Express CMO Sara Tervo Shares Her Strategy for Thriving in New Roles
Welcome to Women in Retail Talks! We’ve updated our format to better serve the wants and needs of our community. Our refreshed podcast will feature in-depth interviews with female C-suite executives from enterprise retail organizations who defined their own career success and made their way to the metaphorical corner office. The episodes will include stories of professional growth, leadership development, personal journeys, and more. Every other Wednesday, you’ll get real advice and valuable lessons from powerhouse women across the industry. We hope you enjoy our show, and we welcome your feedback!
In this episode of Women in Retail Talks, Women in Retail Leadership Circle Senior Editor Marie Albiges interviews Sara Tervo, executive vice president and chief marketing officer at Express, a modern, multichannel apparel and accessories brand. Tervo discusses her role and responsibilities at Express (1:32), how working at a mall during high school drew her to the retail industry (2:33), and the first marketing internship she took at Victoria’s Secret that turned into an 18-year career with L Brands (4:25). She shares how she knew she was in the right positions during her career (5:48), the things she looked for when moving to a new job or brand (10:50), and how she worked to thrive in each new role (12:05).
In addition, Tervo discusses her strategy for getting to know her new team at Express and set priorities (14:56), how the coronavirus impacted how she connected with her team (16:27), and the good and bad leadership habits that she developed during the pandemic (17:37). Lastly, she shares how she structures her day to maximize efficiency (20:14), as well as what she’s looking forward to in 2022, both personally and professionally (21:37).
Sara Tervo has served as executive vice president and chief marketing officer since September 2019. Tervo joined Express from Justice, where she was executive vice president and chief marketing officer from 2016 to 2019. From 1998 to 2016, she held multiple leadership positions at L Brands across marketing, creative services and public relations, including executive vice president, marketing for Victoria’s Secret and senior vice president, marketing for PINK.
Date: January 4, 2022
Credits: Sara Tervo
Duration: 23:26
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