Angela Cretu, CEO of AVON: I Am An Engager, Not A Leader

After over two decades at the world’s leading direct-selling beauty company, Angela Cretu’s evolution from junior sales manager to CEO of AVON is a fascinating one. We dive into her personal journey to learn about what leadership looks like to her and what beauty means.

   

Let’s start with some background. Can you tell us about yourself?

 

I’m originally from Romania. Although in the last 20 years, I lived in many countries including Turkey and Moscow. I’ve been to many parts of the world and learned many languages. I have had a fascinating journey with Avon over the last 24 years.

 

Our first question is one left for you by our previous guest. And the question is, do you think beauty is compatible with intelligence?

 

To me, beauty goes beyond anything we use to enhance our appearances. It’s about dignity, financial independence, and the empowerment to speak up and be equal partners to men in the world. If we talk about feminine beauty, it comes with confidence when someone feels good in their own skin.

So yes, I think beauty is compatible with intelligence. Again, intelligence has many dimensions as well such as creating value together, understanding the way the world works, education, and curiosity.

Everything is part of an ecosystem and it’s extremely important to call out that larger definition of beauty.

 

What was your dream when you were a little child?

 

Not just a dream but it was my ambition to be fully engaged with whatever I do in life. I need to live with intensity and feel that I add value while also getting the value I needed. I wanted to be part of something bigger than just a routine life.

 

Following that, did you expect you would be CEO one day when you joined AVON 24 years ago?

 

It wasn’t an expectation or even a desire. It’s not something I contemplated or envisioned at the time. The way I looked at it back then was that those high-level, C-suite roles would take away my ability to fully enjoy what I’m doing.

 

And what about leadership? Was it also part of that ambition you had, to be a leader as a way to add value in any position you were in?

 

I think anyone can be a leader without titles. People can engage in activities that bring value – that makes them leaders. The moment they engage their community or speak out, they are leaders.

I am an engager, not a leader.

I want to do things that matter, and I always engage myself in extra activities at work, at home, and with my friends. I never looked for front-end roles. A leader is seen as someone who goes up a hill and calls people to them. I’ve never been that kind of leader.

 

So to you, engagement is the key to leadership?

 

To me, being a leader is to be an enabler, a connector, a multiplier – of energy, other people’s potential, a multiplier of resources and connecting people as well as information. It is enabling and creating an environment that goes beyond yourself.

When I had my first management role at AVON, at that time, I was quite intimidated by the hierarchical setup of the company. I thought I was not only young, but I was also a woman and Eastern European. I positioned myself as an outsider. Being a CEO also felt too remote, like it would take away the ability to be part of the community when you’re on top of the hill. I wanted to be in the crowd, engaging people, being one link in the whole chain of energy and value that needs to be created.

When speaking to my mentor, he said to be that the very things that make me different are the biggest value points I bring to the table. The organization selected me for these leading roles because they want my perspective. It’s not about being an alternative but about adding value. All of the sudden, I was very confident. That was the tipping point for me.

I am part of a healthier mix of perspectives and it is my responsibility to share those.

 

That has an essence of partnership. Would you say that is also one of the keys to leadership?

 

To me it is, because in the context of today’s world, there are no prescriptive strategies any more that can work. There is no playbook for the times we are living in that can apply to every industry and leadership role out there. This world requires agility to learn in real-time. We realize that we are more dependent than ever on others. There is not one person that would have silver bullets. We understand more than ever that we are part of an ecosystem.

When you have that understanding as an organization – that needs to respond to local situations while scaling globally, making sure every stakeholder is considered and managing the paradox of maximizing everyone’s needs – you realize you need an army of leaders.

You want everyone to play in each position like they own the company. So what you need in terms of behavior and culture is a partnership, because that empowers everyone around the table, no matter the title, to own the game. So that is why leadership to me is an engaging partnership.

As a leader, add value and create an environment that adds value to and nurtures the value exchange.

*Answers have been edited for length and clarity.