One of the coolest things about working at Yum! Brands is the ability to complete an STA. An STA, also known as Short Term Assignment, is the ability to work across corporate, brand and business affiliate offices. This allows employees to grow their skills, learn more about the different functions and gain further insight into business operations without the permanent commitment of a role switch. In this story series, we’ll spotlight those who have completed STA’s and how it’s grown their career.
Up first, we have Abby B., Senior Manager of Marketing for Taco Bell Latin America & The Caribbean (LA&C) *.
This year, Abby will be celebrating seven years with Yum! Brands. She got her start with Collider working on marketing strategy for Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and KFC globally, then moved over to Taco Bell’s international marketing team for two years where she supported the business units (Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America & The Caribbean (LA&C) and UK/Europe) on their food innovation, menu design and overall marketing strategy. During this time, she was offered a Short-Term Assignment with Taco Bell’s LA&C team.
“My coach, Amy D. (Chief Marketing Officer, Taco Bell International) is great at fostering the marketer skillset needed to continue growing in the field. For me, I had knowledge about building a good strategy, but I wanted more insight on the day-to-day, owning a piece of the business whether it be in the U.S. or one of our business units. Keeping this in mind, Amy presented me with the opportunity to join the LA&C marketing team for a bit.”
While Abby was confident in her consulting skills for an overall campaign, executing a campaign specific to a region presented some challenges.
“Being on the international team made it easier for me to work with cross-functional partners, but transitioning to this STA and executing a marketing calendar for a culture that I did not know much about was nerve-racking. I often asked myself if I would be able to follow along due to the language barrier, or if I would be accepted by the franchisees and teams that made up the unit.”
Abby received a warm welcome from the LA&C team right away! Between using a language learning app and translation software to build confidence, Abby made use of her resources to immerse herself in this new culture and delve deeper into the marketing world within the region. She quickly learned about the little implications that were needed to create a marketing campaign. Details like knowing the ingredient registration timeline process in every country or the different Spanish slang used in creative materials were all important to the overall execution of the campaign. Understanding this really helped expand her skillset!
“This STA was a critical step in my career because it exposed me to a whole new side of the business that made me an even stronger marketer. It helped me safely build trust and capability, setting me up for my next role, but also showed me the endless possibilities in the field. When I was more junior in the field, I felt like I knew exactly what I wanted. Now I can see a lot of different paths within the marketing field to get where I eventually want to be in my career.”
After a short three months into the STA, Abby was offered a permanent role on the team. Now, as Senior Manager of Marketing, LA&C, Abby spends her time leading marketing campaigns for the regional calendar and working directly with markets on sales. Abby believes that the STA, in combination with her new role, has truly empowered her and enabled her to craft the career she wants. She believes that career growth might not always be linear, and exploring different paths can elevate you to new heights.
For those looking to advance their career in a familiar and/or new space, Abby suggests the following:
“My first piece of advice is to say yes. Even if you aren’t the first option, or the timing feels weird, or you’re uncomfortable, say yes! Opportunities don’t always come at the most convenient time, but that is what makes you grow more.”
Take action! Don’t wait for others to make space for you, make it yourself. Offer, ask, and take initiative.”
Stay tuned for more stories as we highlight Taco Bell talent. Interested in joining Taco Bell? Head to https://www.tacobell.com/careers.
*Markets in the region include Guatemala, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Chile, Panama, El Salvador, Aruba and Peru.