Talent Champion – Kathy Cuevas

Talent Champion Spotlight

AEF Talent Champion - Katherine Cuevas

Kathy Cuevas
Assistant Vice President, Employer Branding & University Relations
L’Oréal

Sitting in a University of Michigan lecture hall in her archaeology class dreaming she would be the female Indiana Jones (this was before Lara Croft), Kathy Cuevas could not imagine that over 20 years later she would have such a diverse career journey that cut across the worlds of marketing, technology and human resources. Today, Kathy leads employer branding and university relations for L’Oréal USA, where she is responsible for talent acquisition strategy for early career talent, digital activations and experiential events, editorial content development and distribution, recruitment marketing and branding for the local market.

With industry experience ranging from an email marketing start-up to Columbia University to American Express, Kathy has built an expertise in customer experience, product management and digital strategy. A mentor, speaker and advocate for diversity and inclusion, Kathy is a proud member of the ANA Talent Forward Alliance and uses her voice to advocate for more people of color in marketing.

What prompted you to get involved with the AEF and why are you passionate about the future of the industry?

We need, now more than ever, to focus our energies as an industry to have conversations that matter, and we has marketers can have a positive impact on both our customers and communities. As a marketer myself, educated on the job vs. in the classroom, I am so inspired by the AEF focus on the next generation of marketing talent. To move our industry forward we must have the most diverse voices deciding to join us and helping us create new stories and career journeys.

What is the best career advice you've ever received?

Failure is not an option – it is a necessity. Embrace the times when things don’t work out – your personal growth rests in what you learn and how you bounce back.

Who was your favorite professor and why?

My Archaeology 101 professor in my first year at the University of Michigan. She inspired me to be curious, ask questions, search for answers, and continue to expand my perspective as we uncover and gain insights from data and the world around us.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love developing and inspiring my team to be creative, test and learn, and stretch themselves to do things that they didn’t think possible to perform at the top of their game. The best investment is in their growth and development.

"Our future marketing and advertising leaders are not just looking for a job, they are looking for a meaningful career that will make a positive impact on society."
— Gord McLean, President and CEO at ANA Educational Foundation