Isabela Galli

Our Positive Woman is Isabela Galli: executive, mother of Luiza (her biggest inspiration), VP and General Manager of Avery Dennison in Latin America. Her journey at the multinational, which is a global leader in materials science, began 30 years ago, when she was still discovering her desires and plans for the future. Isabela believes that life is a great learning experience and from an early age she understood the importance of “listening”, one of the main skills that lead to leadership and evolution. Your work at Avery Dennison carries the strong premise of diversity, equity, inclusion and increasingly sustainable practices.

1. How did your career start?

My professional journey began 30 years ago. When I was still discovering my desires and plans for the future, I had the chance to join Avery Dennison as an intern, in the quality and product development area. I worked in the technical assistance area, which brought me closer to contact with customers. And that sparked my curiosity about the commercial area. I moved through the marketing, product and market development departments. I had examples of spectacular leaders who inspired me and guided me along good paths. But I have to say that I also learned from some how not to be. I believe that life is a great learning experience and I learned from an early age the importance of listening and took the best practices with me. In fact, I consider this to be one of the main skills that lead us to leadership and evolution, when we learn to listen, we become open to learning and great insights.

After all this journey at the company, in January 2023, I was appointed the company's new vice president and general manager in Latin America.

2. How is your Avery Dennison business model formatted?

Avery Dennison is a global materials science company for physical and digital identification, providing numerous solutions, including self-adhesive materials, inlays, and radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, among other visual communications solutions. The company's products are used in diverse segments around the world, including personal and home care, apparel, e-commerce, logistics, food, beverage, retail, pharmaceuticals, automotive, and others to solve the most challenging problems facing the world today related to waste reduction, labor management, supply chain efficiency, connecting brands and their consumers and greater sustainability, transparency and circularity.

The company is present in more than 50 countries, employing approximately 36 thousand employees. In Brazil, we have been present since the 70s, exactly 50 years ago, with headquarters in the Vinhedo region (SP).

We have 8 values that guide us in all the practices and ways we do business around the world, they are: External Focus, Diversity, Sustainability, Innovation, Courage, Teamwork, Excellence and Integrity.

Amid all this action, Avery Dennison has a strong commitment to delivering consistent results to the market and all strategies are focused on this direction, linked to the company's innovation ambitions, which sees sustainability and diversity for this path. as fundamental pillars. Our journey is not about deconstructing or changing the route, but rather about driving the continuous evolution for which we have always worked

3. What was the most difficult moment in your career?

One of the most difficult moments was making a decision related to the future of my career, after a “Short Term Assignment” carried out in Europe in 2012 and whether I would accept to take on a new position in a region 5 times larger, whether I would permanently move there or whether would return to Latin America. I had my daughter at the time who was 5 years old and family issues weighed heavily on me at that time. I chose to return. I don't regret the decision I made, but I have to say it was the most difficult moment I've faced without a shadow of a doubt. In difficult situations, I always weighed the pros and cons and also a more systemic view. At that time, it wasn't just me with myself, I had to understand the consequences of my choices for my family too. And that was so important to take into consideration. I would also say that we women need a support network so that we can perform well in the different roles in our lives as an executive, mother, wife, daughter.

4. How do you manage to balance your personal life x corporate/entrepreneurial life?

I have some concepts that I really believe in:

1. We need to do something we love, this has to do with purpose, inspiration, focus, dedication, productivity.

2. Ask for help and have a support network. This is essential, especially for a woman. Be your coach, mentor, boss, therapist, friend, collaborator, father, mother, neighbor. The important thing is to share your insecurities with people you trust, people who inspire you and who can contribute to your journey of evolution.

3. Self-care. We need to be well to take care of the other people around us, be it family members, our employees and it also has to do with the quality of our work in general. Being well physically and emotionally, we can give our best and support others to be in the same condition. For me, a healthy diet and physical activity are part of my routine.

4. Prioritize. Knowing that we will have to make choices in life. It is impossible to do everything, be everywhere and please everyone. So let's do this in the smartest way possible. Analyzing the pros and cons, the impacts and having the courage to say no to some things and people.

5. What is your biggest dream?

Being part of the evolution of a corporate culture and the market in general, diversity, equity, inclusion and more sustainable practices. Develop people, leaders and promote the union of forces and talents to achieve this goal. Currently, we are experiencing a movement of growing awareness among companies, operating in different areas, about the importance of socially responsible and sustainable practices. Many businesses have found collaboration and joining forces to be a promising path for implementing different initiatives that aim for a common good: the promotion of positive impacts, in a way that encompasses the environment, society, employees and communities. I believe that I can help achieve this positive impact on society through my role as a leader.

6. What is your greatest achievement?

My whole life and being where I am today, I believe is my greatest achievement: Being a woman, mother of Luisa (who is my biggest inspiration), and my appointment as vice president and general manager of the company in Latin America. My arrival in a senior management position at a global corporation demonstrates, in practice, all of Avery Dennison's actions aimed at people development, diversity, equity and inclusion.

I'm proud to say that we have a robust talent development program and that I'm not an isolated case. I often say that we are exporters of talent, we have Argentine, Colombian, Mexican and Brazilian employees who are shining and performing roles of great importance in other parts of the world and leading high-performance teams. Among the guidelines that guide the company's DE&I (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) themes, my appointment ensures, in addition to all its commitment to training and improving skills over the years, the materialization of Avery Dennison's female leadership plans, which has worked to increase the representation of women in leadership positions in various talent groups, with the goal that 40% of manager and c-level positions will be occupied by these professionals by 2030.

7. Book, film and woman you admire.

Book: The Shack

Film: The English Patient

Woman you admire: What a difficult question that is! I don't have a single answer. I admire so many women, many close to me, who with their communication skills, resilience, strength, “multitasking powers”, are great examples and great inspirations. Of the most famous women in the world, I greatly admire Oprah Winfrey, because I can't imagine everything she went through in life to be where she is, for the achievements and lives she helped and still helps along her journey. We know that being a successful woman in your career requires your efforts, dedication and resilience. Imagine for a poor, black woman, with so many difficulties that she had to face in her childhood and adolescence, the amount of strength and overcoming she had to demonstrate. Hats off to this woman's strength, intelligence and resilience!