IWD 2025 - an interview with: Julka Villa

Tell us a little about your career journey leading to where you are now.

With 25 years of experience in the alcoholic beverage and beauty industries across three continents, I have been dedicating my professional life to building consumer-centric businesses for sustainable growth on a global scale. I am passionate about creating enduring brands and empowering individuals, I strive to inspire and develop talent while driving innovation and excellence.

On a more personal note, ever since I was a child—maybe seven or eight years old—I was fascinated by the world of business and the bustling lives of managers, tirelessly creating products and services for the market. I imagined it as a world full of excitement, constant learning, and endless opportunities for growth and action. I have no idea where this vision came from, as I had no real exposure to that reality. And yet, it became my dream—one that, step by step, almost without realizing it, turned into my life’s goal.

Fast forward to today, as a seasoned marketing leader, I have had the privilege of working for incredible companies, true leaders in their industries. These experiences have shaped me—not just as a professional, but as a person. They have challenged me, pushed me to grow, and given me a deep sense of purpose.

But here’s the fun part about me that you won’t find on Google: my curiosity for each company I worked for started long before my career, back when I was just a child. I was barely walking when I became mesmerized by the golden hue and frothy foam of beer (little did I know my first marketing school would be Heineken). I adored my mother’s red lipstick, especially when she pretended to apply it to my lips (years later, I found myself immersed in the world of beauty at L’Oréal). And finally, I grew up under the warm, orange filter of an Aperol Spritz, a cultural ritual deeply rooted in the Italian Northeast, where I was born. That brings me to Campari—the company I now consider my second alma mater, right after the university that shaped me.

What does the International Women’s Day slogan “accelerate action” mean for you?

The International Women’s Day slogan, “Accelerate Action,” is a powerful call to move beyond words and take real, meaningful steps toward gender equality—now, not later. It’s about driving progress, dismantling barriers, and ensuring that women everywhere receive the opportunities, recognition, and rights they deserve.

For me, it’s a reminder to go beyond discussions and symbolic gestures—to champion concrete actions day in day out that empower talented women in leadership, pay equity, career opportunities, and fundamental rights, especially where they are still denied. 

It’s also an invitation for each of us to take control of our own destiny—without hesitation, self-doubt, or fear—and to uplift one another with intention, turning the possible negative experiences some of us might have gone through into awareness, consciousness, expertise to share. Because when there is a will, there is always a way.

How important is it for women to lift each other up and what does that mean to you?

There’s a proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” No one is an island—we are all interconnected, and we thrive within an ecosystem that supports, protects, teaches, and elevates us.

This ecosystem must be built by both men and women—because, in the end, we all understand the challenges of striving for success. True progress happens when we celebrate achievement, big and small, and lift each other up, creating an environment of continuous individual and collective betterment. 

Women are less experienced than men in creating a supportive network, but we are rapidly understanding the importance of it and that every little gesture counts to build in that direction.

How important is diversity across senior leadership teams? 

Isn't it fascinating that while consumer diversity is widely acknowledged and embraced, diversity in leadership is still something we must debate, challenge, and work to correct? That said, diversity in leadership teams is key to be able to build a business able to intercept opportunities and adapt to an everchanging environment. Diversity per se, though, can do little without the curiosity and will to listen to whom has a different perspective on things.

Senior leadership: 26%, C-suite: 19%, 1 in 4: Chief-level. These are the percentages and numbers of female leaders in our industry. What do these numbers represent to you?

In just one word, this numbers give me the sense of the undergoing progression. Women joined the corporate works just a few decades ago, there are gaps to fill, but we are going in the right direction. It will be a matter of time, will, determination, supporting eco-system.

As a successful leader, how do you think (business) leaders can accelerate action toward closing the gender gap and ensuring equal opportunities in the workplace?

I believe in self determination and people managers’ sense of responsibility. Each of us can and has to play a role, no matter how big or small. That said, CEOs have a huge responsibility. They are the role models who set the tone for the entire company—shaping its actions, transformations, and direction, for better or worse.

Can you share your top tips for entrepreneurial/managerial/leadership success?

I will share my fav 4 Ls:

Love what you do and give your better self to it. It will pay off.

Listen to and know your audience, both internal and external and (over)deliver against their expectations. 

Live life—don’t let life live you. Be intentional. Give yourself some time to understand if a job fits you. If it does not, do not waste your time there. There is a better place waiting for you elsewhere. Actively look for it.

Leverage excellent people around you to soundboard your ideas.

What’s the most important piece of advice you’d give to a woman thinking of starting a career at leadership level?

Be curious, try yourself in different areas and ventures, build a faceted, international career. Push fear far from you. Think twice but do not indulge in overthinking, bounce your ideas to different people but in the end trust your gut, act and do not turn back. When you do mistakes, learn from them quickly and move on.

Have there been any role models through your life (work or professional) who have helped shape you as a leader?

I learned a great deal from my family—they taught me that willpower and resilience can take you far. From them, I also learned the value of personal commitment, reliability, and the crucial role of education—first as a foundation, then as a lifelong tool for self-determination.

I was also fortunate to work with inspiring leaders who demonstrated the power of empathy and empowerment, showing me how to be ambitious and visionary while remaining grounded and human.

That said, I must also acknowledge the lessons learned from poor managers—the pitfalls of arrogance, the risks of not truly listening, and the dangers of believing one has already arrived.