Cristina Silingardi, Managing Director at VCFO
Cristina is a dedicated and seasoned management professional with leadership experience that spans industries, cultures and languages. As the Managing Director at the Austin VCFO office, Cristina has helped to customize solutions clients of diverse cultural and traditional backgrounds. She is fluent in English, German, Native Portuguese, and conversational Spanish. She is currently a Board Member for the Easter Seals of Central Texas and Austin Technology Council. She is an avid hiker, a sports lover, and loves nothing more than watching a local high school lacrosse game or taking a weekend trip to the Hill Country for some much-needed wilderness.
Q: Why do you choose to spend your time mentoring others?
A: I choose to mentor others as a way to give back all the benefits I’ve received from my mentors. I've benefited from having mentors throughout my career and realized that sometimes having that neutral person that is neither your boss nor your peer allows you to be very open about hesitations and weaknesses. Having the right mentor allows the mentee to be open and benefit from somebody else's experience. So, for me, mentoring is about paying it forward.
Q: What do you personally gain from mentoring?
A: On a personal level, the satisfaction of seeing my mentee grow in their career and excel is deeply rewarding. Mentoring somebody that suddenly receives a compliment from their CEO saying, "I've noticed how much you've grown this year and how much you've participated." Or hearing a mentee say, "I finally know how to use my voice." That is fantastic because many times, it's not your contribution that's the problem. It's your voice and how to be heard favorably.
On a professional level, a big part of my legacy as managing director for VCFO is my decision from the beginning to bring diversity to VCFO. We have an incredibly diverse team now. I'm mentoring very senior consultants that come from completely different backgrounds. And I've learned so much from them by mentoring them. As a result, we're able to serve a much broader client base now because of our diversity.
Q: To what do you attribute your success?
A: I attribute my success to a few key things: being open to embracing opportunities, offering help whenever possible, and then asking for help when I need it.
My first big opportunity came when I was working in Germany, reporting to our board of directors on our semiconductor division in South Germany. During a call with the CEO, I asked him, "How can I better understand your business?" And he said, "Well, why don't you come visit us? Come spend our quarterly budgeting with us." I said I'd be there. And I think he was pretty surprised that I said yes. I didn't realize I was the only female in my group and that none of the other people in my department had ever taken him up on that. As a result, he started inviting me to more things. The more you say yes, the more opportunities you're going to get. He then asked me to relocate to the US to launch a subsidiary here in Austin.
Furthermore, when you offer help, people will reciprocate. It's very common before a board meeting with clients or in any of the jobs I had, including at VCFO, for me to reach out to my peers and say, "For this meeting, is there anything that you would like my help with? Is there any topic you're going to bring up that you need an ally?" It can open up the channel for reciprocity. And finally, don’t forget to ask for help when you need it. You have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable. That's the only way to grow.
Q: What does good mentoring look like to you?
A: As a mentor, be open to more than one way of arriving at the same destination. You have to help that mentee find their way. What will make them succeed? Which can be different from what helped me succeed. Good mentoring means not pushing my personal choices onto my mentee but helping them figure out what will be satisfying to them or what will enable their success.
“Good mentoring means not pushing my personal choices onto my mentee but helping them figure out what will be satisfying to them or what will enable their success.”
I've had mentees tell me, “I really want to learn how you did it. My end goal is to be a CFO in these many years." A good mentor digs deeper: Why do you want to be a CFO? What do you like about that position? It is opening up all aspects related to this goal. Think of turning the cake to the side, so to speak, and seeing the lateral layers as well. Thus, good mentoring brings clarity to a mentee’s goals along different dimensions.
Q: What advice would you give to someone interested in mentoring?
A: My first advice to a new mentor is to be clear on the kind of mentees they are best suited for based on their experiences and expertise.
My second piece of advice to a new mentor is to assume nothing. Listen carefully and then ask more questions. Get to know your mentee very well in the beginning. Ask about how you can best help them, where they think they’ve failed before and where they've succeeded.
Finally, I would recommend mentors check on boundaries. Encourage your mentee to talk about their boundaries related to their personal and professional life. What are things that are non-negotiable for them now? Where do they see themselves in five years or ten? Don't write the resume for the position you have; write the resume for the position you want to have in five years. As a mentor, you can help them create that vision.
Q: How has mentoring impacted your own journey?
A: The mentors I’ve had in my life have helped me see my blind spots, which is critical. When I first came to the US, my mentor was in Germany. I had no reservations about her, and I trusted her. I embraced being uncomfortable with her, and that helped me tremendously. In terms of mentees, I've learned a lot from one particular mentee with a completely different approach than I have, a much softer approach to managing her team. But also, very professional. She doesn't embrace that buddy approach. You don't have to be a buddy to be a mentor or a manager. You have to be approachable. And she's very good at finding various touches, different ways to connect with different people.
Finally, one of my mentors in Germany was excellent at motivating people individually. He treated everybody the same, but he motivated them individually. And that is a talent. What I learned from him is, “Treat others the way they want to be treated, not the way you want to be treated.” Because what impacts me and what motivates me is not what motivates my team.
Q: Why do you choose to mentor with Ceresa?
A: I choose to mentor with Ceresa because I want to encourage more women to stop waiting until they are 100% ready. In my opinion, women don't take as many opportunities as they should. And I want them to go take it. Just jump. And that’s why I like the mission at Ceresa.
Mentorship: integral to the Ceresa whole-person approach
At Ceresa, mentorship is an integral part of our leadership development process. The mentor-mentee relationship is a key component in providing the structure, and at the same time fluidity, necessary to facilitate pointed leadership and career growth for both the participant and the mentor.