“ Building brands through products and people”

Early in her career, Carmen Sabater played a crucial role in developing and growing each of the fantastic organizations she was involved in. Soon after being promoted to Senior Manager at Deloitte, Carmen served as CFO of MasTec, a Fortune 500 publicly traded infrastructure service provider. After several years at MasTec, Carmen joined Quirch Foods, a leading food distributor in the United States, and serves as Senior Vice President and CFO. As a high achieving graduate of the University of Miami, Carmen earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and a Master’s in Public Accounting.

Throughout the years, Carmen developed an unwavering work ethic. Having held positions with several high-profile multinational firms, Carmen developed an instinct for leadership and was considered a true visionary in predominantly male-dominated industries. Innovative and with excellent listening skills, she quickly ascended to leadership positions pulling her young, aspiring, and talented employees along with her. Developing and mentoring others is a passion for Carmen. She believes in inspiring others to do their best, develop their confidence and work hard - all the while having fun. With grace and poise, she’s maintained an assertive and innovative approach to finance and leadership, and with that, has gained recognition while furthering her commitment to her career. Carmen is also dedicated to giving back to her communities. She is a Board member and Executive committee member of the United Way of Miami, currently serving as Secretary and past Treasurer, and truly enjoys her role as Treasurer of the Public Health Trust – Jackson Memorial Hospital.

“Finding her way in the room; getting a key seat at the table; and then garnering the respect to be listened to; those are the difficult steps it takes to flourish in your career. Considering there are not enough women who get that seat at the table, we need to make it easier for highly talented women to flourish,” says Carmen. “Diversity in the workplace is vital- after all women drive most of the purchasing decisions in the country. Ultimately, you want to hire and work with the best and the brightest regardless of gender or cultural background.”

Carmen is authentic, which is why she has had a successful career and inspires others to be great leaders. She is thoughtful and transparent in her conversations with others; she recognizes career require choices, some easier than others. Carmen has set an example to women across industries building a network of leaders to lean on and have thought leadership discussions. Her leadership and mentorship as SVP, CFO of Quirch Foods have inspired many women to build confidence to know that anything is possible. "Thinking creatively, being prepared, and being confident puts you in a position to succeed" Carmen herself and her accomplishments throughout her career are a good example of that. Carmen believes in defining your brand. “Your brand- how people think of you; how you think and act yourself is your biggest asset. Make sure to polish your brand and never tarnish it. You want to be a leader that inspires and have a brand that is timeless.”

"Thinking creatively, being prepared, and being confident puts you in a position to succeed." Carmen herself and her accomplishments throughout her career are a good example of that. Carmen believes in defining your brand. “Your brand- how people think of you; how you think and act yourself is your biggest asset.

Regardless of the leadership style, it's key in today’s world to be a good listener, inspire others to figure things out and, understand that one-size solutions don’t always work. Carmen says leaders need to be tuned into what drives each team member to success when working with a diverse team. Carmen shared this advice with upcoming leaders – make the time to listen -the world is only getting faster, “and we need to ensure we make personal connections because ultimately people are the ones making decisions.” Carmen shared that she’s observed that when things don’t go as planned, the expectation gap exists because people don’t listen. Collaboration is so important today, as is making the hard decisions. Carmen believes it’s important to share values and thought processes to develop and empower future leaders. “Encourage people to seek mentors- not just one but several. Having different points of view allows mentees to shine a spotlight on what works and what doesn’t work for them.” A principle she also likes to follow is “Now go figure it out,” but that doesn’t mean you have to figure it out on your own; seek help and lean on others which is why building teams is crucial to problem-solving and creating success. IEWL