Latino Leaders - The Technology Edition

TECH: SOFTTEK, A MEXICAN VENTURE THAT IS LEADING THE WAY IN HIGH-TECH. PANEL: MARKETING GIANTS TALK BRANDS, MARKET, AND STRATEGY SCHOOLS: WHAT COLLEGES ARE THE BEST FOR LATINOS IN TECH? COLUMNS: RALPH DE LA VEGA AND RAYMOND ARROYO www.latinoleaders.com

NEW FACE: INTERACTIVE, ENVIRONMENTFRIENDLY AND EASIER TO READ! 17 YEARS OF BRINGING THE BEST STORIES OF LATINOS THAT LEAD.

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ENERGY:

DAVID HERNANDEZ THE ELECTRIC MAVERICK CEO OF LIBERTY POWER 32

March / April 2018 Vol. 19 No. 2

THE LIST OF THE TOP LATINOS IN ENERGY 2018.

LATINOS WHO ARE SPEARHEADING EFFORTS IN THE ENERGY SECTOR.

LATINAS:

THE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN 2018 AN EXCLUSIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH ALPFA. 48

CONTENTS

MARCH / APRIL

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7- PROSPANICA- An event coverage of the Leadership Summit that took place in Dallas, TX on February 8-10, 2018.

8- GLOBAL LEADERS ORGANIZATION- GLO has come together to create a network of Latinos that will help support and expand Latino-owned businesses.

9- COMERICA- Somos Familia is an organization in San Francisco that provides help and counseling to family members of LGBTQ members.

Gerardo Rentería

10- INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION- Raymond Arroyo sits with Carly Sanchez, head of Talent Acquisition, Strategy and Delivery for Wells Fargo & Co. and one of the Top 50 Most Powerful Latinas in Business.

12- DE LA VEGA ON LEADERSHIP- Change is inevitable. Ralph de La Vega shares his advice on leading in the middle of change.

14- PANEL- Marketing leaders discuss what to take into consideration in order to have an effective strategy targeting the Hispanic market.

30- ENERGY - A thorough view at the energy industry and the leaders introducing new technologies, innovative methods and strengthening diversity. Also, see who was featured in this year’s Top Latinos in Energy list.

Camila Casale

32- COVER - Liberty Power CEO David Hernandez talks about his humble beginnings in Cuba, the foundation of his entrepreneurial spirit, and the importance of having Hispanic-owned businesses.

48- LATINAS - A special section showcasing and presenting the Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business 2018, a list put together by ALPFA and Fortune magazine.

IN EVERY EDITION 4-Publisher’s Letter 6- Editor’s Letter 64- Cellar

Alexis Langagne

16- TECH- Our main feature contains profiles of great leaders in technology. A glance at the life of leaders like Camila Casale from Softtek and Alexis Langagne from Oracle. This feature also contains the list of the Best Schools for Latinos in Tech.

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Marita’s Vineyard 2015 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville, Napa Valley Estate Grown Private Reserve

PUBLISHERS

Publisher Jorge Ferraez

President and CEO Raul Ferraez

Director of Journalism Mariana Gutierrez Briones mariana@latinoleaders.com Administrative Director Lawrence Teodoro Editor Sarai Vega svega@latinoleaders.com Business Development Manager Cristina Gonzalez cristina@latinoleaders.com

THE MAGAZINE you have in your hands is the MAGAZINE OF THE FUTURE. Our publication has undergone a phenomenal redesign, a change in size, color and texture making it a publication that talks to its reader and asks for feedback and analysis. A print object of desire and worship that brings the leader into informative-emotional experiences that appeal 100% to its mindset and way of life.

With an 18-year history of knowing and interacting with readers, the editors have learned exactly their interests and desires, their visions and frustrations and most importantly what they want TO DO with the information they are getting from these new pages that are now brain-stimulating.

Latino Leaders will no longer measure its readership in demographic general terms. It will do so by their way of thinking, priorities, values and emotions. The Magazine of the Future will include areas where you can write down notes.

You will also be able to tear off pages and you will notice a lot more visuals. In terms of advertising, we will see more branded content, in which the ad is no longer disruptive to the reading experience. A gracious blend of commercial content that will actually bring editorial value to the reader; the future of print advertising.

We hope you enjoy this new proposal of the print industry, because as we understand the value of our content, we also want to strengthen the value of the vehicle that distributes it.

Latino Leaders will bring a completely new experience in magazine-reading to those who are leaders, innovators and warriors in life…to those who want to keep writing the future.

There is no other better theme for our new format than the High-Tech and Energy industries. Both are a stairway to the future and both possess many great examples of leaders guiding the path and setting the bar for others to follow. Leaders like Arcilia Acosta at CarCon Industries, David Hernandez leading Liberty Power, Alexis Langagne directing Oracle, Camila Casale with Softtek, Gerardo Renteria with GM, Luis Sierra with BP and Alice Rodriguez with JPMorganChase, among many others.

Jorge & Raul Ferraez 4 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

Art Director Fernando Izquierdo ferdiseno@latinoleaders.com

Check out Jorge’s wine recommendations on pg. 64.

Editorial Art & Design Rodrigo Valderrama Carlos Cuevas Luis Enrique González Moisés Cervantes Oswaldo Bernal Guerrero Human Resources Manager Susana Sanchez Administration and Bookkeeping Claudia García Bejarano Executive Assistant to the Publishers Liliana Morales Digital Media & Design Manager Kenzie Tysl kenzie@latinoleaders.com Executive Assistant Fabiola Tarango fabiola@latinoleaders.com For advertising inquiries, please call 214-206-9587

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino (ISSN 1529-3998) is published seven times annually by Ferraez Publications of America Corp., 11300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300, Dallas, TX, 75243, March / April 2018. Subscription rates: In U.S. and possessions, one year $15.00. Checks payable to Ferraez Publications of America, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Latino Leaders, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA.© 2001 by Ferraez Publications of America Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino. The periodical’s name and logo, and the various titles and headings therein, are trademarks of Ferraez Publications of America Corp.

Member of The National Association of Hispanic Publications

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MEMBER OF SRDS Latino Leaders The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino 11300 N. Central Expressway, Suite 300, Dallas, TX, 75243 Phone: 214-206-9587 / Fax: (214) 206-4970

EDITORS

I

SARAI VEGA

t is with such great honor and pride that I present to you our newly-redesigned Latino Leaders Magazine! This change was made with our readers in mind. Months of brainstorming have brought us to the beginning of this change; an innovative form of introducing information. Our mind has developed in such a way where smaller bits of information are easier to process and retain. Our team has taken that into consideration and has created a cleaner and more interactive publication. Throughout the next couple of months, we will be fine-tuning details to bring an even more pleasurable reading experience to our readers.

Besides this incredible makeover Latino Leaders has received, this magazine continues to include some of the best leaders in the community. In this edition, we highlight Latinos in the Technology (pg. 16) and Energy (pg. 34) industry. Heavy-hitters, go-getters, groundbreakers, change makers, trailblazers…Latinos who are climbing the ladder with every setback and every victory, every challenge and every achievement. Also in this issue, we are releasing the list of The Top 50 Most Powerful Latinas in Business (pg. 48), an effort by both ALPFA and Fortune Magazine.

We congratulate this group of Latinas that, in such a time like this, have created such a prestigious reputation for Latinos in business. Because of them I can say, the future is TRULY female.

It is my true hope that you will enjoy not only our new look, but also the stories and profiles of these extraordinary Latinos.

TITLE: EDITOR AGE: 30 LIVES IN: DALLAS, TX

Let us know what you think about our new look using the hashtag #ConnectLL.

W

omen are harnessing power like never before – weather through movements of National relevance or small acts of courage at their work, homes and communities, the female voice is being heard like never before. Their power is also being felt in corporate America, and we are extremely proud to be sharing in this edition our 50 Most Powerful Latinas in Business index in partnership with ALPFA – celebrating the accomplishments of 50 influencers whose impact ripples well beyond the corporations and businesses they lead. All of these women are not only trail blazers and examples of professional success– but they are also wives, mothers and mentors – going the extra mile to clear the path for another generation of leaders who will have new challenges to tackle, but who will enter the work force with more confidence and support than ever before. The significance of the women’s movement and the impact of these voices is just beginning to affect a powerful transformation – and we are honored to celebrate these leaders.

We are also delighted to present stories such as the one of Luis Sierra – and are truly amazed at how there are Hispanic leaders contributing to every industry in the country. A mechanical engineer who is now leading a team of thousands at BP Petrochemicals, Luis’s story from exile from Cuba to the American dream is truly inspirational and we hope the lessons he shares will be a great tool for our readers. Another leader who graciously gave his time and opened the doors to his headquarters to us is Liberty Power’s David Hernandez. Brilliant and humble, we could see the admiration that his colleagues and employees have for him, an admiration based on his generosity and– the definition of a true leader.

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MARIANA GUTIERREZ BRIONES TITLE: DIRECTOR OF JOURNALISM LIVES IN: MIAMI, FL

EVENTS

DALLAS, TX

PROSPANICA’S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT 01

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EVERY YEAR, the Prospanica Leadership Summit convenes Latinos who drive change in their professions and communities. Over the course of three days, Prospanica’s chapter leadership and members dive into topics and hands-on experiences designed for immediate application across their spheres of influence. The summit features keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and special events that offer resources, tools, and opportunities for peer engagement and learning. The 2018 Prospanica Leadership Summit entitled Effecting Change: From Personal Influence to Collective Impact was held from February 8-10, 2018 in Dallas, Texas where Prospanica is headquartered. With sessions for both Prospanica chapter leadership and other business professionals, the Summit highlights how to transform personal effectiveness into community-wide change.

Among the distinguished presenters were Dr. Dale Fodness of the University of Dallas, Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business who provided a workshop on Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship as well as an additional session on Becoming a Changemaker. Also from the University of Dallas, Satish and Yasmin Gupta College of Business, Dr. Brett Bourbon conducted an insightful presentation on Strategic Thinking and Storytelling, while presenter Keith Owen from the UNT College of Visual Arts + Design delivered a hands-on workshop entitled Design Thinking: New Perspectives. Dr. Vincent Ramos, Principal at Psychological and Forensic Mental Health Services shared powerful advice on Achieving Work-Life Balance: Unique Challenges to Latino Success.

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01 The Prospanica Leadership Summit convenes Latinos who drive change in their professions and communities providing a space where they can dive into topics and hands-on experiences designed for immediate application across their spheres of influence. The summit features keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and special events that offer resources, tools, and opportunities for peer engagement and learning.

02 The Prospanica National team prepared a robust schedule for attendees of the 2018 Leadership Summit. Brandie Steadham, Prospanica National’s Event & Membership Specialist (Left) and Monica González-Williams, Chapter Relations Manager (Right) shared all the details of the 3-day event with chapter leaders and Prospanica members upon arrival.

03 The 2018 Prospanica Leadership Summit: Effecting Change - From Personal Influence to Collective Impact provided an opportunity for new members assuming leadership roles at the chapter level, and seasoned Prospanica leaders to come together to acquire the necessary knowledge to effect change.

04 The 2018 Prospanica Leadership Summit also included prominent speakers who demonstrated the importance of collaboration among Latino-led organizations. Thomas Savino, Prospanica CEO, welcomed Raquel Tamez, CEO of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE), who provided Summit attendees her insight and encouragement as well as powerful advice regarding careers in STEM.

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MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 7

COMMUNITY

JOINED FORCES

ABOUT NINA G. VACA: Nina G. Vaca is an awardwinning entrepreneur, philanthropist and civic leader. She is best known as the Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group, which was named the Fastest-Growing Women-Owned Business in the United States in 2015. Vaca is the Chairman Emeritus of the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (following her service as Chair from 20102012), as well as Chairman of the USHCC Foundation.

She currently sits on the boards of three publiclytraded companies.

Global Leaders Organization Launches Innovative New Community to Support Latino Owned Businesses.

Nina Vaca - Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group to join Global Leaders Organization to create a community “to grow” Latino businesses.

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Latino entrepreneurs face a unique set of challenges when attempting to grow their businesses – they can suffer from a lack of community support or struggle accessing the right kind of capital. As a way to address these problems, Global Leaders Organization (GLO) joined forces in March in New York City with Microsoft and Pinaccle Group's Nina Vaca– to create a new type community for Latino owned businesses. GLO is both a dynamic digital platform for business leaders, as well as, a network of local chapters with face-to-face meetings and events. Qualified entrepreneurs can build business networks, receive support and resources, expand markets and raise capital through a number of GLO communities. Ms. Vaca will be working closely with GLO and other key stakeholders to ensure the effort provides the needed resources, market opportunities and capital needs of Latino entrepreneurs.

The GLO Latino business community will be a major part of the new digital platform, and will include a number of local chapters around the United States. Each community has education, training and peer networking resources available, as well as, a Marketplace, Deal Network and Investment Portals for members. “By becoming a business owner, the average family income of a Latino family goes up nearly 600%.” said Michelle Lemmon’sPoscente, Founder and CEO. “With GLO, our entrepreneurs will receive the resources they need to be leaders of our communities.”

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GLO Global Leaders Organization represents a community breakthrough for business owners and entrepreneurs.

Designed for business owners with a minimum of $250,000 of annual revenue, GLO provides a peer platform for networking, expanding markets, and raising capital.

Business owners organize into communities by industry, demographic and local city chapters. With an aggressive plan for a global footprint to recognize global marketplace, GLO is committed to meeting the unique challenges of small businesses into today’s economy.

BUSINESS BARRIERS Latino business leaders report that raising capital is one of the most challenging aspects to the growth of their business. Traditional barriers that small business owners experience are even more challenging with the lack of familiarity with business banking, private securities, and financing systems. This is why Global Leader’s Organization is building a network of investment portals for GLO members to raise capital.

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GLO is also unique in that it brings a number of well-known entrepreneurs and business celebrities to the table to help support and grow Latino businesses. Investor and entrepreneur - Kevin Harrington, best known for his role as the original shark on the TV series Shark Tank and the founder of the infomercial, is joining Ms. Vaca in this overall effort to help scale Latino businesses. He stated in New York, “Access to capital is a critical challenge for all entrepreneurs. GLO’s deal network and investment portals will address this critical need in an exciting new way" In her closing remarks at the New York launch, Nina Vaca stated, “My best advice to any up-and-coming entrepreneur is to surround yourself with people who truly want to see you succeed. In this day and age, that also means joining the right organizations and using digital platforms that will help you reach the next level.

That’s exactly what GLO offers – a network of people committed to each other’s success.”

01 Nina Vaca, Chairman and CEO of Pinnacle Group; Kevin Harrington, Owner of Harrington Enterprises and Michelle LemmonPoscente, Founder and CEO of Global Leaders Organization 02 Nina Vaca; Kevin Harrington, Owner of Harrington Enterprises and Michelle LemmonPoscente, Founder and CEO of Global Leaders Organization

COMERICA CORNER Rosa Rodriguez

Carlos Cuevas

SOMOS FAMILIA With the Supreme Court’s ruling that same-sex couples have the constitutional right to marry, and the success of Logo, an LGBTQ television network, the gay community has crossed societal barriers that were once taboo in national and global mainstream and legal standards. But many moral, religious and traditional views condemn this community, often in Latino families.

Somos Familia, an organization based in the San Francisco Bay area, supports the needs of LGBTQ members who struggle to gain acceptance from their families, communities, and society.

“We provide those resources, provide them in Spanish to these families who are looking for something that can speak to them as a culture, as a Latino family, so that the parents can sort of see, see and feel what it’s like for their children to come out,” said Joshua Delfin, president of Somos Familia.

Founded in 2007, the organization provides workshops, social events, welcomes volunteers and participates in various activities that engage and connect the LGBTQ community with local stakeholders, ultimately forming partnerships that lead to more leadership opportunities for gays. Additionally, parents and other family members become more accepting of their gay family members and positive bonds are created as they engage in information sessions and events presented

by Somos Familia.

“It’s a process when parents hear their children come out,” Delfin said.

Somos Familia was founded by Laurin Mayeno, whose son is gay, and Mirna Medina, a native of El Salvador, whose son is bisexual. Both women believed, with Medina having limited English proficiency, that there were many Latino parents who did not speak English and lacked the resources in their native language to understand and find the support to better understand the needs of their gay children. They spoke to a Spanish Catholic congregation and attended

pride parades to inform the public of their organization and advocate for communitywide changes.

“We’ve gotten mostly really, really positive responses,” Mayeno said. “And what we’ve found when we speak to parents and schools and community organizations is that most of the people haven’t had the opportunity to have this conversation, they haven’t had a chance to ask questions. There’s a lot of silence about having LGBTQ children and the dialogues we’ve had with a lot of people have allowed them to break their silence.”

Delfin and Mayeno attribute much of Somos Familia’s success to their relationship with Comerica Bank. Comerica, which cosponsored their 10-year anniversary event, supported their needs at a time when the organization had a minimal budget and limited resources to set off the organization.

Some of Comerica’s support included offering free conference room spacing for meetings, which Delfin said would have exceeded their budget had they needed to rent room space through a different group. For Delfin and Mayeno, Comerica’s involvement serves as the backbone of many of Somos Familia’s projects and endeavors, helping families understand their LGBTQ members and embracing their beliefs and way of life.

“You want to look for a bank that shows commitment to the community that they serve,” Delfin said.

FACTS • As of 2013, there are 904,900 LGBTQ immigrants, many from Central and South America, living in the United States (source: Human Rights Campaign) •“Entre Nos” are a series of videos produced by Somos Familia that feature cartoons exploring coming out situations in families Info:

www.somosfamiliabay.org

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 9

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

DRIVING POSITIVE OUTCOMES

By Raymond J. Arroyo

Carlos Cuevas

We’re thrilled to feature another impressive, impactful, and powerful Latina leader in our column: Carly Sanchez, head of Talent Acquisition, Strategy and Delivery for Wells Fargo & Co, with responsibilities around the globe. Carly has been recognized as one of ALPFA’s 50 Most Powerful Latinas, published

by Fortune Magazine on March 14, 2018, two years in a row. Her experience is rich and diverse, the scope of her job is massive, and her success is unquestionable - not because she has achieved a high corporate level job, or because she’s transformed the way Wells Fargo finds the best and the brightest, or because the way she partners with the community to ensure everyone has an opportunity to compete fairly for a job or to conduct business at her company.

She’s successful because she’s maintained a sense of balance in her life that enables her to perform at a consistently high level while keeping her family life and her strong family values at the forefront.

Carly shared an impactful story of integrity and morality despite going against the grain of the cultural norms at the time. She told me the story from many years ago when her mother was an elementary school teacher.

Carly’s mother enjoyed having lunch with Mrs. Oliver, not in the teachers’ room, but in a room that can only be described as a closet.

At the time, Mrs. Oliver was not welcomed in the teachers’ room simply because of her race - she was an African-American. Even though it was the norm at the time, it wasn’t right, and Carly’s mom did what she could to make a bad situation a little better (readers who experienced or heard similar stories, or saw “Hidden Figures,” will understand how common practices not too many decades ago negatively, severely, impacted people of color in our country). Carly’s household grew up understanding the difference between lectures and actions; right and wrong, regardless or cultural norms, and standing up for what they believed in. To this date Carly is still that feisty and caring executive that her mother taught her to be. But what 10 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

makes her stand out is her ability to remain humble, grounded, and accessible despite all the accolades she receives or the impact she’s making within and outside of Wells Fargo.

Raymond Arroyo: You’ve been selected as one of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas in corporate America in the U.S. two years in a row. What does that recognition mean to you?

Carly Sanchez: First, the honor is humbling – to be included for two years in a row with this group of amazing women is a tremendous honor, especially knowing the caliber of great Latina leaders in Corporate America. Second, it is a reminder of the journey we have taken to arrive at this point and that a step in that journey is to pay it forward to others coming right behind us.

RA: Why do you think giving exposure to successful Latinas is important?

CS: When we think about the talent in this country, much of which has yet to be discovered, it is so important that those striving to have an impact see themselves in those who are in positions of leadership.

Without a vision of what’s possible it’s much harder to strive for the best. And for Latinas, expanding the number of women who are now in leadership positions is critical so the vision of what’s possible becomes more attainable. ALPFA and Fortune help capture and highlight this by providing profiles of the successful women in the 50 Most Powerful Latinas in corporate America who can serve as role models to thousands of Latinos/Latinos around the country.

RA: You have been at Wells Fargo for nearly five years. The environment, technology, and priorities, I’m sure, have shifted from 5 years ago to today.

How do you manage the fast-changing demands of your job? What pleases you the most?

CS: That’s a great question. The key for me is to surround myself with a leadership

ABOUT RAYMOND ARROYO Raymond Arroyo is a recruiter and a human resources consultant. He’s also a writer and an ALPFA champion with a passion for leaders who serve as role models for our next generation of Latinos/as.

Raymond, a former chief diversity officer at Aetna, reporting to 3 different CEOs, was recognized as one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanic executives in the U.S. and as a Maestro by Latino Leaders Magazine in 2017.

Raymond earned B.S. and M.S. degrees from New York University and earned a certificate from Harvard Business School on Corporate Governance: Leadership in the Boardroom. Raymond enjoys public speaking, riding motorcycles, skiing, and playing tennis. He lives in Avon, Connecticut with his wife and two children.

team that brings diverse talents, skills and perspectives to their jobs. Each of the leaders on my team (and it’s now a team of 900+) has a passion for our mission to identify and hire the best talent for Wells Fargo and to enhance the diversity and inclusive environment in which they grow their careers. But each leader also has a different skill – some in technology, others in strategic planning, etc. So we make concerted efforts to think forward and not get caught up solely in the daily demands which are many, but to pull up and have conversations about the road forward, how we stay focused on strategic priorities, where innovation is possible, how to resist doing what we have always done … and then we research and share best practices of other teams – no need to always reinvent the wheel.

RA: For people aspiring to follow in your footsteps, what advice do you have for them?

CS: First, education is key and opens up so many doors. What I thought I wanted to do when I was in college is not at all what I am doing today, so constantly staying open to opportunities and learning about new ideas has been essential to driving my career forward. But I would also say, and it sounds clichéd, is to find something that you truly care about and see how you can turn that into a career. For me, coming from my personal background, helping to identify untapped talent and provide opportunities for those who couldn’t imagine what was possible for them has been a theme throughout. I was able to do this at Harvard in Admissions work, and then move to a corporate environment initially in campus recruiting and then moving into recruiting. Throughout I was always able to deliver on this with a commitment to diversity – sometimes as a formal part of my job and other times as a lens for the work I was doing. But find something you care about and stay on a continuous learning and exploration path. Not easy when you have to earn a living and pay college loans, but whenever possible, having that constant of understanding what drives you is so important.

RA: What role does your company play in leveraging technology to support Hispanic businesses to the Bank. How can these businesses leverage that technology to elevate their chances of achieving their particular goals?

CS: Wells Fargo developed https:// wellsfargoworks.com/ as an online resource to offer more guidance and services that small business owners are seeking and need. Today it includes a Business Plan Tool - giving business owners a way to create and update a business plan - and a Business Credit Center - to make it easier to find credit options and increase understanding of how credit decisions are made. We recently introduced a new Marketing Center to help address the marketing needs of small business owners. In our quarterly Small Business Index survey, business owners consistently say attracting customers and targeting new business opportunities is one of the most important challenges they face.

Resources are also available in Spanish at https://wellsfargoworks.com/es/ .

Wells Fargo launched our Diverse Community Capital program, a three-year, $75 million initiative to lend capital and provide grants to nonprofits that assist minority-owned small businesses. For more than a decade, Wells Fargo and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) have worked together to develop programs that help Latino business owners grow and succeed. Together with the USHCC Foundation, Wells Fargo founded the Chamber Training Institute, which trains leaders of diverse-segment chambers of commerce on key business and leadership topics for their members. Hispanic suppliers.

Our diverse supplier program is an important component of our efforts to support diverseowned businesses, including Hispanic Business enterprises. We’re proud that in 2016 we spent more than $1 billion of our annual procurement budget with diverse suppliers, and we have committed to spend at least 15% of our procurement dollars with diverse suppliers by 2020.

RA: Wells Fargo has been in the news these past few months. What are you doing to provide leadership internally and externally to continue to attract and retain top-notch talent, especially Latino talent, to the Bank?

CS: Leading by example; creating two-way dialogue, providing opportunities for team members and candidates to share their diverse perspectives and taking that feedback to heart; providing an open door policy – empowering our recruiters with the information and support they need to address candidate questions and concerns.

RA: Who is your role model and why?

CS: I have had a number of role models over the years but I would say today those who are willing to take a stand to ensure that we remain a country of opportunity, inclusive of all, are my role models. Some are local folks here, others more well known, but those are the people who I strive to emulate.

RA: When have you been the most satisfied in your life? Why? CS: There have been various points in my life when I have felt “completed” to a great extent – and currently that is certainly true.

When I think about what factors create that feeling today they are certainly applicable to

01 Carly Sanchez, head of Talent Acquisition, Strategy and Delivery, Wells Fargo & Co

other time periods in my life –From a job perspective: a challenging role that constantly stretches my strategic thinking, tactical expertise and ability to transform, and allows me to engage with colleagues whom I respect, enjoy and value. From a personal perspective: I am truly fortunate that my husband is also my best friend who shares the same values, a brilliant colleague who challenges my thinking and the most supportive person I know – always encouraging me to continue to grow, even when it entails time away from home (I have traveled a lot over the years, often living 5 days a week in another city).

Our home is in a peaceful environment so when we do have time together there it is relaxed and revitalizing. And we keep humor as a premium.

RA: Tell us a nugget about your life, personal or professional, that most people don’t know about you.

CS: I grew up in a household of music and the arts – my mom was a musician and a music teacher and our home was centered around this – a harp and piano in the living room. My sister and I both played instruments – harp, piano and I played the violin – though I did give the violin up when it was clear that was NOT where my talent lay. I also sang in chorus in high school and at Harvard, which I enjoyed.

I don’t have much time to play instruments now but music is always part of my life.

I also remember how my mother shared the importance of valuing each human being – she was an elementary school teacher and shared that she enjoyed having lunch with Mrs. Oliver and that they ate in a room that we knew to be more of a closet. We also understood that she ate there and not in the teachers’ room because Mrs. Oliver was not welcome there as an African-American, and so my mom without question ate separately with Mrs. Oliver. Our mindset was always framed by her stories that didn’t lecture but always taught us.

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 11

DE LA VEGA ON LEADERSHIP

LEADERSHIP AT THE SPEED OF CHANGE There’s nothing more gratifying to me as a leader than helping unlock people’s potential so they can achieve more than they thought possible.

T

hat’s why I’m passionate about leadership, and why I’m always learning, talking, and writing about it.

At a time when leaders face such a complex business environment, I’m deeply grateful to LatinoLeaders for this opportunity to share my thoughts and experience with its readers.

Leadership is tougher than ever Obstacles Welcome

by Ralph de la Vega is an autobiography about how he went from a 10 year old cuban immigrant who spoke no english to the president and CEO of AT&T Mobility

Learning at the speed of change means being constantly curious, staying on top of trends, attending conferences and trade shows, learning all the time and largely on your own.

Adapting at the speed of change

But learning is not enough. Equally important, it takes adapting at the speed of change.

That’s where people tend to get into trouble.

We all fear change, so we tend to stick to what we know. As a leader, you must have the courage to adapt when you realize that what you knew is no longer valid.

Let me give you an example from my own industry.

Not that long ago, some people believed that consumers would not want to type on a smartphone unless it had a physical keyword.

That was not a valid assumption, and they are no longer in business.

Never in my experience in business have I seen so much change.

Whether you are a leader in a corporate environment or an entrepreneur, you must grapple with incredible changes in technology, customer expectations, social media trends, and regulation, all happening at the same time and at unprecedented speed.

I’ve given a lot of thought to this quandary to find ways to help current leaders. And I’ve come to the conclusion that, in order to thrive in the current environment, one must learn and adapt Thriving in change at what I call the speed of change—or risk being We are at a pivotal time that’s sometimes described as a new industrial revolution. left behind.

Leading in these challenging times will be Learning at the speed of change tougher than ever.

Innovation is happening at such a pace that you Those who have the courage to face change can’t rely solely on traditional learning methods. head on, to learn and adapt at the speed of By the time a textbook is published or a course change, will see their organizations thrive. is offered, two things will have happened. One, Even more gratifying than that, they will know the information will be out of date and, two, they helped their teams achieve what they did the opportunity for you may have diminished, not think possible. as others may have jumped on board while you I hope you are one of those fortunate leaders. were thinking about it.

It doesn’t get much better than that.

Ralph de la Vega is the former vice-chairman of AT&T Inc. He is the author of the best-selling book “Obstacles Welcome: Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life.” He is also a LinkedIn Influencer, posting regularly on leadership and innovation.

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MARKETING GIANTS Three marketing experts share insights on producing strategies, content and the perfect approach for brands that focus on diversity and multiculturalism.

What do you consider to be the most important aspects to have a successful campaign targeting Latinos?

NATALIE BODEN: 2018 is the year of the Hispanic market. It’s the year of embracing diversity, not as a nice to have, but as a business imperative. As brands look for growth, developing a highly targeted Hispanic communications plan will be key.

We talk about the importance of writing love letters to our community. No one wants to receive a love letter that reads ‘to whom it may concern’ you want it written to you as an individual, as a community.

We recently launched McDonald’s ¡Síganme los Buenos! (Good guys, follow my lead!) campaign, aimed to evoke a nostalgic connection with the Hispanic consumer and drive purchase of the $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu items. Grounded in the insight that Hispanics look for clever ways to find great value without compromising quality, we partnered with one of the most beloved – and clever – Hispanic icons, El Chapulín Colorado, to drum up excitement for the new Dollar Menu. The program included social/digital, grassroots initiatives and media stakeholder engagement, which drove over 100 million media impressions and a lift in comp guest count.

El Chapulin Colorado, also known as our very own Latino Mickey Mouse, was born in Latin America and he was brought to the the U.S. in our hearts. McDonald’s partnership with the iconic character for the launch of the $1 $2 $3 Dollar Menu is a love letter to our community: it shows McDonald’s understands the rational and emotional drivers of our U.S. Hispanic consumer.

JOSE SUASTE: To me the most important thing that a campaign targeting Latinos has to have to be successful is human truth. Too many times campaigns think that by simply speaking the language, they’re going to get 14 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

NATALIE BODEN PRESIDENT & FOUNDER BODEN AGENCY

the response they’re looking for. When in reality, language is just a tactic, and not an idea. Language may get you in the door, but if you don’t have substance and real truth, you won’t stay long. And what I mean by human truth is something that everyone can relate to; something that a person can look at it and

connect emotionally to. Where it gets tricky for targeting Latinos, is that that something can’t just be stereotypical or broad. And that’s the second most important thing to keep in mind when targeting Latinos with advertising.

Stay away from stereotypes. Sure they exist for a reason, but the Latino population is incredibly diverse. Think about it. You can be a mom and love your family, but you could also be a working mom, who happens to own her own business and work in a field predominately operated by men. It’s this dimension that makes her way more than just a Latino mom.

PETE LERMA: First of all, disregarding cultural stereotypes. Campaigns targeting Latinos do not have to be “Latino campaigns” full of mojitos, piñatas and tacos. Campaigns targeting Latinos have to connect with their audiences, but in 2018 relevance is all about connecting with a mindset. We validated that last year in a collaboration with The University of Texas at Austin. In partnership with them, we did a nationally representative research study. It demonstrated that cultural curiosity, or as we sometimes talk about it, “cultural promiscuity” is a primary motivation for the majority of Millennials and younger audiences. Latinos embrace their cultural traditions, 100%...and, at the same time, they exhibit a willingness to discover and internalize new cultures.

That is what we call Omniculturalism.

And Omniculturalism has become a common aspirational mindset across all ethnicities in the US.

JOSE SUASTE EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR FLUENT360

sumer insights and mindset differ across segments, brands should consider segment-specific creative expressions and stakeholder plans that speak directly to each key audience.

this richness. By embracing what we call Power of Culture, brands are committing to communities– and to the citizens and culture that embody them.

But we don’t all live and breathe these multicultural, multi-ethnic communities, which is why we have taken some of our clients right into the communities, with immersions that are planned against the brand’s strategic imperatives. When you walk down the Piñata District in L.A or through the ‘Mexico of the Midwest ‘in Chicago you see first-hand why the Hispanic market represents $1.3 trillion in purchasing power.

But if raw data is what drives you, look at Facebook’s Hispanic Affinity Index, indicating that 71 percent of the 35 million Hispanics on Facebook are engaging mostly in Spanish. This is a clear indication of the strength of the market.

JS: Well my business IS to market to Latinos, so they’re always on my radar.

It’s never a surprise. But as I mentioned earlier, the strategy can change depending on the target. Are they young, old, single, married, men, or women, recent arrivals, or 2nd or 3rd generation Latinos living in the U.S., etc. Also, within those categories, we can get into financials, education levels, where they’re from, geography, etc. It’s pretty complicated and, like any other marketer, we use data to really paint a full picture. However, data isn’t the answer to everything. InterpretPRINCIPAL & FOUNDER ing that data is. That’s why we have highly RICHARDS/LERMA qualified professional strategists to interpret that information so we can create JS: I can name two, but I’d say the biggest If you only connect with Latinos via their effective marketing. People aren’t data… challenge has been convincing clients to Latin traditions, you might miss the mark. they’re people. adequately invest in the Latino market.

Latinos are so much more complex than They want to dip their feet in, see if they that. Brands need to take risks by under- PL: Not a lot, really. It’s all about following can find a quick hit, but hardly ever want standing, embracing and mirroring that our disciplined and proven process; and to spend the dollars it takes to establish complexity and cultural curiosity. As such, the process remains the same no mat- a presence in the market. This to me it might mean that abuelitas or a Spanish ter who the target is. First, we immerse just seems backwards. We have mounds celebrity won’t make the cut, and instead, ourselves in the audience, then we work and mounds of data showing that Latiyou might build a very successful Latino to uncover the most poignant insight or nos have an immense buying power and campaign featuring Chance the Rapper. pain-point the brand can solve for. Only yet, they don’t truly believe the return is Brands have to be open to the possibilities then, can we develop creative commu- going to be significant. Example, I had a nication that lives up to our mantra. The telcom client I won’t name who, we prethat Omniculturalism offers. work has to be LOUD AND CLEAR; Loud sented information to showing that 65% How or in what ways does you market- in its ability to break through the clutter, of their clientele was Hispanic. Yet we ing strategy change when it comes to clear in that it makes sense and resonates never received anything near 65% of their Latinos? marketing budget. with the consumer.

And the second has been finding cliNB: The brand of the future is the brand What has been one of your biggest chal- ents of color in decision-making positions. that knows when to segment by ethnic lenges when working with brands that More often than not, we are presenting advertising ideas for Latinos or African segment and when to segment by uni- want to break into Latino market? versal values. Building a communications Americans to people who are not of Hiscampaign infusing diverse insights from NB: In the last year, we’ve seen brands panic or African American descent, didn’t the onset is key. If the consumer insights take a few steps back to analyze whether grow up in these communities, or, much and mindset is the same across segment it is necessary to develop Hispanic specif- less, frequent them today. Therefore, we (sometimes when you’re looking at U.S ic campaigns. 2017-2018 has taught us the get pushback from a lack of understanding born GenZ this could be the case), then importance of communicating to diverse when it comes to the ideas. They’ve never one creative expression and an integrat- audiences. The U.S. is a rich tapestry of lived or had to understand those particular ed stakeholder plan will resonate with cultures, of all colors and all races, and lifestyles so they question the validity of your audiences. However, when the con- brands should commit to celebrating our concepts.

PETE LERMA

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MARKETING

PL: First and foremost, commitment. The opportunity is obvious for all brands… but the question becomes, “Do you really want to go there? Are you willing to get uncomfortable? To try new things? To devote the proper time and resources?

To start an exercise in humility and accept that you need to learn, to transform yourself and to trust your partners in the journey?”

Additionally, it is easy to underestimate the challenge. You won’t solve it with a few radio and tv spots. Your whole organization has to become culturally sensitive and that will affect many aspects of the business: the website, store signage, personnel, recruitment policies… you might have to revisit your mission, vision and values too. It’s not easy, but we’ve helped brands do it.

all kinds of diversity can only benefit the workplace and society. It would tear down walls that exist both physically and psychologically to create more understanding.

That being said, at this time and place there is no excuse for an agency to not have diversity. Ignoring certain sections of society is outdated and irresponsible.

PL: Honestly, it’s not just about benefiting from diversity: it’s about survival. If you hope to establish meaningful conversations with U.S. audiences, you just can’t do it from a monolithic (often white, often affluent) point of view. Every ad agency should mirror the diversity found all across the country. And that transcends ethnicities. Being ethnically diverse is important, but cultural diversity is what matters. In order to achieve that, be companies should be open diversity in everything: religion, What about Latino talent / recruitment sexual orientation, interests and even poin ad agencies? How could agencies litical views. benefit from having Latinos and other What kind of trends will we be seeing in minorities as part of their team? the rest of 2018?

NB: I believe it’s important to have diversity in leadership, and across all levels of an or- NB: These are three biggest trends we see ganization. Every person comes from his or are impacting communications initiatives: her own place and experience. A Latino can Building richer narratives. 2018 is a year bring perspective from the point of view of of building trust. As such, building culturbeing Hispanic, challenges they have faced ally relevant story arches that acknowledge specifically because of race, opportunities the personal values and passion points of they’ve been able to identify because of the Hispanic consumer will be important.

Generating buzz from diverse influenctheir different perspective. It absolutely is about different races, gender, perspectives ers, press and stakeholders that matter to and cultures. It’s nonsense when you hear the brand. The stakeholder landscape is “you don’t need different colors, you need more diverse that ever before. It will be imdifferent perspectives” or “it isn’t about gen- portant to take a 360 approach to building der, it’s about different perspectives.” Our stakeholder engagement plans that drive lives have been impacted by race, culture brand advocacy across channels influencand gender and how we experienced each ing the Hispanic consumer, including traelement of it, so the more diverse we are, ditional media, social media influencers, the smarter the decisions we can make as a celebrities, organizations, and community leaders. company or organization.

Creating experiential moments that genJS: This is a tough question for me, be- erate brand love and sales lift. Developing cause if this was to happen on a wide scale, activations that focus on building brand I’d be out of job and my multicultural reputation and driving in-store/online agency would close its doors. But obvious- traffic will be key, as well as taking into ly the benefits are undeniable. They’d be consideration the natural make-up of the able to communicate to and serve a wider neighborhoods where you plan to activate, audience, and the collective group would be it on a national or hyperlocal level. be able to build campaigns that encompass the many types of Americans that exist JS: I think we’ll continue to see trends within our country. On a personal level, much like the student walkouts, the Me16 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

Too movement, and TimesUp, etc. When any cultural sentiment gets attacked, the more we will be called upon to speak up and join the fight. People are realizing that their voices are powerful, and social media is the great connector. I also believe that brands will have to assume more responsibility for the messages they’re putting out, and the feedback that the audience is responding with. After all, brands are made up of people - they’re no longer these giant faceless monsters. If they want to compete for consumer loyalty, they’ll have to align themselves with beliefs that represent the people who work for them, not just the people they’re trying to sell to.

PL: None of us have a crystal ball, but we’re seeing a few stars aligning in the direction of an increasing number of brands taking a stance on political and social issues. The current state of affairs calls for it, and brands can’t simply remain neutral.

Neutrality is artificial. Brands, as complex entities with defined personalities should have a point of view on society. Consumers value and, often, demand it.

WRITE AND SHARE #ConnectLL

TECH

SHAPING THE INDUSTRY OF TECHNOLOGY

DIVERSITY

GROWTH

SOCIAL IMPACT INCLUSION

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INNOVATION

A study conducted and released in April 2017 by

Kapor Center for Social Impact, by the name of Tech Leavers Study, stated that a 40% of underrepresented men of color were most likely to leave due to unfairness. It also stated that when five common diversity and inclusion initiatives were in place, unfair experiences are significantly lower. Bottom line, being represented matters. Having Latinos placed in top leadership positions can create an environment of inclusion, innovation and growth. Fortunately, we have discovered great leaders in technology that support diversity in tech. Leaders like Camila Casale from Softtek or Alexis Langagne from Oracle, whom both know the value and advantage Latinos can add to the industry.

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 17

TECH

MAKING HER OWN WAY Camila Casale, CMO & SVP, U.S. & Canada, has long defied convention. Now she’s helping other women do the same.

Fred Jerant

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omen in technology industries – and especially Latina women – isn’t exactly commonplace. But Camila Casale has dug into it with both hands, and strives to help more women make the same inroads.

Casale has always been something of a rebel.

“I was born in Argentina, and have three brothers,” she says. “But I am the only one who left the country to build a career, and the only one to work in tech. They sometimes joke that I am the black sheep.”

After graduation, Casale joined the Argentinean branch of Frost & Sullivan, a business consulting firm involved in market research and analysis, growth strategy consulting, and corporate training across multiple industries.

In 2009, with her MBA completed, she was ready for a change. And that’s when Frost & Sullivan relocated her to Nice, France as its business development manager ICT/global account leader for Europe. “I was just 25 years of age,” she recalls, “but I realized that the only way for me to grow was to get out of my comfort zone – so off I went.”

Entering the tech world

Next stop: U. S. A.

wanted to do with the rest of my life”

by beating all prediction on sales ever expected.

Camila Casale is also a certified instructor in skanda yoga, a progressive style that combines traditional postures with modern stretching techniques.”It’s related to the Mayan calendar,” she says.

“There are specific practices for each of the 28 days in the lunar cycle.”

Her favorite mantra is balance. “Life is all about balance. Balance in your work balance in your personal While studying for her bachelor’s degree in busi- Her fate took a major turn in 2012; when the CEO life, life,” she says. ness administration/economics at the University of charged her with implementing a business plan she had And that can lead to being Buenos Aires, she accepted a Young Professionals created earlier – establishing a branch office in Miami. happy, being fully awake Program internship at IBM Argentina. “That was my Two weeks later, she was in the Sunshine State, and aware of who you are. first real exposure to the technology industry,” she where she opened the office, acquired her own staff, “We can get so busy, that said, and I fell in love with it. I realized it was what I and had a huge impact – exceeding her sales territory we practically forget how to breathe properly,” she adds.

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“THAT’S WHY I OFTEN START MEETINGS BY TELLING EVERYONE TO FOCUS AND JUST TAKE A BREATH.”

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TECH

Otto Guaroa

@OttoGuaroa

“THEY ALWAYS SAY ‘GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE,’ WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THAT YOU MIGHT FAIL. BUT FAILING IS GOOD. IF YOU HAVE A PROCESS AND METHODOLOGY IN PLACE TO LEARN FROM YOUR FAILURES. OTHERWISE YOU JUST FAIL, AND YOU GET NOTHING OUT OF IT.”

@WITechMC @cami_llia

While hosting a networking event for loCasale also encourages her staff to come to cal clients, Casale met Marcos Jimenez, CEO her with new ideas – with the understanding for Softtek USA and Canada, who shortly af- that not all of them will be accepted. terward brought her onto his team as Senior “As the tech services space becomes increasingly crowded and competitive, my VP of Consulting for the U. S. and Canada. team and I cannot simply rely on traditional Diversity in practice ways of doing things, and we can’t try new In her current role as Chief Marketing Offi- things simply because they’re new. We have cer, Casale embraces an atypical leadership to constantly focus on programs that have style. “I tell everyone that I am not ‘the an impact, and that we as a team can continboss.’ I hate that word. Instead, I am their ually evaluate and improve,” she adds. leader. I guide them to succeed.”

And that team comes from many differ- The revelation, and a remedy ent backgrounds. “I think I have the most After serving on a panel with her mentor, diverse team in the company. Lots of them Myrna Soto (Global Chief Information Seare Latino, and about 60% are women. I curity Officer and Senior Vice President at didn’t pick them because they are wom- Comcast Corporation), Casale had a reveen,” she stresses, “but because they’re the lation – there was a dearth of women in best at what they do.

C-level positions in Miami’s tech industry 20 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

sector. And more important – there was no system in place for them to exchange ideas and share their challenges.

That led to her creation of Women in Technology Miami Council, which is dedicated to uniting and supporting women from different nationalities and backgrounds to advance and succeed in the tech industry. WITech Miami also sponsors quarterly roundtables at various locations, such as Facebook’s and Yahoo’s Florida facilities.

“Research shows that fewer than 2% of Latinas are in executive positions – and we should be ashamed of that,” she says.

“We can lead by our example,” Casale adds, “by showing them that a kickass smart woman is inside that beautiful dress.

We need to teach them that they can be successful in this business.”

TECH

HOW INDUSTRY UPSTART SOFTTEK DRIVES TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

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lobal technology services provider Softtek has built its business on delivering innovation.

Whether it’s helping a restaurant chain redefine the way diners order and pay for their meals, or working with an airline to enable a seamless travel experience, Softtek applies modern cloud-based and mobile applications that allow customers in a wide range of industries to fundamentally reimagine their operations. And while innovation is essential, security, stability and efficiency are also critical. Many initiatives involve transitioning away from outdated “legacy” systems to leverage emerging digital, Artificial Intelligence and automation technologies to reduce costs, improve productivity and enhance security.

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The company’s success stems in large measure from its ability to offer customers what they aren’t getting from the traditional “offshore” model of IT outsourcing. Under the offshore approach, large teams of India-based workers engage in clearly defined tasks spelled out in an extensive and detailed services agreement. The premise is that Indian firms can leverage the competitive advantage of large pools of highly skilled, low-cost labor to provide customers cost-efficient service and technical expertise. But in many cases, the model doesn’t work as advertised.

“The past 20 years have shown that offshore delivery and labor arbitrage consistently fail to deliver,” says Marcos Jimenez, CEO of Softtek’s US and Canada operations. “The so-called ‘low rates’ of offshore resources are often offset by poor quality, inefficiency and

low utilization of automation tools, resulting in a very high total cost. More importantly, the lack of innovation from offshore is costing businesses billions. We’re able to offer a different approach by committing to high-quality, highly innovative and highly automated IT services for the digital enterprise.”

Entrepreneurial Culture

Founded in 1982 in Monterrey, Mexico, as a niche technology services provider, Softtek initially focused on hiring entrepreneurial “associates” to incubate, grow and manage their own lines of business. The strategy was perhaps overly successful – by the mid1990s, Softtek had become a loose collection of fiefdoms throughout the Americas. “The partners running the various businesses were very independent-minded,” says Jimenez, who joined Softtek in 1992. “As the company grew, we needed to consolidate and introduce a level of corporate governance.”

By the early 2000s, Softtek was reconfiguring itself as a larger, consolidated global enterprise. At about the same time, the company pioneered the development of the “nearshore” outsourcing model as an alternative to the traditional offshore approach. Under nearshoring, service provider teams are located in Mexico and Latin America, rather than halfway around the globe. Through geographic and time zone

“THE PAST 20 YEARS HAVE SHOWN THAT OFFSHORE DELIVERY AND LABOR ARBITRAGE CONSISTENTLY FAIL TO DELIVER,” MARCOS JIMENEZ, CEO OF SOFTTEK’S US AND CANADA OPERATIONS.

proximity to their US-based customers, the idea is that nearshore providers are better able to collaborate, understand business requirements and quickly respond to requests.

Moreover, nearshoring has proven to be a good fit for “Agile” and DevOps software development methodologies, which require close collaboration between business and technology teams, and are designed to drive innovation, flexibility and speed to market.

A Changing Marketplace

While nearshore outsourcing might have some inherent advantages over the traditional offshore model, Jimenez says that the offshore/nearshore distinction is becoming largely irrelevant to sourcing strategies. “As the market matures, where the work is done isn’t important,” says Jimenez. “Rather, customers demand a service provider that can cost-effectively deploy digital technology, intelligent tools and automation, and scale up or down in response to new requirements.”

Indeed, these game-changing innovations are fundamentally redefining the delivery of technology services. The administrative and technical tasks traditionally performed by teams based in India are increasingly being handled by software tools programmed to execute rule-based functions. Today, a software robot trained to process basic healthcare insurance claims can take on the routine work of five to ten people. As a result, the competitive advantage of offshoring – large teams of skilled people working for low wages – is becoming obsolete.

Jimenez argues that Softtek is better able than the large, India-based providers to respond to the new reality of automation and Artificial Intelligence. “The Indian firms have been slow to adapt,” he says. “They need to redeploy hundreds of thousands of workers, and they need to worry about cannibalizing existing revenue as customers demand additional savings from automation and intelligent tools. We’ve never used the labor arbitrage model, so we can be more nimble with our customers.”

Commitment to Total Quality

Softtek’s ability to focus on quality and innovation stems in part from the way its agreements are structured. By working with customers on a fixed-price basis for a particular scope of services, Softtek has skin in the game to drive efficiency, as this translates to higher profit margins. The end result is a relentless focus on quality. “By treating every service ticket as a fundamental defect, and by applying ‘Automation First’ principles, we’re able to commit to a Total Quality approach where we’re measured by business outcomes and our ability to apply technology to accelerate business value. This helps us succeed, and provides the foundation for a true strategic partnership between us as technology providers and our business customers.”

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 23

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TECH

TOP SCHOOLS FOR LATINOS IN TECH Christian Brothers University

Tarrant County College District

www.cbu.edu

www.tccd.edu

@FromCBU

@TCCollege

AT CHRISTIAN Brothers University (CBU) in Memphis, Latino students make the most of opportunities to learn, innovate, research and experience technology in one of the most important centers of business in the U.S. Although they have many techoriented majors and minors, two stand out.

Cybersecurity - CBU has two unique Cybersecurity paths. The more businessoriented student can earn a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Cybersecurity. The more analytical and mathematically oriented student can earn a B.S. in Computer Science with a Cybersecurity concentration. Both degrees require 20+ hours of shared information systems courses directly related to cyber security including hands-on laboratories and a cybersecurity internship with a Memphisarea company. CBU graduates are getting great jobs in cybersecurity as experts in the field are in high demand across industries.

Computer Science – The B.S. in Computer Science covers the core concepts in computing along with a required internship course and a two-semester senior capstone project calling for the completion of a software project for an external client.

Students must choose a concentration and a minor to apply their CS work in an area of their choosing. Concentration options are business, engineering, or cybersecurity.

24 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

TARRANT County College offers what students won’t find in many other places: an affordable education at just $59 a semester hour, or $885 for a 15-hour semester. In addition to a full array of academic programs that prepare students to transfer smoothly to four-year institutions, TCC also offers Career and Technical Education programs that lead to meaningful careers and great salaries without the need for a four-year degree. Many of these programs offer certifications students can earn that will help them advance in their current career.

And, those same certifications – we call them “stackable credentials -- build on each other, allowing students to earn one of TCC’s more than 60 applied sciences degrees. What’s stopping you? Visit tccd. edu/careerpathways to learn more. At TCC we’re putting success within reach, for you, your family and our community.

Northern Illinois University www.niu.edu @NIUlive

THE NIU College of Engineering and Engineering Technology is committed to building a diverse workforce for the future of technology. The college has cutting-edge

programs in Manufacturing Technology, Energy and Environmental Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Industrial and Systems Engineering; plus specializations to target your education.

More than three-fourths of our students seek and find internships, and employers from throughout the Chicago region come to us to recruit their next-generation workforce. Our students are taught by diverse faculty and have lots of opportunities to get hands-on with lab courses, industry projects and student organizations like robotics and vehicle design. Latino and Latina students can find added support through our active chapter of the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, as well as through the university’s Latino Resource Center. We offer scholarship programs to help students from underrepresented populations obtain their degree, such as the Carter Program, which provides up to $20,000 in student loan forgiveness for qualifying Latina students.

NIU FACTS IN TECHNOLOGY: • Five bachelor’s degree programs in Engineering Technology.

• Hands-on, technically focused bachelor’s degree programs in Mechanical Engineering (three available emphases), Electrical Engineering (two available emphases) and Industrial and Systems Engineering (three available emphases).

• Master’s degree programs in all four departments.

• Integrated degree programs in all four departments that allow students to obtain both their bachelor’s and master’s degrees in just five years.

• Hands-on courses focused on both a solid theoretical foundation and practical application.

• Two engineering and technology-focused job fairs each year.

• More than three-fourths of students work an internship by the time they graduate; more than half work more than one.

• Diverse, industry-connected faculty.

• Major courses taught by faculty, not teaching assistants.

• More than 20 engineering and technology student organizations including competition design teams in Robotics, Solar Car, Mars Rover, Formula Car, Supermileage Car and Mini Baja.

UTRGV TECH FACTS:

University of Houston-Downtown University of Texas www.uhd.edu Rio Grande Valley @uhdowntown

THE UNIVERSITY of Houston-Downtown (UHD), a comprehensive four-year university, is the second largest institution of higher education in Houston.

With a student body that totals more than 13,900—of which 48 percent is Hispanic— UHD is consistently ranked among “The Top 100 Degree Producers” for institutions that confer the most degrees (bachelor’s and master’s) to minority students by Diverse Issues In Higher Education. UHD is designated nationally as both a Hispanic-Serving Institution and a Minority-Serving Institution.

The institution is known for offering a variety of high-quality degrees that prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce or for continued post-graduate studies and research.

Recently, UHD introduced its Bachelor of Science in Data Science—the first-of-its kind in Texas—that delivers interdisciplinary coursework focused on the foundations of data to fill the demand for data science professionals in the workforce.

Complementing this undergraduate program is UHD’s Master of Science in Data Analytics.

Both of these degrees are based within the College of Sciences and Technology. Another college program of note is the Structural Analysis and Design Option in Engineering Technology program, which explores solutions to urban infrastructure issues.

Students in the College of Sciences and Technology benefit from awardwinning initiatives aimed at promoting student success in gateway courses and facilitating peer and faculty mentorship.

Adding to its rich academic programs and student-centered support system is the construction of a new a new College of Sciences & Technology Building that will provide future generations of science students with state-of-the-art laboratories and learning spaces.

www.utrgv.edu @utrgv

THE UNIVERSITY of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) delivers unparalleled learning opportunities for its more than 28,000 students. Through personalized mentorship from worldclass scholars, state-of-the-art facilities and technology, and opportunities for significant research, UTRGV is focused on bringing knowledge to life and applying it in meaningful ways.

UTRGV has more than 120 undergraduate and graduate programs to choose from, including many in the engineering and technology areas – electrical engineering, computer engineering, civil engineering, engineering technology, computer science, mechanical engineering, and manufacturing engineering.

UTRGV, which has an 89 percent Hispanic enrollment, ranks third in The University of Texas System, and in the top 20 minority-serving academic institutions in the nation for receiving the most federal research funding for science and engineering, crucial for its goal of becoming an Emerging Research university.

With an enrollment of 3,110 students, the College of Engineering and Computer Science at UTRGV is home to a handful of innovative centers that allow students and faculty to engage in impactful research and the creation of new knowledge. From helping reduce fatalities and injuries at highway-rail grade crossings to assessing manufacturing operations to help save energy and streamline processes, UTRGV students are on a path to a better life built on compassion, community and technology.

• UTRGV is the lead institution among a consortium of three universities for the University Transportation Center for Railway Safety that develops knowledge, diverse human resources, and innovative technology in support of strategic safety plans for the U.S. rail transportation industry.

• The South Texas Industrial Assessment Center, housed in the UTRGV College of Engineering and Computer Science, sends undergraduate and graduate students to local manufacturers to assess operations, and find ways the businesses can save energy and streamline processes.

• A Latina of influence and the winner of many national and international awards, Dr. Karen Lozano, the Julia Beecherl Endowed Professor and Director of the UTRGV Nanotechnology Center of Excellence, is a shining star at UTRGV whose research focuses mostly on the development of nano-reinforced polymer composites and development of nanofiber systems through Forcespinning® (centrifugal spinning). A prolific inventor, she co-founded an industry focused on the industrial production of nanofibers.

• With a SpaceX launch site planned at Boca Chica Beach in South Texas, the UTRGV Spacecraft Tracking and Astronomical Research into Giga-hertz Astrophysical Transient Emission (STARGATE) Technology Center is currently under construction and will serve as a radio frequency technology park located adjacent to the SpaceX launch site command center.

SpaceX will assemble and launch their signature advanced rockets and spacecraft, with launches every month at the site. When not being used for launches, the SpaceX facilities will be used by student and faculty researchers at STARGATE for training, scientific research and technology development.

• Zippia, a career resource website, ranked UTRGV one of the top colleges in Texas for civil engineering majors. The program offers four areas of study: environmental and water resources, construction and structures, geotechnical and transportation, and energy and utility infrastructure engineering.

• UTRGV’s Hispanic Engineering, Science, and Technology (HESTEC) Week, a nationally recognized model for promoting STEM careers to students of all ages, is recognized as a “Bright Spot in Hispanic Education” by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Each October, thousands of middle and high school students, educators and parents converge at UTRGV for a week of engaging presentations by world-renowned speakers, interactive educational exhibits and dynamic robotics competitions.

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 25

TECH

PERSISTENCE TO GROW Industrial Engineer Gerardo Renteria has established his well-rounded reputation under GM. His willingness and dedication continue to take him through the ranks of one of the most globally prominent automotive manufacturer.

Rosa Rodriguez

Jesse Nogales

F. Izquierdo

March 9th, 2018 at 1 PM, in Arlington, TX

››››M

any people fear math and science.

Mathematical formulas, the periodic table, and the laws of physics that are sometimes difficult to memorize often drive students to pursue other careers, but Gerardo Renteria overcame the challenges and found a passion for math and science.

Renteria is an industrial engineer at the General Motors plant in Arlington. He is a production control lead, a production-driven role in which he oversees that products are produced on-time and within specific expectations. His work line manages SUVs and trucks, specifically Chevy Tahoes and Suburbans. His role is the culmination of nine years with GM, dating back to his earlier years when he interned at the GM plant in San Luis Potosi, Mexico.

“I was working with new products, new launches, traveling to all the plants and helping with implementations to new vehicles,” he said.

Renteria, who left Mexico three years ago and has lived in Dallas for seven months, came to the United States through his internship. He worked at the GM headquarters in Michigan with the design and engineering team and demonstrated persistence and contributed to the success of his team, which eventually moved him to his current role near Dallas. He believes his determination as a Latino helped him rise in his career.

“We are open and willing to do things,” he said.

“We are very creative and sometimes we try to do things differently.”

26 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

01

GERARDO RENTERIA Age: 31 Hometown: Leon, Mexico Colleges: La Salle University, Tecnológico de Monterrey Career: Industrial Engineer Why engineering?

“Industrial engineering is so open so you can interact and play in so many areas throughout many things: manufacturing, engineering, design and quality,” he said.

Aha moment: As a child Renteria knew he wanted a career in engineering.

He visited an assembly plant and saw robots interacting and became fascinated with their designs and how they worked in synchronization to build things.

It runs in the family: Renteria’s father is a chemical engineer

02

“WE ARE OPEN AND WILLING TO DO THINGS,” 01 Gerardo Renteria with the first car ever produced at the Arlington Assembly plant.

02 Arlington Assembly plant in Arlington, TX

The early education he received growing up is what Renteria credits most in paving the way to his career. He thanks his teachers who helped him understand complex materials and items that require advanced analytical skills and problem solving thinking, allowing him to discover his strengths and talents live within math and science.

“I had very good teachers,” he said. “That’s the reason why I was never afraid.”

BUILDING A STEM MINDSET STEM, science, technology, engineering, and math, is a program instituted in many high schools across the United States.

The program promotes math and science courses, encouraging students to pursue careers in these academic areas. At the high schools levels students take collegelevel science and math courses such as forensic science, quantum physics, biochemistry, etc. Latinos lag in STEM, often not pursuing careers in math and science, and fewer obtaining graduatelevel degrees. In many high schools low socio economic backgrounds, poor school funding in urban school districts, lack of information, lack of parental involvement and limited course selections affect the lack of STEM education and interest in Latinos.

SMOOTH, FAST AND FRIENDLY Jorge Ferraez

The 2018 Chevy Bolt is a fantastic vehicle to get around if you’ve decided to go with the trend of friendly environment and a happy experience.

I

ts best feature is the intelligence of this vehicle. It is friendly and you can feel that it talks to you. It provides a smooth drive and it is very easy to recharge, like a cell phone.

This vehicle makes you more conscious of your energy usage especially when you see the dashboard telling you if you are overusing, saving or re-charging.

A single charge can take around 238 miles and it fully recharges within 8 hours.

I decided to drive electric because I know that it’s the future. Soon, before we even know it, electric robotic cars will start to lead the automobile industry. The younger generations are less interested in features like acceleration, exhaust noise and have peeked an interest in energy efficiency, cool design and friendly-driving.

This is precisely what the Chevy Bolt is.

CHEVY BOLT 2018 Colors: Chevrolet.com Cool features: • 60 kWh Lithium-ion battery • Electronic Precision Shift; with low mode for regenerative braking • Teen Driver; customizable for teen drivers speed, etc • Wi-Fi Hotspot • Cool situating parking and reverse assistive cameras

Chevrolet.com

Price: $29,990 (Federal Tax Credit included)

WHEN OUR TEAM BEGAN WORKING ON BOLT EV, WE LOOKED AT CUSTOMER DEMAND FOR FUNCTIONALITY AND ELECTRIC RANGE ALONGSIDE A MUCH LARGER MISSION TO HELP TRANSFORM FUTURE MOBILITY. THE BOLT EV DELIVERS ON BOTH COUNTS. NOT ONLY DOES IT OFFER LONG RANGE AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE, BUT IT HAS BECOME AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF GENERAL MOTORS’ VISION OF A WORLD WITH ZERO CRASHES, ZERO EMISSIONS AND ZERO CONGESTION. MICHAEL LELLI, CHIEF ENGINEER OF THE BOLT EV MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 27

TECH

MUSIC TO ORACLE’S EARS

ADVICE FOR FUTURE LEADERS FROM ALEXIS LANGAGNE Communicate Succinctly: Use “straightforward, short, summarized communications, either verbal or written. I think that’s really important.”

Alexis Langagne, vice president of operations for North America, believes communications, analytical and changeagent skills are critical Neil Cotiaux

Be Both Analytical and Operational: “You’re going to be exposed to tons of information but you need to have analytical capabilities to have insights. … Then you need to not only make decisions, but execute actions based on that.”

Jesse Nogales

March 6th, 2018 in Plano, TX

Be Able to Promote Change: “I think being able to not only introduce but embrace change … that can make you very successful, because basically you just stay focused and you push for the right things that you know will be prevalent in the future.”

G

rowing up in Mexico City, Alexis Langagne had his feet on the ground and his head in the clouds.

The son of an architect father and psychologist mother, Langagne seemed smart from the start. At the same time, he felt compelled to listen to his musical muse.

So Langagne took up the drums at age 6 while attending a Montessori-style school. “I used to practice with, you know, wastebaskets and whatever tool was available at home,” he remembers. And practice made perfect.

As he breezed through academics, graduating from high school at 16, his parents acquiesced to their son’s creative urge and arranged to have him study with internationally renowned drummer Al Lopez. “But I had to practice between six and eight hours a day,” Langagne says. “And then I had a rock band.”

But a “left brain, right brain” dichotomy eventually saw him drifting away from music to pursue a physics-engineering degree at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana.

“I was completely passionate,” he says, just as he was with music.

“I was very curious to learn about the corporate world, and that’s how I started my career in the information technology industry,” he explains.

Over the past quarter-century, Langagne, now 49, has moved among companies 28 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

Embrace Other Cultures: “During my childhood years and teenage years, we’d have people in at my home from all over the world. … I never would have thought that was going to be so important in my career.”

(IBM, Hewlett-Packard, and Oracle); regions (Latin America, Asia-Pacific and North America); and disciplines (sales, marketing, operations and strategic planning) and earned an MBA along the way.

He’s convinced that his years as a musician instilled in him a greater power of concentration while his immersion in the sciences allowed him to deal with technological change more readily – two qualities that helped him succeed in a series of assignments culminating in his current role as Vice President of Operations for North America at Oracle.

About 18 months ago, Langagne says, he realized that he wanted to work for a company committed to innovation “where the cloud and all the digital transformation trends are going, and I thought Oracle was a fantastic company,” he says. His transition to Oracle was helped along by a former boss at Hewlett-Packard who was already on board.

“The cloud basically eliminates, pretty much, barriers for any type of technology to be offered in the market,” Langagne says, and Oracle’s global business units enable the company to provide industry-

ORACLE IN A NUTSHELL Key Cloud Offerings: Software as a Service, Platform as a Service, Infrastructure as a Service and Data as a Service Value Proposition: Help clients innovate faster, increase productivity, lower costs, and benefit from enhanced security Revenues: $37.7 billion in Fiscal Year 2017 Customers: 430,000 in 175 countries Employees: 138,000 HQ: Redwood Shores, Calif.

“THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU CONTROL, THERE ARE THINGS THAT YOU DON’T CONTROL. JUST EMBRACE THE CHANGE, DO YOUR BEST, AND IT’S GOING TO BE GOOD AT THE END OF THE ROAD, I THINK,” specific applications for running a core business on-premises or in the cloud.

The tech giant enjoys strong partnerships with more than two dozen industries, helping clients innovate faster, increase productivity, lower costs, and benefit from enhanced security features.

It continues to roll out product enhancements. Oracle Autonomous Database, for example, enables clients to run the company’s technology in the cloud, at client data centers for onpremises workloads, or both.

Langagne believes artificial intelligence and machine learning will play an everlarger role in Oracle’s offerings.

“Basically, think about it as being surrounded by all types of devices, wired or wireless devices that can capture any

information that passes through them and then you can leverage that information to build intelligence inside and outside of our brains,” he says.

“Less than 15% of our on-premise applications customers have begun to migrate their applications to the cloud. … We have a huge opportunity in front of us,” CEO Mark Hurd said in announcing Fiscal 2018 Q3 revenues, up 6% from a year earlier, with total cloud revenues up 32 percent.

On March 22, Oracle officially opened its latest hub for cloud sales in Austin, Texas. With myriad amenities on the 560,000-square-foot campus and companyowned housing across the street, “It’s designed for inspiring, supporting, and attracting the top talent,” Langagne says.

“I think with the next generation it’s going to be a tremendous challenge,” he says candidly. “Because on the one hand, yes, they want to be virtual and they like to be virtual but … you also have to have human interaction and you have to have knowledge-sharing capabilities not just based on technologies,” the North American operations chief believes.

With change as a constant, “There are things that you control, there are things that you don’t control. Just embrace the change, do your best, and it’s going to be good at the end of the road, I think,” is Langagne’s optimistic message to those who follow in his footsteps.

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MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 29

ENERGY INTRO

CHAMPIONING

ENERGY

U.S. energy production has been on the rise for a couple of years. However, the development of talent within the industry has remained steady. For another edition, we have highlighted and profiled successful and brilliant Latinos that continue to lead top energy companies. During our time researching and interviewing, these champions have demonstrated that the hard work, long hours, and tough challenges all come accompanied with rewards.

DAVID HERNANDEZ CEO OF FLORIDA’S LIBERTY POWER

LUIS SIERRA CEO OF GLOBAL AROMATICS BP

30 LATINO LEADERS MARCH /APRIL 2018

ROBERTO MENDEZ

PEDRO PIZARRO

PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICA, DURACELL COMPANY, INC.

CEO OF EDISON

X

X

MES / MES 2018 LATINO LEADERS 31

ENERGY COVER

THE POWER OF PERSEVERANCE

David Hernandez, CEO of Florida’s Liberty Power, is no stranger to starting over. Whether it was finding his way to the Unites States from the shores of Havana, Cuba with his parents and eight siblings at five years old, or rebuilding his career after the cataclysmic collapse of ENRON, acquiescence was never in the cards.

Kristian Jaime

Rafael Balcazar and Shelley Gordon

Carlos Cuevas

TO SAY THAT entrepreneurship was always in the Hernandez’ blood is an understatement. The work ethic handed down from a father who worked as a painter evolved to taking the money earned there to start a lawn care business by age 12. The journey from coming to this country as an immigrant to creating one of the largest Hispanic owned businesses in America is one marked by vision, tenacity and a fanatical focus on understanding customers’ needs.

“My family left Cuba and eventually came to the United States via Madrid, Spain,” said Hernandez. “You can imagine what a challenge that is to start over not once, but twice. One of the starkest differences between Cuba and the United States is their economic policies and support of free markets.

Later when I went into the telecom industry that stuck with me and I further appreciated the benefits of competition.”

During his twenties, Hernandez was entering the telecommunication industry which was on the verge of unprecedented expansion with companies like Nortel Networks. With restructuring well underway in Latin America, a stage in the industry for which Hernandez was present, entrepreneurship was to be rewarded.

The learning curve for a young man on the rise meant earning an MBA from New York University to augment his training as a CPA. Not long after, a little known Texas-based firm named ENRON began restructuring its own approach to the utility market on the wholesale side in an effort to diversify its portfolio. The creation of an open energy sector soon precipitated the rise of independent power producers eager to sell to traditional energy companies.

Hernandez soon saw this as the seminal opportunity for which he was looking and Texas was seemingly the epicenter.

“It’s no surprise that access to affordable energy is one of the leading indicators of economic growth,” Hernandez continued. “Even on a more fundamental level, it is vital to the growth of your human capital. When children don’t have access to that, especially in the evening, it becomes difficult to complete simple tasks like homework or to read.”

32 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

May 11th, 2018

RECOGNIZING SUCCESS Any great journey to the helm of a major energy company starts with education and Hernandez is no exception. After graduating from New York University’s Leonard N. Stern School of Business with his MBA, Hernandez joined Texas-based ENRON. He started Liberty Power, along with three other original co-founders, from his living room in 2001. Since starting his Liberty Power journey, both Hernandez and the company have achieved many milestones and received much accolades.

In 2006, he was named Businessman of the Year by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. In 2007, Liberty Power was recognized as the number one, Fastest-Growing Hispanic-owned Business in the United States by Hispanic Business Magazine.

Fast-forward to 2013, when Liberty Power exceeded $800M in revenue and was named the Minority Retail Energy Firm of the Year by the U.S. Department of Commerce; the lists go on.

MARCH/ APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 33

ENERGY COVER

BRIGHT HORIZON SCHOLARSHIP Given is success, Hernandez was determined to give back, funding the education of tomorrow’s energy professions with an official scholarship program that stresses science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) curriculums.

The Bright Horizons Scholarship was established in 2013 when Liberty Power co-founders David Hernandez and Alberto Daire, committed $100,000 towards education over five years through a collaborative effort with the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation (USHCCF).

The scholarship was created to support and reward high-achieving college students currently pursuing undergraduate and graduate degrees in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with a passion for pursuing a career in energy and the environment.

“STEM education is ultimately what drives technological advancements. For the United States to continue to be on the forefront of technology, it is important that we invest in STEM education and that includes making sure the pipeline is a diverse one,” Hernandez said.

The 2017 Bright Horizons Scholarship program marked the fifth and final year of the partnership between Liberty Power and the USHCC Foundation.

Moving forward Liberty Power recently announce it will continue to help empower the next generation of leaders in 2018 with a bigger and more brilliant Bright Horizons Scholarship program. As one of the largest proponents the curriculums of the future, Hernandez recognizes that for the United States and lead in the way of alternative and traditional energy creation and dissemination, it requires the best minds of tomorrow. Thus, the continued funding of Bright Horizons Scholarship is testament that community partnerships and mentoring is among the effective ways to do so.

Since the inception of the program, 13 promising students have continued their journey into the ever-evolving field of energy.

34 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

The fundamental need for a dynamic, competitive power market, was a big enough draw for Hernandez. Recalling the hard lessons of a single-utility system was all the motivation he needed to jump headfirst into a new field. As the gleam of ENRON loomed large, not even he could anticipate what would occur and the massive scale on which it would happen.

With corporate profits ballooning in late 90s and early 2000s, it seemed there was no ceiling to the potential of modern business.

Yet it would come to screeching halt, and in so doing, sacrificing the livelihoods of thousands of longtime employees.

December of 2001 saw the energy giant

file for the largest bankruptcy in history to that point. Like many others, Hernandez gathered his belongings and had to bounce back yet again. But what may have seemed impossible to others led him to write a business plan of his own—this time for a company called Liberty Power. For the first time, “deregulation” or “restructuring” allowed for independent power producers to sell energy to utilities and other energy providers, while also allowing businesses and consumers to shop for electricity in many parts of the country. Electric choice created an emerging market in the energy sector - Hernandez was entering a brave FOLLOW US @LatinoLeadersUS

new world - and was carving out a niche for himself. While most of the early entrants into the marketplace focused on only very large energy users, Liberty Power’s vision was to provide the same level of cost-savings and customer service to small business owners that was typically only reserved for the largest consumers.

Liberty Power first started offering electricity to small business owners in New York City.

Today, the Florida-based company is among the most innovative in the field and has expanded its efforts, now selling to all customer segments: residential, small commercial, large national accounts, in addition to government agencies across the nation. While it will always trace it roots to serving small businesses, Liberty Power has served 20% of the Fortune 500, many of whom value working with a certified minority-business enterprise. In fact, they’ve received awards from some of its national accounts like JCPenney and Frito Lay, a division of PepsiCo. Liberty Power is the largest owner-operated retail electricity supplier in the United States.

In 2012, Liberty Power received the distinction of being the largest Hispanic-owned Energy Company in the U.S. and the eighth largest Hispanic-owned company overall on

“STEM EDUCATION IS ULTIMATELY WHAT DRIVES TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS. FOR THE UNITED STATES TO CONTINUE TO BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF TECHNOLOGY, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE INVEST IN STEM EDUCATION AND THAT INCLUDES MAKING SURE THE PIPELINE IS A DIVERSE ONE,” HERNANDEZ SAID.

THE VALUES OF THE VISION Even before Liberty Power was the energy juggernaut it is today, Hernandez knew its mission was to be governed by durable principles.

“I believe it is important to have an organization with a strong culture. Our culture at Liberty Power is built on a foundation of humble, hungry, and smart people. These are characteristics we have always looked for when building our team,” said Hernandez From a company of a handful of employees to the multi-state entity it is in 2018, the greatest asset, according to its CEO, is always its human capital.

That led to management outlining 29 fundamentals that demonstrate the core of the company culture. They include listening generously; making quality personal; and continuously improving everything you do.

“As a leader, I try to be a ‘Multiplier,’ which amounts to engaging people in a way that helps them reach their full potential. Making progress in the areas of trust, accountability, productivity, and business impact,” explained Hernandez.

Staying ahead of the energy sector curve means positioning Liberty Power to serve both customers and suppliers with bundled service offerings that incorporate the latest technologies and trends in energy. That future is increasingly inclusive of renewable energy sources like wind, solar, and other renewable forms that provide clean energy. Developing energy efficiency and managing demand has encompassed studying energy use and even energy storage in ever-sophisticated power grids. Through its enhanced capabilities, Liberty Power is well positioned to be the energy provider of the future, meeting the ever increasing demands for energy efficient, renewable power.

the Hispanic Business 500. The company is also the first minority-owned, retail electric provider with a national footprint. Currently, it serves hundreds of thousands of accounts in 14 states.

For a man with much to be boastful, the personal and business motto has always been the same. Stay humble, hungry and smart.

Such life lessons echo so seamlessly back to the five-year-old child who still is very much in touch with his roots.

As for the future, globalism is forging a new paradigm with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) at its core.

“You’re going see more energy generated from renewable sources like wind and solar.

Some of this will be utility-scale and in others it will be onsite like rooftop solar. Our energy grid will have to [evolve] to support our new populations and it will be dynamic,” concluded Hernandez.

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Energy TOP 30

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

ARCILIA ACOSTA CEO Carcon Industries and STL Engineers

FRANK ALMARAZ SVP OF COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS CPS Energy

DENNIS ARRIOLA EVP OF CORPORATE STRATEGY AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS Sempra Energy

JOSE BRAVO PRESIDENT Fractionation Research Inc.

VICTOR CARRILLO CEO Zion Oil and Gas

JOSEPH E. CASABONA SENIOR FINANCIAL ADVISOR TO CEO FirmGreen Inc.

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

Arcilia is the President and CEO of CARCON Industries & Construction, specializing in commercial, institutional and transportation construction, and is also the CEO and controlling principal of STL Engineers. Besides serving on the Board of Directors for her own company, she is also on the Board of Energy Future Holdings Corporation (9 yrs.) where she is on the audit and compensation committees. In March of 2016, Texas Governor Gregg Abbott appointed Ms. Acosta to the board of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. In May 2017, Arcilia joined the board of TPG Pace Energy Holdings. She is also a member of the advisory boards of Amegy Bank and on the national advisory boards for BBVA/Compass. Arcilila has also been part of the board of Bank One Texas, N.A., where she spent seven years.

Texas Tech University, Harvard University

Frank first joined CPS in 2011 as Senior Director of Energy Strategy and Planning. During his time in CPS he has led various initiatives essential to the growth and advancement of CPA Energy, Frank is also committed to the Boards of Directors of the American Gas Association, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the DoSeum, San Antonio’s Museum for Kids.

Texas A&M, Southern Methodist University

Dennis has spent nearly two decades in a broad range of leadership roles for Sempra Energy. He was named chief operating officer of SoCalGas in 2012 and promoted to CEO in 2014. From 2008 to 2012, he served as executive vice president and chief financial officer of SunPower Corporation, a Silicon Valley-based solar panel manufacturer. Prior to this, Arriola served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric, vice president of communications and investor relations for Sempra Energy and regional vice president and general manager for Sempra’s South American operations. He first joined the company in 1994 as treasurer for Pacific Enterprises, SoCalGas’ former parent company. His experience is key to the growth of Sempra Energy and its companies.

Stanford University, Harvard University

Jose is President of Fractionation Research Inc. Prior to taking the leadership at FRI, he served for 22 years at Shell as Chief Scientist. Currently at FRI, he consults and advises in areas that include Research, Development, Process Engineering, Technology Development, Executive Leadership, and New Business Development. He began at FRI as a consultant and in May 2017 he escalated to leadership as President.

Universidad Iberoamericana, University of Texas at Austin, Wharton School of Business

On June 15, 2015, Zion’s Board of Directors appointed Victor G. Carrillo as Zion’s CEO. Victor was appointed to Zion’s Board in September 2010 and appointed Executive Vice President in January 2011. In October of 2011 he was appointed as the Company President and Chief Operating Officer. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Texas-Israel Chamber of Commerce and the Maguire Energy Institute at Southern Methodist University. Victor also previously served as commissioner of the Railroad Commision of Texas.

University of Houston, Baylor University, Hardin-Simmons University

Joseph is the Senior Financial Advisor to the CEO. He previously served as President and CEO of Halio Energy, Executive Vice President and chief financial officer of Energy Corporation of America, a leading independent natural gas producer. He has over 30 years in the oil and gas industry with extensive background in Strategic Planning, Capital Structure, Capital Markets,, Business Development, Acquisitions and Divestments.

University of Pittsburgh, Colorado School of Mines

*In alphabetical order 36 LATINO LEADERS MARCH /APRIL 2018

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

DAVID HERNANDEZ CEO AND CO-FOUNDER Liberty Power

DORENE DOMINGUEZ CHAIRWOMAN AND CEO Vanir Group

JOSEPH DOMINGUEZ EVP OF GOVERNMENTAL AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC POLICY Exelon Corp.

RUBEN ESQUIVEL DIRECTOR Atmos Energy.

EUGENE GARCIA PRESIDENT Hurd Enterprises, Ltd.

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

Accomplished leader with a solid track record of performance in building an energy company after the implosion of Enron and subsequent layoffs. A well-respected businessman in the $300 Billion Retail Energy sector and in the Hispanic community, Hernandez founded Liberty Power in 2001. Liberty Power was ranked as the #1 Fastest Growing Hispanic 500 company by Hispanic Business magazine in 2007. The same publication recognized Mr. Hernandez as Entrepreneur of the Year in 2006 and Rising Star in 2005. In 2013, he was awarded the award for Businessman of the Year by the USHCC. Liberty Power also created the Bright Horizons Scholarship Program that awards three college students a total of $20,000 to aid their careers in energy.

Palm Beach Atlantic University, New York University

Dorene is the Chairman of the Vanir Group of Companies. Vanir Energy is known for the largest solar thermal energy facility in the world located in North Carolina. She currently serves on the American River Bank Board of Directors, she's member of the Young Presidents Organization, member of the Latino Studies Board of Notre Dame University in South Bend Indiana, New America Alliance and the National Council of La Raza. Dorence is the founder of “The Dominguez Dream”, a foundation in memory of her late father, which serves elementary schools in underserved communities by empowering children to achieve their full potential in Literacy and S.T.E.A.M. FORTUNE and ALPFA have named her as one of The 50 Most Powerful Latinas of 2017. She was recently also featured on the 2018 list.

University of Notre Dame, Harvard University

Joseph joined Exelon in 2002 as Associate General Counsel, responsible for all litigation matters in the Mid-Atlantic region. Through the years he expanded his knowledge and climbed the ladder through various other positions. In 2012, Dominguez became Senior Vice President, Governmental and Regulatory Affairs and Public Policy for Exelon Corporation, and in 2015, he assumed his current role. Dominguez co-founded the Association of Latino Energy and Environmental Professionals in 2011. This organization focuses on ensuring the Latino voice is heard in the energy and environmental industries. He serves as member of the Corporate Advisory Board for APM, Corporate Advisory Council of Congreso de Latino Unidos.

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgets University School of Law

Ruben has sat on the board of directors at Atmos Energy for almost 10 years. He currently is the vice presidente for community and corporate relations at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. A leader in the community of Dallas, he not only serves in the Atmos board. He serves as trustee of Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Research and Education Foundation and director of the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Dallas Zoological Society, The Senior Source, State Fair of Texas amongst others.

New Jersey Institute of Technology, Rutgets University, University of Texas at Arlington

Eugene is a member of the executive team at Hurd Enterprises, Ltd., a fourth generation family business engaged in oil and gas, ranching, real estate, and investments. Eugene serves as President of the Hurd Family Entities with direct responsibility over the Oil and Gas exploration and production and Ranching businesses.

Garcia serves on various boards, including the Texas Independent Producers & Royalty Owners Association, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, University of Texas McDonalds Observatory, Mission Road Ministries and First Presbyterian Church. His career began in NASA as a payload project engineer. He then became a Business Analyst and a Supervisor at Intel. Later, from 1999-2004, he was a Manager for Dell's

Texas A&M, Florida State University

Omar is the President of South Texas Energy & Economic Roundtable (STEER). His role consists of facilitating the communication, education and public advocacy sorrounding the production of energy in South Texas. Garcia is also a former vice president of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation. His expertise in the oil and natural gas industry gives him a seat at table for major movements and innovations that ensure that the industry advances for the benefit of all. In 2010, Governor Perry appointed Garcia to the Texas Economic Development Corporation. Garcia is a certified economic development finance

St. Edwards University

Product Development and Procurement organizations. After Dell, he joined Hurd.

OMAR GARCIA PRESIDENT AND CEO STEER

professional through the National Development Council.

*In alphabetical order MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 37

Energy TOP 30

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

RUDY GARZA SVP OF DISTRIBUTION SERVICES AND OPERATIONS CPS Energy

HUGO GUTIERREZ SENIOR GOVERNMENT & COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER Marathon Oil

MAURICIO GUTIERREZ PRESIDENT AND CEO NRG

JOHN LOIACONO DIRECTOR OF COMMERCIAL SERVICES Enbridge Energy Company Inc.

ROBERTO MENDEZ PRESIDENT OF NORTH AMERICA Duracell

SADZI MARTHA OLIVA COMMISSIONER Illinois Commerce Commission

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

Rudy first joined CPS in 2012. He is responsible for CPS Energy's maintenance and constuction activity as well as the Energy Management Center which operates the distribution system. Before joining the CPS Energy team, Garza served as Assistant City Manager and as Intergovernmental Relations Director in Corpus Christi. He also worked for TXU Corporation in Dallas for 13 years.

University of Texas, University of North Texas

Hugo joined Marathon Oil Corporation in November 1999, after serving as Chief of Staff to two South Texas lawmakers in the Texas House of Representatives. He currently serves as Senior Manager for Government and Community Relations and directs the company's lobbying, political and community engagement in Texas, New Mexico and Washington D.C. He is a McAllen, Tx native in the Rio Grande Valley and is a 1993 graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos. He resides in Houston, Tx.

Texas State University

Mauricio first joined NRG in 2004. Prior to becoming President and CEO, Mauricio held the position of Chief Operating Officer. Mauricio began his career as a senior consultant and project manager at Mexico City-based DTP Consultores. He has served on the Boards of the Mexican National Chamber of Consulting Firms and the Electric Power Supply Association in the U.S. His leadership skills came in handy when during his time as COO, he led NRG's engineering and construction activities related to the new generation and repowering projects. NRG not only the nation's largest competitive power generator, but it also a mjor competitive energy retailer that serves 3 million retail customers and is one of the country's largest owners and operators of renewable power facilities.

Universidad Panamericana, Colorado School of Mines, IFP Energies Nouvelles

John has over 27 years of experience in petroleum production and natural gas gathering, processing, treating and trasmission. He first joined Enbridge in 2000.

Before Enbridge, John was an asset optimizer for Midcoast Energy, as well as a senior asset manager for MCNIC Pipeline & Processing Company. He was also a part of Delhi Gas Pipeline Corporation, Santa Fe Minerals and Texas Oil & Gas Corporation. In January 2018, he was elected chairman of the Texas Pipeline Association (TPA). TPA is the largest state trade association in the country that represents the interests of the intrastate pipeline network.

University of MissouriRolla, Oklahoma City University

Roberto joined Berkshire Hathaway officially on the date the Duracell acquisition was completed: March 1, 2016, and has served as Duracell’s President of Latin America & OEM business since that time. Prior to coming to Berkshire Hathaway, Bobby enjoyed a career with Procter & Gamble that spanned over 23 years. For the last 6 years of his P&G career, Bobby served as Duracell’s CFO. Before Duracell, Bobby held a number of financial roles including CFO for P&G Mexico, LA HQ Corporate Finance Associate Director, and Group Manager for Puerto Rico/Caribbean Finance.

Georgetown University

Sadzi is Commissioner of Ilinois Commerce Commission. She is the first Latina to become Commissioner of the ICC. She was appointed by Governor Rauner in January 2017. Her role is to ensure a fair and effective balance between the interests of Illinois consumers and public utilities, energy suppliers, and transportation companies. Before becoming a part of the ICC, she served as general counsel for the Illinois Dept of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR).

DuPaul University, Loyola University School of Law

38 LATINO LEADERS MARCH /APRIL 2018

*In alphabetical order

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

GINA OROZCO-MEJIA

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

California State University, Claremont Graduate University

VP OF GAS DISTRIBUTION SoCalGas and San Diego Gas & Electric

Gina is vice president of gas distribution for SoCal Gas and San Diego Gas & Electric.

She oversees all aspects of gas distribution operations. She first joined SoCalGas as an engineering intern in 1990. She previously served as director of labor relations and was responsible for working with the unions that represent approximately 5,000 SoCalGas employees. She currently serves on the board of directors for Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center Charitable Foundation and the California State Parks Foundation. Gina is also featured in the 2018 list of the Top 50 Most Powerful Latinas in Business.

GERARD ORTIZ

Gerard was employed by PNM on 1981. Before his current position, he has held various roles in Distribution Engineering, Electric Marketing, Business Planning, and Market Services. Actively, he is oversees regulatory policy and case management for PNM, energy efficiency design and economic development.

New Mexico State University, Robert O. Anderson Graduate School of Management at New Mexico State University

José L. Pérez co-founded the California Utilities Diversity Council (CUDC) in 2003. Then in 2008, José co-founded the National Utilities Diversity Council (NUDC). He has presented at the National Association of Hispanics Publications in Washington D.C., National Association of Regulated Utility Commissioners (NARUC) in Denver and San Francisco, National Council of La Raza in New Orleans and the Mexican American Engineering Society in San Diego. He is a national speaker on diversity, public policy, community and business partnerships, and finance in energy and utility industries.

California State University in Sacramento, Harvard University

Aleida is currently the VP of Operations at BP. She is in charge of the safe, reliable and compliant operations on BP's four offshore platforms in the deepwater gulf. She is also a major advocate for women in STEM. At BP, she is on the leadership council for the Million Women Mentors programs which works to mobilize 1 million mentors to inspire and instill confidence in girls and young women while empowering them to pursue careers in STEM-based industries. In 2017, she was named one of ALPFA's 50 Most Powerful Latinas.

Texas A&M

John was first appointed as Commissioner to Illinois Commerce Commission by Governor Rauner in 2015. The ICC regulates electric, natural gas, telecommunications, water/sewer, and pipeline safety within the state of Illinois. Transportation businesses regulated by the ICC are: railroad safety, intra-state trucking, relocation towing, safety towing, household goods moving and warehousing, and collateral recovery. He is also part of the Board of Directors for the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC). He is the Vice-Chair of the Electricity Committee.

Northwestern University

Luis currently runs BP’s aromatics chemicals business unit, a role he assumed in January 2016. He has about 20 years of experience in an executive role. This global business generates revenue of $4 billion and comprises manufacturing assets in Texas, South Carolina, Belgium, Indonesia and China serving the intermediate chemicals needs of packaging, beverage, textiles and films and industries around the world. Luis also currently serves on the board of directors for a number of entities, including Junior Achievement of Chicago and BP America.

University of Florida, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Chicago

VP OF REGULATORY AFFAIRS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PNM

JOSE L. PEREZ CHAIRMAN AND CEO Hispanics in Energy Organization

ALEIDA RIOS VP OF OPERATIONS BP Gulf of Mexico

JOHN ROSALES COMMISSIONER Illinois Commerce Commission

LUIS SIERRA CEO OF BP AROMATICS BP Petrochemicals *In alphabetical order

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 39

Energy TOP 30

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

JOHN TINTERA PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OF STAFF Texas Alliance of Energy Producers

JUAN TREVINO VP OF OPERATIONS WATERFRONT Spitzer Industries

JAMIE L. VAZQUEZ BOARD MEMBER NOIA

RANDY VELARDE PRESIDENT AND CEO The Plaza Group

GEISHA WILLIAMS PRESIDENT AND CEO PG&E

NANCY ZARENDA VICE PRESIDENT AND TREASURER Hispanics in Energy Organization Commission

BIOGRAPHY

EDUCATION

John is a very knowledgeable expert and licensed geologist who is very familiar with all facets of upstream oil and gas exploration, production and transportation, including conventional and unconventioanl reservoirs. He is also a 22-year veteran of the Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC). He founded and ran the pollution cleanup section at the RRC, bringing toxologists, hydrologists and engineers into the agency for the first time to focus solely on complex environmental issues. John retired as the RRX's Executive Director in 2012.

Michigan State University

Juan is the VP of Operations and Heavy Fabrication Division. He joined Spitzer in January 2015. Prior to his current position at Spitzer, he held several roles in GE, including Plant Manager Oilfield Division, Manufacturing Shop Operations Manager,Cell Manufacturing Manager, Lean Manufacturing Engineer, among other position in various energy companies.

Universidad de Monterrey

Jamie serves on the Board of Directors for the National Ocean Industries Association (NOIA). She is a Member of the National Petroleum Council (NPC), an Oil and Natural Gas Advisory Committee to the Secretary of Energy. Jamie is currently serving as a board member for the Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council and is a member of their Philanthropy and Board Development Committees. She serves as an advisory board member for Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of GalvestonHouston and is a member of their Facility Master Plan Committee. In 2011, she was inducted into the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame.

University of Tulsa

Randy formerly served on the National Petroleum Council, appointed by former U.S. Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson. Velarde currently serves on the Consumer Energy Alliance Board, University of New Mexico, Department of Engineering Board of Advisors, the University of New Mexico Foundation Board, and formerly on the Board of the University of St. Thomas in Houston, and Chairman of the Development Committee at the University of St. Thomas. In 2011, he was a finalist for Ernst & Young’s prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year award. He is a Partner of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and a Corporate Partner of the Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility.

University of New Mexico, BaldwinWallace College

Geisha came to PG&E in 2007 from Florida Power and Light Company (FPL), where she was Vice President of Power Systems, Electric Distribution. Prior to that, she served as FPL’s Vice President of Distribution Operations, and held a variety of positions of increasing responsibility in FPL’s customer service, marketing, external affairs and electric operations departments. Geisha is also a director at the Edison Electric Institute (EEI) and the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO). At EEI, she also serves on the Executive Committee and is the CEO co-Chair of the Customer Energy Solutions Policy Committee. In addition, she is on the board of the Center for Energy Workforce Development (CEWD). Geisha is featured in the 2018 Top Most Powerful Latinas in Business where she holds the #1 spot.

University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University

Nancy is co-vice chair of the California Utilities Diversity Council (CUDC) and was a charter member of the National Utilities Diversity Council. In 2014, she was a key contributor to the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) first-ever Spanish language energy literacy publication titled Conocimiento de Energía. Nancy is founder and director of the Spanish Language Academy, where her clients include state and national elected and appointed officials, utility and energy companies, law firms, private industry, government agencies and chambers of commerce. Nancy is a member of the U.S. DOE Minorities in Energy Community Planning Team.

40 LATINO LEADERS MARCH /APRIL 2018

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 41

ENERGY BP

CORE LEADERSHIP

Frederick Jerant Courtesy of BP Moisés Cervantes April 9th, 2018 in Dallas, TX

Luis Sierra's desire for progress and dedication to his profession were primary drivers that helped him reach the top and become one of BP's most important executives.

LUIS SIERRA CEO OF GLOBAL AROMATICS BP

42 LATINO LEADERS MARCH /APRIL 2018

STRONGER STEM Sierra is also a proponent of increasing STEM (science/technology/ engineering/math) education in the U. S. “The world around us revolves around technology,” he said. “So any field in the STEM disciplines is very rich with opportunities for success. With other things being equal, a chemical engineer can earn $120,000 per year – plus a bonus – right out of school.

You can start your life and career at a real advantage, further up the salary curve.

And that should follow for the rest of your life.

“But we have a real deficit in this country,” he adds. “There are simply not enough well-prepared and qualified engineers available for work. Right now, the U. S. has about 6,000,000 open STEMrelated jobs. And they will probably always be unfilled because we don’t have the people to fill them.”

He’s quick to caution, though, that STEM isn’t a one-size-fits-all career plan.

“My daughter is an opera singer, and she’s studying at the Royal College of Music in London. So I wouldn’t recommend a STEM career for her,” he laughed. “But if you have the inclination and appetite to study in any of those fields, go for it!”

He also offered some nearly-universal career advice: “Be clear about what you want. Many young people just go along with a ‘whatever you want’ or ‘I’ll take anything’ approach,” he said. “I was always thinking about what I wanted and didn’t want.

You can’t rely on others to figure things out for you; it’s something you must do for yourself.”

01 BP Cooper River plant, near Charleston, SC. 02 Bags of Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA).

01

SIERRA ON DIVERSITY But Sierra won’t tackle situations on his own. “The key is to listen to as many points of view as possible while staying focused on the problem. I’ve learned to rely on a lot of advice, from many different perspectives.

The worst thing you can do is to think you know it all, or that you can figure everything out on your own.

You can’t. There will be angles and twists that you can’t even imagine, simply because you don’t know enough,” he said. “It’s good to ask for help. It’s an act of inclusion and people really appreciate it.”

And when Sierra mentions different perspectives, he means it.

“I deal with a lot of other companies, and there are very few that have the degree of diversity that BP has,” he said. “And I mean honest diversity, not just window dressing.

For example, my boss is a woman, as are nearly 50 percent of my team – and her boss is Turkish. It’s made up of people from all over the world. And that’s a real strength for us because it’s always richer when you bring in many different points of view and perspectives.”

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02

escribing a pivotal moment in his life journey, Luis Sierra said: “My dad really drilled the importance of education into us.”

And he did so by example – not just by preaching and lecturing. When the family – including Luis’s brother and two sisters -- landed in the U. S., neither of the parents could speak English. But the elder Sierra taught himself to code and – thanks to the dedication and long hours – eventually became a globe-trotting programmer in the airline industry.

Luis took that thirst for knowledge to heart. “I was good in math and science, and I loved to tinker. I was always taking things apart and putting them back together. Mechanical engineering seemed like the most natural and comfortable field for me,” he said. And so he acquired a B.S. with honors at the University of Florida; an M.S. from the Georgia Institute of Technology; and capped it with an MBA (with distinction) from the University of Chicago.

He’s worn many hats since joining BP in 1990 – working in strategy, business development, mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, planning, commodities trading and other related fields; CFO of the company’s refining operation in Whiting, Indiana; and now as president of BP Aromatics’ operations in the Americas, Europe and Middle East and as CEO of Global Aromatics.

That path included assignments in Miami, Chicago, Mexico City, London and other locales, as well as business-related travel to many other parts of the globe.

“I’ve actually lived outside the U. S. three times,” he said, “in France, Mexico, and England. Living in those countries taught me that people are very similar around the world. Their appearances differ, but we all share the same basic human needs.”

He also discovered a key difference. “People are much more worldly outside of the U. S.,” he said. “They’re more interested in what happening in other places than we are.”

In his current position, Sierra is responsible for four manufacturing sites and 1,400 employees involved in the production of raw materials for the packaging, fibers, automotive and electronics industries.

“Obviously, I don’t function as an engineer today,” he said. “But that background is still valuable to me. First, engineering at its core is dedicated to problem-solving, and every business venture is full of challenges. And second, I still must deal with plant problems – and I can speak to those staffers in their own language.”

GIVING BACK Despite his weighty schedule, Sierra still manages to carve out time to serve the community. For over a decade, he’s devoted his energy o teaching Junior Achievement (JA) classes – to kids in kindergarten.

First, some background.

Junior Achievement is a nonprofit youth organization that teaches principles of financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship to students in grades K-12, through partnerships with local businesses and organizations.

“Junior Achievement has chapters around the word, and Chicago’s is the largest; it reaches about 500,000 kids,” he said. “They asked me early on to volunteer – and they wanted my time, not just money. Now I work with kindergartners and teach them in Spanish. Recently arrived, no English…They remind me of me when I was little,” he continued.

He explained that the JA curriculum varies from grade to grade, At the K level, “It’s very basic. I teach them about money, about following rules, how to work in little teams, things like that. It’s a good way to expose them to the many opportunities they might not discover otherwise.”

MARCH /APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 43

ENERGY

DURACELL

WINNING BIG Lorenzo Almanza Courtesy of Duracell Moisés Cervantes April 2nd, 2018 at 3:30 PM CST

Native Puerto Rican, team leader, and holder of vision. Duracell’s President of North America, Robert Mendez, has adopted a leadership approach that is centered on creating value and a winning culture for one of the most important companies in energy.

B

uilding a winning culture has always been the slogan of Duracell’s President of North America, Roberto Mendez.

The background of finance and opportunity to lead businesses define the type of career the infamous Latino businessman has shaped during his timeframe in the energy/business spectrum.

Mendez’s profession started in 1992 when he became the Department Manager for Procter & Gamble. During his time with the company, the Latino leader held various other positions including Group Manager, Finance Associate Director and Finance Director.

His 18 years with Procter & Gamble took him all over the world including working in Mexico, Venezuela and his hometown Puerto Rico.

“Something I have learned across the years is I have had the opportunity to contrast and compare consumer goods,” Mendez said.

Start with Duracell Before becoming the current President, Mendez started his tenure with Duracell as the CFO and Latin American President.

“It has been quite a ride over the past couple years looking at the business from a slightly different lens and more from a managerial side,” Mendez said.

The North American president stated that the biggest difference between working with Procter & Gamble vs. Duracell is the idea of having to compete for resources and attention in 14 or 15 other categories, where as now his square focus 44 LATINO LEADERS MARCH /APRIL 2018

ROBERTO MENDEZ

PRESIDENT, NORTH AMERICA, DURACELL COMPANY, INC.

ROBERTO MENDEZ “I am originally from San Juan, Puerto Rico but my family migrated from Cuba,” Mendez said.

The North American President got his bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University where he majored in Finance and International Business His degree and work experience coincide hand and hand with the legacy Mendez continues to build.

FOLLOW US @latinoleadersmag

has been getting Duracell in the hands of more consumers worldwide.

“Energy is going to become relevant over time,” Mendez said. “The world continues to grow and technology plays a bigger role in our daily lives.”

The rate of the Hispanic community takes part in the growth and attraction of the energy spectrum and the way companies develop their ideal business techniques.

“We setup our Latin American headquarters in the U.S. in West Palm Beach Florida,” Mendez said. “We did it not only to gain access to Latin America, but we could attract the type of talent that would help grow our business.”

Mendez’s Leadership Growing a winning business has always been the fundamentals Mendez has stood with. His vast styles of leadership qualities are centered on strong people and building strong teams.

“You are only as good as the people that want to come with you along with journey,” Mendez said.

The veteran businessman states that one-way future leaders can attract the next generation of hopefuls is by having mentorship opportunities and being active in recruiting.

Mendez fully understands the struggles Latino entrepreneurs face as his roots are rooted down in Latin North American countries.

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MES / MES 2018 LATINO LEADERS 45

ENERGY EDISON

INNOVATE TO THRIVE

Brian Elvir Courtesy of Edison Moisés Cervantes

CEO of Edison, Pedro Pizarro, leads the California’s energy industry with bold leadership.

His vision is to create a new wave of transition from greenhouse gas into clean energy, as well as a new wave of Latino talent in energy.

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he name “Edison” is one that is connected most to the foundation of the United States energy industry. Since 1889, Edison has been at the forefront of electricity distribution and central to the development of a public works infrastructure. For more than 130 years, Edison International has defined innovation in the U.S. energy industry concurrent to the country’s technical and economic challenges stemming from longdistance power management to the Great Depression.

Continuing with that trend, Edison International’s President and CEO Pedro Pizarro is currently leading the company to contend with a new wave of challenges presented by climate change and high population growth.

Granted these are not the only challenges that CEO Pedro Pizarro has faced. During his childhood Pizarro suffered from debilitation back pain that required multiple surgeries. Surviving was a humbling experience that he feels taught him “flexibility and resilience.”

Another hardship he has faced is climbing the U.S. corporate ladder given its long-established bias towards minorities. For example, the Alliance for Board Diversity points out that as recently as 2016 minorities account for less than 15% of Fortune 500 board seats.

Being a Hispanic from Puerto Rico, Pizarro feels that “diversity of thought” is important in leadership and key for innovation to thrive. He therefore hires his executive team from various backgrounds and trains them how to understand and neutralize unconscious bias. Pizarro’s group also developed LEAD, a program that provides employment and supports upward mobility to Latinos at Edison. To guarantee they hire the country’s best talent, Edison’s Scholar program awards $40,000 scholarships to 30 of the most excelling high school students in the South California area, many of which come from Latino immigrants and the first in their families to attend college.

Pizarro’s own upbringing illustrates diversity as essential to effective leadership. His parents had counterbalancing personalities; his father being introverted while mother more extroverted. Pizarro feels that they directly influenced his leadership style and his “approach is colored by them.”

46 LATINO LEADERS MARCH /APRIL 2018

LEAD Edison International’s award-winning business resource group LEAD is dedicated to the development and upward mobility of Latino employees.

High-potential employees are placed on local non-profit boards dedicated to giving back to the community.

LEAD provides up and coming Hispanic leaders with growth opportunities in the industry as well beneficial support to community partners.

“THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE LIKE PROLONGED DROUGHT AND INCREASED SEVERITY OF WEATHER EVENTS HAVE EXACERBATED THE PROBLEM.”

PEDRO PIZARRO

CEO OF EDISON He routinely encourages his team to give candid feedback and promotes constructive debate as a deterrent to cultural prejudices in the workforce.

Pizarro’s focus on diversity is evident in his educational and work portfolio as well. He graduated from Harvard University with a Ph. D. in chemistry and has experience across all types of industries, including management consulting, business development and operations.

Pizarro finds that his scientific background and various management roles have given him a unique perspective which he shares and encourages at Edison International.

The main challenge Pizarro and his team are confronting at Edison International is the transition to a clean energy future. California is enacting an aggressive strategy to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and significantly cut emissions 40% lower than in 1990 by the year 2030. Efficiency plans are being implemented to modernize California’s grid in support of electrified buildings and vehicles as well as a customizable interface to allow customers more control over energy consumption.

Presently Edison International is taking on the statewide challenge of its recent wildfire epidemic. Pizarro asserts that, “the impacts of climate change like prolonged drought and increased severity of weather events have exacerbated the problem.” Similarly, the devastation of Hurricane Maria in his native island of Puerto Rico is directly linked to this climate change. Pizarro and a team of 5,500 workers from Edison Electric Institute are helping in restoration efforts.

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MES / MES 2018 LATINO LEADERS 47

LATINAS TOP 50

fifty MOST POWERFUL LATINAS IN BUSINESS

For the second year in a row, Latino Leaders is proud to partner with ALPFA to unveil their list of the Most Powerful Latinas in Business. In this 2018 edition, the women that appear are all examples of a great leadership and a great work-life balance.

They all represent a thoughtful example and a tremendous inspirational piece for many other women that wish to lead.

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

GEISHA WILLIAMS CEO AND PRESIDENT

Courtesy of PG&E

01

BIOGRAPHY

2

02

GRACE PUMA EVP OF GLOBAL OPERATIONS

Courtesy of PepsiCo

PG&E

PEPSICO 48 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

2

Williams leads one of the largest combined natural gas and electric energy companies in the United States. Based in San Francisco with more than 20,000 employees, the company delivers some of the nation’s cleanest energy to nearly 16 million people in Northern and Central California. Williams is the first Latina to ever lead a Fortune 500 company. Since joining PG&E, Williams has overseen the company’s move to bring nearly 33% of its energy from renewable sources. The power company has also become a leader in renewables integration, grid modernization, and smart-grid technologies, while also achieving the best electric reliability in company history. In Williams’ own words: “In terms of greenhouse-gas emissions, the news is even better. When you add in large hydro and nuclear, nearly 70% of the electricity on PG&E’s grid is now GHG-free—something we’re very proud of.”

As executive vice president of global operations at PepsiCo, Puma directs a broad scope of activities spanning PepsiCo’s $63 billion portfolio that includes Pepsi, Frito-Lay, Quaker Oats, Gatorade, and Tropicana. Under her purview are global procurement, in which she manages more than $25 billion of spending; global manufacturing operations and warehousing, where she drives quality, efficiency and ensures capacity for growth around the world; and global safety and security, where her focus is protecting the welfare of more than 250,000 PepsiCo employees. Before joining PepsiCo in 2010, Puma held leadership positions at United Airlines, Kraft Foods, Motorola, and Gillette. She currently serves on the board of Williams-Sonoma.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

Martinez brings over 30 years of experience in business and technology leadership roles, and her primary focus is helping customers transform their businesses and realize their ambitions faster. Prior to joining Salesforce, Martinez managed Microsoft’s global services business, where she led businesses to outperform revenue targets and significantly increase Microsoft’s customer satisfaction rating. She also served as president and CEO of Embrace Networks and has held senior leadership roles at Motorola and AT&T.

She joined Goldman Sachs in 1989 in the investment banking division and has held positions in sales across the U.S. and Latin America before assuming responsibility for the Latin American cash business in 1999. She also is a member of the Americas Diversity Committee. Docharty has been actively engaged in the firm’s diversity efforts, participating in the Multicultural Women’s Alliance and the Goldman Sachs women’s network. She was named managing director in 1999 and partner in 2010. She earned a BSBA from Georgetown University, where she has also helped lead the firm’s recruiting efforts.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

Courtesy of Bank of America

2

2

VICE CHAIR- U.S. AND MEXICO ASSURANCE LEADER

SONIA DULÁ

04

VICE CHAIRMAN OF LATIN AMERICA

GISEL RUIZ

05

EVP AND COO SAM'S CLUB

2

1

03

BANK OF AMERICA

Courtesy of Walmart

Ruiz began her career at Walmart 25 years ago, and now leads operations for nearly 600 Sam’s Club stores in the U.S. with $60 billion in revenue. She also oversees the real estate division, in-club digital services and the operations transformation team. Ruiz has held numerous executive positions at Walmart including EVP of people for Walmart International and EVP and chief operating officer for Walmart U.S. She has been honored by Latina Style as Latina Executive of the Year in 2010, and by Fortune as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2012, 2013, and 2014.

MARIA CASTAÑÓN MOATS PWC

Courtesy of Salesforce

Dulá has run all three divisions of Bank of America’s Latin America business: corporate, investment bank, and wealth management. This year, Sonia has dedicated 100% of her time to covering telecommunications and media companies in Latin America, helping to drive rapid transformation. Dulá held senior posts at Pemex and Goldman Sachs. As CEO of Grupo Latino de Radio, she operated over 500 radio stations in Latin America and the U.S. Born in Mexico and raised in Brazil, Dulá speaks five languages fluently.

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MARIA MARTINEZ

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PRESIDENT OF SALESFORCE CUSTOMER SUCCESS GROUP AND SUCCESS CLOUD, GENERAL MANAGER OF SALESFORCE LATIN AMERICA SALESFORCE

Courtesy of Goldman Sachs

This powerful Latina serves as a member of the U.S. leadership team and the global assurance executive leadership team. Her leadership of the national assurance practice encompasses business strategy, quality and regulatory relations, innovation, risk management, portfolio strategy and business development, and human capital.

Castañón-Moats is a leader who has built her career by delivering great client service, primarily to retail, consumer, and industrial product clients. Her career spans accounting, financial reporting, investigations, and M&A. She has led audits of both public and private entities, and initial and secondary public offerings. She is fluent in Spanish and has traveled on business extensively throughout the U.S., Europe, and Latin America.

Courtesy of PwC

BIOGRAPHY

MICHELE DOCHARTY CO-HEAD OF GLOBAL SYNTHETICS PRODUCTS DISTRIBUTION, GLOBAL HEAD OF CORPORATE ACCESS, SECURITIES DIVISION GOLDMAN SACHS

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 49

07

LATINAS TOP 50

BIOGRAPHY

08

YASMINE WINKLER CEO OF CENTRAL REGION

Courtesy of United Health

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

UNITEDHEALTHCARE COMMUNITY & STATE

ADRIANA CISNEROS CEO

2

Courtesy of Cisneros

09

2

JESSICA ALBA FOUNDER

Courtesy of The Honest Co.

CISNEROS

10

1

ANA PINCZUK

Courtesy of HPE

THE HONEST COMPANY

11

In her role as CEO of the central region, Winkler is responsible for approximately 30% of UnitedHealthcare’s total Medicaid business. She leads a team of 2,700 employees to deliver health and wellness services to over 1.9 million people.

She also serves on UnitedHealthcare’s CEO diversity and inclusion council and UnitedHealth Group’s innovation forum. Winkler has also held positions with BlueCross/BlueShield of Illinois, Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma.

SVP AND GENERAL MANAGER OF HPE POINTNEXT 2

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BERNADETTE AULESTIA EVP OF GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Courtesy of HBO

HEWLETT PACKARD ENTERPRISE

HBO 50 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

2

Cisneros leads a third-generation family-owned business focused on media, digital and interactive, and real estate. She is also the President of the Fundación Cisneros, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving education in the region. Cisneros is also the co-chair of Endeavor Miami, a director and executive committee member of the Board of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, a trustee of the Paley Center for Media, and a board member of MoMA’s Latin American acquisitions committee. She recently joined the boards of Parrot Analytics, The Knight Foundation, and University of Miami.

Alba is the founder of The Honest Company and Honest Beauty, companies providing more than 101 safe and effective products for baby, personal care, cleaning, and more. She’s a globally recognized business leader, entrepreneur, advocate, actress and New York Times bestselling author of The Honest Life, a practical guide for parents to create a safe and healthy life for their families. The Honest Company has donated over twelve million products and over 15,000 employee participation hours through its Honest to Goodness program. Alba was among the top twenty of Fast Company’s 100 most creative people in business, and one of Fortune’s 10 most powerful women entrepreneurs.

Pinczuk is a General Manager for HPE’s $7 billion services business. She leads a team of 25,000 I.T. experts responsible for driving customers’ digital transformation journeys and delivering HPE Pointnext consulting, professional, and operational support services. Previously, Pinczuk was EVP and chief product officer at Veritas and led the company’s $2.5 billion information management business. She also spent 15 years at Cisco where she held various leadership roles in the services and engineering organizations.

Aulestia oversees $6 billion in annual revenue and distribution of HBO’s networks and platforms worldwide. Internationally, she is responsible for the operations of HBO-branded networks in 67 countries. Domestically, she leads distributions for the premium networks HBO and Cinemax, whether it be through cable, satellite, and telco companies or in the critical lodging business. Aulestia oversees HBO’s affiliate marketing group, which is responsible for the acquisition and retention of subscribers across all distributor partners. She also heads digital distribution efforts, including streaming products HBO GO, MAX GO, the newly launched HBO NOW, and HBO Home Entertainment.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

Robbins works at one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work. In this role, Robbins leads the company’s efforts to attract, develop, and retain the best talent.

She became one of the pioneers of Salesforce’s equal pay efforts, resulting in the company spending $6 million to address any unexplained differences in pay. She has also scaled Salesforce’s unique culture that has earned the company top rankings in Forbes’ Most Admired Companies, Indeed’s Best Places to Work in Technology, LinkedIn’s Top Companies, and Glassdoor’s Employees’ Choice Awards. Prior to joining Salesforce in 2006, she held positions at major technology companies including BEA, OpenWave, Plumtree Software, and Excite@Home.

She is responsible for the structure, development, strategy, and operations for Hyatt Place and Hyatt House hotels globally, and franchise operations for Hyattbranded hotels and Hyatt Zilara and Hyatt Ziva all-inclusive resorts. Santiago is a hospitality veteran and has held an ascending series of food and beverage positions throughout the U.S., Canada, and Caribbean. She also served as general manager of Hyatt Centric Key West Resort and Spa and Hyatt Regency Aruba Resort and Casino. Santiago serves on the diversity and inclusion council for Hyatt and is co-chair and executive sponsor for HyPride, Hyatt’s LGBT diversity business resource group (DBRG). She is a board of directors member of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) Women in Lodging.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

Courtesy of CNN

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1

US VP AND GENERAL MANAGER OF MCDONALD'S SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA REGION

CYNTHIA HUDSON

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SVP AND GENERAL MANAGER OF CNN EN ESPAÑOL, HISPANIC STRATEGY FOR CNN/US

SILVIA LAGNADO

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EVP AND GLOBAL CMO MCDONALD'S

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1

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CNN EN ESPAÑOL

Courtesy of McDonald's

Lagnado oversees the global marketing, menu, and customer insights for McDonald’s, where she manages the brand on a global scale. Previously, she was chief marketing officer of Bacardi Limited, and EVP of the savoury business unit at Unilever, where she worked for over 20 years. Lagnado was also the creator of Dove’s Real Beauty Campaign. She has been recognized by Ad Age as one of the 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising and by the Wall Street Journal as one of the Top 50 Women to Watch. She has served as a non-executive director on several boards in the U.S., the U.K., and Brazil.

OFELIA MELENDREZ-KUMPF MCDONALD'S USA

Courtesy of Salesforce

Hudson oversees all aspects of CNN’s Spanish-language media businesses, including newsgathering, editorial content, programming, production, operations, and personnel of the CNN en Español 24/7 television news network, CNN en Español Radio, and CNNEspañol.com. Hudson recently expanded CNN en Español’s operations in Argentina and Mexico and expanded the role of cross-platform vontent across all platforms to continue the brand’s digital and social growth. Hudson’s community efforts include being a director on the board of The National Epilepsy Foundation and vice president of the University of Miami alumni association.

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CINDY ROBBINS

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PRESIDENT AND CHIEF PEOPLE OFFICER SALESFORCE

Courtesy of Hyatt

Melendrez-Kumpf leads a $2.5 billion business unit, responsible for 775 McDonald’s restaurants. Joining McDonald’s more than 25 years ago as a manager trainee, she advanced quickly through all phases of restaurant management and supervision, in both the U.S. and Latin America. She joined the executive team in 2006 and has been the recipient of many prestigious awards for her visionary leadership. Melendrez-Kumpf has been recognized by the McDonald’s women’s business leadership network and Latina Style magazine.

Courtesy of McDonald's

BIOGRAPHY

SUSAN M. SANTIAGO SVP GLOBAL SELECT SERVICE AND FULL SERVICE FRANCHISE OPERATIONS HYATT

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 51

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LATINAS TOP 50

BIOGRAPHY

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MARIA G. HACKLEY CO-HEAD OF GLOBAL INDUSTRIALS GROUP, CORPORATE AND INVESTMENT BANK

Courtesy of Citi

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

1

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FRANCIS A. HONDAL PRESIDENT LOYALTY AND MANAGED SERVICES

Courtesy of Mastercard

CITI

2

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ANA CORRALES VP OF GLOBAL OPERATIONS AND GOOGLE STORE

Courtesy of Google

MASTERCARD

1

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CECILIA GAYE-SCHNELL DIVISIONAL VICE PRESIDENT SUPPLY CHAIN TEXOMA SOUTH

Courtesy of Gaye-Schnell

GOOGLE

1

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MIRIAM HERNANDEZ-KAKOL GLOBAL CUSTOMER AND OPERATIONS SERVICE LINE LEADER AND GLOBAL LEAD PARTNER

Courtesy of KPMG

WALMART

KPMG 52 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

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Hackley manages an origination team focused on developing relationships with industrial clients with a focus on corporate finance transactions. The strategy is to deliver a wide array of financial solutions providing advice on capital structure, acquisition finance, ratings, debt issuance, structured finance, and the management of currency, as well as interest rate risk. Hackley is a graduate of Georgetown University and serves on their board of regents. She is also a board member of Breakthrough New York. She’s a member of the Citi North American Corporate and Investment Bank Management Committee, Global Banking Diversity Steering Committee, Nextgen Recruiting Steering Committee, and Team Captain for Georgetown University recruiting efforts. Hackley received the 2012 Hispanic Business Woman of the Year award and is fluent in Spanish.

Hondal brings 25 years of global leadership experience in consumer marketing, finance, and business management. In her new role, she is responsible for leading more than $1 billion in global loyalty services business, after serving as the Latin American Caribbean region EVP of products, marketing, and advisors services.

Prior to joining Mastercard, she launched a business development and marketing services firm after an 18-year career at American Express. Hondal is a first-generation Cuban-American with a Bachelor’s degree in finance and international business and an MBA from Florida International University (FIU). She is a member of the dean’s council, a recipient of the FIU hall of fame for global leadership, and has established a first-generation scholarship endowment for women in business.

Corrales is responsible for supporting Google’s consumer hardware business. She is also a champion for diversity within the organization and serves as a member of the Women@Google board and is an executive sponsor for HOLA, Google’s Latino Employee Resource Group. Prior to joining Google, Corrales was the cofounder of a solar startup which she sold as CEO in 2010. She has also served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at Nest, and senior vice president of product operations at Cisco. Corrales is on the board of directors of Roli and Watermark.

Gaye-Schnell oversees all regional and grocery centers for Walmart within the southern half of Texas. She is also an active board member for the Hispanic Officer Caucus and a key sponsor of the diversity and inclusion initiatives in Walmart’s supply chain. Prior to joining Walmart, Gaye-Schnell spent 19 years with Mattel where she worked in logistics operations in Caracas, Venezuela. She went on to support the Mattel Latin America export division in Miami and became director of supply chain for Latin America (excluding Mexico and Brazil). Gaye-Schnell also serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club of Broward County, Florida.

Hernandez-Kakol is a senior partner at KPMG. She plays a significant strategic role in shaping and building the management consulting practice, which has grown at a double-digit rate over the last five years. She leads the firm’s global customer and operations practice, overseeing a team of more than 2,000 partners and professionals to address the front-and middle-office challenges of Fortune 500 clients. She is also global lead partner for one of KPMG’s premier clients. She recently received the highest honor from her firm, awarded biennially to a partner that demonstrates exemplary client service, visionary leadership, and the highest standards of integrity. She actively serves on the National Academy Foundation’s STEM committee, the NJ Junior Achievement Board, and the Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council Board.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

Soto oversees the security of all information and technology assets for Comcast.

She also specializes in technology risk management and strategy, business and technology integration, and vendor management and strategic sourcing. Her responsibilities cover over 54 different businesses under the Comcast portfolio of companies. In addition to her role at Comcast, she is on the board of directors for CMS Energy and Consumers Energy and Spirit Airlines. She’s also on the board of the Hispanic IT Executive Council, where she serves as vice chair.

Under Vaca’s leadership, Pinnacle Group has become one of the largest Latinaowned workforce solutions providers in America. In 2015, it was the fastest-growing woman-owned business in the country and second-fastest in 2016 and 2017. Vaca is also a director of three Fortune 1000 companies. Vaca has been among the 101 most influential Latinos in America for the past decade by Latino Leaders. She is currently a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. Last year, she was inducted into the National Minority Business Hall of Fame and was named a trailblazing woman in labor and business by the National Women’s History Project. In 2014, she was appointed a presidential ambassador for global entrepreneurship and has traveled to five continents inspiring entrepreneurs globally.

Uribe is responsible for a $3.5 billion line of business covering retail and business banking. Under her leadership, CB&T has been named the best bank in Orange County for the past four years, according to the Orange County Register. Uribe has lectured around the world and recently published the bestselling book #Values: The Secret to Top-Level Performance in Business and Life. She has an MBA in finance and strategy and a Doctorate in organizational leadership with honors both from Pepperdine University. She also serves on the school’s board of directors in addition to the University of Southern California and Next Step Asia, Hong Kong.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

BEA PEREZ

23

SVP AND CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS, PR, SUSTAINABILITY, AND PARTNERSHIPS OFFICER THE COCA-COLA COMPANY

Courtesy of JPMorgan

With 30 years of extensive banking experience with JPMorgan Chase and its predecessors, Rodriguez is responsible for driving the growth and profitability of a portfolio of approximately $6 billion in revenue, comprised of a national customer base of over eight million households. Rodriguez has served on numerous boards and has held executive positions in business banking, consumer banking, and wealth management. She is a United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board member and has been recognized with several awards, including corporate elite by Hispanic Business Magazine and Hispanic lifestyle Latina of influence.

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2

ALICE L. RODRIGUEZ

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MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT JPMORGAN CHASE

MYRNA SOTO

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CORPORATE SVP AND GLOBAL CHIEF INFORMATION SECURITY OFFICER 2

COMCAST

NINA VACA

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CHAIRMAN AND CEO 2

2

PINNACLE GROUP

Courtesy of True Blue Photography

Perez leads an integrated team to support Coca-Cola’s new growth model to become a total beverage company. She continues to oversee the company’s sports and entertainment assets including partnerships with the Olympics, Special Olympics, and FIFA. She also leads strategic and operational efforts for the company’s retail, licensing, and attractions portfolio of assets. With a focus on water stewardship and women’s economic empowerment, Perez has served as Coca-Cola’s first chief sustainability officer since 2011. Prior to leading the company’s sustainability efforts, she served as chief marketing officer for Coca-Cola North America, where she built brands by developing some of the company’s most historic relationships, including with American Idol and NASCAR.

Courtesy of Coca-Cola

BIOGRAPHY

DR. BETTY URIBE EVP CALIFORNIA BANK & TRUST

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 53

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LATINAS TOP 50

BIOGRAPHY

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DR. VERONICA MUZQUIZ EDWARDS CEO

Courtesy of InGenesis

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

1

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ELISE VASQUEZ-WARNER VP AND REGIONAL GENERAL MANAGER OF CENTRAL FLORIDA

RO RODRIGUEZ REGIONAL VP

GINA OROZCO-MEJIA VP OF GAS DISTRIBUTION

Courtesy of SoCalGas

HOME DEPOT

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SVP OF KELLOGG COMPANY, PRESIDENT OF KELLOGG LATIN AMERICA

Courtesy of Kellogg

MARIA FERNANDA MEJIA

Orozco-Mejia joined SoCalGas as an engineering intern in 1990 and today she oversees all aspects of gas distribution operations. She previously served as director of labor relations and was responsible for working with the unions that represent approximately 5,000 SoCalGas employees. She also serves on the board of directors for Adventist Health White Memorial Medical Center Charitable Foundation and the California State Parks Foundation.

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SOCALGAS AND SDG&E

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Rodriguez began working at Home Depot as a part-time cashier and worked her way up to the regional vice president for the New Jersey Metro Region. With over 23 years of professional retail experience, Rodriguez has been engaged in all aspects of the business. Rodriguez worked on the front-end and held various roles within loss prevention and operations. She was a district manager for two years before her promotion in 2014 to her current position. With Rodriguez’s dedication to giving back, she is actively involved in community events. Her bi-cultural background has contributed to her success, as she is skilled at working with people at all levels within the organization and with Home Depot’s diverse customer base.

Courtesy of Home Depot

WALMART

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Vasquez-Warner joined Walmart in 1995 as an hourly associate after college.

Today, she oversees 104 stores and approximately 35,000 associates across Central Florida. Since joining the company, she was one of the first 16 associates to graduate from the prestigious Walmart Leadership Academy. She received the Pilar Andrade Excellence in Business Award from Yolo County, Calif. in 2008 and Regional Manager of the Year Award from Walmart in 2012. Vasquez-Warner is also an alumna and coach for Lifework Leadership and serves as a member of the International Women’s Forum, the Florida Diversity Council’s Board of Directors, and Dress for Success as a mentor for their going places network.

Courtesy of Walmart

INGENESIS

Edwards is the CEO of InGenesis, the largest U.S. healthcare staffing firm owned by a woman/minority. InGenesis’ client portfolio includes approximately half of Fortune 500 companies and the nation’s leading healthcare, pharma, and research entities.

Edwards proudly manages thousands of professionals and aligns the company’s philanthropic efforts with healthcare initiatives. Recently, Edwards led InGenesis through its acquisition of Kelly Healthcare Resources, a division of Kelly Services. She was elected by ANSI to serve as chair and head of the U.S. delegation for the ISO Technical Advisory Group developing healthcare management standards.

KELLOGG COMPANY 54 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

2

In 2017, Mejia received the BRAVO Business Award for dynamic CEO of the year. She was recognized for her role in leading one of the most successful food manufacturing companies in Latin America, as well as her leadership of Kellogg´s largest acquisition in the region (Ritmo Investimentos-Parati) and for championing Kellogg’s efforts in sustainability. Previously, Mejia has held a variety of global marketing and management roles at the Colgate-Palmolive Company. She is also a non-executive director on the Board of International Consolidated Airlines Group, and has been a member of the Board of the Council of the Americas since October 2014.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

2

Torres has over 25 years of experience in operations, control, and risk management for regulated and alternative funds in the U.S. and other leading domiciles. BNY Mellon AIS is a leading provider of hedge fund, private equity, real estate, fundof-fund administration, and prime custody services. The investor services group is comprised of 340 staff across eight locations in Europe, Asia, and North America.

YVONNE GARCIA

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SVP OF GLOBAL HEAD OF CLIENT SOLUTIONS AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OPERATIONS , INVESTMENT MANAGER SERVICES STATE STREET

Courtesy of Morgan Stanley

Morgan Stanley is increasing its focus in the international wealth management business and recruited Musa to lead its efforts. She has significant experience in international markets in the wealth management and investment management businesses and has spent a substantial amount of time working directly with financial advisors. Musa received her BBA degree, with a concentration in finance, from the University of Miami and an MBA degree in finance from Florida International University. Musa is fluent in Spanish, holds FINRA 4, 7, 24, 63 and 65 licenses, as well as life and health insurance licenses, and is Six-Sigma Greenbelt certified.

2

ILEANA MUSA

34

MANAGING DIRECTOR, MORGAN STANLEY PRIVATE BANK, N.A INTERNATIONAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT MORGAN STANLEY

Courtesy of BNY Mellon

Garcia leads a global team that develops cutting-edge technology solutions for Fortune 100 companies. Prior to joining State Street, she served as VP for Bank of America’s China Construction Bank Program. In that role, Garcia and her team created and implemented over five wealth management centers throughout China, which resulted in over 100 centers throughout the country. She is a fully certified Six Sigma Black Belt, and applies that discipline to every initiative she deploys. With an MBA from Boston University, a BA from SUNY Albany, and certification in economics from La Sorbonne, Garcia also serves as the chairwoman for the largest Latino professional organization in the country, ALPFA, and has tripled its membership to over 82,000 members.

Courtesy of State Street

BIOGRAPHY

JEANNETTE A. TORRES

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MD GLOBAL HEAD OF INVESTOR SERVICES, ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENT SERVICES

Beginning her career as a Morgan Stanley trainee, Ramos-Kwok quickly rose through the ranks to managing director. Following her more than 25-year tenure at Morgan Stanley, she joined Bank of America as the global wholesale bank chief technology officer. Today, she is the managing director of consumer and shared services operations technology and co-leads the company’s global technology and operations Hispanic-Latino advisory council, as well as the diversity and inclusion forum. She is a Senior Leadership Council member of the New York Chapter of ALPFA.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

2

2

MONICA MCMANUS

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VP AND CIO OF ROTARY AND MISSION SYSTEMS LOCKHEED MARTIN

Courtesy of Bank of America

McManus is responsible for the development and execution of information technology strategy for Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS). One of Lockheed’s four business areas, RMS is a $16 billion business that includes helicopters, naval systems, platform integration, logistics, simulation, and training.

She has 30 years of experience in business, program, and engineering leadership and is active in the community, with a passion for STEM. A National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity board member and co-chair of Lockheed’s Hispanic employee resource group, McManus was recognized as one of the Hispanic IT Executive Council 100 the past three years. She is also a member of the HITEC board.

Courtesy of Lockheed Martin

BNY MELLON

ROSA M. RAMOS-KWOK MANAGING DIRECTOR BANK OF AMERICA

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 55

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LATINAS TOP 50

BIOGRAPHY

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

38

CAROLINA JANNICELLI HEAD OF THE LAW FIRM GROUP, PRIVATE BANK 2

MICHELLE FREYRE PRESIDENT OF U.S. BEAUTY JOHNSON & JOHNSON CONSUMER

40

CAROLINA JUAN MANAGING DIRECTOR, GLOBAL SUBSIDIARIES GROUP, HEAD OF LATIN AMERICA

1

DORENE C. DOMINGUEZ CEO AND CHAIRMAN

Courtesy of Vanir Group

CITI

41

2

BELINDA PESTANA

Courtesy of EY

VANIR GROUP OF COMPANIES

42

1

Courtesy of Citi

39

Courtesy of Johnson & Johnson

J.P. MORGAN

PARTNER AND REGIONAL BUSINESS TAX SERVICES LEADER EY 56 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

2

Jannicelli is a managing director at J.P. Morgan and head of the private bank’s law firm group. She began her career in investment banking, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions and debt capital markets. She eventually moved to the private bank where, among other things, she built the high net worth business for Latin America.

Along the way, she pursued her passion for art history. Her thesis, The Chase Manhattan Bank: A Legacy of Art in the Workplace, chronicles the history of the JPMorgan Chase’s corporate art collection.

Freyre is directly responsible for the company’s high-profile portfolio of Beauty brands including Aveeno, Clean and Clear, Lubriderm, Le Petit MArsellais, RoC, Rogaine, and Neutrogena, the largest brand within Johnson & Johnson Consumer.

She is respected and has been recognized for her exemplary leadership qualities and her achievements in fostering a workplace culture that accepts and embraces uniqueness. Her industry accolades include: 2016 CEW Achiever Award, Top 10 2016 Latina Corporate Executives of the Year by LATINA Style Magazine, 2017 25 Most Powerful Women by People en Español, and 2018 Working Mother of the Year by She Runs It.

Juan heads Citi’s Global Subsidiaries Group (GSG) in the Latin America and Mexico region, based in New York. She has held several positions in product and banking within Citi during her 23-year career. She is a member of the executive committee for both the global subsidiaries group and the region’s corporate and investment bank.

In 2014, she was awarded Citi’s global citizen distinction for her contribution to the diversity initiative in the region. Prior to joining Citi, she was a senior consultant at Price Waterhouse, based in Buenos Aires.

Dominguez is CEO and chairman of the Vanir Group of Companies and its subsidiaries. Vanir is a nationally recognized leader in program, construction management, and real estate development, which has delivered $23 billion worth of projects. Dominguez overseas 17 offices and approximately 400 employees. In addition, Dominguez serves on the board of directors for CIT Bank, KB Home, CocaCola Advisory Council, and the Notre Dame Latino Studies Advisory Council.

Dominguez is the first Latina to own interest in an NBA team, the Sacramento Kings. Dominguez’s passion is to give back and she founded The Dominguez Dream, which empowers children in underserved communities to achieve literacy in science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.

As a partner and regional business tax services leader at EY, Pestana works with leadership on strategy for tax advisory and planning and is the global tax account leader on one of the firm’s largest clients, managing more than $60 million of tax revenue. A daughter to Cuban immigrants, Pestana is involved in various firm initiatives focused on diversity and is the diversity and inclusion champion for the N.Y. banking and capital market group. She is also a founder of Sound of Gol, a nonprofit dedicated to the development of youth through soccer.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

Courtesy of Prudential

2

McGrath is responsible for leading Mondelēz International’s global impact for growth platform spanning well-being, sustainability, and community involvement; and leads the company’s engagement with governments and external stakeholders.

In her prior position at Kraft Foods, she oversaw Kraft’s Latino Center of Excellence, where she led campaigns to increase the company’s investment in the Latino market and partner with brands to create impactful marketing programs.

Sanchez oversees strategy and execution of enterprise recruiting and diversity and inclusion at Wells Fargo. Her team hires more than 90,000 people a year, managing 2.5 million applications along the way. Previously, she held senior talent acquisition and diversity positions at SunTrust and AIG. Sanchez is a member of the Asia Society’s Global Talent and Diversity Council and a founding member of the Institute for Corporate Productivity’s Talent Acquisition Leaders Board. In 2013, she participated in a national business initiative with the White House and the Rockefeller Foundation to drive inclusive hiring practices. She is recognized as a top executive in diversity by Black Enterprise and one of the 100 most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business.

Vazquez-Ubarri is responsible for evolving and driving Goldman Sachs’ recruitment, leadership, talent, and diversity strategies and ensuring the firm’s diversity priorities are integrated across all talent initiatives. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, she was an attorney at Shearman & Sterling and founded the firm’s women’s network (WISER) and served on its diversity committee. Vazquez-Ubarri serves on the Board of Trustees for the Fordham Law Alumni Association. She is also on the Board of the Latino Justice PRLDEF.

APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

2

2

43

MANAGING DIRECTOR, US SEGMENT HEAD-ASSET SERVICING

YANELA FRIAS

44

SVP AND HEAD OF INVESTMENT AND PENSION SOLUTIONS PRUDENTIAL RETIREMENT

Courtesy of C. Sanchez

2

KAROLYN FERRIS BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON

Courtesy of Todd Rosenberg Photography

Frias leads the $230 billion investment and pension solutions business, where she is responsible for the pension risk transfer, longevity reinsurance, structured settlements, and stable value businesses within Prudential Retirement, and related institutional product innovation efforts. Frias joined the company in 1997 and has held a number of executive positions, including CFO of Prudential Annuities, VP of finance (individual life insurance), and managing director and asset treasurer, capital markets, and corporate finance. In 2011, Frias was listed in Treasury & Risk magazine’s annual 40 Under 40 rankings.

1

CHRISTINE MONTENEGRO MCGRATH

45

CHIEF WELL-BEING, SUSTAINABILITY, PUBLIC & GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS OFFICER MONDELEZ INTERNATIONAL

CARLY SANCHEZ

46

EVP AND HEAD OF TALENT ACQUISITION STRATEGY AND DELIVERY WELLS FARGO

Courtesy of Gillian Fry-Guerrero Media

Ferris is a managing director and segment head for the endowment and foundation and healthcare business segments across the U.S. for BNY Mellon asset servicing. She has direct responsibility for front-office service delivery and directs various aspects of product management and strategic priorities, and new business development efforts. She’s a visionary and an energizing leader who sets the strategic direction and develops the resources and infrastructure that drive growth across the globe. She is a member of the IMPACT Global Governance Committee and co-chairs BNY Mellon’s diversity and inclusion chapters focused on recruiting and retention.

Courtesy of BNY Mellon

BIOGRAPHY

ANILÚ VAZQUEZ-UBARRI CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER AND GLOBAL HEAD OF TALENT GOLDMAN SACHS

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 57

47

LATINAS TOP 50

BIOGRAPHY

48

MAGDA YRIZARRY SVP CHIEF TALENT AND DIVERSITY OFFICER

Courtesy of Verizon

NAME / TITLE / COMPANY

1

49

ROXANNE E. MARTINEZ SVP, TALENT OFFICER-U.S. CONSUMER MARKETS

Courtesy of Liberty Mutual

VERIZON

2

50

NELLIE BORRERO GLOBAL INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY MD

Courtesy of Working Mother

LIBERTY MUTUAL INSURANCE

ACCENTURE

Yrizarry oversees the implementation of Verizon’s global diversity, strategic talent acquisition, development and succession planning strategies. She previously served as director of operations for the Verizon Foundation, where she was responsible for a $75 million budget, overseeing a workforce development portfolio of scholarships, diversity initiatives, and economic development projects. She is a founding member of 100 Hispanic Women and is an alumna of the National Hispana Leadership Institute. She is also a chairperson of ASPIRA of New York, an executive board member of the ASPIRA Association, and a member of the Catalyst Research Center for corporate practice’s expert community.

Recognized as a Most Powerful Latina in 2017 by Fortune, Martinez was appointed to the Board of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) in January 2018 and serves as the Chair of the Corporate Advisory Board for its Boston chapter. She currently serves on the boards of advisors to Northeastern University’s D’Amore-McKim School of Business and Bentley University’s College of Arts and Sciences. Martinez also coaches for and serves on the board of directors for Brookline Soccer Club.

Since joining Accenture in 1986, Borrero has worked to raise awareness on the importance of embracing diversity. She has developed career progression initiatives for women in Japan, India, and Africa, an onboarding program for Latin Americans in Spain, and annual worldwide programs to celebrate International Women’s Day. Borrero has also worked to expand Accenture’s recruitment in the Latino community by partnering with several organizations such as ALPFA.

2 APPEARANCES IN MOST POWERFUL LATINA LIST

Which Top Latinas inspired you the most?

WRITE AND SHARE #ConnectLL

58 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

LATINAS

ERNST & YOUNG

WHAT IS your current role at EY and how did you become interested in this field?

I am currently a manager in the International Tax Practice. Whether it be cross-border transactions, local country/withholding issues or foreign tax credit planning, there are so many different technical areas to grasp within international tax. The more I’ve immersed myself into the field, the more passionate I have become about helping clients to be as strategic as possible when it comes to their non-US operations.

How did you connect with Belinda?

Did she help define what you want to achieve through you career?

Belinda has been an incredible mentor to me for over 10 years – before we even began working together at EY. Over the years, she has introduced me to numerous colleagues, clients, friends and various leaders within the Tax Services practice.

When I first mentioned to Belinda that I wanted to work in the international tax group, she immediately hopped on the phone to find a spot for me on the team, which resulted in the opportunity to oversee some of her accounts. Belinda has spent countless hours ensuring that I have all of the necessary tools to be successful and that I am in a position to provide exceptional services to our clients.

What is the level of obligation and responsibility that comes with having a mentor? Does this push you to be an asset and take ownership of your own career path?

Whether or not someone has a mentor should not impact the level of effort that goes into pursuing an ideal career path. I think everyone needs to take responsibility for their own futures. A great mentor can give you direction and motivation – you have to bring yourself to the finish line.

What is the single most valuable piece of advice that Belinda has shared with you? How would you define her leadership style?

There are two pieces of advice Belinda has shared with me over the course of her mentorship. First, the key to success is to surround myself (at all times) with the right

L a u re n

Belinda

MATCH MADE

to hear five very different perspectives as opposed to one single-minded view allows for more collaboration, dialogue and trust.

Moreover, our clients value our commitment to diversity and inclusiveness and how we are building a better working world.

Q&A with Belinda Pestana’s mentee, Lauren Tanenbaum, Tax Services Manager, EY

How important is it to pay forward the support you have received from your mentor?

Now as a manager at EY, I have a couple of mentees within our practice. My goal is to give them the same opportunities that Belinda has mentors and the right subject matter experts. given to me, so they can feel excited about Second, Belinda stressed the importance of their career paths and will have the desire to prioritizing my work/life balance. In terms pass on wisdom to the next generation. of her leadership style, Belinda has a “tough love” working style, which has allowed me to What would you like Belinda to know become a more independent leader. about the impact she has had on your career?

What is the environment and culture at Belinda has had my back from the first EY like? What values does it encourage? day I walked through the doors of EY. EY encourages teaming, exceptional client Her dedication to my career has been services and diversity. Everyone is proud invaluable and has meant the world to me. of the solutions we provide our clients and I would like to thank her a thousand times proud of how we foster an inclusive culture over for listening to me talk about my where everyone feels like they belong. EY has dreams; for caring about my past, present a very high energy environment, which makes and future experiences; and for allowing EY an exciting place to spend the work day. me to love my job.

Why is hiring talent from different backgrounds/cultures valuable?

Many studies have shown that diverse and inclusive teams produce more innovative results and solutions. Diversity has the ability to add lots of value to a project. For example,

Belinda currently holds spot #42 in ALPFA's list of The 50 Most Powerful Latinas in Business 2018.

MARCH / APRIL 2018 LATINO LEADERS 59

LATINAS

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK

FOCUSED ON FINANCE For 31 years, Head of Community and Business Development of JPMorgan Chase Bank, Alice Rodriguez, has seen first-hand the transformation. Holding several roles gave Alice the skills and perspective to lead and coach her own team.

YOU HAVE been recognized as one of the 50 Most Powerful women in business – what does this mean for you personally and career wise?

I am honored to be named one of the Most Powerful Latinas in Business for the 2nd year in a row. I know that I stand on the shoulders of many great Latinas like my mother. She did not have the benefit of higher education but she was a go getter and did not let obstacles get in her way.

She was a wonderful role model and this recognition is for her. From a career perspective, it is important to me to be a great role model for all the women in the organization and especially women of color. I receive notes all the time from Latinas and other women of color telling me the appreciate seeing someone like them in a senior role and receiving this type of recognition. I want to ensure I do my job and give back.

How did you arrive at your current position at JPMorgan Chase and which aspect of the finance industry do you find most fascinating?

I have been with the bank for 31 years and was fortunate to get the opportunity to be named Head of Community and Business Development less than a year ago. I have held several executive roles in several lines of business including Business Banking, Chase Wealth Management and Consumer Banking and this was an opportunity to use my client and field experience in a role that allows me to develop the strategy for our everyday consumers. I had worked with my current boss when we were both in other roles several years ago and when she became CEO of the Consumer Bank, we had the opportunity to reconnect. I am 60 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

I AM HONORED TO BE NAMED ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL LATINAS IN BUSINESS FOR THE 2ND YEAR IN A ROW. grateful for the opportunity to make a difference and plan to do just that. The part of the finance industry that I find most fascinating is the transformation that is occurring.

Consumers have many choices and I think we have a unique opportunity to deliver value and a great client experience in convenient ways.

LATINAS

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK

What do you enjoy most about your work?

I enjoy the people I work with and my job allows me to interact with more internal and external individuals. In addition, we have a very unique culture which I would describe as a tribe. Everyone has each other’s back and is looking to win together.

BEFORE YOU START THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT JOB, FOCUS ON DOING AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB IN THE ONE YOU HAVE.

and without their support, it would have been more challenging for me to drive my career where it has gone. I know that my parents made several sacrifices for me and always told me that it was important to help others in need even when you don’t have that much to give. They were always Which innovations at JPMorgan Chase are you most willing to offer their help no matter what excited about? their circumstance was at the moment.

I am most excited about the products and tools that are Giving back is very rewarding for me and designed to help our clients with their financial health. helps drive my purpose.

Our new digital banking platform, Finn, is a great example.

There are some wonderful features in Finn that allow a What steps do we need to take to customer to set saving goals, set up auto transfers from continue to bring other women checking to savings and see their spending trends. forward in financial services?

We need to continue to be visible and What are the benefits of an inclusive corporate culture participate in the forums that allow us to and how is this reflected at JPMorgan Chase? tell our story. Women need another role There is research that shows that companies with inclusive models telling their story and offering cultures are more productive and spur more innovation. words of encouragement.

It starts from the top. Our CEO has built a culture that focuses on authenticity and ensuring that everyone feels What is the single most valuable piece of confident about bringing their whole self to work. advice you share with mentees?

Be yourself and program your mind to What is some of the best advice that helped you get to not set limits. The outside world will try where you are today? to program you into thinking you can’t do Before you start thinking about the next job, focus on something mostly driven by biases. I ask doing an exceptional job in the one you have. Too many young women to drown those voices out times people are worried about the next job before they and listen to their heart and do what they have mastered the one they have. are passionate about.

What are your most important work and What is your leadership philosophy? professional values?

I have a servant leadership philosophy.

Integrity, doing the right thing, Humility.

I believe that I work for the individuals that report to me and that it is my job How do you strive to impact your colleagues, to coach, develop and make them customers, and suppliers at JPMorgan Chase? successful. In addition, I think a leader I come to work every day with the intention to give my rolls up their sleeves and is always willing best and exceed expectations. I do this by ensuring that to do what they asked their employees everyone is treated with the utmost respect and that if I to do. I have worked for several leaders am unable to help them, I get them to the right place. in my 31 tenure at JPMorgan and have observed what is effective and what is How do you tackle obstacles and what is the not. Ultimately, they are so many great most valuable lesson you have learned since leadership styles but I am biased to joining JPMorgan Chase? leaders with an open door policy, being The most valuable lesson that I have learned at the firm is honest & direct, respectful and serving to admit when things are not 100% and it is okay to say that others. That is the philosophy I follow. you don’t have all the answers. They key is to communicate concerns and get the right people in the room to solve them.

Then you must act swiftly and put things into action.

You volunteer with several organizations that give back to the community – why is this commitment important?

Giving back to the community is very important to me.

Over my lifetime several people have invested in me

62 LATINO LEADERS MARCH / APRIL 2018

Alice currently holds the 24th spot in the list of The Most Powerful Latinas in Business 2018.

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MET HENRI COLCOMBET a month ago when he was in Dallas promoting his Champagne. The encounter was easy going with a very fresh conversation about his Champagne. After a 30-year long career working with luxury goods and brands, he got his training at houses like Remy Martin, Charles Heidsieck, and Krug Champagnes. Taking after the example of his father and family on gourmet business, he decided to launch his own small production champagne brand and began to promote it among friends and old colleagues in 2016. He currently makes 2000 cases a year and bottles four labels, including a Rose and a high profile reserve named “Vogue” that he cellars for 48 months before releasing it. “My Champagne is made for the immediate and easy enjoyment, it makes the best aperitif drink and its delicious with food”. It was the

truth. Days after I met him, I was able to have both the Rosé and the Brut Éclat, which were absolutely fabulous, with fresh, fruity notes, great acidity and elegant, creamy textures with violet and pomegranate notes.

Last month, I also received the generous samples that one of my favorite Napa wine producers, Bulmaro Montes sent me: his 2015 Marita’s Vineyard and Soma. Of course, I waited until Friday to uncorked both. Wow!! As usual, the first impression was outstanding.

But this time I decided to try them during the weekend and taste the evolution of such concentrated and complex wines. So I corked them back and tried them on Saturday afternoon and then, re-corked again and tried on Sunday. To my surprise, on Sunday afternoon the wines were beautiful, expressive with character and finesse, as you wouldn’t imagine.

MARITA’S VINEYARD 2015 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Coombsville, Napa Valley Estate Grown Private Reserve ($150)

• Day 1 Tanic, deep fruit, peppery, meaty, sweet tannin, closed.

• Day 2 Plums, good acidity, red ripe fruit, caramel, elegant structure.

• Day 3 Complex, fruity, silky and deep.

Perfumed with still great concentration.

CHAMPAGNE COLCOMBET HOW TO DRINK COLCOMBET CHAMPAGNE: • LUNCH: Brut Éclat over some nigiri sushi or a chicken caesar salad

• DINNER: Brut Rosé with roasted chicken or vodka sauce pasta with salmon

• DESSERT: Vogue Cuvee sipping with a short strawberry cake or crème brulee

64 LATINO LEADERS MES / MES 2018

COLCOMBET CHAMPAGNE BRUT ROSÉ RESERVE PRIVEE • Region: Reims • Varietal: Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier • Price: $45 • Aromas: Red fruit, pomegranate, strawberry • Flavors: Smokey, flowery, rose petals • Impression: Creamy and Textured • Structure: Balanced, good acidity • Drink with: Salmon, Chocolate desserts, creamy pastas • Why I loved this wine? It is elegant and delicious • My Rating: 95 pts.

01 EIGHTY FOUR ALBARIÑO 2017 • Region: Napa Valley, Carneros District • Varietal: Albariño • Price: $28 • Aromas: Fresh pineapple, orange blossom, lemony • Flavors: peaches, green apple, jasmine • Impression: Fresh and crisp • Structure: Well done, balanced • Drink with: Seafood appetizers, sushi, thai • Why I loved this wine? Long and remarkable • My Rating: 93 pts.

02 SHAFER VINEYARDS ONE POINT FIVE • Region: Stag’s Leap District, Napa Valley • Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon • Price: $95 • Aromas: Black cherry compote, lavender and spice • Flavors: Ripe plum, minty, peppery • Impression: Beautiful wine • Structure: Elegant • Drink with: Steak, pork chops, steak fajitas • Why I loved this wine? Expressive wine • My Rating: 95 pts.

01 Eighty Four Albariño 2017

02 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five