Monique Salas, Founder, Salas Strategy Group
Monique Salas is a dynamic and versatile leader whose passion lies in building, growing, and transforming consumer-centric brands that leave a lasting impact on the world. With a career spanning over 14 years in corporate marketing, Monique has honed her expertise in leading cross-functional teams, crafting innovative marketing strategies, and driving measurable growth for some of the world’s most recognized brands. Throughout her career, she has consistently demonstrated an ability to blend strategic vision with operational excellence, helping brands resonate with consumers in meaningful ways.
Monique’s career began at McDonald’s USA, where she spent the first seven years of her professional journey. During her tenure at McDonald’s, Monique led marketing teams and agencies across key regions of the United States, including high-priority markets such as New York, Ohio, The Carolinas, and the South. She was instrumental in delivering strong growth results for the brand, creating successful campaigns, and contributing to McDonald’s continued dominance in the fast-food industry. Her experience in understanding and responding to consumer needs and market dynamics was a key factor in her early success, and it laid the foundation for her next professional chapters.
As a deeply consumer-obsessed marketer, Monique later made a significant pivot into the beauty industry, where she continued to make her mark. Joining L’Oréal USA, she focused on two iconic beauty brands: Carol’s Daughter and Redken. In her role, Monique was responsible for creating the strategic vision, shaping the innovation pipeline, and overseeing brand marketing efforts for both Carol’s Daughter and Redken Haircare. Under her leadership, both brands saw sustained year-over-year growth. She played a pivotal role in refining brand positioning, expanding product offerings, and connecting with diverse consumer segments, all while maintaining an unwavering focus on delivering exceptional value and experiences to customers.
Monique’s success in corporate marketing spans across several Fortune 100 and 300 companies, covering industries such as foodservice, beauty, and consumer goods. With this extensive experience, Monique took a step toward entrepreneurship, seeking to apply her corporate knowledge in a more flexible, high-impact environment. Her entrepreneurial journey led her to take on the role of Global Vice President of Marketing and Innovation at House of Cheatham, where she oversaw iconic brands such as Aunt Jackie’s Curls and Coils, Africa’s Best, and Originals by Africa’s Best. In this capacity, Monique was responsible for driving the growth of these brands through innovative marketing strategies, product development, and consumer engagement efforts that resonated deeply with multicultural audiences.
In 2022, Monique founded Salas Strategy Group, an executive-level consulting firm aimed at providing strategic guidance and actionable marketing plans for early to mid-stage businesses across various industries. With her expertise in brand growth, innovation, and consumer insights, Salas Strategy Group specializes in positioning companies for long-term success. Monique’s consulting services are particularly focused on developing strategies for brands that cater to multicultural consumers, with an emphasis on Black and Brown communities. She is deeply passionate about helping businesses scale, create compelling brand narratives, and connect with diverse audiences in authentic ways.
Monique also enjoys partnering with visionary founders, offering her expertise in imagining and scaling their companies for the future. By combining her extensive corporate experience with a hands-on, entrepreneurial approach, she is helping brands achieve new heights, transform industries, and become household names. Her focus on building brands that resonate with multicultural audiences has made her an influential figure in the marketing world, particularly for companies aiming to diversify their consumer base and expand their reach to broader, more diverse populations.
In all of her endeavors, Monique remains committed to shaping the future of marketing, empowering businesses to achieve their growth potential, and driving meaningful connections between brands and their consumers.
Q. With your extensive experience across both corporate and entrepreneurial settings, what do you believe is the most important factor for brands to consider when building authentic connections with multicultural consumers?
A. When connecting with multicultural consumers I urge brands to stay consumer obsessed. You often hear this term being tossed around but I mean it quite literally. What makes your target consumer upset should make you upset, you should be so closely tied to the issues that make your consumer tick that you become one and the same. That’s the way to truly “get underneath” their issues and develop products that speak to pain points. The opportunity for smart innovation surrounds us all the edge lies in the ability to understand what will truly move your consumer.
