Camila velez
I just started at Chewy three months ago as a Category Manager, where I manage one of Nestle's largest brands. I've been working in category management for about 9 years across multiple CPG industries, including companies like Unilever, PepsiCo, and Heineken, before moving into the pet industry consumable space. My key responsibility is managing the brand P&L and ensuring marketing goals, supply chain goals, and sales goals are achieved while optimizing our budget and resources effectively. My day-to-day involves multiple meetings with different stakeholders, analyzing a lot of data including sales trends, category trends, new product introductions, promotions setup, and negotiation with vendors. My most notable professional achievement was while working at LSG Sky Chefs, which was part of Lufthansa. During COVID, the business decided to open a new business line, going from B2B to B2C, and they hired me to help create and launch this direct business-to-consumer line of brands across the entire U.S. I was the marketing leader and marketing manager of that team, and we went from zero to about 15 kitchens within a year and a half to two years. I'm now developing in the e-commerce world, which is trending right now and will keep growing, and I plan to keep growing in the pet industry because that's my passion.
• Best Trade Marketing Manager
• Best Innovative Project at PepsiCo
• Animal rescue
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to having role models in my family. My family is actually conformed by females, and all of our family members are women. My mom and my aunt have both been really excellent professionals in the marketing industry, so having them as a role model since I was a kid definitely opened my eyes and provided me with structure and with the basis that I needed to succeed in the market. I also attribute my success to taking challenges and taking risks, although sometimes, and most of the times, you're afraid. I think I've always taken them with fear, but I have always jumped into the pool. Taking risk is definitely something that I recommend. And trusting that everything is planned, so you are however you are supposed to be right now, I think, having a little bit of faith.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say take risks, even if you're afraid to take them. Believe in yourself, which is something I'm constantly trying to work for myself. It's not easy, but I think if you are a secure woman, you're able to achieve a lot of things. And prepare. If you don't know something, ask, ask questions. If you want to get better at something, just study, find a mentor, just don't settle with the ordinary when you can do extraordinary.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
One of the things that I really value at this moment in my career is having the opportunity to find an industry you're really passionate about, because that makes a difference at this point in your career. It affects your results, the way you work, and how effective you are. Being able to find an industry that you really care about is a life-changing thing in any career. I want my work to be related with animals or with something that I'm passionate about, definitely. My real passion relies in animals, which is why I'm very passionate to be working at Chewy.
Locations
Chewy
Plantation, FL