Aubrey Whitcomb

Leadership · Community · Impact

Leadership that moves things forward.

Retail executive, small business owner, and Palo Alto resident.

Professional

More than 25 years in luxury retail. Today I run a flagship store and lead a team of more than 100.

See my work → Civic

Palo Alto is home. I have led a merchant board, volunteered with the local food bank, and helped build a business at the airport.

See my community work →

About

Experience. Perspective. Purpose.

Aubrey Whitcomb

I'm Aubrey Whitcomb. I have spent my career in luxury retail, and I have been a Vice President and General Manager since 2022.

Outside the store, I co-founded two small businesses in aviation services. I live in Palo Alto, and I care about how this city works for the people who live, work, and run businesses here.

This site covers both sides of that: my work and my community.

  • People

    I lead a team of more than 100. At my previous flagship, a 300-person store, we held 95% workforce retention.

  • Perspective

    Since 1999 I have worked in department stores, a single-brand house, and travel retail. In 2025 I completed MIT Sloan's executive certificate in AI strategy.

  • Results

    Three consecutive years of record volume in my current role, through an ownership change and a restructuring.

Work

A career built on the floor and the P&L.

I run large stores with full profit and loss responsibility. My job is to grow the business and the people in it.

  • 2022 to present

    Vice President, General Manager

    Luxury retail flagship

    Full P&L and a team of more than 100. Three consecutive years of record volume through an ownership change and a restructuring.

  • 2019 to 2022

    Director, Sales & Client Experience

    Luxury retail flagship, 300 people

    The sole director reporting to the General Manager. 95% workforce retention.

  • 2018 to 2019

    DFS Group (LVMH)

    San Francisco

    Multi-boutique leadership across several luxury houses.

  • 1999 to 2018

    Bloomingdale's, Gucci, Nordstrom

    Store leadership roles

    Bloomingdale's Executive of the Year in 2009 and 2010. Led mobile point-of-sale rollouts that became company-wide standards.

Education

Azusa Pacific University

B.S., Organizational Leadership

MIT Sloan Executive Education

AI strategy certificate, 2025. Digital Business certificate in progress.

Community

Palo Alto is home.

I live here, I work here, and a business I co-founded operates here. These are the places I have put my time.

Merchant Board president

I served a two-year elected term as president of the merchant board at the shopping center where my store operates. I still serve on the board.

Second Harvest of Silicon Valley

I sponsor my store team's volunteer partnership with Second Harvest, and I volunteer there myself.

Local business owner

Cielo Aircraft Care operates at Palo Alto Airport. I know what it takes to start and run a small business in this city.

Ventures

Two small businesses, both in aviation.

  • Co-founder

    Cielo Aircraft Care

    Mobile aircraft detailing in Silicon Valley, serving Palo Alto and San Carlos airports. The process is waterless, so there is no wash runoff on the ramp.

    cieloaircraftcare.com

  • Co-founder

    ARIE

    Aviation Readiness Intelligence Engine. The booking software behind Cielo's website, built for aviation service operators.