Michael Steinberg, a landscaper and owner of a nursery business who became one of the nation’s top department store merchants for two-and-a-half decades, passed away on Saturday following a long illness. He was 97.
Steinberg reached the pinnacle of his retail career in 1993 when he came out of retirement to become chairman and chief executive officer of Macy’s West, based in San Francisco, which at the time operated the Bullock’s division in California as well as Macy’s stores in California, Hawaii and the Southwest. He was credited with elevating the revenues, profits and image of Macy’s West, successfully differentiating it from regional department store competitors, and evolving Macy’s private labels into private brands, with in-store shops, professional sales associates and full-price marketing. Months before joining Macy’s West, Steinberg had retired as president and CEO of Foley’s, the Texas department store chain that was owned by the May Department Stores, which was taken over by Macy’s in 2005.
Because of his wide range of interests, including philanthropy, music, ballet, theater, cooking, reading, gardening and travel, Steinberg was frequently referred to as a renaissance man.
“He was funny, passionate and always looking to broaden your horizons,” said his wife, Sue, who met her husband while working in human resources at Abraham & Straus, the former Brooklyn-based department store that was consolidated into Macy’s. “When the buyers came to New York, he would always encourage them to go to the museums, the theater, the stores. He was a challenging boss, demanding, but supportive and fair. He never held a grudge. He always looked for the good in people.”
When Steinberg entered the A&S training program, he was 15 years older than the average trainee. And when he became a buyer, his future wife handled his orientation. “He was the only buyer that kept all their appointments and was always on time. To me, that was immediately attractive.…He was a man with so many interests. He was a true blessing.”
“Michael was one of the best merchants running stores,” said Allen Questrom, the former chairman and CEO of Federated Department Stores, JCPenney, Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York, who worked with Steinberg at Bullock’s when he was a general merchandise manager and Steinberg a divisional merchandise manager. “He was very involved in the product, and how the stores looked, and what was going on with his people. People loved working for him. When Mike ran Macy’s in San Francisco, it was spotless. I just loved the guy. I’m not sad that Michael is gone because he lived such a great life.”
Michael Gould, the former chairman and CEO of Bloomingdale’s, knew Steinberg since the late 1960s, when they were both beginning retail careers at Abraham & Straus. “We have been dear friends since,” said Gould. “He had a great feel for the business. He flourished when he went to Bullock’s, then Bloomingdale’s, Sanger Harris and Macy’s San Francisco. He had an enormous impact on the business and was very passionate about it. He had a real feel for the merchandise.”
Terry Lundgren, another former chairman and CEO of Macy’s, was just 22 when he met the older Steinberg. Lundgren was a senior at the University of Arizona and interviewing for a job with Bullock’s. “I already had other, higher-paying job offers so when I learned what the starting salary was, I turned down the offer.” The human resources executive had Lundgren meet Questrom, they talked, then Questrom told Lundgren to meet with his then divisional merchandise manager, Steinberg. “Mike sat with me for 30 minutes and then insisted that I start work on Monday as an assistant buyer. I tried to explain that I was still in college and in the middle of my final semester but Mike was persistent. So I finally said yes, so I could end the interview. I let the HR executive explain to Mike that I couldn’t start until after graduation, which wasn’t for another few months. But I was definitely coming to work for Bullock’s, especially if I could work for Mike and Allen.”
A few years later as a buyer working under Steinberg, Lundgren was traveling to New York. “He told me to extend my trip and also make time to visit MoMA, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum. He said I needed to learn to appreciate art, architecture and design to help broaden my knowledge and skills as a merchant. I was 25 years old and I have never forgot the way Mike Steinberg made me feel.”
Steinberg was born in Cologne, Germany, on June 26, 1928. His parents were Kurt Steinberg, a lawyer and judge, and Alice Gumprich Steinberg, who had a PhD in physics and chemistry. His father lost his position when the Nazis came to power in 1933, and the family emigrated to South Africa. Steinberg studied horticulture and agriculture at the University of Natal, spent two years in Australia working in agriculture, and returned to Johannesburg to work at a large nursery. Dissatisfied with South Africa’s apartheid system, he went to London and Montreal and held clerical and factory jobs while awaiting admission to the U.S.
He arrived in New York City in 1958 and worked at Max Schling Seedsman for a year before buying a nursery and landscaping business in Queens, N.Y.  Among his clients were Robert Motherwell, Katharine Hepburn, and a penthouse garden on Fifth Avenue, later owned by the late Leonard Lauder.
In 1966, in his late 30s, he sold his business, partly because of the intense physical requirements of it, and took a temporary job in the garden shop at Federated’s Abraham & Straus, in Huntington, N.Y.  His innate managerial and leadership skills led to quick recognition, and he was promoted to the executive training program followed by management positions in the Huntington store.  In 1969, he was promoted to buyer of sporting goods, and subsequently sheets.  In 1973, he became a merchandise manager at Bullock’s Home Store. In 1980, he joined the May Co. in Los Angeles as an executive vice president.
He rejoined Federated in 1982 and became executive vice president at Bloomingdale’s.  In 1985 he moved to Texas as president and later CEO of Federated’s Sanger Harris/Foley’s divisions. Upon the sale of Foley’s to the May Co., he served as Foley’s CEO until his first retirement in 1993, before coming back for the Macy’s West job. After stepping down from Macy’s West in 2000, Steinberg became a retail consultant and was on the board of companies such as Fossil, Gymboree, Duty Free Stores and several arts and community organizations.
“Michael and his wife loved the ballet,” said Faith Petrides, director of patron services for the New York City Ballet, where she met the couple 20 years ago. “We became good friends. I would take Michael and Sue to watch stage rehearsals. They came three times a year to New York, specifically for the fall, winter and springs seasons of the ballet.” The Steinbergs also traveled with Petrides to Europe to see the ballet in Paris and other cities.
“He was a very special man — very astute, very generous, very moral,” Petrides said. “He always wanted to help people.”
Steinberg was passionate about philanthropy, supported HIV/AIDS research and patient care, including Macy’s Passport events raising money for HIV education, research and patient care, the AIDS Research Institute at UCSF and HIV clinics in Africa. Also, while working in Texas he funded scholarship programs at the University of Texas. He also established scholarships at Brandeis University.
Additionally, Steinberg supported arts organizations, including the New York City Baller, the Smuin Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco, Berkeley Repertory Theater, Chamber Music SF, the SF Contemporary Jewish Museum and UCSF Medical Foundation.
“The New York City Ballet is forever grateful to Michael Steinberg, a longtime donor of the company,” said Katherine Brown, executive director, New York City Ballet. “A beloved member of the New York City Ballet family, from the first date with his wife at an NYCB performance in 1973, Michael’s devotion to the company, its artists, and repertory was tremendously inspiring, he will be greatly missed.”
Steinberg is survived by his wife Sue. Also surviving him are numerous descendants of his mother Alice’s 12 siblings. In lieu of flowers contributions to one’s favorite arts, education or DEI initiative are encouraged.
