We are having Angela Cretu of Avon at the Executive Q&A this time. Since she joined Avon in 1998 as an Area Manager in Romania, Angela has held increasingly important roles at the company. Angela’s previous two positions before being promoted to CEO post were GVP Turkey, Middle East & Africa (2014-2016), and GVP Central Europe, (2016-2020). She was appointed as the CEO in January 2020. Angela got her MS degree in Economic Cybernetics, Statistics and Informatics in Bucharest, Romania and had Executive Education at the London Business School.
I have the pleasure of personally knowing Angela for several years, and now I am more than delighted to have her on our blog.
Could you tell us about your education?
For me there is an ongoing process of learning with every new interaction, with every new experience, both from failure and success. I keep myself fit by updating my knowledge with new information every day. My formal education is in economic cybernetics and management postgraduate studies.
What was your childhood dream?
I had many dreams, they kept me learning, kept me moving ahead. I grew up in communism, a pretty restrictive environment, therefore my first dreams were around being free to travel and later I was aspiring to being free to express myself, to create and share value under a strong purpose. With every new chapter of my life, my dreams evolved from very tangible to more intangible goals.
What were your past experiences before your current role at Avon?
I am an experienced global executive, leader of emerging and developed markets cross four continents and enabler of multiple end-to end business transformations and digital social selling innovations at global scale. I worked in direct sales for more than 20 years, starting from being a area sales manager to opening new markets, from leading one country to managing regional and then global portfolio of countries.
What do you attribute your career success to most?
What success is for you? Is it a year of amazing career plan achievements or is it living feeling fully engaged with your life? To me success means being happy with my everyday life, having a strong sense of purpose, having a compass. Luckily enough, I learned quite early to never take my business card title as my goal or even worst, as my identity.
I take and share energy from being an enabler, connector and multiplier to my stakeholders. I am a keen advocate of empowering women and I have had a fascinating, rewarding life experience so far. If you would agree that success means living with intensity and enjoying every moment with those around you, then I had been already successful for a long time before getting any business titles, and I owe this freedom of mind to all the inspirational women I’ve met, from Africa to Middle East, from Asia to Americas.
What has been your most inspiring moment?
I have been through many life intense experiences that have enriched my gratitude, humility and sense of purpose. From witnessing women thriving through outstandingly difficult conditions, cheering for others gaining their financial independence, to holding hands, praying together with breast cancer survivors, I understood that so many of us we waste critical energy on trivial things. Life is gently guiding us to see our meaning, hopefully earlier than too late. The most exciting moment though was personally helping a domestic violence survivor to redefine her life in her own terms.
Your hobbies?
Learning, skiing, weightlifting, silly, funny chats with my family and friends
How would you describe being a direct selling executive to an outsider?
High touch shopping experience for customers, meaningful earning experience for the advisors/promoters – a truly relationship selling model – the past and future of commerce.
What is your biggest achievement at Avon?
Enabling people achieving their potential and maximizing their impact.
And your biggest challenge at a direct selling company executive role?
Keeping the speed in the evolution of the business model to retain high-tech/high touch/high impact.
What would be your best advice to those who are thinking of joining a direct sales company at a corporate position?
Keep humble and curious, connect to people and learn from them every day. People are the most precious enablers of success. They are not human resources executing guidance, they are multipliers of the purpose they believe in.
Click here to read about the executives previously appeared on The World of Direct Selling.
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People (especially Representatives) need to pay attention to the fact that Avon Products Inc is NOT the same thing as “The Avon Company” which is the North America business. Avon Products, Inc sold off the North America Business in 2015/2016 and the North America business is now owned by LG. Angela Cretu has nothing to do with the North America business.
I am a Avon rep and have been with Avon for over 20 years and this is the worse I have ever seen from Avon. Products not available, no invoice, products that have been a staple from Avon, no longer available. Prices are ridiculous, I have lost customer because of the changes. Wde used to get free receipt books, free pumps for lotions, but I am told all that has been discontinued. Crazy,
I used to love looking through the brochure but not any more. Most of the creams and fragrances are too high priced. Granted I am not up on the latest in department stores and Avon is probably competitive.
Guess it’s called progress. Also I miss the outlet brochures.
Mary yes prices did increase but any makeup brand is even higher than Avon!
What I love the most about Avon is the ability to try on all their makeup thru the virtual app!!
Regarding the rep who commented about her sales being down. If I hear the Covid excuse one more time….. I’m going to come unglued. No…… I am not a rep. Having said that….. when the goin gets tough…… the tough get going. My rep consistently uses her computer and yes…… a unique gadget called a cell phone. She is in constant contact with her clients and does well. For many years I was in sales and learned early on…… stay on top of your clients….. or they will magically disappear. The only one to blame is you……. not Covid. Sorry about venting but I’m really tired of everyone pulling the Covid Card.
I used to buy dresses for work from Avon. they don’t offer them anymore. and shoes. not anymore. I would like to see chunkier, more creative jewelry with real wood, beads and real stones.
I feel avon should have made some allowances due to Covid 19. My sales were down and I am sure other reps had the same problem. Maybe they could have brought down the minimum needed for President Club or given us a few extra campaigns to meet our quota. I have been a rep for 9 years and this is the first time I did not make presidents club because of covid
I’m not happy with the brochure. I liked it when I could look at each page, now I have to look at it in categories. Not good.
I am not liking Avon so much anymore. The lotions, shower gels and colognes do not match anymore. Who wants to shower with one fragrance, lotion with another and spray on yet another. They all clash. I have never posted this before. Someone else may have.
I sell Avon, I’m glad to have CEO Angela Cretu, aboard, with her background I hope she can move this company in the right direction , both the brochure and the ordering process needs work, the benefits are poor, but that all over the corporate world.