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Veronica Schnitzius, President of American Leather, a leading manufacturer of custom-upholstered, premium leather and fabric furniture, based in Dallas, Texas joins Enterprise Radio.
American Leather’s full line of stationary and motion furniture is all designed and manufactured in the Dallas headquarters, and is sold through more than 650 retail stores nationwide.
This episode of Enterprise Radio is in association with the Leadership Channel.
Listen to host Eric Dye & guest Veronica Schnitzius discuss the following:
- Tell us a little about American Leather, and the kind of products you manufacture.
- The furniture category is a competitive landscape. Tell us how American Leather has been able to stay competitive and grow?
- I understand that the company sells exclusively through retail stores. With online shopping becoming the new norm for consumer products, how are you able to account for that and maintain growth through retail channels?
- You worked your way up in the company over the last 16 years, starting as an engineer and now running the company as its first female president. Tell us a little about that journey, and what it is like to run the business.
- What advice would you give other female business leaders today, given your experience?
Veronica L. Schnitzius serves as President of American Leather (AL), a Dallas-based $300M manufacturer of custom-ordered furniture, where she has responsibility for all aspects of AL’s operations. With 15 years of professional experience she has held roles as Chief Operating Officer, and been responsible for manufacturing, product development, sales, marketing, administration and logistics.
A native of Colombia, Veronica obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Production Engineering from EAFIT University in Medellin in 2001. After graduation she immediately began working as a KPMG consultant to troubleshoot issues for manufacturing firms in the areas of process reengineering and cost accounting. Veronica completed her Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington while working at American Leather.
As COO Veronica helped disrupt the furniture industry with Japanese lean manufacturing innovations to deliver custom-made furniture 75% faster than industry standard, allowing retailers to invest only in their floor samples. She credits her success to manufacturing innovation and excellence, and culturally ingrained diversity, reflected in managing first generation immigrants from 22 different countries in a population of over 500 employees, where family wellness and scholarship programs are provided.
Veronica served as Secretary of the Hispanic 100, an organization of professional Latina Leaders in the DFW area. She also served as Vice president and committee chair of financial development for Women in the Home Industries (WithIt). Veronica has served as a board member of the Young Professionals of the Dallas Regional Chamber and was recently appointed as a board member for the Young Presidents organization (YPO) Lone Star – Dallas chapter.
Website: www.americanleather.com
Social Media Links:
Facebook: facebook.com/americanleather
Twitter: @americanleather
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