The IF list: Frances Dillard, Senior Director of Brand and Product Marketing, Driscoll’s

What IF you had the opportunity to choose between giving
yourself a strong boost in life and helping make the world a
better place? Driscoll’s Senior Director of Brand and Product
Marketing, Frances Dillard, would surely pick the latter every time. Find out what she chose when we asked her a whole host of “what IFs.”


1. IF you had to choose now, what would your last meal consist of?
A piece of my mom’s homemade Greek spanakopita. Meals are intertwined with memories, and spanakopita brings back fond childhood memories growing up with my family on the East Coast.

2. IF you could be a character in any book, who would it be?
Nancy Drew from the original 1930s girl-sleuth book series. Capable, confident, and fearless, Nancy restored order by capturing the villain and solving the mystery. Besides, she drove a darling blue coupe, surrounded herself with great “chums,” and was very fashionable in her tweeds.

3. IF you could imagine yourself in a different industry, what would it be?
I’ve been fortunate to work in several different industries—toys, tech, gaming, entertainment—all interconnected in understanding the needs of the female consumer and her family lifestyle. As a brand and business strategist, meeting the consumer’s needs through a differentiated experience is at the heart of building long-term profitable growth.

4. IF you wrote an autobiography, what would the title be?
The Disruptor

5. IF you had $10 million that you had to donate to someone else, who would you choose and why?
I believe in movements. I would donate the funds to a cause versus an individual. There is nothing more rewarding than creating value for kids when it comes to health and education.

6. IF you were stranded on a desert island, which three items would you bring?
I only need two things:
1. iPhone: There would have to be magical internet connection.
2. My husband: I’ve been happily married for 31 years. He’s not an item but is core to my survival.

7. IF you had to wear the same thing every day, what items of clothing would you pick?
J-Brand jeans, Stuart Weitzman pumps, and a Banana Republic black t-shirt. Oh wait, that’s me now. Thank God women said goodbye to pantyhose and shoulder pads as part of our corporate dress code.

8. IF you had a superpower, what would you want it to be?
The best badass superpower should be about helping to save the world rather than personal gain. It would be awesome to have healing powers. We take optimal health for granted. It’s horrible to watch others suffer and not be able to help.

9. IF you were another species in the animal kingdom, which would you be?
Canis lupus familiaris (Canine)—a dog is everyone’s four-legged friend. Trite answer, but dogs do embody love.

10. IF you could make everyone watch a movie of your choosing, which movie would you want them to see?
Any movie starring the Hollywood legend Cary Grant is worth watching on a lazy Sunday afternoon. While movies can shed light on societal issues, we shouldn’t dismiss the importance of pure fun storytelling. You can’t beat the genius fast-paced dialogue in His Gal Friday—Cary Grant at his best.