Q&A with Arik Tendler, Cambria Chief Sales Officer

Prior to joining Cambria, Arik was the owner of Caesarstone USA for more than a decade, so he comes by his passion for quartz—dare we say it—naturally!

BY MELINDA NELSON

Q: First, the backstory. Why Cambria?

Q: How would you describe your leadership style?

A: I view myself as a coach, so my goal is to create winning work environments at our Le Sueur and Belle Plaine facilities through strategy, planning, accountability, and effective communication. I’m constantly working to foster a strong culture by recognizing coaching opportunities, engaging in crucial conversations, and providing constructive feedback. As a coach, I strive to inspire my teams by practicing what I preach. I encourage people to discover what Cambria’s values mean to them, understand how their work impacts Cambria, and lead by example. This includes owning their responsibilities, discovering social styles in themselves and their teammates, and learning to build and maintain good working relationships. ✦

Q: What brought you to Cambria's Marketing Department?

ARIK TENDLER CHIEF SALES OFFICER

A: After I sold Caesarstone in 2011, I started another quartz company so I know the business inside and out, all over the world. When Marty Davis asked me to join Cambria, the decision was easy because Cambria has the best brand story, the best designs, the best quality, and the best service. After all, what’s more fun than selling the best of the best?

That’s high praise from a quartz guy!

A: I mean it with all my heart and soul. My dad was in the quartz business, so it’s in my blood.

In the world of same-old, same-old, I hate to be plain vanilla. Cambria looks different and feels different, and that’s all about our aesthetic and our designs. The Dragon is in the details!

Q: Where are you focusing your passion and energy?

A: My goal is to establish Cambria as the key point of sale in every market, so I’m constantly traveling between L.A., Minneapolis, and our key markets in the U.S. and Canada. The team and I are focusing on key accounts like The Home Depot and prospective accounts to drive in-store and in-home sales, as well as homeowners, architects, builders, designers, and influencers— everyone who plays a role in the decisionmaking process. ✦

A: Bonne question, as we say en Français! My mother is an interior designer in Morocco and my husband is an architect in Minneapolis, so design is my life. And, having spent my formative years in Corsica, Madagascar, West Africa, Paris, and Morocco before attending college in Montpellier, France, I have a broad global perspective that informs my thinking and my work as a marketer for multinational brands such as Aveda—and now Cambria. I’m excited about using my passion for storytelling to bring focus and clarity to the Cambria narrative as we share this amazing brand story with new audiences around the world. ✦