LEADERSHIP SPOTLIGHT SERIES: AN INTERVIEW WITH SUZANNE
In our Leadership Spotlight Series, we are highlighting executives across our Company who are driving innovation, transforming business practices, and positively impacting the communities where we live and work.
In this edition, we spotlight Suzanne Ciambella, Vice President of Sales, Sports & Entertainment Licensing Group, based in our New York City office. Read on to discover Suzanne’s story of collaboration, accountability and a team that never lets anyone go it alone.
Leading with Purpose
For Suzanne, day-to-day leadership on the Walmart team is defined by one goal: making things run smoothly, no matter how many moving parts are involved. That means continuously refining processes, sharpening communication and building workflows efficient enough to keep pace with a fast-moving business.
The team spans continents and time zones, from Amy Zhou, an overseas coordinator in Shenzhen, to Tara Case, an allocator in Greensboro, and staying connected despite where one person sits is critical.
That same spirit of collaboration shapes the team’s culture. Accountability, open communication and a willingness to problem-solve together are treated as non-negotiables. Underlying it all is a simple belief: when one person is overwhelmed, the whole team feels it. So, support isn’t optional; it’s built into how the team operates, whether that means redistributing workload during a crunch or making sure everyone has what they need to succeed before they have to ask.
A Career in Motion
When Suzanne looks back on her career, the most striking shift has been how much the industry now moves at the speed of culture. Social media has changed who drives the narrative; buyers today are far more attuned to how customers shop and, just as importantly, to the emotional connections people form with the character licenses they love.
Asked what advice she’d give her younger self, the answer is “don’t sweat the small stuff.” Focus on what’s within your control, learn from your missteps, and trust your instincts; they’re usually more reliable than they get credit for.
That same outlook shows up when Suzanne talks about her greatest strength as a leader: perspective.
“Challenges will always come up, but as she puts it, “we are not performing lifesaving surgery.” Mistakes are fixable, and more often than not, they’re a chance to learn something that prevents the next one. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s improvement.”
None of this outlook formed in a vacuum. Throughout her career, she’s been mentored by a string of strong female leaders, including nearly two decades working alongside Anne Scott (EVP, Business Development, Sports & Entertainment Licensing Group) and eight years alongside Janice Brown (President, Sports & Entertainment Licensing Group). What she admires most in both of them is something that can’t really be taught: the energy, passion and commitment they bring to the business every single day, a standard she’s carried into her own leadership.
Beyond the Office
Outside of work, she’s exactly who her friends describe: strong personality, fiercely loyal and by her own admission, the funniest one in the group.
Most days, though, you’ll find her on a sideline somewhere, cheering on her sons at their sporting events. It’s less a hobby than a favorite part of her routine, proof that the same energy she brings to leading a team shows up just as strongly when she’s rooting for her kids.
