vice president | North America | CEO

I don’t consider myself a trailblazer. I don’t have horror stories to tell you. I’ve been treated fairly throughout my career, and I’ve shattered some glass ceilings along the way. I was able to attain my current position for two reasons. First, I delivered excellent results. As a vice president, I oversaw multiple businesses in beauty care and led our largest profit center in North America to the best results we’d had in a decade. Second, I had great advocacy at the top: Our CEO was my first boss. And he has always been a firm believer in diversity and fairness.

I’ve had multiple mentors in my career, and they have been central to my success. Women often tell one another that they have to “get a mentor,” and it becomes a forced thing. I’ve always gotten to know my mentors in business situations, and my relationships with them have been based on working together.

I mentor as many people as I can now — and I specifically try to be available to women. We find each other through natural working interactions. My best ad-vice is to give it time. The best, most effective mentor relationships are ones that develop naturally.