Gail Kirby's 30 Years with RMI

by Addy Camisa '21

The Retail Management Institute thanks Gail Kirby, a beloved teacher and integral member of the organization, with announcement of her retirement.

Professor Gail Kirby has announced her retirement this year, after an impactful 30 years with the Retail Management Program. With her immense contributions to the program and insights as a professor to her students, we as a community will miss her greatly. Kirby, a lecturer at the University, has taught courses in Principles of Marketing, Retail Management, Sustainability Marketing and Marketing Across Cultures. She originally joined RMI in 1991 after connecting with Cynthia Gamage and following her passion to pursue an academic program.

When asked about her favorite RMI moments, Kirby states that the Jill Curran Scholarship program, and its annual trip to New York, has been especially notable. After the tragic death of Curran while studying abroad in London, her family put together resources to create this scholarship and honor her in a special way. “The Jill Curran scholarship trip to New York was something that I helped develop and lead since 2004, ” explains Kirby. When in New York, Kirby worked with industry professionals and RMI alumni to arrange tours of buying offices and branding centers to make sure the attending students witnessed retail execution taking place in the big city.

Another highlight of her time at RMI, according to Kirby, is her involvement with the recent attendance of the Shop Talk conference in Las Vegas. Despite only leading the trip its most recent year before Covid-19, Kirby remembers how she felt like, “Wow, this is really where we want our students to be. ” The conference was a space where students could learn about using technology and information to make decisions in the retail sector. Kirby cites Dr. Kalyanam as the inspiration and vision for joining the conference, as a long time attendee that understood the value it provides.

Looking back on her time with Santa Clara students, Kirby offers wise advice for college careers and beyond. “Follow your dreams, follow your heart, stay focused and take advantage of opportunities, ” encourages Kirby. She emphasizes the importance of waking up in the morning and being truly excited about what you do, just like she experienced with RMI. Ultimately, Kirby encourages us as students to enjoy what we are doing, giving it 110%.

After retiring, Kirby looks forward to having time to slow down and enjoy being at home. Specifically, she plans on following her passions for swimming and exercise, hoping to read some good books along the way.

We here at RMI thank Professor Kirby for her 30 years of dedication to the program and its students. We look forward to hearing about her future plans and staying in touch!