Her Story
About Tania
Tania Lecanda is Senior Director of Business Development for Latin America at Michael Kors, where she has spent nearly 13 years building her career after joining the company shortly after completing her studies. Based in New York, she oversees a $50–100 million business across 23 markets in Latin America and the Caribbean, managing a network of three regional and twenty local distributor partners. Her responsibilities span the full commercial cycle, from partner selection and onboarding to seasonal forecasting, assortment planning, and performance management, and she regularly presents regional strategy and results to executive leadership. Early in her tenure, she played a key role in bringing Michael Kors to Mexico City through a joint venture with a local franchisee, an experience that helped shape her expertise in market entry and brand expansion throughout the region.
A native of Mexico, Lecanda holds a bachelor's degree in Economics and Politics from the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México (ITAM) in Mexico City, along with a marketing diploma from the same institution. She later earned an associate's degree in Fashion Business and Technology from Fashion Careers College in San Diego, California, laying the academic foundation for a career that has spanned 16 years in the fashion industry. Fluent in both Spanish and English, she brings a data-driven, accountability-focused approach to the complex, multi-stakeholder commercial environments she navigates daily. In recognition of her professional achievements, she has been selected as one of the Influential Women of 2026 representing New York City.
Beyond her corporate role, Lecanda supports the World Food Program through Michael Kors' philanthropic initiatives, reflecting a commitment to giving back that extends alongside her demanding career. She credits her success to hard work and persistence, and often reflects on advice from a former boss, Rob, who taught her to trust her own intelligence, not take things personally, and to pause and move forward with a clear head. As a Latina professional who built her career in the United States, she has come to embrace her heritage as a source of strength rather than a limitation, and she encourages young women in her industry to believe in themselves regardless of their background. Above all, she holds respect, teamwork, and tolerance as the values that guide both her professional relationships and her personal life, and outside of work, she treasures nothing more than quality time with her family.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tania
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work and persistence.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received came from Rob, a former boss of mine. He told me that I'm smarter than I think, that nothing is personal, and that I should take a breath and move on.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell young women entering this industry to believe in themselves, no matter what their background is. I'd also encourage them to find mentors and expand their network, both to grow professionally and personally.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
Given how the world is right now and the uncertainty of what's going to happen, one of the biggest challenges I face is not being part of every single conversation, which makes it harder to understand the whole picture. It's a challenge to find the time to stay up to date, not just on one theme, but on the bigger picture at a global scale.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Respect is above all the most important value to me. Teamwork also matters a great deal, and so does tolerance — but respect, I think, is the big one for me.
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