VTEX In honor of International Women's Day (IWD), VTEX is highlighting some of the top women in commerce. These talented and driven digital warriors are breaking down barriers, leading through disruption and transforming their respective industries.
Our Top 20 Women in Commerce is celebrating businesswomen that are part of enterprises from all around the world and that significantly contribute to the commerce ecosystem, making it diverse and innovative.
Here is the first global Top 20 Women in Commerce list.
Brazil 1. Christiane Bistaco, Business Director @ Época CosméticosHaving worked in big global companies such as L'Oréal, Citibank and Merck, Christiane is an experienced Digital Director with a demonstrated history of working in the cosmetics industry. Currently working at Época Cosméticos, one of the biggest Brazilian cosmetics digital operations and part of the Magazine Luiza group, Christiane has an MBA from INSEAD and vast experience in sales, digital marketing, innovation and leadership.
2. Carla Moraes, Ecommerce Director @ AvonWith over 15 years of experience, Carla has recently joined the position of Ecommerce Director at Avon, a globally-renowned cosmetics company that has recently opened its Brazilian digital sales channel. Prior to that, she'd worked for 14 years as an IT Superintendent at Itaú, Brazil's largest bank. Carla is also an advocate for women's participation in ecommerce and the technology ecosystem, being part of Conselheira101, a program that supports the presence of black women in companies' counseling boards.
"To be part of VTEX's Top 20 Women in Commerce List in my first year as Ecommerce Director at Avon is a huge honor and something to be very proud of and to celebrate! The importance of women in the digital ecosystem is undeniable, especially in our business and in our entire value chain. We represent thousands of female consumers, Ecommerce professionals, Digital Marketing, Performance Media, Content Production and many other areas committed to transforming the experience and strengthening people's relationship with our brand.
At Avon, we have more than a million beauty representatives, most of whom already work digitally, modernizing door-to-door sales by using ecommerce and virtual stores for their network. We remain committed to this increasingly inclusive journey, in which we all contribute significantly to this massive digital transformation.
Receiving this nomination is also an opportunity to represent and recognize all these capable, talented, and empowered women who make it all happen. The award is ours! I also want to take this opportunity to thank my team, peers, partners and leaders who make my days so unique and special with such generosity and energy."
Having graduated from Singularity University with an Executive MBA in Pittsburgh University, Ana Bógus is the Vice-President for Alpargatas, one of the largest conglomerates in Brazil that owns brands such as Havaianas, globally recognized as a Brazilian symbol and product. The company reached a sales record in the 4th quarter of 2021, mainly because of the investments made in its ecommerce channel. Throughout her career, Ana has worked at Latin American Consumer Packaged Goods companies and in the B2B industry.
4. Ilca Sierra, CXMO @ ViaHaving graduated in Advertising, Ilca has, later on, specialized in marketing for retail, the field in which she has been working for over 8 years. Currently a Chief Experience Marketing Officer at Via, she also has worked at Magazine Luiza, Grupo Pão de Açúcar - one of the biggest supermarket conglomerates in the country - and the fashion retailer Pernambucanas in her background.
United States of America 5. Raji Behal, Group Head of US Partner Success @ KlarnaRaji Behal is an entrepreneur and creative executive with almost 15 years of experience across strategic partnerships, business development, omnichannel merchandising and digital marketing. Behal spent 13 years at Macy's, climbing up the ladder until reaching the position of VP for Leased Businesses. In 2020, she joined fintech phenomenon Klarna as Head of Merchant Success and then pivoted to the role of Group Head of US Partner Success, building upon her track record of strategic liaisons. She's also a Board Member at Soles4Souls, a non-profit organization that distributes unwanted shoes and clothing to those in need.
6. Kelley Coleman, Executive Director - Ecommerce @ Tarte CosmeticsKelley Coleman has a demonstrated history of working in the fashion retail industry and is particularly interested in the inner workings of ecommerce, product management, leadership and strong team building. Coleman has worked for 12 years at Ann Taylor and then for almost five years at Columbia in various roles related to ecommerce. In 2020, she joined Tarte Cosmetics, where she manages operational and technological initiatives with a focus on the brand's digital business.
7. Laura Van Sickle, Director of Ecommerce @ GenescoLaura Van Sickle is an experienced marketing professional in B2C and B2B2C environments. Her expertise rests at the intersection of marketing, ecommerce and web management. Currently, she is a Director of Ecommerce at Licensed Brands, part of Genesco, but in the past she has worked at Shoes for Crews and C.R. Gibson.
Italy 8. Sabrina Lucini, Marketing & Digital Director @ Pianoforte GroupSabrina Lucini has a phenomenal career, having worked at multinational companies such as Disney, Danone and IKEA. At the latter, she spent almost 13 years, being directly responsible for launching the giant's ecommerce channel in Italy. Lucini also has consulting experience thanks to her time at Accenture, but nowadays she is a Marketing & Digital Director at the Pianoforte Group, which holds leading brands such as Yamamay and Carpisa.
"Just like in any other sector, I believe that in the world of ecommerce talent should be valued, which is present equally in men and women. Having diversity in managerial roles certainly helps to better reflect the expectations and needs of consumers and therefore to make the strategies undertaken more effective."
Sabrina Lucini, Marketing & Digital Director @ Pianoforte Group Spain 9. Susana Voces, General Manager @ Eventim SpainSusana Voces has contributed to the success of numerous companies such as Ericsson, PayPal, eBay, Deliveroo and, currently, Eventim Spain (i.e. the Spanish subsidiary of Eventim, a leading provider of ticketing services and live entertainment). Throughout her 20-year long career, Voces has built a robust expertise in ecommerce and technology. Nowadays, she is committed to supporting female entrepreneurship, diversity and inclusion.
"In a sentence: there is still a long way to go. Reality and recent statistics show that women still do not have positions of responsibility and management in large companies. Despite that, it seems to be improving. This fact also applies to the ecommerce industry, although the digital sectors generally provide more opportunities. This is mainly due to the fact that this industry leads to work-life balance policies. In addition, women buy online as much as men; some studies even show that we outnumber men when it comes to online shopping. We are experts in the ecommerce environment and we have to take the lead in this sector as well.
The latest "Women in Business" report by Grant Thornton Consulting in 2021 shows that the number of women managers in Spain is 34%, placing Spain in the 14th position among the 29 countries analyzed. The presence of women in leadership positions in Spain continues to show positive numbers. Despite a slight drop of 4 points compared to 2020, the percentage of companies with at least one woman in top executive positions stands at 87%, which does not prevent Spanish companies from remaining above the European average (85%) and three points below the global figure (90%).
This type of recognition is necessary to reward the trajectory and contribution to the ecommerce sector and give visibility to women who work as references. Personally, it is a privilege to have been selected for this Top 20 Women in Commerce edition in Spain, besides being an honor to share the nomination with women with an excellent profile and journey within the ecommerce ecosystem in our country."
Karine Schrenzel is an entrepreneur and expert in ecommerce and management. After starting her career as an Analyst at McKinsey & Co., Schrenzel went on to found her own holding company in the lifestyle sector called SHOPINVEST. The company now has over nine retail websites. More recently, she has been at the helm of 3Suisses, an emblematic French brand that is now a pure online retailer.
United Kingdom 11. Amelia Eckersley, Group Digital Marketing Manager @ itsuA self-proclaimed foodie, Amelia Eckersley has built an extensive career at itsu, a British chain of Asian-inspired food. She orchestrates and manages communications, data analysis, performance marketing, paid media and more. Committed to innovation and improvement, she also heads the brand's app, running tests and scaling wins with a customer-centric view.
Romania 12. Roxana Maftei, General Manager @ Farmacia TeiRoxana is the founder of Farmacia Tei, a Romanian pharmaceutical chain that expanded across the country and became a multimillion dollar business. Today she works as a General Manager with the goal of improving Tei's operations while growing digitally, increasing revenue and building new business fronts, such as a baby product focused store.
"This nomination honors me, once again underlining not only the value of Farmacia Tei and Bebe Tei brands, but also the hard work behind these brands. If in Romania only 35% of the management positions are held by women, in Tei Group, the percentage exceeds 80%. Basically, the high performance of Tei Group for the last 8 years can be assigned to women.
How did we reach this point? The industry in which we operate is a working environment mostly for women. However, it is a long way from "coming full of hope" to working and becoming a "business driver". Throughout the time, it has always been clear to me that women have the necessary expertise to succeed: instinct, intelligence, dedication, hard work, courage and, last but not least, curiosity. At Tei Group, we are looking forward to creating the optimal conditions for development, relying on these skills. Only by accepting the new changes, without hesitation, does the future create its own destiny."
Tatyana Granados is the Digital Sales Director of Totto, an international accessories brand focused on luggage and bags. Also having previously worked as a director at the ecommerce agency Brandlive, Granados has experience in the commercial and customer service areas developing organizational and administrative projects.
"I feel very grateful to God and life because it is another example that discipline and effort bear fruit; although I do not do it for recognition, having it is very rewarding.
In the digital industry and, in general, in other industries, there are more and more women in high positions every day, and we have a huge responsibility towards the new generations to teach them that it's not about gender but perseverance and dedication."
Carmen is a digital executive with over 20 years of experience in the ecommerce industry. Having graduated from the College of Business at Florida International University, she started her career at a digital marketing agency and later evolved into an account director at similar companies. Today, she focuses on initiatives that accelerate digital transformation at Lafabril, an Ecuadorian industry leader working on exports, white-label products and personalized services for customers.
"Thank you for the nomination in the Top 20 Women in Commerce. I work as an influencer in the transformation of the sales channel management of the Ecuadorian industry (B2B2C), as is the company that I proudly represent.
Currently, the La Fabril ecommerce platform is one of the company's goals that we hope to achieve in the short term, and I believe it is crucial to have it as a reference.
For me, it is an honor to be considered in this list of nominated professionals, understanding that change is continuous, being flexible in accepting that we must unlearn and learn again, breaking the status quo, embracing new ways of managing sales channels to achieve business objectives."
Nuñez has more than nine years of experience in different fields ranging from consumer goods to digital marketing and ecommerce. Currently, she works to develop an ecommerce website for Diageo, one of the largest beverage distributors in Latin America. She focuses on digital environments, customer-centric strategies and data-driven results - all through a creative approach.
"For me, being part of the digital ecosystem is fascinating. It is a world that never stops evolving and where generating disruption is imperative to survive. And I believe that, through merely being a woman, one develops a significant level of resilience and grit, which are key elements to generate value in this ever-changing and dynamic world. Hence, women in the digital ecosystem are highly relevant and necessary.
I feel deeply honored and proud! It is gratifying to be acknowledged for your work, and more, when it happens because of projects, such as The Bar, that are so difficult to bring to life in a company that is just entering a digital transformation, having a pioneering project to achieve it is fantastic. And being acknowledged for it makes all the effort even more worthwhile."
Yeira Fierro is a technology executive with over 35 years of experience building and leading in product development and enterprise platform deployment. She is currently CIO for North LATAM at Danone, a multinational French food and beverage brand. Fierro oversees high-quality technological solutions, including program and project portfolio management, as well as business and IT process transformations. She is also a recognized talent multiplier, with broad experience in leadership of high potential staffers.
Chile 17. Francisca Pefaur, Digital Transformation Manager @ Coca-Cola AndinaFrancisca Pefaur has a passion for generating revenue while transforming and innovating in the digital sphere. At Coca-Cola Andina, she faces the challenge of establishing new ideas and processes without losing brand essence and delivering the best customer experience. She has a finance background and has also worked with sustainability, customer-centric initiatives and gender equality actions.
"I believe that, as in all areas, female presence is crucial, especially when it comes to sales channels, considering that women are the ones who make most of the purchasing decisions. I have been in this industry for more than 16 years, and I am thrilled to see that more women are working in the ecosystem every day, representing the entire society, thus adding different views and contributing to the generation of a more complete and diverse business vision.
This is a totally unexpected acknowledgment for me, which I believe represents my journey and contribution to the companies I have worked for, particularly Coca-Cola Andina and all the wonderful people (teams, mentors, bosses) who have accompanied me throughout my career. It is crucial to highlight the female presence in all industries and that it generates networks among all women and, above all, among those who are part of this ecosystem filled with challenges and opportunities, facing tremendous growth."
Paulina is an ecommerce professional with 20 years of experience primarily in the retail sector and working closely with sales. At Cencosud, one of the largest Latin American supermarket conglomerates, she handles sales of mass products and focuses on building relationships with providers inside the supply chain.
"Every day there are more and more women in the ecommerce business: in big enterprises, startups and entrepreneurial activities. There are so many opportunities because it is a huge area, from the development of a website or app to the sale of the product to the end customer. In addition, companies benefit by generating more collaborative environments, something essential in the market and business, it generates empowerment in women for decision making and allows professional development and networking in an area that today is a trend.
Recognition is always gratifying, not only because of the challenge, the objectives, the daily demands and the purpose we have as a team, but also because of the effort and desire behind it. I am especially proud of the team of women that we have at Cencosud, who I admire and that motivate me to continue learning and improving what we do with the focus of generating a very good customer experience and a positive impact on their lives."
Fernanda Nobua spearheads the ecommerce department at DIA Argentina, a grocery chain operation that sells both food and non-food products. Her goal is to offer customers a personalized shopping experience while expanding and growing the business. She has led projects in the ecommerce industry since 2014.
"We play a key role in the ecommerce industry. Today, we contribute to the decision-making process, but we are witnessing more and more women taking on leadership roles and supporting companies in their business transformation.
To enhance the discussion, it is necessary to break with traditional patterns, structures and thoughts, and I am confident that by doing so, we will be able to do things differently.
In our ecosystem, there are many women, and I am fortunate to have had the privilege of meeting great people and professionals, several of whom were references and today I can call them mentors… strong women, whose vision set the horizon for me several years ago when I was just starting to dive into ecommerce in 2013.
First of all, I am thrilled that there is this space and recognition. For me, it is an honor to be part of this group; I feel very proud and grateful. It is inevitable to think of my family, my leaders over the years, my colleagues and team, and those who contributed to who I am today. But I also look ahead, I think about what it means for young professionals who bet on this industry. I certainly believe that it will open doors for more and more women to develop their talent in digital business."
Berenice Fraga is an Ecommerce Manager focused on marketing and user experience for Carrefour. Carrefour is a well-established grocery brand worldwide and she leads its transformation in Argentina, hoping to deliver the best customer experience with functionalities that aim to make the shopping process easier and more convenient.
Currently a Senior Editor at VTEX, Júlia is a Brazilian journalist with over 6 years of experience in creating content marketing strategies for brands. To bring inspiring stories to life is what constantly pushes her professionally.
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VTEX published this content on 08 March 2022 and is solely responsible for the information contained therein. Distributed by Public, unedited and unaltered, on 08 March 2022 13:02:02 UTC.
