Details
Senior Marketing Specialist, Sodexo, Government Services
Brookhaven, PA
Age: 29
Education: B.S. in hospitality management from Widener University, Chester, Pa.
Years at organization: 8
Why Selected?
Ann Vogel, vice president of operations for Sodexo, says: Christina boosted sales during the recession by bringing a creative and innovative approach, such as implementing a “candy” store with sweet, salty, energy and healthy snacks. Christina created the “wow” wheel, which provides consumers a chance to win promotional incentives at our grand opening celebrations, driving sales and participation.
Get to know
Sodexo provides us with a very robust program in terms of promotions, wellness and sustainability, but sometimes our clientele need something more customized to current trends. So I am proud that I’ve been able to take Sodexo programs and either take them to the next level or customize them to make them even more what our customers are looking for.
Q. What would you say you excel at over more seasoned colleagues?I would say my adaptability to change or an acceptance to change. Because we are so reliant on these current trends, we may have to shift gears from one priority to the next pretty quickly.
Q. What's the best career advice you've been given?Not to take things personally. Or realize that if I’m receiving some constructive criticism, it is not from lack of effort on my end, it’s just from a sense of needing redirection on what I’m doing.
Q. What's been the biggest challenge you've had to overcome?I think it’s trying to take those current trends and utilizing the resources we have but still taking our programs to the next level. So really developing those programs based on what they are requesting, even when some of our resources may be limited. It’s a lot of trying to be creative and thinking outside the box to give our clients what they are looking for.
Q. What's been your most rewarding moment?I create a lot of programs, so to see them come out in our cafés and to see all the work and marketing efforts I’ve done in print and in product available to our customers and then seeing they are energized by it is great.
Q. What would you like to accomplish in your career in the next two years?I want to entertain getting my master’s degree.
Q. What's been your funniest on-the-job disaster?A couple of months ago I was involved in an opening where 50% of the items were sold by weight. Opening day was highly anticipated, and our register scales did not work. We really found how valuable good ol’ calculators were.