10 super bosses of beauty
They have one very important thing in common. They are all brave: they fought for their dreams and they succeeded. They also agree that their diaries do not have a free space, their mail is overflowing and their phone always rings. We talked to the 'bosses' of the 'beauty' world about their work, conciliation and their best beauty tricks. Get inspired by them and discover how they managed to turn their dream into success.
Gema Aznar, general director of Mary Kay Spain
As general director of Mary Kay Spain, Gema Aznar oversees all the operations of this beauty brand, which has been in the Spanish market for more than 27 years. Since she took over the management of the company in 2005, after a successful career in the banking sector, Mary Kay Spain has managed to be the number one company for direct sales of cosmetics in Spain for five consecutive years.
Through the 'El Rosa Cambia Vidas' program, Mary Kay collaborates with the Integra Foundation to support women victims of gender violence. Gema has been personally involved in this initiative, participating as a mentor. Since the beginning of this social project, the company has donated more than 13 million dollars to organizations around the world, for the benefit of women and their families.
Gema was born in Bilbao, but currently lives in Madrid with her husband and their two daughters, Lola and Macarena. Her long experience has allowed her to accumulate the odd anecdote. The most embarrassing? "When they asked me to dance flamenco to present Mary Kay Spain at an international conference... I wanted to die, but here I am!" she tells us, laughing.
Your job is stressful and your schedule is packed with professional tasks. He always leaves everything ready the day before: clothes, an organized agenda with the prepared topics... "If I have an event, I do my treatment the night before (exfoliation with the 'Micro-Dermabrasion Set' and application of the 'Mask Firming Bio-Cellulose', both from Mary Kay), so the next day my skin is super-prepared and stress-free," she confesses. She adds that, in the morning, to allow the products she uses to be well absorbed, she applies them one by one from the time she gets up until before breakfast, leaving the makeup for last.
And what do you do to relax? "I play sports, read, have dinner with my family, go out with my friends and, above all, I laugh a lot, especially at myself. It's the best therapy!", she adds.
"I have never had the feeling that being a woman penalized or benefited me in any way. What I have noticed is that, in general, people look at you more to see if you really measure up or not , especially in work environments where there are more men", he points out.
Olivia Manjón, CEO of Lancôme Spain
She has extensive international experience in the world of beauty. After several years working in different groups in the sector, she joined the L'Oréal company in 2011. After passing through various brands of the group, she currently holds the position of general director of Lancôme. Olivia stands out for her attention to people, her closeness, transparency, a great sense of ethics, a strong knowledge of the industry and a broad vision.
"I work for a company that is fully committed to diversity and merit, but I am aware that there are still barriers in many areas," he tells us. According to her, those responsible for Lancôme are aware that one of the most decisive moments for women is the stage of training and, for this reason, the brand has created the 'Write Her Future' program in Spain in collaboration with the organization Plan International. This initiative was born with the objective of ensuring an adequate level of functional literacy for young women at the highest risk of exclusion, to guarantee that they can learn, lead, decide and prosper in their lives, as well as join the labor market.
"I believe that the best anti-stress therapy is happiness. I am lucky to work at Lancôme, whose essence is happiness and that permeates everything we do," he adds, noting that he values the countryside and nature very much . "Some time ago I started a personal lavender growing project that I really enjoy as a family," she says.
What do you do to always show off cared-for skin? "The best trick is to use the best treatment. I am a fan of Lancôme's 'Absolue' line, especially 'Absolue Soft Cream'. In addition to how visible its effectiveness is and its results on the skin, I also appreciate that it is designed under eco-responsible thinking, the packaging is preserved and recharged in a vision of sustainable luxury", he tells us.
María Cudeiro, General Manager of Croma-Pharma in Spain and Portugal
She graduated in Pharmacy and specialized in a sector that has become her true passion: cosmetics and beauty. She started working as Director of Marketing and Medical Visit of Bioderma. Since 2016, she is the general director for Iberia of the company Croma-Pharma, the first manufacturer of hyaluronic acid worldwide.
She is the mother of five children (she has four boys and a girl) and manages her home as if it were a company. "There is a lot of organization and planning. I try to work in blocks. I have a block in the morning, until eight, when the children go to school and I have to help them get dressed and get ready. They go out and I focus on work. I always work with time management matrices because if not, it would be impossible to prioritize and reach everything", he tells us.
María makes it very clear to us: the fact of being a woman does not make things easier for you. "In many job interviews, I have had to justify how I organize myself or if I am going to have more children," she recalls. A few years ago one of her classmates told her: "I know why they signed you up. You're not going to have any more children because you already have three." But he was wrong. In fact, her boss at Croma-Pharma told her that her CV was the one she liked the most because María was the only candidate who continued with her training, once she graduated and was working.
"When I was doing the General Management Program at IESE, I was pregnant with my daughter. It was my fourth pregnancy and the first day I arrived the last one and the 'Program Manager' was waiting for me at the door. 'Are you María? "He asked me. I told him: 'Do you know because I'm pregnant?' He replied no, I knew because I was one of the few women in the class. My heart almost fell to my feet, "he adds. Specifically, she was one of only two girls in a class of 45 people.
When he needs to burn adrenaline, he plays sports. "I have little patience and it's the best way to disconnect and de-stress, and cardiovascular exercises work very well for me," she explains, noting that, if possible, she likes to do it with her friends.
"In terms of beauty, I use few products but I am very constant. I do a simple cleanse in the morning and always apply a hyaluronic acid serum, it's something I never forget! If I have time, I also I apply a moisturizer or some product with vitamin C. At night, I do a double cleanse, sometimes I exfoliate my skin, and I continue with the hyaluronic acid serum. I also alternate: some days I put on a serum with retinoic acid or a mask with hyaluronic acid," he says.
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— Terra Fullius 🇦🇺 Fri Jul 05 01:24:35 +0000 2019