How Panasonic CMO Lauren Sallata Brings Community-Based Purpose to Her Job

Lauren Sallata is the CMO of Panasonic Corporation of North America, leading digital, brand, content, advertising and corporate communications strategy. She focuses on shaping the stories Panasonic tells, guiding digital interactions, and inspiring meaningful change in the brand’s work. But really, it is Lauren herself who inspires meaningful change. From a young age, she used to volunteer in the community in various service projects and continued throughout college, spending evenings and weekends giving back whenever she could. Lauren has served on multiple boards, most recently as a member on the board of trustees of the Consumer Technology Association Foundation to open doors and enhance the lives of those with disabilities through technology. She attributes her successful 20 years in technology to listening closely and practicing empathy by placing herself in the customer’s shoes. And while many would find it challenging to balance all of this rewarding work with personal life, Lauren is “family first” especially after this difficult past year. For more inspiration, read about the pivotal career moments that got Lauren out of her comfort zone, her take on the importance of Panasonic’s work with Olympic and Paralympic athletes, and what contributing to society can do to elevate personal development. How did you get to where you are today? Throughout my career, I’ve had increasing levels of responsibilities in scope and scale. While my foundation was in PR, I started taking on other work that ventured into direct marketing, digital and other disciplines beyond media. I quickly recognized I had a major role in positioning the company and wanted to learn the business of marketing. I decided to go back to school part time to pursue my MBA at Temple University while working full-time. From agency to in-house at MCI, Verizon, and now Panasonic, I’ve helped see companies through brand transformation and can largely credit that to my unique ability to understand what the business is trying to accomplish and putting myself in the customers’ shoes. Tell us about what you are doing now. As CMO, I’m seen as a strategic partner to our various business units and play a leading role in driving growth, championing personalization of the diverse audiences that interact with our brand and helping to enable digital transformation. Whether building our brand platform for the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) every year or launching our most recent What Moves Us campaign which celebrates the power of purpose and passion shared by our 260,000 employees and celebrated Olympic and Paralympic athletes, I am always thinking about the role Panasonic plays in creating change and moving the world forward. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? Volunteering and community service have always given me a great sense of purpose, and pride. For me, contributing to society plays a large role in personal development. Not only is it one of Panasonic’s founding principles, it’s also a value that has had a lot of impact over the course of my career. From a young age, I used to volunteer in the community in various service projects. Today, that’s evolved into my work on boards in a fundraising and advocacy capacity which has been incredibly rewarding. How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? I’ve tried to seek out non-traditional mentors and advocates as these relationships are often the most valuable in career advancement. They don’t necessarily have to be formal. For someone in marketing, you can build a relationship with someone in another department, like finance or engineering. Using those opportunities to learn the business and be better informed. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? I’ve always been very ambitious and hardworking, having worked summer and part-time jobs since I was a teen. While I liked the independence that comes with being able to support yourself, what matters most to me is family. Coming out of last year and all of its challenges, along with the recent death of my father, I think we all realized just how important health and family are. Slowing down and spending time with family and friends is what keeps me centered. Can you recall a situation where you've dealt with typecasting in the workplace? And what advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? My generation has both the experience of the traditional and legacy ways of thinking of women’s role in the workplace and the next generations’ refreshing presumption of change. I say keep going and have the expectation of a seat at the table. Have the expectation of a seat at the table. You must do the work but prove them wrong every time. I also applaud the recent efforts to acknowledge the impactful contributions of women that came before me and who set the stage for where we are. That said, there is more to do to see parity in the numbers. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? Know your unique value add and be able to quantify it before you even get to the negotiation table. Always know your best alternative. Practice the conversation with a trusted friend or colleague so that the language of negotiating becomes second nature. Who has helped you in your journey and how did they help shape your career? Early in my career, I was offered an opportunity to spin out of marketing comms and move into a service delivery role that included P&L management. It was only for a couple of years and I made my way back to marketing, but it was very instrumental in my career trajectory. That moment helped me step outside of my comfort zone to learn new skills. In order to own your success, you must be able to see the opportunity in every chance meeting or project that arises. I attribute much of my evolution and growth to that opportunity. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Take smart risks and be open to new possibilities. It’s that first leap of faith that will push you to your highest self. Take smart risks and be open to new possibilities. With sacrifice, hard work and determination, you’ll be able to reap the benefits. What does success mean for you? The path to success is not linear, but let your passion drive your progress. I look at the Olympians and Paralympians who are part of our Team Panasonic movement, and they are all great examples of greatness that can be achieved when you follow your passions. Being purpose-driven means knowing the sum is greater than its parts, creating value and making a lasting impact no matter what role you’re in. Why Publicis Sapient’s Teresa Barreira Is Transforming the Tech Space for Women

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How Panasonic CMO Lauren Sallata Brings Community-Based Purpose to Her Job

CMO of North America shares what being purpose-driven means to her and how it impacts her work

Luz Corona

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