Sheila Stanziale, President, Diageo-Guinness USA

The Risk Taker

By Brittani Banks

When striving for career success, Sheila Stanziale knew one thing was certain: “I had lots of obstacles to clear out of the way!” Her biggest challenge, she says, was learning it’s alright to say “no.”

Stanziale is responsible for overseeing iconic beverage brands like Guinness, Kilkenny, Red Stripe, Smirnoff Ice and Smirnoff Premium Mixed Malt Drinks. Before stepping into her current role, Stanziale worked in leadership sales, operations and GM positions at Nabisco, General Mills and was vice president of sales and execution in PepsiCo’s Foodservice division. She even founded PepsiCo’s “Women in Sales” organization, which provides mentors and networking opportunities for women. Stanziale is continuing this commitment as the executive lead of Diageo’s Women’s Network in North America.

A big lesson Stanziale learned early in her career was recognizing she “couldn’t possibly please everyone all the time.” With her focus on team building, accepting this “was a big hurdle for me,” she says. “It’s critical to recognize when competing priorities get in the way of a shared goal.”

But Stanziale knows succeeding at work isn’t just about the numbers. “Finding the right ‘fit’ at work is key to doing what you love – if the fit is good, you can put all your energy into the work and the team.” How did she find the balance she needed?

She found a way to concentrate on what truly matters to her: “Keeping my family humming is clearly a priority, while [helping] my community is also important to me.” Stanziale describes finding that balance as an evolution that is always shifting to accomodate different elements of her life. “Balance can’t be a static thing,” she adds.

When asked about her ultimate career goal, Stanziale says: “I’m living one of my goals right now: leading an operating company, driving a business, making a positive difference in my organization and with my team.”