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Bold Leader Spotlight: Andréa Mallard, CMO of Pinterest

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Andréa Mallard is known for her creativity and expertise in brand strategy. She is among the best in this regard. But her real talent is shown by the leadership abilities exhibited in her career. No one told Mallard how to be bold in leadership, but her philosophy and actions demonstrate just that. Her bold leadership is a key reason why she was recently named chief marketing officer of Pinterest.

cartoon caricature of Andréa Mallard, chief marketing officer of Pinterest, posing as the bold leader spotlight of the week
Indeed, Andréa Mallard has exhibited bold leadership throughout her career. But what exactly makes her the best choice to be Pinterest’s CMO today?

As a strong advocate for women, Mallard spends a great deal of her time empowering others to be their absolute best, while championing change and diversity. These traits exemplify her bold leadership style and are the reason why she gets this week’s Bold Leader Spotlight.

Change, Diversity, and Empowerment

An appreciation of others often comes out of personal experiences in diversity, and having lived in Paris, London, Toronto, San Francisco, New York, Boston, and Munich, Mallard certainly knows all about that. These experiences fostered in her an attitude of respect and empathy for everyone. Thus, a major part of Mallard’s philosophy on bold leadership pertains to not only recognizing other voices but accepting them as well.

Andréa Mallard quoted
Bold leaders inspire, which Mallard has done at Pinterest.

The inability to share knowledge undermines success at every level. Bold leadership encourages information-sharing and intellectual advancement. Mallad has achieved this in many ways. In addition to being a published author and international speaker, she constantly strives to elevate others in skill and knowledge. By sharing both her experiences and her insights, Mallard is a true catalyst for success everywhere she goes.

In considering this approach to bold leadership, it is intuitive that sharing knowledge and insights acknowledges a sense of humility. Knowing how to be bold in leadership does not mean sequestering knowledge that could serve others. It requires bolstering others’ abilities. But this action demands humility and self-confidence in the process, and Mallard certainly has those attributes. Much of her leadership success comes from her abilities as an effective mentor who is willing to give others recognition and guide them towards improvement.

Andréa Mallard quoted
Empathy and empowerment are hallmarks of Andrea Mallard’s bold leadership.

Bold in Leadership by Taking Risks the Right Way

As a brand and marketing specialist, Mallard is accustomed to taking risks. Leaders choose strategies based on the knowledge available at the time. But such information is never complete, and risks are inevitable. Likewise, the dynamic world of marketing demands the ability to embrace change and think outside the box. This is an area where Mallard has excelled and a major reason for her leadership success.

But for Mallard, the risks taken have always aligned with her values. In fact, she chose to come on board at Pinterest because of their choice to grow the right way. By aligning business decisions with their corporate values, Pinterest has become a breath of fresh air. Similarly, Mallard believes that bold leadership means knowing your own set of principles. Taking risks is essential to grow and evolve, but risks without values can quickly undermine success.

Andréa Mallard quoted
Andrea Mallard’s bold leadership style has involved taking risks.

Embracing Bold Leadership Throughout a Career

Throughout Mallard’s career, she has served in leadership roles for many companies. In 2008, she served as the European Design Director for the global brand, IDEO. In 2013, she took a position as Chief Marketing Officer at Omada Health. And before coming to Pinterest, Mallard was CMO at Athleta—an affiliate of Gap Inc., the worldwide clothing retail company. In each instance, Mallard exhibited bold leadership capacities. And it is with little doubt that Pinterest made an excellent decision in having Mallard come on board.

To learn more about Andréa Mallard’s bold leadership, visit our exclusive story on Pinterest.

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