourceful in terms of understanding how different areas of the business are connected and built my network to effectively get things done."

What do you enjoy most about working at Lowe's headquarters in Mooresville?

"Our Mooresville office is a great facility. One thing that is nice is the convenience of dining and coffee on site. We have a variety of food options on campus, which makes planning the day a little easier."

• Even better: "For the fitness fanatics, we have a great salad bar and gym here at the office."

What advice would you give about starting and growing their career at Lowe's?

"Take initiative. Whether it is stepping up to lead a project, branching out to build your network or simply solving a problem when you see one, taking initiative shows that you are willing to put in the effort to get better one day at a time. That mentality pays off in the long run."

Next steps: Ready to level up your career? Explore open opportunities at Lowe's.