Episode 132: Differentiating Yourself with Intel’s Sandra E. Lopez

Have you asked yourself and really thought about what distinguishes you from everyone else? What is your unique value proposition? If you don’t know the answer to these questions or if you don’t know how to articulate your story in a compelling way, then you’re limiting your career opportunities.

In this episode, our guest, Sandra Lopez, Vice President for Intel Sports, shares how she turned an ordinary career into an extraordinary one when she finally answered these questions posed by her colleague. Sandra realized that she wasn’t embracing the characteristics and strengths that made her unique and stand out from the crowd of talent around her. This set her on a path to discovery, self-reflection and taking action.

In Sandra’s current role as VP for Intel Sports, she is responsible for partnering with the sports and media industry to provide the future fans with the next generation of immersive media experiences. 

Sandra leads a team that is focused on leading the business, marketing and market development efforts of Intel Sports and Studios. She is also the co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on VR/AR/XR. And is dedicated to building the next generation of women leaders. Over the course of her career, Sandra has received numerous recognitions, including “Most Powerful Women in Tech” (National Diversity Council), “Top Women in Media” (Cynopsis), “Top 10 Latina Executives” (LatinaStyle), and the list goes on.

Prior to joining Intel in 2005, Sandra held various positions at Adobe Systems Inc., Macromedia, Computer Associates International Inc. and several other technology companies.

 

Highlights:

[02:37] Sandra’s journey

[06:37] Building your brand and telling your story

[11:36] Overcoming limiting beliefs

[14:46] Owning your achievements

[19:37] Difference in mentors and sponsors

[24:10] Taking risks and making decisions

[28:17] Overcoming setbacks and failures

[30:10] Sandra’s success habits

[32:57] Establishing healthy boundaries

[35:59] Advice on accelerating your success

 

Quotes:

“Life is like Waze, you know where you want to go, but allow yourself to explore the unexplored neighborhoods that you never knew existed.”– Sandra E. Lopez

“Tap into who you were meant to become and lean into that because everyone else is taken.” – Sandra E. Lopez

“Take baby steps towards tackling your fears and anxieties. If you get 1% better every day, imagine how much better you're going to be 365 days from now.” – Sandra E. Lopez

“We need to reframe the word failure so that failure equals growth that enables you to do better.” – Sandra E. Lopez

 

About Sandra E. Lopez:

Sandra E. Lopez is VP for Intel Sports and is responsible for partnering with the sports and media industry to provide the future fans with the next generation of immersive media experiences. In her role, she leads a team that is focused on leading the business, marketing and market development efforts of Intel Sports and Studios. Lopez is also the co-chair of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on VR/AR/XR.

Previously, she led and managed the fashion wearable business for Intel’s New Technology Group.

Earlier in her Intel career, Lopez held various roles within corporate marketing, including director of new business marketing and consumer marketing.

Over the course of her career, Lopez has received numerous recognitions, including “Most Powerful Women in Tech” (National Diversity Council), “Top Women in Media” (Cynopsis), “Top 10 Latina Executives” (LatinaStyle), “Most Influential and Notable Hispanic Professionals in Information Technology” (HiTec) and “Game Changer” (Sports Business Journal).

Prior to joining Intel in 2005, Lopez held various positions at Adobe Systems Inc., Macromedia, Computer Associates International Inc. and several other technology companies.

Lopez earned a B.S. in Economics and Textiles and Clothing from the University of California at Davis. In addition, she attended the Stanford’s Executive Accelerator Program in 2016. As part of contributing to the community, she is focused on building the next generation of women leaders.

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lopezsandra/