Heather Leiferman

Heather Leiferman is the Director of Communications at Great Clips Inc., the world’s largest salon brand with more than 4,400 franchised locations across the United States and Canada. Based in the Twin Cities, she is an expert in systemwide retail communication, public relations, and high-impact brand storytelling.

At Great Clips, Leiferman leads modern communications and integrated marketing campaigns, notably expanding the brand’s presence into contemporary retail marketing landscapes. Since 2021, she has championed the brand’s approach to the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) ecosystem, evolving student-athlete partnerships from traditional influencer marketing into story-driven activations that generate long-term brand equity and customer loyalty.

Prior to her leadership at Great Clips, Leiferman spent over four years as the Director of Marketing Communications & PR at Buffalo Wild Wings, where she managed a multi-million dollar budget and led highly acclaimed, award-winning social and sports marketing campaigns. Her extensive 25-year career also includes executive marketing and corporate communication roles across the financial and hospitality industries. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Bemidji State University and a Master of Arts in Management from Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota.

Bringing a wealth of insight to this year’s retail panel, Leiferman offers a firsthand look at how major national brick-and-mortar brands can navigate changing consumer behaviors, capitalize on emerging cultural shifts like NIL, and craft authentic brand moments that keep retail storefronts thriving.