We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful María Llanos. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with María below.

María, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Looking back on your career, have you ever worked with a great leader or boss? We’d love to hear about the experience and what you think made them such a great leader.

I was lucky to have a fantastic leader during a pivotal career point and he became my mentor. To this date, I still turn to him when facing questions about career evolution. In 2017, I made the move to London to join his team as the most senior member of the Marketing team. While I was enthusiastic about the role, the UK market was unfamiliar to me, and establishing relationships with retailers and media outlets was crucial for success. My boss generously shared his network, facilitating meetings and involving me in networking events and activities. He also entrusted me with leading significant discussions with various partners, thereby giving visibility to my work. His leadership style not only motivated me and positively influenced the quality of my work but also served as inspiration in my own leadership journey.

María, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

When asked to define myself, I always open with a quote from my favorite Italian film, “La Grande Bellezza” (2013), where the main character declares, “I was destined for sensibility.” Drawn to the beauty in visuals, words, nature, and stories, I’ve woven these elements into my Marketing career. With over 15 years of experience in the luxury sector, specializing in beauty and art industries, I am a passionate and empathetic Marketing leader. I firmly believe in well-crafted brand architecture, impeccable storytelling, and distinctive creative expression.

Always eager to experience different things in life, I have cultivated an international working and academic background spanning the US, UK, Spain, and Sweden. My academic journey includes studying Business Administration in Spain and pursuing two Masters degrees at different points in my career: an interdisciplinary Master of Design Studies at Central Saint Martins (London) and, most recently, the FIT Master of Management and Marketing (New York). I’ve worked in domestic and global Marketing teams across Spain, UK and US and these experiences shaped my identity to be a sum of these cultures.

I see myself as a passionate, optimistic, and creative individual who thrives on collaborative efforts to bring meaningful projects to life. Surrounded by the allure of beauty, I take pleasure in helping develop inspiring brand stories and experiences. In recent years, I’ve delved into photography and sound as art mediums, crafting my own narrative. I currently find myself at a pivotal career juncture, primarily engaged in executive consultant work, assisting brands in reaching their full potential. I will soon embark on a passion project as an art curator for an upcoming exhibition.

Any advice for managing a team?

As a leader, my biggest priority is to create an honest, collaborative and somewhat lighthearted environment for my team to thrive and deliver results. It is important to set clear expectations for each person of the team by attentively identifying their strengths and passions within the business. To maintain high morale, I make it a point to provide context and rationale behind projects to all levels of the organization. This ensures that everyone comprehends the ultimate goal we’re collectively working towards, beyond the administrative layers of a project. When managing a big team, it is helpful to showcase what aspects of the group dynamics are important to each leader. Personally, I consider team spirit and authentic collaboration as non-negotiables. I firmly discourage power struggles among team members, aiming to cultivate an atmosphere where everyone can contribute meaningfully.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I recently experienced a challenging career period. Right at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, I received a promotion, essentially doubling both my team and workload. A few months later, I embarked on a two-year executive Masters program, demanding a significant time commitment. During that time, the workload was extremely intense, not only as a result of my promotion but due to the constant uncertainty and changes that derived from Covid-19 world dynamics. I found myself manically trying to do it all and petrified at the idea of failing. Midway through the Masters program, one of my professors said something that resonated with me: “You can do it all, but not alone and not at the same time.” This urged me to let go and learn to delegate more efficiently, trying to find the right level of independence that worked for each of my team members. It also forced me to have honest conversations in my personal life and recognize I could not spend as much quality time as I would have wanted with my loved ones. While I wouldn’t recommend going through a challenging phase like the one I experienced, it showed me how resilient I can be and taught me some valuable lessons for the future…like the importance of saying no more often and establishing boundaries!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @llanosnewyork
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mar%C3%ADa-llanos-mps-b02abb14/

Image Credits
Image 1: Photography work (Kenya, 2022) Image 2: NARS Global Conference (New York) Image 3: CEW Diversity & Inclusion forum – speaker (New York, 2023) Image 4: FIT Masters Capstone project presentation (New York, 2022) Image 5: Central Saint Martins Masters Design Studies – final project exhibition (London, 2009) Image 6: Superfine Art Fair – art curation (New York, 2023)