Lidiane is the EVP and GM for the Salesforce Commerce Cloud, where she leads a growing team responsible for delivering innovative commerce solutions. Lidiane has 17+ years of experience leading teams and bringing a variety of products related to machine learning, enterprise scalability and consumer productivity to market.
In April 2021, Lidiane joined Compass’ Board of Directors. We connected recently with Lidiane to talk more about her work, what drew her to Compass, and what she is hoping to contribute during her time on the Board.
Compass: How did you first learn about Compass? What drew you to the organization?
Lidiane: I first learned about Compass from my friend, Asha Mehta, who is also on the Board. I remember I was telling her about what it was like to grow up in Brazil – how my mom really helped me overcome a lot of challenges, and how she worked so hard to help me get an education. Asha said to me “you need to know this organization, Compass.”
The first time I met Sherry, and she started telling me about some of the clients that Compass serves, and I thought to myself “that sounds like my mother.” I have been very fortunate in my life to be in the right place at the right time. I’ve worked hard, and find myself now in a position of privilege. I’ve been reflecting more on how to give back in a meaningful way, and the more I learned about Compass, the more I loved it.
Compass: Joining the Board is a big commitment. What made you say yes?
Lidiane: Time is such a premium, and I had been reflecting about where I want to put the limited time I have. When I looked at the different organizations or opportunities where I could get involved, nothing came close to the connection I felt to the mission of Compass. Late last year, I had this in-depth conversation with my husband about our lives and the things that really matter to us now. As I thought back on my own life and the support I got that enabled me to have the opportunities I’ve had, I told him that if I could have the chance to impact just one person’s life in the same way – to have autonomy and freedom and peace of mind in the way that I now have those things – then I would feel fulfilled. And Compass was the place where I could do that. All of it just really felt aligned with me and my values.
The other thing that really stood out to me about Compass is the quality of the people – it’s incredible. Every person that I meet – other Board members, senior leaders, and staff – are so smart and thoughtful. And, there is always this focus on clients, on serving clients with dignity and respect, that I think is so amazing. Being a person who was really poor, I know that no one wants pity, no one wants to be thought of as less than anyone else. That really stood out to me. I feel really lucky, and beyond excited, to be joining the Board.
Compass: What are you hoping to bring to the organization as a Board member?
Lidiane: I don’t want to make any assumptions until I get the opportunity to learn more. There are a few areas that I want to explore. I’m passionate about how to grow the organization at the velocity of growth that Compass is in – how do you scale this magic? Definitely, any expertise or help I can provide on technology. And, I hope at some point, that I can use my own story to help families to trust Compass and take that leap to join the program.
Compass: Any other thoughts you’d like to share?
Lidiane: I have two young kids, and I think a lot about what children I am raising. They won’t go through the same hardship that I went through, but I want them to understand and have empathy for what other people in society go through. I’m hoping this connection with Compass will help my kids to be more empathetic members of society, and to understand the reality of the lives that a lot of people live – that no matter how hard people work, it’s really hard to get out of these situations.
To learn more about Lidiane and her work at Salesforce, check out some of these recent media:
Interview on the growth of digital commerce (Yahoo Finance)
A partnership between Commerce Cloud and Shop Circulate, a marketplace for Black owned businesses lead by Sean Combs (Revolt)
Customer retention through digital engagement (Business Insider - paywall)