Her Story
About Cristina
Cristina Flores is a seasoned hospitality executive whose career spans more than fifteen years of leadership in food, beverage, retail, and operations. After beginning her corporate professional journey in legal compliance and roadshow/event management at Credit Suisse, she pursued culinary studies in Italy, where she discovered the opportunity to combine her passion for hospitality with her expertise in event planning. That unique blend of skills led her to join Eataly when it launched in the United States in 2010, becoming part of the founding team that introduced the celebrated Italian marketplace concept to North America. Throughout her tenure with Eataly, Cristina held a variety of increasingly influential leadership positions, including Events Director, Assistant General Manager, Director of Purchasing, and ultimately Vice President of Procurement and Retail Operations for North America. She played an integral role in the company's growth from a single store to a network of ten plus locations across the continent. Along the way, she oversaw retail and quick-service operations, managed large multidisciplinary teams, developed strategic supplier partnerships, and helped drive operational excellence across a rapidly expanding organization. Today, she serves as Vice President of Procurement USA at DO & CO AG, where she continues to leverage her expertise in sourcing, supply chain management, and hospitality operations. Known for her adaptability, collaborative leadership style, and passion for developing people and businesses, Cristina believes that great hospitality is built on strong teams and meaningful experiences. After taking an intentional career pause to focus on family, wellness, volunteer work, and personal growth, she returned to the industry with renewed perspective and purpose. She remains committed to balancing professional achievement with family life while inspiring others to embrace opportunities, take calculated risks, and confidently pursue growth. Her career reflects a deep appreciation for teamwork, continuous learning, and the power of saying yes to new challenges.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Cristina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I innately have a lot of drive, and I’m fortunate to have found work in hospitality that I really love. It usually doesn't feel like work - sometimes 9 hours have flown by without my realizing it because I’m so engrossed in a project, trouble shooting or mapping out strategy. However, I really attribute my success to being able to work with so many amazing colleagues. The people I worked with at Eataly for 15 years, and those in my current company, are very passionate. No one wants to let one another down, and they're the best in their fields, which is very motivating. When you have people alongside you that are focused and great at what they do, it brings out the best in you. Overall, working hospitality is extremely rewarding because you can see the fruits of your labor - you can step inside the brick and mortar store you designed, the restaurant you've opened, or the event you've put on. You can actually see what you've built together.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
As obvious as it may sound, probably a couple of the main points from Lean In, by Sheryl Sandberg. For example, the notion of keeping your foot on the gas career wise as a junior, mid/senior level leader, has really stuck with me. She explains it’s beneficial to push ahead during this period so you have the option to “pump the brakes”, should you so choose, later on. It’s funny, I read this book when I was already well on this path, but it was a validating gut check. I thought, “great, my instincts were correct and I’m already doing this!”. This said, I’m also a huge proponent of working smarter, not harder. I aim to be as efficient as possible.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Every opportunity and additional responsibility that I was offered, I said yes to, with the proper terms, of course . Even if it was something that I felt intimidated about, or wasn't sure how to do, or was like 'I've never done this before, I don't know if I'm ready,' I just said yes, because honestly, if you're the right fit for this industry, you'll figure it out. And if you’re lucky, there will be people there to help you, along the way. Early in my career I didn't have a lot of female peers, especially those that were married and starting a family, so it was challenging at times. However, I just kept saying “yes” and racking up experience and responsibility, which has really paid off, because I've gotten to develop so many skill sets. Ultimately, if you do these things well, you'll have more opportunity down the road. You can always slow down later on. Nowadays, I know what I gravitate towards and what I like, so I’m more discerning. There has never been something that I've tried or learned and regretted, even if it wasn’t for me in the long-run.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Work-life balance is really important to me these days. The hospitality industry is grueling and demanding, and I'm so glad that I have given it my all, but I definitely know there were times I missed out on moments at home with my little ones because I was so focused on work and felt like something couldn't wait until the next day. Looking back on it, I wish I'd carved out a better work-life balance, sooner. COVID forced me to do that when we were working from home for a while - I saw what I was missing with my kids. When we went back to the office in a hybrid model, I realized I need that balance, and it's important to me, and I'm not willing to sacrifice it this far along in my career. I wish I'd stood up for that for myself sooner. It wasn't anyone telling me to do it - it was just my own drive or fear of not performing. Recently, I was privileged enough to take a year and a half hiatus from work. During this time, I not only focused on my family, but my own well being. This allowed me to come into my current position with a renewed sense of energy, perspective, and priorities.
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