Nordstrom names manager for its first store in Puerto Rico

Nordstrom, Inc., one of the leading U.S. fashion specialty retailers, announced Manuel "Manolo" González as manager of its new store at The Mall of San Juan in Puerto Rico. Scheduled to open March 26, 2015, the store will mark the first Nordstrom store in Puerto Rico.

González, a resident of Puerto Rico, has 25 years of retail store management, buying and merchandising experience. He supported successful, results-oriented teams at a number of major department stores on the island.

"While we usually promote store managers from our existing stores, we felt it was important to hire a manager from Puerto Rico to help us truly understand the local community and serve customers well," said Michelle Haggard, vice president, Southeast regional manager for full-line stores. "We are delighted to have found such a great talent in Manuel." 

"We're thrilled to be a part of such an exciting new shopping center," said González. "The Mall of San Juan will offer a great mix of retailers, many of which will be new to the island, making it a truly compelling shopping destination. We look forward to getting our doors open and building relationships with the community."

Gonzalez' first priority will be staffing the new store. Nordstrom plans to hire about 420 sales and support staff locally beginning December 1.

"Nordstrom has had the pleasure of serving Puerto Rico customers in many of our mainland stores over the years, so we're eager to establish a great team of employees to take care of them closer to home," said González. "We're going to work hard to become their store of choice by providing them with the best possible fashion selection and shopping experience we can offer."

González lives in Gurabo with his wife Vanessa and two daughters. Outside of work, he enjoys golf, skiing, rafting and watching his daughters' volleyball games.