Acquisition International - July 2017 21 Lennar is not only a Fortune 500 company, but they are also the second largest homebuilder in the United States. The firm’s International Sales Manager - Southeast Division, Carla Corbo was pleased to win the Most Prominent Women in Business 2017 award. To mark this success, we interviewed her to find out more about this firm and its principles. ortune 500 company, Lennar has built over 22,000 homes in 18 different US states, with 10% of these homes having been built in Southeast Florida. Sales Manager - Southeast Division, Carla Corbo is eager to begin by revealing her positive vibes about being included in our Most Prominent Women in Business 2017 series and her expert opinion on the extent to which an ever-increasing number of women are joining boardrooms across the region. “The principles that founded this company-quality, value, and integrity, continue to guide Lennar’s vision for homebuilding to this day. The Southeast Division has been one of the strongest and profitable divisions in the country and I have had the honour to work for them for about 15 years. “It feels amazing to be part of a list of such strong and dedicated women. In terms of my own background in this vein, I was fortunate to have a strong role model in my mother and hope to keep that tradition up with my daughter. During the event, we were advised to give our own ‘pearl of wisdom’. This was my favourite part of the event, because they all gave their own opinion based on struggles and achievements, most of which I can relate to. I would say that this achievement is one of the favourite ones I have received throughout my entire career. “On the extent to which an ever-increasing number of women are joining boardrooms across the region, I don’t believe this is happening fast enough. I believe women still struggle with balance and try to figure out whether they want to be ‘a good mother’ or a ‘top business woman’, when you don’t have to pick! I believe that on many occasions, we still want to compensate for the fact that we are ‘women’, by maybe working longer hours or not having our opinions heard because we do not want to cause to much commotion. Having said that I do believe that little by little, things are changing. I do feel that we have a brighter future and that a clearer path lies head for younger and professional women.” Carla is enthusiastic to share with us the vital role that staff play in the success of Lennar Homes, as well as the opportunities and challenges she has to look forward to in her current role. “The people in my team are extremely close to me, as I probably spend more time with them than my own family at times, so thanks to them I have been able to grow and spread my own wings in the business. For a long time, I thought that doing things myself was a better route to take, but I have learned little by little that I can start counting on others more. This approach has allowed me to explore new endeavours, something that I have greatly enjoyed. Company: Lennar Homes International Sales Manager - Southeast Division Name: Carla Corbo Email:
[email protected] Web Address: www.lennarhomessefl.com Address: 730 NW 107 Avenue - 3rd Floor, Miami, Florida 33172 USA Telephone: +1 786 255 9003 Pearls of Wisdom F 1706AI49 “A big challenge for me in 2017, is the foreign national market in South Florida. One of our strongest market in South Florida has been most of South America, including Venezuela and Brazil. Both countries are now still battling their worst years in their individual economies, politics and overall safety. These factors immediately reflect on sales and a significant decrease in people being able to afford a second home or investment in the US. “The challenge has been, that we are not able to open new markets as fast as the others are decreasing. The positive side in all of this, is that Lennar as a company has so many products to offer at every price point, which has allowed us to still meet our numbers but it has been a result of heavy strategising and persistence.” In closing, Carla offers her concluding thoughts, including the future of women in business generally and her own plans in this vein. “I believe opportunities will keep growing for women, however once it happens and they succeed, they will also be challenged to keep balance with their personal life. In the world that we currently live in, parental guidance is extremely important and it may be difficult to have both parents pursue their professional dreams. The positive side of this scenario, is that both genders are becoming more hands on and willing to cover the weight of the other parent, regardless of the gender. “My plans are to keep exploring new ventures in the business, including markets. My favourite part of what I do, is to get to know different cultures and lifestyles, which really gives me a taste of the world. I have always tried to see an opportunity in every challenge, so I find that now is the perfect time to learn, learn and learn. “I would conclude by saying that during challenging times, people must decide whether they’ll let themselves be defeated or fight the good fight. Difficulties are not here to destroy us. To the contrary, they are life’s opportunities to make us stronger and even give us wings.”