Bloomingdale’s
Vice Chairman and Executive Vice President
CLASS OF 1970
Frank Doroff attended Washington & Jefferson College during one of the most tumultuous times in both the College’s and nation’s history. The late 60s and early 70s brought with them the entrance of women to W&J and the Vietnam War to the United States. Doroff recalls the campus being divided on both fronts. “The entire College had strong opinions on both issues, although most people were anti-war and pro-integration,” he says.
For Doroff, however, the most pressing issue was the war. “I was number 302 in the draft lottery and my roommate was number 16,” he says. “And though I ultimately was not drafted, it was a sobering experience.” Outside the stresses of the draft, Doroff’s time at W&J was full of opportunities and great memories. He majored in economics and English, joined Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity, and won the Presidents’ Athletic Conference tennis championship during his freshman year. “Being at W&J was my first time away from home,” he says. “It gave me a chance to try new things and grow up.”
In his senior year at W&J, Doroff was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. Though he initially was intimidated by some of his Ivy League counterparts, Doroff quickly found that W&J had prepared him well to compete. “I discovered that my education at W&J gave me the confidence and knowledge to contend with some of the best intellectuals in the world,” he says. Upon his graduation from Wharton, Doroff began work at Macy’s as an executive trainee before eventually becoming the chairman of Federated and Allied Merchandising Services at Bullock’s Wilshire department store in 1988.
In 1991, Doroff left Bullock’s and began work at Bloomingdale’s. Eighteen years later, he hasn’t looked back. As vice chairman and executive vice president, Doroff is responsible for 33 apparel stores, company buyers, and the corporation’s Internet business. “It is a very exciting job,” he says. “Every day is like receiving a grade and there is no better feeling than getting feedback and making a difference.”
