Laura Alber

Laura Alber is currently the CEO of Williams-Sonoma Inc., a San Francisco, California-based consumer retail company best known for its high quality kitchenware and home furnishing products. As the leader of one of the largest e-commerce retailers in the U.S., Alber is a businesswoman through and through, saying that she enjoys the intellectual challenge of understanding the changing trends and influences in homes.

Under her guidance, the company found continued success. It was one of the largest U.S. e-tailers back in 2014, after it received about half of its $5B annual sales online. It was also under her lead that it launched its first app named “Recipe of the Day” while partnering with YouTube to make shoppable online content. Alber herself even promoted in-store events at the company, including Panini-making classes and book signings.

Prior to Williams-Sonoma, she served as director of the Pottery Barn catalog, before taking the role of president from 2002 to 2006. During that time, she created Pottery Barn Kids, Pottery Barn Teen and Threads brands, the latter of which was discontinued after just two months.

She has seen her fair share of recognition as well, becoming one of the most influential women in San Francisco by San Francisco Business Times in 2011 and Business Person of the Year by Fortune in 2014 and 2015.

She is on the board of overseers for the College of Arts & Science at The University of Pennsylvania and has even created the Alber-Klingelhofer Endowed Scholarship at Penn with her husband. She was also part of the board of directors for Fitbit in 2016 and wrote a Harvard Business Review article in 2014.

Alber received her education from the University of Pennsylvania. She is married with three kids.