At a time when commercial real estate executive opportunities were practically nonexistent for women, Leslie Swanson embarked on the journey to the C-suite from a lumberyard. The naturally curious Swanson began her work life at the age of 14 at a lumberyard in Danville, Illinois, absorbing operational details as she sweated side-by-side with men twice her size.

“I grew up in a very humble household where we lived paycheck to paycheck,” recalled Swanson, “but my dad, Ted, made a huge impact on my life, always leading by example.” He urged Swanson to strive for something better, for both herself and her employers, something she’s done with alacrity through her 30-year career with some of the country’s top retail real estate organizations.

Swanson attended Illinois State University in the small Plains town of Normal in Central Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in public relations and organizational communication psychology. “ISU isn’t exactly Harvard,” she said, “but I always felt you could learn everything you need by textbook at any college. The rest is up to you.” She recalls emerging post-graduation into an industry “where I was surrounded by men from Ivy League schools,” many stronger in theory than pragmatism, she observed.

Fast-forward three decades, and the indefatigable Swanson has ascended to the top of her craft. In December 2021, Tanger named her its first female COO, a rarity in an industry where top leadership roles still skew predominantly male. As COO, Swanson directly oversees all Tanger operations, marketing partnerships and specialty leasing programs, among other, less tangible roles, including the recruitment of women into the profession. Swanson, who joined Tanger in August 2020 as executive vice president of operations, has become a pillar in the REIT’s executive-level rebuild of the past four years.

Swanson sees herself as a perfect fit with Tanger, where women increasingly play key roles. They now oversee about half of the REIT’s 40 owned or managed centers and constitute 70% of its workforce. Moreover, more than 40% of those in senior vice president leaders and higher at Tanger are women. Another, Jessica Norman, joined Tanger’s executive team in September as executive vice president and general counsel.

Swanson cut her outlet center teeth with Simon, serving the last three of her 22 years there as senior vice president of property management for the REIT’s Premium Outlets. She hired on with Simon in 1998 as marketing director at Circle Centre Mall in Indianapolis and went on to serve seven years as vice president of marketing and then five years as executive vice president of property management, marketing and operations before assuming her Premium Outlets role.

Previously, Swanson had worked marketing and public relations jobs with GGP, Balcor, Rouse, the L&B Group and the city of Indianapolis. “I am kind of a melting pot of industry experience,” she said. “Working at several REITs, it’s been invaluable to have all the differing points of view and being able to take that learning to the next position.” The Tanger executive team has operational perspectives it never had before her arrival, Swanson said.

Though her time with former employers proved invaluable, “I feel like I’ve grown to the next level at Tanger,” she said. “It’s been most rewarding.” In announcing her promotion to COO, Tanger president and CEO Stephen Yalof hailed Swanson as a “team builder, revenue generator and thought leader,” uniquely qualified to drive results and stay in front of industry changes “while delivering the best value, experience and opportunity for Tanger communities, stakeholders and partners.”

Swanson’s time in other positions during her rise makes it easier to incorporate company values equitably systemwide, she said. When joining Tanger, Swanson also was tasked with adding people of color and diversity at all levels, leading to companywide bias-reduction training and the addition of employee resource groups for people of color, LGBTQ+ and women.

Swanson has been chief proponent for another Tanger priority, sustainability, expanding programs in on-site solar energy, energy efficiency at properties, and partnerships to expand electric vehicle charging stations, all helping set the stage for the firm’s Scope 1 and 2 carbon-emission reduction commitments to net zero by 2050. “Our programs must meet our return on investment and sustainability goals,” Swanson added.

In April, Swanson will be inducted into ISU College of Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame, which honors alums demonstrating outstanding career performance and leadership in their fields. In 2023, Women We Admire named her among The Top 50 Women Leaders of San Antonio, which honors innovators who’ve also advocated for the community. Also last year, during Women’s History Month, Tanger celebrating her achievement as its first woman COO. Regarding that honor, she said: “One of our core value programs is Seek the Success of Others because we firmly believe that a supportive and inclusive workplace culture is critical during Women’s History Month and throughout the year. I am very proud that my Tanger family is helping to make this happen.”

Swanson’s advice to women aspiring to higher industry roles and goals: “Continue to break glass, stay true to who you are and to what people need and don’t say what you think others want to hear. I have stuck to this throughout my career, and I’ve not always been the most popular woman around as a result. But I’ve always been true to myself.”

Another differentiating factor in Swanson’s career is her willingness to explore the unknown. “I’ve always embraced risk,” she said. “I’m not afraid to say: ‘Let’s try something different.’ There’s no harm in looking at something out of the industry that may add value to it.” Her push for enhanced organizational teamwork and partnerships is another of her drivers. “A lot of my career journey has followed the path of being part of a greater collaboration,” she said. “That gave me a more global perspective, which led me to running Simon’s Premium Outlets and eventually to my current role with Tanger.”

Swanson is particularly proud of the new Tanger Outlets Nashville center she helped inaugurate in October. The prototype represents a switch from the typical racetrack design to a village look featuring parking on the inside and shopping on the outside. It features an events pavilion, 15 murals and community green space that retailers also can use. Tenants include Ulta Beauty, Nike, Old Navy, Pottery Barn and regional favorites like Prince’s Hot Chicken. “We were fortunate to have a wide canvas with this ground-up development,” she said. “We wanted to create a sense of place with areas where shoppers could hang out and listen to music and where kids could play.”

She is delighted at how nimble Tanger has become in recent years. “We don’t have the constraints and bureaucracy of the larger REITs, and that allows us to create opportunities when we see them and be the best at what we do,” she said. “It’s amazing how quickly you can influence change and get positive results.”

Swanson and her husband, Chris, are both avid outdoorspeople. They own 150 acres in San Antonio where they hike, fish, ranch and hunt. The couple, who are raising their twin 8-year-old nieces, also enjoy traveling and spending time with family.

There are more good things in store for Tanger, Swanson said, noting the company has enjoyed “tremendous success” renewing and expanding existing leases since COVID. Whether national or regional tenants, such expansions create additional brand affinity at sister stores in conventional centers, she said.

Ongoing Tanger initiatives include remerchandising centers with higher-quality retailers that can pay higher rents and generate more foot traffic, exploring nontraditional revenue sources and improving both the average spend and the shopping journey for patrons, Swanson said. “We feel like we can add a lot of value. The future is very bright as we look for new opportunities.”