Marc Fisher Footwear SVP Shanya Perera on Making Her Teams Feel Heard & Supported: Women Who Rock
Jennie Bell
Deputy Managing Editor
Marketing and PR professionals are often on the move, but Shanya Perera found a supportive home at Marc Fisher Footwear, where she’s stayed for nearly a decade.
The senior vice president of marketing, advertising and PR credited her long tenure to the company’s culture and flexibility, which “allowed me to grow in my career while maintaining a balanced work-life dynamic.”
In turn, she’s made it priority to ensure that the women on her teams also feel heard and supported.
Step one, Perera said, is to give everyone a seat at the table — literally.
Then, she makes sure to celebrate the wins, both big and small. “Whether it’s acknowledging their contributions to a key marketing campaign or celebrating an engagement or a monthly TikTok-inspired gift exchange, I like to sprinkle in a little humanity to empower my teammates,” Perera said.
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It can be very easy for employees, especially junior team members, to feel like they’re simply “cogs in the marketing wheel,” she explained. So her goal is to let them know they matter. “They’re all valuable in so many important and unique ways, and sadly a lot of leaders don’t take the time to appreciate their team members like they should.”
A third way Perera helps to empower women at Marc Fisher is through mentorship — but it’s not your old-school sit-downs with executives.
“Within my marketing team, we’ve embraced reverse mentoring, where younger members regularly teach us about the latest apps, trends and technologies,” said Perera. In addition to forging connections with Gen Z and Gen Alpha, she said, reverse mentoring has also translated into business strategies that attract and retain new customers.
And as companies look to build their workforce with the next generations, those types of collaborative approaches will be vital. “Gen Alpha encourages diverse thinking and values inclusivity, while being respected and heard,” Perera said. “Building a true sense of belonging, offering affirmation and opening doors to new opportunities are key steps to helping them thrive and lead with confidence.”
A version of this article appeared in the Feb. 3 print issue of FN, as part of the “Women Who Rock” special section. On Feb. 4, FN and Two Ten Footwear Foundation will honor these women at the annual live event in New York City.
