‘Don’t sit on your desires’: How Enriqueta Cornejo developed a data-driven culture at Driven Brands
From Venezuela to Quebec to Driven Brands, Enriqueta Cornejo turned curiosity into leadership, building a proactive, data-first culture along the way.
“I always like a challenge,” Enriqueta Cornejo explained. “I always like to do different things. I guess that's why I moved around the world.”
Enriqueta's adventurous spirit and strategic decision-making long predate her current position as Sr. Director of Performance Analytics at Driven Brands. Born and raised in Venezuela, her father has called her a nomad for as long as she can remember.
She openly embraces change and growth, a characteristic that first propelled her forward when she moved to the United States after high school to learn English, gain hands-on experience through job shadowing, and begin her career in the engineering field.
Enriqueta spent a year living in the U.S. with her aunt, her mom’s twin—an opportunity made possible by the efforts and unwavering support of her parents. This transformative year revealed a defining truth: when Enriqueta sets her mind to something, she pursues it wholeheartedly, and with her family’s support, she can succeed. That combination carried her through every major decision that followed.
After her year in the U.S., she returned to Venezuela and accepted her first job as an analyst at the largest steel mill company in the country. There, her adaptation of analytics and data to make future-based decisions began to grow. Enriqueta analyzed cargo data and negotiated contracts for trade vessels.
“In order for us to have good prices on what the freight will be, we have to analyze the commodities,” Enriqueta said. “We have to analyze the future.”
What she learned there would continue to guide her across the globe. Next, she took a job as a consultant in strategic sourcing in Boston, followed by a stint in the ship sector in Venezuela. Enriqueta and her husband decided it was time for a change and wanted to relocate to a place that provided more opportunities for themselves and their two children. Enriqueta and her husbands careful search for new opportunities led her and her family to leave Venezuela and call Quebec, Canada their new home.
In this new country, Enriqueta learned her third language, French, found an opportunity to work with data in a way that could drive decisions – at Driven Brands. Since joining Driven as an analyst in 2018, Enriqueta once again demonstrated her commitment to going after what she wants, and that dedication led her to her current role as the Sr. Director of Performance Analytics.
"I think in the past we were more about reporting and looking back at what the data was telling us. We were more reactive than proactive," Enriqueta explained. “That was something that I brought to the equation because I knew that we could do more predictive analytics.”
This predictive capability, powered by statistical models, enabled the company to forecast repair costs and pricing. Now, Driven can anticipate market trends.
Through the guidance, support, and insights of her husband, mentors, and the many individuals she has encountered, learned from, and collaborated with throughout her career, Enriqueta proves that strong support systems are key to making an impact. This shapes how she leads her analytics team. She creates an environment where her team feels empowered to identify opportunities while ensuring franchisees have the support they need.
Looking ahead, Enriqueta remains ready to embrace further opportunities to grow and lead high-impact analytics teams: "I want to do more than produce insights, but I want to shift mindsets so that data becomes a culture, not just a function. Data is Power,” she explained.
Fueled by her own drive and desire to seek greater opportunities for herself and her family, Enriqueta embodies the mindset she brings to Driven Brands: when you want to grow, you do it because you choose to.
"Don't sit on your desires,” said Enriqueta. “Speak up and do it."