Sales Transformation – Design Bold, New Ways Never Done Before

Friday, May 23, 2025

Sergio, can you explain your role at MDLZ

I’m the Sales Transformation Director at MDLZ Mexico. My role is to design our long-term growth strategy, turn that strategy into actionable plans, and most importantly, influence the organization to bring them to life.

After the Ricolino acquisition, transformation became the #1 growth avenue for our business. Today, I’m leading the effort to evolve our go-to-market model, unlock the full potential of the integration, and build the foundation that will allow us to become the #1 snacking company in Mexico.

What makes your role exciting?

What excites me most is the freedom to create — to design bold, new ways of doing things that have never been done before.

But above all, what drives me every day is seeing people grow. Helping others break through their own limits and become a better version of themselves is my personal purpose. I enjoy the responsibility that comes with leading transformation, but what I truly love is the chance to coach others, push them further, and build a culture of high performance where everyone rises together.

What has been the most complex project you worked on?

The most complex project I’ve led is the one I’m currently driving — the complete transformation of our DSD channel in Mexico.

We are re-routing the entire country, redefining our portfolio to deliver more value to both our consumers and the business, and re-training our entire salesforce to become the best in the market — all within one year. It’s a change of massive scale.

As the leader of this transformation, I’m responsible for aligning cross-functional teams, challenging the status quo, and ensuring we learn fast and adapt even faster. I lead through influence since many of the teams I rely on don’t report directly to me. That has taught me the true power of vision, collaboration, and resilience.

The biggest learning? There’s no perfect plan. Obstacles will come. What defines success is how fast we adapt, how well we learn, and how calm we stay when the pressure is highest.

What have been projects that helped you grow in your role and career?

The most transformative experience for me wasn’t a single project — it was switching from Finance to Sales.

After 8+ years in Finance and a solid track record, I made a bet on my own growth and stepped into a world I didn’t know. I had to unlearn, ask for help, be humble, and build new capabilities from scratch.

It was uncomfortable. I moved to a new city, faced unfamiliar challenges, and felt like a beginner again. But that discomfort sparked a fire — a new kind of energy that’s never left me since.

This experience reminded me that with discipline, curiosity, and the will to grow, we are capable of more than we think. It gave me the confidence and hunger to lead transformation today.

What are some exciting developments in your function?

One of the most exciting aspects of this transformation has been building something from scratch — including our entire performance management capability.

We’ve embraced technology and AI not just to collect data, but to simplify complexity and turn it into actionable insights, with the highest level of granularity. That’s how we’re enabling smarter, faster decisions across the organization.

But what’s really transformed the way I lead has been learning from the next generation. They bring fresh perspectives, digital-native thinking, and tools I never would’ve used earlier in my career. Staying open to those ideas — regardless of where they come from — has been crucial. Listening deeply, moving fast, and applying innovation in real time is what’s keeping us ahead.