Ever since he was a young boy, growing up in the Valencia region of Spain, Sergio Fuster wanted to travel the world. With a career that has taken him from Spain to the UK, Switzerland, Mexico and the U.S., he is well on his way to fulfilling his boyhood dreams.

Now, residing in Connecticut, Fuster serves as the Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for The Dannon Company.

Helping develop Dannon’s strategic direction, Fuster oversees new product development, leads the marketing team, and manages advertising for all Dannon fresh dairy brands, including Activia, Danimals, Dannon, Oikos, Light & Fit, and the company’s newest addition, Dannon Creamery.

Before being named Dannon’s CMO, Fuster served as vice president of marketing for Danone Mexico, based in Mexico City, and was the senior marketing director at Dannon in the U.S., leading the Proactive health brand Activia.

Prior to Fuster’s eight-plus years with Dannon, he held various positions for P&G and Kraft.

While he continues to travel and seek new cultural environments, Fuster enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, exercising, and reading.

Sergio Fuster

CMO @ The Dannon Company

• Age: 39
• HQ: White Plains, NY
• First Job: Ice cream shop waiter

• Apple or Android? Apple
• First Car: SEAT Ibiza (a Spanish car brand)
• Favorite Band: U2

What mobile device can you not live without?

My iPhone.

What app do you use most often for work?

FlightView.

What social media network or website do you frequent most when you’re not working?

Facebook, to connect with friends who I would otherwise not be in touch with because of how much traveling I do.

What’s the first thing you check on your phone in the morning?

Emails…particularly if there are any from my boss.

Take me through your typical workday.

There is no such thing in my life as a typical workday – I make every day different.

What has been the most exciting work development during the past year?

Seeing the possibility that Dannon could be the first official yogurt partner of the NFL as a way to continue to popularize yogurt among Americans. [Ed. Note: In July, The Dannon Company announced it will be the Official Yogurt Sponsor of the National Football League staring in 2015.]

What does your desk look like?

My desk is pretty empty, which helps to keep my mind open.

I keep a souvenir of a framed copy of our top-10 AdMeter ranking from the 2012 Super Bowl, which was the first yogurt ad ever in the Super Bowl.

How many miles have you traveled in the last 12 months?

I travel more than 100,000 miles a year – a combination of European and domestic travel.

The most inspiring trip I took this past year for work was to Silicon Valley to visit Facebook and Google to see how they work in the technology industry.

What work challenge keeps you up at night?

Keeping up with the ever-changing world to be able to connect with consumers keeps me up at night.

Tell me about the people who have been most influential in your career.

The most influential people in my development have a common trait – a huge passion for brand building.

What traits does a person need to succeed in your position?

Vision, conviction, flexibility and commitment.

Can you tell us something about yourself that your team would be surprised to know?

Everyone I work with knows how much I like order and cleanliness, so my colleagues would be surprised to see just how flexible I can be when I arrive home to the chaos of three kids – all under nine years old – creating havoc.

Why did you go into marketing?

A long time ago, someone I trust advised me that a start in marketing would be a good choice to help me fulfill my ambition to run a business.

What other career would you like to try and why?

Anything that involves helping others. People might be surprised to learn that I once served as a coordinator of emergency services for the city in Spain where I was born.

What’s the last business book you read?

I read a lot of books about leadership, and the one I just finished is about the Navy Seals. It is inspiring to see how far a person will go for their team, and something they’re committed to.

Outside of your company’s efforts, what ad campaign or video caught your eye recently?

I like the Lincoln MKC ads with Matthew McConaughey. There is an uncommon authenticity to the storytelling in that campaign.