Vanessa Castagna Photo by Mark Simons
Whether serving customers in the retail industry, serving youth in nonprofit roles or serving her alma mater as a trustee, alumna Vanessa Castagna (PSY '71) is a leader.
She's also an example of the value and career versatility offered by a Purdue diploma and a role model to those who want to take service to a new level.
Castagna, who grew up near Muncie in a practical, Midwestern family, limited her college options to Indiana schools. Studying psychology and speech communication appealed to both her interests and personality. "I've always been outgoing and interested in the human mind and people's behavior, so it seemed like a natural choice," she says.
It also helped that Purdue was home to the "All-American" Marching Band and orchestra program. Castagna was a four-year member, keeping the beat as a twirler and clarinet player. "It's what I remember most vividly about my time as a student," she says.
Castagna — citing the Gallup-Purdue Index showing that students involved in extracurricular activities and organizations lead more engaged and thriving careers — counts her time in the band as formative. She remains grateful for the scholarship support, travel opportunities and experiential learning it provided.
"It gave me purpose, a sense of belonging and taught me rigor and discipline," she says. "You have to be on the right time at the right note, know your role and become part of a much larger effort than your own. I believe those same fundamentals have made me successful in my career and life." Castagna initially planned to use her Purdue education to pursue a position in human resources or public relations, but she was on a deadline and knew how to improvise.
"My parents gave me 90 days after graduation to find a job," she recalls. "They said, 'Get out there and find something that fits you in a place you can succeed,' so I literally started knocking on doors."
One of those doors took Castagna into a major department store in Indianapolis and led to an unexpected offer to join its management executive training program and become a buyer.
"From the day I started, I loved retailing — the rest is history!"
And quite a history it's been.
Castagna has held senior executive and board positions with leading retailers and brands including J.C. Penney, Wal-Mart, Target and Levi Strauss. She's been named one of Fortune magazine's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business" four times and made the list of Forbes "100 Most Powerful Women" twice. Although semi-retired, she remains in strong demand as a retail consultant and advisor to private equity and investment companies.
In addition to serving as a trustee, Castagna has shared her success with Purdue students through the Old Masters program and other events, as well as spearheading a recent fundraising effort to create a $1.5 million endowment of the Al G. Wright chair for Purdue's director of bands/orchestra.
She's also creating a legacy in numerous nonprofit organizations for youth, from the Children's Miracle Network and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America to March of Dimes and United Way.
"I believe that to be successful in your career and life you have to really enjoy what you're doing," Castagna advises. "Follow your heart as well as your mind."
