Meet Karina Sanchez: Global Don Julio Ambassador and All-Around Tequila Jefa

When people think of Mexico, one of the first things to come to mind is tequila. The spirit is known around the world. It is a piece of Mexican culture that transcends borders and gives people a taste of what makes Mexico so magical. The relevance and importance of the tequila industry in Mexico captured Karina Sanchez’s dreams. She always wanted to be involved in the tequila industry and worked to make it happen. Now, Sanchez not only works in the tequila industry, she is the Global Brand Ambassador for one of tequila’s most iconic brands: Don Julio.

Karina Sanchez is the woman bringing Don Julio to the world

Sanchez always dreamed of breaking into the tequila industry. For her, representing tequila was more than a job. It was a chance to represent something so important to Mexico. Through tequila, she sees a chance to bring her culture to the world through a spirit that is unique to her country.

Her way into the industry is not the typical route one would assume. Sanchez is a chemical engineer, but she didn’t want to be in the lab. She didn’t want to be part of the closed-door science part of tequila in Mexico.

“My dream was more about public relations,” Sanchez tells FIERCE. “I found a position as a tour guide at a distillery. I started growing my career at that company, and became an ambassador of tequila. Then, I was managing public relations and industrial marketing in that company.”

From there, Sanchez started to rise the ranks within the industry. After a few years working for a tequila company, she made her way to the National Tequila Chamber. There she was able to work with all of the tequila companies and the larger tequila industry.

“After three years in the National Tequila Chamber, I moved to Diageo to represent Don Julio,” Sanchez says.

Sanchez has seen great progress toward gender equity in the tequila industry

“There are still many opportunities that we have in the tequila industry to give more participation and to achieve equity for women,” Sanchez explains. “However, I have seen in these last twenty years an important progression on that topic. Now, more than ever, the tequila industry, in general, is committed to achieve this equity to promote inclusion.”

In her own personal story, Sanchez recalls how she was hired three times by women in her career. That, she notes, is proof that the tide is turning in a positive direction for women wanting to get into the tequila industry. Yet, she still acknowledges that there is work to do to create a fully equitable and inclusive environment for women in leading roles in the tequila industry.

Her career has been filled with moments of Mexican pride

She has always been prideful about Mexico and tequila. The global love of tequila is a source of pride for all Mexicans because it is a reminder to the world of the unrivaled culture. The taste of tequila brings the richness of Mexico to the tastebuds of drinkers around the world. Traveling around the world to represent tequila opened her eyes about how people around the world feel about tequila.

“To explain your brand, you need to talk about Mexico. You need to talk about Mexican culture and the category, because in the end, the category represents part of this Mexican culture,” Sanchez says. “I realized this passion for tequila in general, when I started traveling and when I was in some other people’s shoes.”

Sanchez adds, “That makes me feel so proud as a Mexican woman.”

Women helping and uplifting women is crucial in continuing the work

Breaking into an industry is always a challenge. For women, it can be a little harder. There has been progress in the tequila industry to uplift women but there is more work to do. According to El Restaurante, out of the 194 registered tequila companies, 18 of them are run by women. Additionally, 52 percent of tequila consumers are women showing an affinity for tequila among women.

Sanchez says that plugging into a network of supportive women and putting in the work is the best way to break into the tequila industry.

“We must be supportive of other women so we can solidify a powerful network between us,” Sanchez says. “We need to ask for support if this is what we need and be proud of the person that we are.”

She adds, “We have unique qualities as a people and individuals.”

This interview was facilitated by Don Julio during a press trip in Guadalajara, Mexico.