Sylvia Stevens

• Almost 20 years of working experience in Product Management and Marketing
• Broad experience in innovation, strategic marketing, tactical marketing management (full 4P/6P)
• Focus on people (customers and teams)

Unique Sylvia

Sylvia is an international city hopper, passionate about taking off her blinders by soaking up local culture and art.
An avid reader, she reads several books at the same time. Currently on her nightstand lay books by Wim Hof about cold water therapy, Covey, Kottler, Ries, and Van Belleghem.

For Sylvia, adding value to people and society is the number one requirement to get behind something. Triggering and stretching people to do things they hadn't seen themselves doing is the impact she is motivated by. Only at the end of the comfort zone can one learn; doing unfamiliar things is where growth is maxed out.

She wouldn't want to be 25 years old again, but young Sylvia, she'd advise staying close to herself. Trying to be the perfect employee hampered focusing on developing her strengths. It took a while to realize that it's more profitable to invest in strengths than weaknesses. She could have benefited from a mentor at the start of her career. Fresh out of school, Sylvia mistakenly thought her knowledge and skills would be enough, underestimating the mindset and social skills corporate life requires. As a junior, you need a mentor to remove these blinders and get ahead in the job market.

A mentor's mirror can hurt. Growing is not always pleasant. As a mentor herself now, she doesn't let a mentee get away. She knows firsthand that the sting caused by confronting questions is where growth starts.