Maya Garcia is a dynamic marketing, communications, and business operations executive whose career has been defined by her ability to bridge visionary leadership with disciplined execution. Over the course of more than sixteen years, she has established herself as a trusted advisor to executive teams, a builder of high-performing organizations, and a strategic leader capable of translating complex business objectives into measurable results. Her professional journey reflects a rare combination of analytical rigor, creative thinking, operational excellence, and an unwavering commitment to helping organizations realize their full potential.
From the earliest stages of her career, Maya demonstrated a natural ability to connect strategy with execution. Beginning her professional path with Cartier, one of the world’s most recognized luxury brands, she quickly immersed herself in a variety of disciplines including communications, public relations, visual merchandising, events, and brand management. These formative experiences provided her with a comprehensive understanding of how global organizations create value, cultivate brand equity, and engage consumers across diverse markets. As she progressed through increasingly responsible leadership positions, Maya developed a reputation for her collaborative leadership style, strategic mindset, and ability to align multiple stakeholders around common goals.
Throughout her tenure at Cartier, Maya continuously expanded her influence and scope of responsibility. What began as a communications-focused role evolved into a multifaceted leadership journey that exposed her to virtually every aspect of brand strategy and organizational planning. Her ability to see the interconnectedness between customer experience, operational execution, financial performance, and long-term strategic growth allowed her to become a key contributor to executive decision-making processes. She distinguished herself not only through her business acumen but also through her ability to build relationships across departments, geographies, and levels of leadership.
One of the defining chapters of Maya’s career emerged when she joined TOM FORD as Senior Manager of Global Marketing and Media. In this role, she was entrusted with shaping media strategy across international markets while ensuring that brand positioning remained consistent across regions. Working in a highly competitive luxury environment, Maya successfully coordinated cross-functional teams, agency partners, and international stakeholders to deliver integrated marketing initiatives that enhanced visibility, strengthened customer engagement, and supported business growth. Her experience at TOM FORD further refined her expertise in global strategy, executive communication, and market expansion.
Maya’s return to Cartier marked the beginning of her most influential leadership achievements. Rising to the position of Director of Strategic Planning and later Assistant Vice President of Brand Strategy and Planning, she became instrumental in helping shape the organization’s future direction. Recognizing the need for greater strategic alignment within the business, Maya built Cartier North America’s Brand Strategy and Planning function from the ground up. What began as a new concept evolved into a highly respected team that became an essential component of organizational planning and performance management. Building a department from inception required not only strategic foresight but also exceptional leadership, organizational design, and stakeholder management skills.
As a senior leader, Maya became a trusted advisor to executive leadership and served as a strategic partner to the Chief Marketing Officer. In many respects, she operated as a Chief of Staff, helping prepare executive briefings, facilitating high-level planning sessions, and ensuring that strategic priorities translated into actionable initiatives. Her ability to synthesize complex information and communicate clear recommendations enabled leadership teams to make informed decisions while maintaining alignment across the organization. Her influence extended beyond marketing and into broader business operations, where she frequently collaborated with finance, retail, merchandising, and executive leadership teams.
One of Maya’s most notable accomplishments involved leading long-range strategic planning efforts that guided organizational decision-making over three- to five-year horizons. She played a central role in developing comprehensive strategic plans, facilitating executive discussions, and presenting recommendations to global leadership teams. Her work consistently balanced ambitious growth objectives with operational realities, ensuring that strategies were both visionary and executable. Her disciplined approach to planning helped create alignment among stakeholders while establishing clear performance expectations and accountability measures.
Beyond strategic planning, Maya has demonstrated exceptional financial stewardship and operational leadership. She successfully managed nine-figure marketing budgets, ensuring resources were allocated effectively and aligned with organizational priorities. Her analytical capabilities allowed her to identify growth opportunities, evaluate performance metrics, and optimize investments to maximize return. Among her many successes was leading strategic analysis that identified a significant product opportunity, ultimately contributing to substantial growth within a key business segment. Her ability to connect data-driven insights with strategic action has become one of her defining leadership strengths.
In 2025, Maya accepted the role of Senior Director of Marketing Operations at Kendra Scott, where she focused on enhancing organizational effectiveness and strengthening executional excellence. In this position, she redesigned planning processes, implemented governance structures, and established scalable frameworks that improved collaboration, speed, and consistency across teams. Her work reinforced a central theme that has defined her entire career: creating systems and processes that enable organizations to perform at their highest levels while maintaining strategic focus and operational agility.
Building upon years of executive leadership experience, Maya founded AURELIA, a strategic consulting and brand acceleration firm dedicated to helping premium and luxury brands achieve sustainable growth. Through AURELIA, she leverages her extensive expertise in strategy, operations, brand development, and executive leadership to guide organizations through periods of transformation and expansion. As a founder and advisor, she continues to help business leaders navigate complexity, unlock growth opportunities, and build stronger, more resilient organizations.
Maya’s influence extends well beyond the corporate environment. Her extensive international experience spans North America, Europe, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean, providing her with a global perspective that informs her leadership approach. Having worked across diverse cultures, markets, and business environments, she understands the importance of adaptability, cultural intelligence, and inclusive leadership. Her international exposure has strengthened her ability to identify emerging opportunities while effectively navigating global business challenges.
Equally important to Maya is her commitment to advancing the wellbeing and economic empowerment of women and children. Since relocating to Austin, she has volunteered with Dress for Success, an organization she has supported in various capacities since high school, helping women achieve economic independence through career development and professional support. She is also an annual donor to organizations including the New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NYSCADV) and Carrying Hope, a Texas based nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of youth and families impacted by the foster care system through resources, support services, housing, and enrichment opportunities. Through her philanthropic engagement and community involvement, Maya demonstrates a deep commitment to creating opportunities for vulnerable populations and strengthening the communities she serves. This dedication to service complements her professional leadership, contributing to the empathy, perspective, and purpose driven approach she brings to every endeavor. In her spare time, Maya likes to scuba dive, play volleyball and meditate.
Today, Maya Garcia is actively pursuing board service opportunities because she believes deeply in sharing the knowledge, experiences, and lessons she has accumulated throughout her career. Having successfully led strategic transformations, built organizations, managed significant resources, and advised executive leadership teams, she recognizes the value of experienced guidance in helping companies reach their next stage of growth. Her unique blend of strategic planning expertise, operational leadership, marketing excellence, financial stewardship, and executive partnership positions her as a valuable contributor to organizations seeking thoughtful governance and impactful leadership.
Character:
Maya demonstrates integrity through every stage of her career, consistently earning the trust of executive leaders, colleagues, and business partners. She approaches leadership with humility, authenticity, and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed. Her dedication to service, mentorship, and organizational improvement reflects a strong personal value system rooted in accountability and purpose.
Knowledge:
She possesses deep expertise across strategy, marketing, operations, communications, and organizational leadership. Her broad experience spanning global luxury brands, executive planning, and business transformation provides her with a uniquely comprehensive perspective. She continuously seeks opportunities to learn, evolve, and apply best practices that create sustainable business success.
Strategic:
Maya excels at translating long-term vision into practical action plans that generate measurable outcomes. She has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to align stakeholders, prioritize resources, and navigate complex business challenges with clarity and precision. Her strategic thinking consistently balances innovation, growth, risk management, and operational execution.
Communication:
An exceptional communicator who can distill complex concepts into clear, actionable insights for diverse audiences. She has extensive experience advising executives, presenting strategic recommendations, and facilitating cross-functional alignment. Her ability to build consensus and foster collaboration has been a hallmark of her leadership throughout her career.
