Hear Her Story: Q&A with Lourdes Caballero, Senior Manager of Product Performance at Gildan

Gildan caught up with Lourdes Caballero, Senior Manager of Product Performance to hear about her career journey. From witnessing the company’s sudden growth to adapting to a larger team, Lourdes shares some of her cherished moments at Gildan.

Q: Tell us about your job:

I’m currently responsible for managing the development of new products.

I started 9 years ago as a product coordinator, already having 11 years of experience in the apparel industry; I was able to transfer a lot of that knowledge to my new position.

When I started at Gildan, the team was pretty small and a lot of our product development was designed in other offices, but things changed quickly. My team and I witnessed the incredible growth of the Company, and our team expanded overnight.  Now the execution of the product development gets done by my team. It was a huge challenge to adapt so quickly to the expansion but I think we managed pretty well. Today I have eight direct reports but my entire team is over 50 people.

Q: What is your proudest moment at Gildan?

I have so many!

I think all my proudest moments have one thing in common, and that’s when my employees get promoted.  I am so proud of them, it’s a feeling I can’t describe. Sometimes it’s hard to see your best employees move on to another team, it actually feels like you’ve just cut off your right arm.  But, at the end of the day, it’s what’s best for their careers.

I like knowing that I’ve played a role in putting them on this path and that makes me incredibly proud.

Q: Can you share a memory that you cherish?

Four years ago, I got pregnant with my first child. I was very excited but nervous to leave work. To my great surprise, coming back to work was a very positive experience. I think for some women it can be challenging after being gone for so long but when I came back everything was running perfectly and the transition was very smooth. My team did a great job while I was away which allowed me to have a pleasant return. It was really an incredible feeling.

Q: Where do you find your motivation?

My mom used to tell me that everything you do you should do with love, passion, and care. That’s something that I try to apply to my life every day and I think that’s where I find my motivation. My mother’s words are always there to guide me and set me on the right path.

I also find a lot of motivation in my team; they are all driven and want to succeed so it’s easy to stay motivated when you are surrounded by like-minded people.

Q: What is a practice that is important to you?

Generally, I try as much as possible to be present. That means when I’m at work I’m 100% here and when I’m at home I’m 100% there. I try and avoid mixing them, simply because I find that it allows me to focus on what’s important in that moment.

When I come home after work, my husband and I usually share an update of our days but we leave it at that. I try not to worry too much about the next day and simply enjoy family time, supper and playing with my daughter. I think it’s important to make the time and space in your mind to be present for your family even if you have big projects and tight deadlines at work.

Click here to read the other stories of the women featured in this series.