EPISODE #3: CHERYL DESANTIS | CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER, SMILEDIRECTCLUB- EMPATHY, ACTION & STRATEGIC CHANGE

Cheryl DeSantis is Chief People Officer at SmileDirectClub, the oral care company with the first telehealth platform for teeth straightening. With more than 20 years of experience in strategic people and organizational development, Cheryl enables the growth of the business through its team members, striving to maintain SmileDirectClub’s strong company culture through values-based leadership. Cheryl has global oversight of talent acquisition, compensation and benefits, team member relations and engagement, HR information systems, and learning and development for SmileDirectClub’s business across the globe. She also leads the expansion of SmileDirectClub’s international internal organizational structure and framework. 

Before joining SmileDirectClub, Cheryl acted as Vice President of People and Organization at Mars Petcare, leading enterprise-wide Human Resources programs and policies serving 4,000 employees across the globe. Through her 10+ years of work at Mars, she led benefits and global HR communications, corporate HR initiatives, and long-term people and organizational strategy for several divisions of the business. 

Throughout her career, Cheryl has held positions across many different industries, including manufacturing, telecommunications, professional services, e-commerce, and consulting. Prior to working in the HR field, Cheryl worked in advertising and communications. Cheryl lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with her three daughters.

Connect with Cheryl DeSantis on LinkedIn.

Leading Forward with Christie Berger

Highlights: "How to Lead with Empathy and Inclusivity"

• Pivotal Moments and Strategic Change: When the pandemic hit and businesses were forced to shut down, SmileDirectClub made a very quick shift and went “back to their roots,” and offered at-home kits.
• Themes and Decision Making: “Quick decision making across the whole business.” Meeting weekly allows the team to “assess a problem, make a decision right there and go.”
• Some organizations are afraid of trying something new and it not working out. However, SmileDirectClub chooses to “test and learn; If we fail, we fail fast and we take something from it. We make very quick decisions by taking out a lot of the bureaucracy.”
• Power of purpose: “People come to work because they connect with your mission and your purpose.” At SmileDirectClub they believe in “transforming lives through a smile.”
• Employee Feedback Leads to Organizational Action: Communication, recognition and separating work from life were crucial themes for working remotely.
• “Create a space,” was a set of guidelines to help promote team members not working more now that they are remote. The organization blocked out “no meeting” times and encouraged team members to take vacation days. This helps promote rest, restoration and then “work time” is more meaningful. 
• Having virtual coffee meetings to start your team’s Monday morning gave team members permission to connect in a different way with their coworkers. 
• Having multiple training sessions on empathy is one way to help team members develop remotely.