Donna Sanchez Understands All Walks of Life at Novamex

Donna Sanchez traces some of her most prized leadership traits back to her parents. From her father, who grew up poor and lived in a two-bedroom home with an outhouse in the back, Sanchez realized the value of hard work, humility, and empathy.

“For him to be able to say, ‘Yeah, I come from there, but I got an education, I worked from the bottom up and look where I am now,’ really means a lot,” she reflects. “It molds you to be a better person and to understand where others come from.”

Those insights proved useful for Sanchez, who has enjoyed over twenty years in HR and currently serves as chief human resources officer at Novamex, the leading marketer of soft drinks, foods, and authentic Mexican brands in the United States. She is in charge of all HR in the US and Mexico in addition to employees in Canada, Singapore, and Spain. Sanchez prides herself on understanding “all levels and walks of life” in order to create the best employee experience.

“It’s important to understand each of the roles you’re recruiting for, not just read it off a job description,” she says. “Understand what your employees go through when they come to you with an issue or a concern, to be able to say, ‘I’ve been there and done that.’ It makes you a better leader.”

That approach also makes for a strong guardrail against change. Novamex has long had a reputation for its collaborative and familial culture but amid the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work, and rapid growth, leaders witnessed an alarming increase in turnover for us. They went from having less than 1% turnover to 3% at one time, which was a lot for the company. In response to that and other concerns from employees, Sanchez and her team got to work.

They implemented a better communication platform for employees that serves as an “internal Facebook,” allowing them to post life updates and recent accomplishments. The HR team hired a culture ambassador whose sole focus has been to help cultivate culture considering the realities of remote work and shifting employee needs. Those efforts and others led to unprecedented improvements in turnover and engagement.

Sanchez’s leadership style has also served as a cultural lever for her global team.

“My leadership philosophy comes from my own boss and CEO of Novamex, Luis Fernandez. It is based on leading by example, offering a lot of flexibility. I also refrain from micromanaging and offering help whenever people need it,” says Sanchez. “I’m blessed to have an amazing staff; I don’t have to get involved too much in their area of responsibilities, but my team knows I’m always there if they need me.”

Sanchez, who grew up in El Paso, Texas, initially dreamed of pursuing a career in medicine and started her undergraduate studies as a biology major. When she realized that the field wasn’t what she expected, she started working part-time in an HR office on payroll matters. The termination of an HR manager gave her an opportunity to explore different areas of the department and solidified her interest in pursuing it as a career.

“When the manager left, I filled in a lot and started to take on a lot more roles. I thought it was so intriguing, so I was never afraid to get dirty, to get involved, or to ask questions. I enjoyed that my role required me to relate to people,” she says. “HR wasn’t a rocket science to me, but you needed to be empathetic and be helpful. We had to keep employees happy while creating an environment where it didn’t feel like it’s the employees versus the company.”

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Left to run the department by himself, an HR assistant increasingly relied on Sanchez and took her under his wing. Eventually, she was hired for a full-time role while she finished college. By the time she was twenty-four, she was already an HR manager, but Sanchez was working hard and wanted more in her role.

She went on to serve as an HR and safety manager at Woodbridge Group for eight years before spending a year at Cardinal Health as a corporate health and safety manager. In 2008, she was drawn to Novamex a company with a mission that resonated with Sanchez.

As she was beginning her career, she also found partners who had the ability to help her achieve her company’s goals. This led her to a relationship with Travis Sartain, vice president of employee health and benefits at Marsh McLennan Agency. “When it came to building an employee benefits strategy, Donna has always had her employees at the front of her mind,” Sartain says. “It’s important to her to be present and make sure they feel supported.”

“Many have mission statements written down but I’m proud to say that this is a company that doesn’t just have it on a plaque,” Sanchez says. “It’s our guide and our bible. We treat others as we want to be treated, we walk the walk, and we have indicators to prove it.”

Sanchez wants young professionals seeking success to understand, they can write their own destiny.

“You can write your own story. Everyone in life can be successful,” Sanchez says. “You must be willing to work for it and never play the victim. Keep going.  Don’t be afraid to start at the bottom. It doesn’t mean you have to stay there.”