Placing a value on ability enhances board service
Interview with Sandra Campos, CEO of Cynosure Holdings
By BILL SARNO
According to Sandra Campos, those aspiring to join a corporate board of directors must be keenly aware of their value to the board room. This tenet, along with a solid entrepreneurial sense and passion for continuous learning, has been a hallmark of Campos's career in the fashion and retail industry. She has served as a top-level operator and brand builder for fashion and retail industry icons such as Ralph Lauren and Donna Karan. She also created entertainer Selena Gomez's first lifestyle brand and was chief executive officer for fashion company DVF: Diane von Furstenberg.
In May 2021, Campos, -a Californian-born, daughter of Mexican immigrants-joined the board of directors of Big Lots Stores. "I am passionate about the store and the customers they serve. Even before joining the board, I would shop at their store on weekends, so it is an honor to serve the company," she said.
Sandra's work ethic is remarkable and rooted in her personal history. As a teenager, Campos would work with her siblings at their father's tortilla factory in Grand Prairie, Texas. "We all hated it at the time," she said, "but I realized later that this work impacted my view from an entrepreneurial standpoint, work ethic, and logistics." Strength and self-worth were also values she learned and later displayed. When asked about the challenges she faced, Campos is nonchalant about any hurdles she encountered due to her gender and race. "I look at things as a glass half full. The opportunities I have had -experiences, good or bad, have always given me more skills and knowledge that I have used to improve myself and truly understand my value to any organization.”
To Sandra, it all relies on her inner strength and sense of accomplishment. "Of course, I have experienced bias in the workplace, but I’ve been committed to my own potential and have stayed focused on my goals. If I weren't as driven and unable to let things roll off my shoulders, I probably would have been much more impacted throughout my career," she said. Wanting to help the next generation of Latina business leaders, Campos is active with the Latino Corporate Directors Association and advises startup founders in tech and consumer. She also recently launched Fashion Launchpad, a digital education platform to help women and people of color advance professionally by learning digital and next generation skills.
Her advice to potential board candidates is to focus on building a network of mentors who believe in your potential, continuing to learn while staying on top of the latest business trends, and confidently knowing your value card. Moreover, she stresses building a personal brand, which starts "with how you present yourself and position yourself where people can find you, especially on social media.” For the future, Campos said, "I know my strengths in building global businesses and am continuing to look at board opportunities, and if an operator role becomes available that is innovative and exciting to me then I will certainly consider that” she said.
Sandra also has entrepreneurial plans and will continue to build on her already robust skillset. "Half of me feels like I am just beginning," she added.
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Editor’s pick:
"I have experienced bias in the workplace, but I’ve been committed to my own potential and have stayed focused on my goals.”
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Photo credit:
Courtesy of Sandra Campos