Laura Fernandez is the vice president and head of industry for travel and tourism at SiriusXM. In this spotlight, we asked Fernandez a series of questions about her past and present work, leadership philosophies, favorite podcast, and more so you can get to know her better.

  1. What’s the best book you’ve read recently?
    “The Lioness”, a novel by Chris Bohjalian. 
  2. What do you love most about your work?
    The people and culture at SiriusXM. It’s kind of wild, but I’ve reported to the same person for over a decade and the best thing is, I’m still learning from her. I’m also very passionate about music and podcasts, so it’s a blast to work in the industry.
  3. What is something the community may be surprised to learn about you?
    I’ve been battling Crohn’s disease for over 20 years and have yet to go into remission. I’m very involved with the Crohn’s and Colitis foundation and this year I’m being honored as the “Patient Hero of the Year”.
  4. What’s the toughest part of being in charge?
    Delegating. I’m always concerned about everyone’s bandwidth and don’t want someone to feel overwhelmed, so I will then take it on myself. 
  5. What’s the best way you motivate team members?
    Express gratitude and always recognize a good job. I’m also a big believer in celebrating birthdays and work anniversaries.
  6. What woman inspires you right now and why?
    My manager, Christine Lindsay, the vice president of vertical sales. I’ve been fortunate to report to her for over a decade and I’ve never stopped learning from her. She’s not only one of the most intelligent people I’ve ever worked with but she is also one of the most strategic problem solvers I know. She works hard behind the scenes to always lift her team up and give them positive exposure to the greater organization. She truly lives by the “work hard, be humble” philosophy.
  7. Where do you believe the future of your industry is headed?
    This is podcasting’s boom time. There are now more than 2 million podcasts to choose from and people just can’t get enough. In the U.S., 116 million people listen to at least one podcast every month, and 162 million — over half — listen to at     least one podcast in their life. People are truly obsessed with podcasts, and if you’ve been paying attention to SiriusXM this past year, you’ll know that we are obsessed too!
  8. What is one thing you look for when interviewing a potential candidate?
    Positivity.
  9. What’s your favorite podcast?
    “Conan Needs a Friend” … I think Conan [O’Brien] is one of the great comedians of all time.     My friends and I also launched our own equestrian-themed podcast two years ago — “The 3 Stride Podcast” — I needed to give it a soft plug!
  10. What values are most important to you as a leader?
    Emotional intelligence, honesty, respect and accountability. 
  11. What’s the most important thing people should know about you?
    That I prioritize my health (both physical and mental) above everything else. Being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at 21 years old, I knew that I would not be able to accomplish the things I wanted to (have a career, ride horses, live life, etc.) if I wasn’t healthy.
  12. Do you prefer to work in the office, at home, or hybrid?
    I work remotely in Las Vegas, NV, but I absolutely love visiting our SiriusXM offices across the country. Nothing beats the in-person collaboration that happens in an office setting. 
  13. Where is your favorite place you’ve traveled to?
    Jackson, WY.
  14. What is a top item on your bucket list?
    Ireland.
  15. What do you do to recharge? 
    Ride horses! I have two: Contact and Garcon that I ride and compete with on a regular basis. For me riding for one hour is equivalent to PTO for a week. 
  16. What is your biggest accomplishment?
    Purchasing my first horse. I started working at 12 years old and have never stopped. I     grew up taking riding lessons but never had the money to buy my own horse, so from an early age I started saving and finally accomplished that at 28 years old.
  17. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?
    Make complacency your enemy. Apply passion, performance and persistence instead.
  18. What gets you up in the morning? 
    Life! I want to live a lot of it each day.
  19. What drives you to support organizations such as Women Leading Travel & Hospitality?
    Women Leading Travel & Hospitality is such an incredible and special organization. I love how they lift female leaders up in a non-competitive environment.

If you would like to become a Women Leading Travel & Hospitality member or need additional information about our organization, click here.