Andrea Jung
Andrea Jung
Andrea Jung is a Canadian-American executive, non-profit leader, and prominent women's-issues supporter. In April, 2014, she became President and CEO of Grameen America, a nonprofit microfinance organization founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner, Muhammad Yunus. Grameen is the fastest growing microfinance organization in the United States, providing the largest number of microfinance loans to individuals and small businesses. From 1999 until 2012, she served as the first female CEO and Chairwoman of Avon Products, Inc., a multi-level marketing company. Jung...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBusinesswoman
CountryUnited States of America
If you feel like it's difficult to change, you will probably have a harder time succeeding.
The part that loses out at the end of the day is just doing things for myself. Sometimes when I go on a business trip, it's those five hours on the plane or that night in the hotel room which are the only moments when I have time for myself. Only then can I read magazines or a novel.
Avon also has an advantage in that we've always shipped small orders to individuals. So we don't have the back-of-the-house complexities and barriers faced by other traditional companies who try to get up and running.
I was still taking piano lessons up until 18 months ago. If I had one thing I could add to my very full calendar, it would be that. That's one of my personal goals because it helps balance all parts of your life, and I really get a lot of enjoyment out of playing Mozart and Beethoven.
On a great day, I don't believe that the amount of cosmetics sold over the Internet will be more than 25 percent.
I can only have dinner with my girlfriends once a month instead of once a week.
We also never undercut representatives' prices. A representative will always be able to sell the discounts in our core business, which are not offered at retail. So it's never more advantageous to buy there.
I feel like I'm part of history being made. I leave Apple board meetings thinking, 'I've got to do a better job.'
Avon is a unique place to work; we've got family-friendly policies. We have more senior women in high-level management than any other company; 46 percent of our officers are women.
The game in beauty is changing so much, if your product isn't high tech or can't make a unique performance claim - plump your lips, reduce your lines, look glossy, and stay on for 24 hours - you can't go to market today. I'm not just talking about a $20 lipstick, but a $5 lipstick!
Women like myself, CEOs, can pave the way for more women to get to the top.
When a woman earns a dollar, the payback is higher. She'll invest in her children, in their education, health care, and basic needs. The impact of a woman's role in the economy benefits society at large.
China is going to be one of Avon's largest market opportunities. It has a large geographic expanse, with hundreds of thousands of women in small villages really striving to make an earnings opportunity for themselves.
I became CEO at the beginning of the hit on old economy stocks. When something like that occurs in your first six months as a CEO of a more traditional branded firm, it makes for a fast learning curve.