• by Lisa Singer , Staff Writer, November 18, 2021

Behind the Scenes with Denise Vitola

Bayer's Denise Vitola talks about being a game changer, the fear of being different and a world of unicorns and rainbows...at least her version.

I've had the opportunity to connect with and learn from executives of major brands at MediaPost's Insider Summits. In the process I've discovered some truly impressive women, and not only for the work they do but their stories behind the scenes. With Brand Insider: BTS, I get to pull back the curtain on some of the most influential women marketers as they talk about their path to success: the twists and turns, obstacles, inspirations and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

Denise Vitola was pressured to change her appearance early in her career - - straighten your hair, wear less makeup, not that jewelry. Initially the v.p. of brand integration, PR social & influencer for consumer health at Bayer conformed until she saw that it was “darkening” her light, "I realized like, wow, somebody's trying to blow out my candle. I can't let them do that. [That] was really where my star started to shine.” And shine it does! In this episode of Brand Insider: BTS, Denise talks with me about embracing individuality, why losing almost everything was a good thing, and our shared love of Tom Brady. You can watch the video of the entire conversation here.