Maria Martinez Villagran

I attribute my success to the combination of technical mastery and business acumen. People try to say there's one ladder that's technical and another that's business, but I've learned you can do both, and that's where the mastery comes. The technical part is your engine for creativity and growth in the business arena. Beyond that, my passion for understanding consumers and customers drives everything I do. It doesn't matter how much you know if you cannot translate it into meeting a need from the consumer or customer. I've also learned the importance of listening to my intuition and going with what I think is right, even when my opinion isn't the most popular. I tell people, with the data I have today, this is my decision, this is my recommendation, and if the data changes, you're entitled to change your opinion. Being genuine, consistent as a technical person, and mindful of consumers and customers as a business person - these all have to be integrated. My hunger came from survival and wanting more experiences. Coming from Mexico with no money and limited English, I was just barely surviving, but that drive to learn and contribute has never left me.

The best career advice I received came from my advisor when I was finishing my master's degree. He told me, 'Don't go back to Mexico. I will help you find a job to pay for your PhD.' He then connected me with a professor at the University of Illinois who gave me the opportunity to work on extrusion for three years. That advice changed my life because it opened doors I never imagined. My advisor believed in me even when I could barely communicate in English, and he continued to advocate for me, even waiting at the airport to congratulate me when P&G offered me a position that I didn't fully understand due to my limited English at the time. That experience taught me the power of mentorship and believing in someone's potential beyond their current circumstances.

I tell young women, including my three daughters, that number one, you have to be clear what you want to go and what you want to become. Life is not a rehearsal - you don't get two or three times to do it. You have to be very sure that you want it and go through it. When it comes to challenges, don't let people put you in a box. Don't listen if they say you're a technical person so you go to this ladder, or you're not tall enough, or you're not this or that. You decide, and you are a certain way. You go learn what you want to learn. You make your career and your titles what you feel like, because once you're done, people would appreciate it because that would be your branding. You're the CEO of your company, and your company is your career. Learn how to listen to your intuition and go with what you think is right - that has never failed me. Don't ever hesitate to say you changed your mind either. With the data you have today, make your decision and recommendation, and if the data changes, you're entitled to change your opinion. You need to be genuine as a person, consistent as a technical person, and mindful of consumers and customers as a business person. Be holistic in the way you prepare yourself for life.

Health and wellness is definitely an area that I feel the whole world is transitioning into right now. Consumers want more knowledge about what is good for them, and they're starting to take risks on new products. Look at Coca-Cola with their prebiotic drink, Poppy - ten years ago, you would never say that something like that would be supported by consumers. I was buying this drink through the internet like five years ago at $7 a pop for my daughter who has GI issues. Today, I cannot believe how they managed to lower the cost and change flavors. This is the result of the combination of technical people with business creating possibilities that are difficult to visualize if you're not prepared or don't have the background. The biggest opportunity is bringing the best solutions to customers to bring to consumers to improve their lives. Working in a company like DSM-Firmenich, I don't have one project - we have 100 projects because of customer briefs. It's like being in a candy store, solving problems with curiosity and having the right tools.

The most important values to me are being genuine, consistent, and mindful. Everything I do, I try to be very genuine, because you cannot make decisions or recommendations without being whole. In other words, your heart, your mind, and your actions have to be one. I always tell people you need to be genuine as a person, consistent as a technical person, and mindful of consumers and customers as a business person - all of this has to be integrated. I'm also driven by gratitude and legacy. At this point in my career, I'm more focused on my legacy and influencing those who are starting. I can only be thankful and full of gratitude for the opportunities I've had. My focus now is opening my network to other women who would like to grow, and I love when people find me through LinkedIn or through my daughters to talk about their careers. That's what I like to invest in now, because at the end, that's what I'm going to take with me.