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Maria Labastidas
Sr. Design Director, APAC Middle East & Africa Home Care
Professional Background
Carolina Labastidas is a seasoned Consumer Centric Design Visionary, boasting over 25 years of rich experience in the design field. She has effectively led multiple product categories at Procter & Gamble (P&G), evolving through management positions across four different hubs under three significant international assignments. Her career at P&G began with her role as the leader of the Hair Colorants portfolio for Latin America, where her innovative insights and strategic thinking laid the groundwork for her future endeavors.
Following her success in the Hair Colorants segment, Carolina transitioned to the Fabric Care category, spearheading the Latin American portfolio of brands. Her adept understanding of market dynamics and consumer behavior allowed her to thrive in a competitive landscape. After establishing a successful track record in Latin America, Carolina's career took her to Greater China, where she took charge of the Fabric Care portfolio, adapting her strategies to cater to a vastly different market context.
For the past six years, Carolina has made her mark in Singapore, where she leads the Home Care design business for the entire Asia, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) region. Her direct involvement with major brands like Febreze and Joy, particularly in crucial markets such as Japan, has further refined her expertise in tapping into consumer insights to drive innovation. Her professional journey showcases not only adaptability to varied market combinations but also highlights her remarkable ability to connect with consumers across different cultures and socio-economic backgrounds. This deep understanding allows Carolina to translate consumer needs into powerful ideas and actionable business solutions.
Education and Achievements
Carolina holds a degree in Graphic Design from the esteemed Academia De Artes Avanzadas De Caracas. This educational foundation provided her with the essential skills and techniques that she has refined over the years in her professional journey. Throughout her career at P&G, Carolina has not only focused on brand building and architecture but also on understanding retail and shopper base design, consumer research, design thinking, and fostering innovation.
She is currently devoted to building internal in-house design capabilities for the AMEA region. This initiative underscores her commitment to empowering future design leaders and streamlining design processes. Known for her prowess in optimizing resources and eliminating wasteful practices, Carolina has developed a reputation for being an engine of change within the design community.
Achievements
Carolina is recognized not just as a talented design leader but also as a multifaceted business influencer. Her colleagues and partners consistently describe her as someone who offers unique perspectives and innovative solutions to complex problems. They appreciate her capacity to meld her profound understanding of business challenges with her exceptional design mastery.
As a leader, Carolina has a remarkable ability to inspire creativity within her team and maximize collaborative efforts with agency partners. Her track record includes amplifying the creative output of her colleagues while ensuring that the design initiatives align with P&G’s strategic business goals. She has garnered recognition for her efforts in instilling an innovative culture and nurturing the next generation of design talent. Carolina’s vision for elevating the design capability within the organization speaks to her forward-thinking approach and her commitment to excellence in all areas of her work.
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