Awilda Mendez Hancock heads go-to-market strategy, marketing and advertising for one of Amazon’s most iconic products, the Fire tablet. Before that, she was a leader in the retailer’s ad business, getting brands to buy ads during the biggest shopping events of the year. Hancock’s work at Amazon gives her a solid foundation in marketing and advertising at the largest shopping site in the U.S.

Hancock, 38, also has experience working at major brands, including Colgate-Palmolive and Unilever, which helped her understand what consumer goods companies need from Amazon, she said.

Hancock said that some of the work she is most proud of at Amazon includes developing advertising strategies for brands during tentpole shopping events such as Prime Day. She has worked with non-endemic brands—those that don’t directly sell on Amazon—in the auto, fast food and air travel categories to advertise during peak shopping days.

“We don’t sell cars on Amazon, but we can sell ads,” Hancock said. “Quick-service restaurants, we don’t sell [burgers] on Amazon, but we could place your ad there.”

“There’s always room to think big,” Hancock added. That philosophy has guided her through nearly three years at Amazon, a company that she says encourages "big swings" at these large-scale shopping events.

Prime Day is also a time for Amazon to sell its products, including Fire tablets, Alexa-enabled devices and Fire TV sticks. Hancock said she has taken what she learned from heading up ad sales during deals events and applies that to advertising and marketing in the devices division.

If you could have dinner with one person, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Chrissy Teigen, she’s hilarious! I’d pick her brain on how she juggles being an entrepreneur and family life while maintaining her sense of humor and what seems like an overall positive attitude.

What are the top two social media sites you use on a regular basis?

Instagram and Reddit—the former for inspiration, the latter for information.

What’s currently on your bedside reading list?

“Kindergarten, Here I Come!,” “Thelma the Unicorn,” and “Pig the Pug”—my kids love bedtime stories.

What was the last show you binge-watched?

“Succession.”

At what age do you hope to retire?

Whenever feels right!