Tag Archive for: Hispanic Heritage Month

Angela Cruz: Sales Effectiveness Leader, Sales Excellence, Accenture

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Angela Cruz“One of my love languages is acts of service, and at work, I manifest that through mentoring, supporting career advancement, anything that fosters engagement,” says Angela Cruz. “It’s how I bring to life a part of me that’s very important to my soul.”

For Cruz, the work matters, but it is the people, the learning, and the community that make it meaningful. She shares how through every chapter of her journey, authenticity, connection, curiosity, and service are the compass guiding both her growth and her leadership.

From Technical Skills to Personal Alignment

Moving from the Dominican Republic to the United States at fifteen, Cruz faced the dual challenges of learning English and adapting to a new culture, yet she remained optimistic about the possibilities ahead. She started her studies at a community college, the most affordable and accessible option, and explored different paths before settling on electrical engineering. The choice was pragmatic rather than inspired. “It wasn’t a calling,” she reflects. “I wanted to finish college with a career that had a financially stable future, and technical careers were very well paid.”

That practical decision laid the foundation for Cruz’ first professional chapter at AT&T Bell Labs, where she spent 15 years. She describes it as “like what working for Google or Apple is today,” a place defined by PhDs and cutting-edge innovation. “That’s where I grew up professionally,” she says. But just as important, “that’s where I also learned about corporate culture… to get involved in passion projects that contributed to the culture of the team and the company.”

After more than a decade in technical roles, Cruz realized her personality aligned more naturally with business development. Marketing became a bridge into sales, where she discovered the work felt intuitive. “Sales isn’t something you really learn in a university,” she explains. “It was something I evolved to, and it had a lot to do with my personality—my ability to connect people and build relationships, which is the heart of what sales is.”

Cruz’ combination of technical grounding and people-centered skills propelled her into sales leadership across the telecommunications and software platform landscape. Today at Accenture, she brings those same strengths to her role as Sales Effectiveness leader for Sales Excellence.

“I’m in a sales-effectiveness role, helping account teams bring innovative solutions to clients, all anchored on GenAI and Agentic Architecture. To be in a role that is so relevant to what’s business reinvention and transformation– it’s a huge privilege.”

Connection, Adaptability, and Purpose

The qualities that have carried Cruz forward extend well beyond relationship-building; she describes how cultural alignment, adaptability, and purpose also play a defining role.

“I learned at a certain point in my career what my strengths were in terms of cultural alignment. When I transitioned into sales, I worked a lot with Caribbean and Latin America, which is where I come from. Having the dual language and the cultural sensitivity gave me an edge in navigating that transition, which was very motivating for me.”

That shift into sales also coincided with a move from New Jersey to Miami, which tested and reinforced her adaptability. “Flexibility, being open to adjust to different environments, adapting to new circumstances, it’s something I learned very early on, and that trait has helped me along the way as I navigated my career.”

While connection and adaptability opened doors, purpose is the force that sustains Cruz.

“Every company I’ve been at, I’ve always combined my responsibilities with volunteer work both within the company and within the community. That’s what has kept me with a high level of enthusiasm for what I do. I always need to have the two: not just the job, but also the engagement.”

Leaning on Guidance

As much as Cruz’ strengths have contributed to her achievement, so too are the people who believed in her potential. “I’ve always had a personal board of directors. Some people come into your life for a season, for a reason, or for a lifetime. I’ve had all those types of influences.”

Cruz highlights the mentor who gave her a chance when she had no sales experience and sponsored her move to Miami. “I experienced impostor syndrome in the beginning, but his encouragement eased the transition.  He’s always been invested in my success and has been there through every career milestone.”

That kind of support has remained important at every stage of her career. When Cruz joined Accenture through an acquisition, she recalls how overwhelming the transition felt. “When you come as a group that was just acquired, you’re completely lost. But I was fortunate to work with people like Alex Tyler, a Managing Director and extraordinary leader who was kind, patient and recognized my value.”  Those experiences of being championed are at the heart of why she invests so deeply in others. “I know the power of sponsorship, mentorship, and advocacy. I’ve fully taken advantage of it, and that’s why I feel so strongly about paying it forward!”

Family is also a grounding force. Cruz credits her grandmother, now 101, as a pillar and role model. “She had 13 kids, and now there are about 169 family members over five generations. She’s taught me resilience, strength, faith, and positive mindset. She loves music, she’s witty, light-hearted and full of joy. She’s been a huge influence and my source of inspiration.”

Bring Your Full Self and Build Community

Nearly four decades after making the pivotal decision to study electrical engineering, Cruz was invited to return to her alma mater to deliver the commencement address.  Speaking to over 1,800 graduates, many from underrepresented backgrounds, her message was both simple and profound: “Always be proud of who you are, and bring your full self to whatever environment you’re in. It’s what makes you unique, and the world needs you as an individual and what you bring to the table.”

Second, she highlighted the importance of building community. “I’ve moved and started over several times. Managing those transitions successfully is only possible when you make community, when you connect with people, when you find affinity and appreciate differences. The differences are where you learn.”

For Cruz, this same principle applies in business. Networking, she explains, is less about career advancement than about deepening understanding. “That’s where you really learn –when you connect with people in different companies that do different things than you do. It enriches you as a professional and as a person.”

Continuous Learning, Lasting Pride

Even at this stage of her career, Cruz challenges herself to try something new, recognizing that part of her success is a willingness to evolve. “Continuous learning has been a key driver,” she reflects. “I have reinvented myself quite a few times because I’ve always been open, flexible, and curious to learn.”

Her current position at Accenture is a clear example of that mindset in action. “This was a stretch assignment for me. While I had worked in Sales Operations in the past, the scope is much broader here, in fact is called Sales Excellence for a reason, best in class. There was a lot I needed to learn… and I said, yes, I’ll do it.”

Cruz reflects on the impact of that choice. “Fast forward one year, I feel very privileged and successful, because I helped the team achieve the goals the firm established. It fills me with a lot of pride.”

When it comes to her greatest accomplishment, however, Cruz does not look to her career. “I have very strong family values and my kids are a huge source of pride for me. They are grown and very successful professionals – my older son is in cybersecurity at Zendesk, my younger son is a digital content producer with the Miami Heat, and my daughter works for the president of TelevisaUnivision. I raised them as single parent, and to me, that is, besides work or anything else, my biggest accomplishment. They are my anchor and my beacon of light.”

By Jessica Robaire

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Latinas in Leadership: Self-Empowerment And a Steep Ascent

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Latinas in LeadershipDespite the fact that the U.S. Latino GDP would rank as the fifth-largest economy globally, Latinas still face the steepest climb up the U.S. corporate ladder in 2025, hindered by systemic bias, cultural taxation, and lack of meaningful support.

Amidst a disconnect between the growing economic impact of Latinas and their stalled advancement in corporate leadership, we highlight the culturally grounded and self-empowering strategies that Latinas can take to rewrite the narrative that corporate culture is lagging to recast.

Latino GDP in the U.S. Is an Economic Force

The Latino population is a force within the U.S. economy that isn’t slowing down anytime soon. According to the 2025 U.S. Latino GDP Report, Latino economic output in 2023 was $4.1 trillion.

Were it a country, the U.S. Latino GDP would rank as the fifth largest GDP worldwide, growing 2.7 times faster than non-Latino GDP in the U.S.

From 2010 to 2013, Latino real consumption also grew 2.9 times faster than non-Latinos, proving to be a real economic engine.

Latinas are also the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs, starting businesses at six times the rate of other groups.

The Steepest Climb Up the Leadership Ladder

Latina’s face “the steepest climb up the corporate ladder” according to The State of Latinas in Corporate America 2024 report by Lean In, based upon 2019 to 2023 data.

Latinas are the most underrepresented of any group at entry level jobs (5% vs 9% of general population) and have the greatest drops (78%) in representation on the way to the C-Suite.

Only 1% of C-suite executive positions in Corporate America are held by Latinas. The data showed two broken rungs on the pipeline ladder: one is at the initial promotion to manager and the other at promotion to VP.

Despite the barriers, Latinas continue to demonstrate the ambition and talent for leadership. Latinas are more likely (71%) than the average woman (63%) to be interested in becoming leaders and to indicate it’s increasingly important to them.

Professional Neglect: A Retention Issue

In her research among Latina leaders, Dr. Zaibis Muñoz-Isme, of American University, explores aspects of “professional neglect” for Latinas in leadership—a phrase shared in conversation by Dr. Sofia Pertuz, workplace cultural strategist.

  • Tokenistic inclusion – representing diversity at the table without meaningful support or inclusion in decision-making processes
  • Cultural taxation – the burden of being positioned as the lone representative of an entire group
  • Lack of mentorship/sponsorship – navigating leadership without the support networks, advocates and guidance that peers have access to
  • Dismissal of expertise – having ideas dismissed or co-opted by individuals who lack the lived experience informing them
  • Micro aggressions and bias – subtle forms of discrimination that undermine belonging and confidence

Indeed, the Lean In report showed that Latinas do not feel as supported as peers in the corporate world—neither by managers or peers. They are less likely than overall women to report managers ensure they get credit for their work or show interest in their career advancement. And less likely to say that senior colleagues praise their accomplishments or advocate for compensation raises.

Muñoz-Isme also found that Latinas in leadership roles were not as supportive of other junior Latina women as she expected, perhaps due to Queen Bee syndrome. When the culture is not inherently and structurally supportive, it creates strain on those Latina leaders who do manage to break through.

Belonging and Flexibility Matter

Lean In shares that 37% of Latina women report having the “only experience—being the only person of their group identity in a room, compared to 13% of all women. Compared to overall women, these Latina “only’s” are twice as likely to hear insults towards their culture (15% vs 7%), twice as likely to feel they are expected to speak on behalf of their cultural identity (20% vs 9%), and nearly three times as likely to deal with other’s comments on their language skills (21% vs 8%).

Experiencing these micro aggressions more than doubles the odds of feeling burnt out, feeling unable to advance as well as others, and considering leaving the company for a different work culture.

Additionally, while many Latinas remain highly committed to work and community, they do not feel they have the flexibility they need to balance their diverse commitments.

Six in ten Latinas feel pressure towards both family obligations and to succeed at work. According to Lean In, Latinas reported being less able to work remotely, set their own hours, step away from work, or take family time off compared to women overall.

As written by Nathalie Darras in Hispanic Executive, motherhood and professional work are often seen by many Latinas as two divergent paths, a dichotomy that need not exist, but results from the lack of support to balance out life.

Four Self-Empowering Actions for Latina Leaders

With the force that the Latinx population represent in the U.S. economy, it’s inevitable that Latinx leaders will change the composition of leadership, but changing the character depends upon authenticity.

Each Latina leader who brings her whole self to the workplace is going to help drive that change, because it’s people who hold the power to change culture and call organizations to a greater collective accountability.

1) Carve a self-directed career path.

Muñoz-Isme recommends that Latinas embrace a self-directed career path and take initiative in their own goals and advancement wherever possible, leveraging cultural assets.

Latinas can own their relational strengths in finding mentors and sponsors, seeking out allies, and putting your name in for opportunities. Being self-directed also means advocating for yourself, despite cultural resistance around self-promotion, leveraging existing networks of support and building new ones, as well as defining your terms of success.

It’s also important to discern your capacity to thrive in different environments, because not all work cultures are cultivated equally.

As Johanna Diaz, Global Head of Alternatives Product Strategy at Goldman Sachs, recently told us, “In facing challenges or change, I always go back to the questions: Am I in the right place? Am I surrounded by the right people? Am I learning? Am I growing?”

2) Be aware of and leverage cultural scripts and drivers.

For many Latinas, internalized cultural drivers shape behavior and decisions, often in ways that go against the grain of what is being rewarded in corporate culture. Some of these drivers are:

  • familismo: the importance of close and extended family relationships as guiding parameter for decision-making
  • marianismo: gender beliefs in which women are expected to be selfless, self-sacrificing, and nurturing
  • personalismo: creating personal and meaningful relationships
  • colectivismo: the importance of belonging to a group and recognizing the needs of that group
  • respeto: respect granted to others because of formal authority, age, or social power, without questioning
  • simpatía: promoting pleasant interactions and positive relationships, while avoiding conflict and disharmony

Embracing culturally relevant leadership means becoming aware of how these drivers influence you, as well as how they can be leveraged as assets within your leadership.

For example, Latinas must challenge the inhibiting influence of respeto and marianismo when it comes to sharing their voices and perspectives. Equally, they can leverage personalismo and colectivismo in building influence through collaboration and strong relationships.

Leveraging the strengths of cultural scripts can help Latina leaders to foster cultural pride, leadership skills, and empowerment.

3) Stay authentic.

Many Latinas have reported checking aspects of self at the door in order to fit into corporate cultural norms. But as the composition of the workforce and leadership changes, slowly and inevitably, so will culture. People ultimately create and influence culture.

While it requires courage and true resilience for Latinas to move in authenticity within a corporate context designed on different values, nothing will compromise your vitality and wellbeing more than contorting your authentic self while trying to fit in.

True belonging hinges on authenticity. It’s important that Latinas let themselves be felt in the workplace and in leadership, so that eventually, the corporate environment responds.

4) Leverage cultural wealth.

Latinas can flip the narrative by owning their cultural wealth: “an array of knowledge, skills, strengths and experiences that are learned and shared by people of color and marginalized groups; the values and behaviors that are nurtured through culture work together to create a way of knowing and being.”

Six forms of community cultural wealth, outlined by Dr. Tara J. Yosso, that Latinas can leverage in leadership include:

  • aspirational: the ability to sustain and work towards a vision for the future amidst both real and perceived barriers
  • navigational: the ability to maneuver through systems and contexts not historically designed to support you
  • social: the ability to leverage community resource and connections in building a network of support
  • linguistic: the sum intellectual, social and communication skills obtained through multicultural history, bilingual or multilingual capacity, and experiences
  • familial: the cultural knowledge and nuance obtained from family and community experiences
  • resistant: the cultural legacy of challenging inequalities and the status quo, and ability to resist stereotypes

Despite structural barriers, cultural bias, and underrepresentation, Latinas are ready to lead and are leading.

By embracing cultural strengths, carving self-directed paths, and showing up authentically. The future of leadership will be shaped not just by who gets a seat at the table, but by how leaders redefine the table itself. Latinas have the vision and the voice to lead in ways that are authentic, inclusive, and transformative.

It is no longer a question of if Latinas will lead, but when. And with every step upward, they expand the definition of leadership for everyone.

By: Aimee Hansen.  Alongside years of writing on leadership, Aimee Hansen is the founder of Storyteller Within and leads the Journey Into Sacred Expression women’s retreat on Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. Follow her at thestorytellerwithin.com, on instagram, and via Linked In.

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Johanna Diaz: Global Head of Alternatives Product Strategy, Goldman Sachs

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Johanna Diaz“In facing challenges or change, I always go back to the questions: Am I in the right place? Am I surrounded by the right people? Am I learning? Am I growing?” says Johanna Diaz. “When you can identify core tenets to return to and hold yourself to them, they become a guide for navigating almost anything.”

Led as much by her intuition as by the foundational aspirations of her first-generation beginnings, Diaz leverages every opportunity to learn, grow, and lead. She shares how her trajectory reflects not only her resilience but also the support of mentors whose influence continues to inform her leadership.

From the Bronx to Goldman Sachs

Born in the Bronx to parents who immigrated from the Dominican Republic, Diaz understood the value of education from an early age: “being a first-generation American, my parents made it a priority for my siblings and me. We were the first in our family to attend university and enter the business world.”

For Diaz, that focus on education was also a path to financial stability, which led her to pursue accounting — a profession she saw as both practical and reliable. Starting her career first as an intern and then as a CPA at Grant Thornton, Diaz gained both skills and exposure. When she was first introduced to Goldman Sachs as a client of Grant Thornton, the experience left an impression.

“I was blown away by the caliber of the people, the rigor around collaborative teamwork and the focus on delivery.” That exposure opened her eyes to possibilities beyond what Diaz had imagined. When the opportunity came to join Goldman, she took the leap. “That was the first big twist in my career as it redirected my vision from accounting to a whole other world of possibility.”

Over the next two decades, Diaz’ career grew organically across business development, research, and ultimately asset management to be the Global Head of Alternatives Product Strategy, a role that she finds equally rewarding and inspiring.

“The last five years have been so incredible, pivoting to the alternative investing landscape. I’ve had the opportunity to help build a business from scratch and expand the shelf as it relates to our products. The content, as well as being a part of a team that is integral to Goldman Sachs’ growth has been so fulfilling.”

The Influence of Mentors and Executive Coaching

Diaz credits her ability to pivot, take risks, and grow in new roles as being bolstered by the mentors who offered guidance and perspective along the way. An early mentor gave her a piece of advice that still resonates: take stock every few years.

“That conversation was pivotal for me. Even 20 years later, every two to three years, I take a personal moment of deep reflection: Where am I? Have I accomplished what I set out to do? Could there be more? That practice has guided me throughout my entire time at Goldman.”

She sees mentors as a personal “board of directors” — people who know her well and can be honest when she calls on them for guidance, whether about career decisions or balancing family and work. “My mentors played a huge role in helping me navigate my personal journey, including building a family, while building momentum in my career.”

Executive coaching complemented that support, giving Diaz structured feedback and tools to grow. Early programs offered through Goldman helped her refine presentation skills, while later on she focused on refining “leadership and communication skills but in a more nuanced way than I’d ever had before.”

Together, mentorship and coaching have provided Diaz with both a trusted sounding board and a framework for continuous growth, shaping the leader she is today.

Values-Driven Leadership

Beyond the mentors and coaches who helped guide her, Diaz points to a foundation of authenticity and integrity as key to her success.

“First and foremost, it’s important to remain true to yourself,” she says. “All of my values anchor around being a good human and working with high integrity. They guide me through everything I do.”

Fairness is equally central. Diaz strives to create a work environment where people feel valued, connected, and confident that they will be treated justly. “I want to be someone people feel comfortable approaching,” she explains. “They should know I’ll listen and provide support.” Drawing on lessons from leaders she has worked with, Diaz shapes her leadership around trust, relationship-building, and followership.

Hard work and high standards also define her approach. She believes in delivering quality work with reliable outcomes and modeling excellence to inspire her team to do the same. “As a baseline, I expect that not only of myself, but it’s also important to me to set the right example that my team then wants to follow,” she notes.

Embracing Risk

While Diaz’s career has been marked by achievement, it has not been without moments of uncertainty. She recalls these moments as an opportunity to pause and reflect.

“Early on, I faced a decision about whether to continue in research or move toward a more strategic, leadership-focused role. It was uncomfortable because I wasn’t sure I’d excel, but I leaned on my core values and trusted mentors to guide the decision.”

Over time, Diaz has learned to embrace risk thoughtfully, viewing it as an opportunity to challenge herself and explore new possibilities. Her recent transition into asset management illustrates this approach. Encouraged by a mentor to consider another part of the firm, she reflects, “it was through that conversation that I realized that it was time to take a risk. I was super comfortable. I had a lot of security. I had to consider, ‘do I want to push myself a little more?’”

Deciding to “take a risk on herself” and accept the opportunity to become the COO of Goldman’s growth business, Diaz says, “was a big transition. But it pushed me, and it’s been the most pivotal part of my career.”

Legacy of Access and Opportunity

Looking ahead, Diaz is focused on creating opportunities for others to grow, much like she was supported throughout her career. “I hope to provide a platform for the teams I work with, and for the junior professionals I mentor, where they have access, exposure, and opportunity the way I did.”

Reflecting on her own journey, Diaz acknowledges how her first-generation roots are a part of shaping this commitment. “We really have lived the proverbial American dream. My parents grew up on a farm — my mom one of 12 kids, my dad one of nine — and through a combination of hard work, timing, and a little luck, we’ve seen growth that isn’t just financial. It’s also about access to the world, to opportunities that otherwise wouldn’t have been organic. It’s important to me and my family to pay it forward.”

Thanks to the holistic support embedded in Goldman’s culture, Diaz also makes an impact beyond the firm through programs like 10,000 Small Businesses. “Having the opportunity to serve as a mentor in the program, I have listened to small business owners’ pitches and given feedback—providing people with access that they otherwise wouldn’t have.”

Ultimately, Diaz measures her legacy by the people she supports. By combining high standards, integrity, and a values-driven leadership style, she aims to cultivate talent, inspire confidence, and foster a culture where people feel valued, challenged, and capable of achieving their potential.

“If, 20 years from now, I can look back and see that the people I touched built successful, meaningful careers, then I’ll know I’ve done my part.”

By Jessica Robaire

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Career Tips for Latina Leaders

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leadership coachIn 2024, Latinas remain significantly underrepresented in leadership roles across corporate America and Wall Street. Only about 1% of Latinas have reached C-suite executive positions, making them the least represented group at the highest levels of corporate America. Despite this, a number of trailblazing Latina leaders have defied the odds, breaking barriers and paving the way for future generations.

Notable examples include:

  • Nina Vaca – CEO and Chairman of Pinnacle Group, a workforce solutions firm. Vaca has been instrumental in her company’s success and is a prominent advocate for Latina representation on corporate boards.
  • Dorene C. Dominguez – Chairwoman and CEO of Vanir, a national leader in construction management and real estate development.
  • Linda Alvarado – President and CEO of Alvarado Construction, a successful construction firm, and a groundbreaking owner in Major League Baseball.

In finance, Latinas are even less visible, often facing barriers like biases and stereotypes that hinder their career progression. These barriers include a lack of mentorship and sponsorship, which are critical for advancement, and limited access to inclusive workplace policies that support work-life balance. Research shows that Latinas often encounter a “broken rung” early in their careers, meaning they are less likely to be promoted to manager-level roles compared to their male counterparts.

Is Change Coming?

The inaugural U.S. Latina GDP Report, led by researchers at California Lutheran University and UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine, reveals promising growth. In 2021 alone, U.S. Latinas contributed $1.3 trillion to the GDP, a figure larger than the economies of all but three U.S. states. It also reflects a 51.1% increase since 2010—compared to an 18.8% increase in the overall non-Hispanic GDP.

Key findings include:

  1. Labor Force Participation: Between 2010 and 2021, the number of Latinas in the workforce grew by 32.9%, significantly outpacing the 2.7% growth for non-Hispanic females. U.S. Latinas now have a labor force participation rate that is 2.5 percentage points higher than their non-Hispanic female counterparts.
  2. Educational Attainment: The number of Latinas with a bachelor’s degree or higher grew 103% from 2010 to 2021, much faster than the 38.3% growth for non-Hispanic females.
  3. Income Growth: Real income for Latinas increased by 46.0% over the same period, compared to 18.5% for non-Hispanic females.

Overall, this report positions Latinas as a key driving force behind the U.S. economy, with a rapidly growing economic footprint and resilience across multiple economic indicators such as labor participation, educational attainment, and income growth. This trend is especially significant given that Latinas account for only 9.3% of the U.S. population but have driven 30.2% of labor force growth since 2010. While these figures highlight the growing economic power of Latinas, translating this momentum into leadership opportunities requires actionable strategies and intentional support.

Actionable Advice for Latina Professionals

Latina leaders across industries emphasize the value of embracing cultural identity, cultivating strong networks, and demonstrating resilience and authenticity in the workplace. Over the years, theglasshammer.com has featured many Latina leaders who have echoed these key themes in their advice.

  1. Embrace Your Cultural Identity:
    Many Latina leaders highlight the significance of using their heritage as a strength. They suggest leveraging unique perspectives to connect with diverse audiences and encourage others from similar backgrounds. This involves incorporating elements of their culture, such as family values and community orientation, into their leadership style.
  2. Build a Strong Network:
    Networking is often underscored as a key factor in professional growth. Latina leaders recommend actively seeking mentors, joining professional organizations, and engaging with the community to open doors and gain valuable support throughout one’s career journey.
  3. Cultivate Resilience:
    Resilience is essential for navigating challenges and adversity. Latina leaders encourage viewing setbacks as chances for growth, advocating for a mindset that sees failures as opportunities to learn and progress toward success.
  4. Lead with Authenticity:
    Being true to oneself and one’s values is vital for building trust and fostering a positive work culture. Latina leaders encourage embracing authentic leadership by sharing personal stories and experiences to connect more deeply with teams and stakeholders.

This advice not only guides Latina professionals in their career paths but also serves as inspiration for anyone looking to navigate leadership roles in a diverse and inclusive manner.

How Executive Coaching Helps Latina Professionals

While these practices provide a solid foundation, leadership coaching offers a transformative approach to help Latinas unlock their full potential. Executive coaching provides tailored support, helping Latina leaders overcome sometimes unique challenges such as underrepresentation and dual cultural expectations. Here’s how executive coaching benefits Latina professionals:

  1. Enhanced Leadership Skills and Self-Awareness
    Executive coaching focuses on developing core leadership skills, such as strategic thinking, emotional intelligence, and effective communication. Latina professionals, who may experience self-doubt due to cultural and societal biases, can benefit from coaching by gaining greater self-awareness and confidence in their abilities. Coaching helps them leverage their strengths while working on areas of improvement, leading to a more authentic and impactful leadership style.
  2. Overcoming Cultural and Systemic Barriers
    Latinas often encounter cultural barriers that can limit their career advancement, such as the expectation of humility and deference in professional settings. This request for humility in women extends past Latinas with the current Vice President and Presidential nominee Kamal Harris just this week being asked about showing up with humility. An executive coach can help identify and dismantle these internalized and often external and projected misogynistic norms, encouraging Latina leaders to voice their opinions, advocate for themselves, and embrace a leadership presence that commands respect. Additionally, coaches can offer strategies to navigate systemic challenges, such as bias and lack of sponsorship, providing Latinas with tools to assert their value in the workplace.
  3. Building Resilience and Navigating Bias
    The experience of bias and microaggressions in the workplace is a common barrier for many Latina professionals. Coaching offers a safe space for Latinas to process these experiences and develop resilience strategies. Coaches can help them reframe negative encounters, practice self-compassion, and develop a personal narrative that emphasizes their strengths and successes despite adversity.
  4. Supporting Identity and Authenticity in Leadership
    Many Latinas struggle with balancing their cultural identity and the expectations of corporate culture. Coaching helps Latina professionals embrace their cultural heritage as an asset and encourages them to bring their authentic selves to work. This authenticity fosters greater engagement and satisfaction, as Latina leaders feel empowered to contribute their diverse perspectives to their organizations.
  5. Promoting Representation and Inspiring Future Leaders
    As Latinas ascend to higher leadership positions, they serve as role models and advocates for others in the community. Coaching prepares them not just to lead, but to mentor and lift up other Latinas, creating a positive cycle of representation and empowerment. The more Latina professionals in senior roles, the more the cultural narrative shifts, making it easier for future generations to see themselves in leadership.

A study from the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) revealed that Latinas who engage in coaching report higher levels of confidence, greater clarity in their career direction, and improved relationships with their peers and superiors. Companies that invest in coaching for their Latina employees also benefit from increased employee retention and engagement, as these leaders become more aligned with their roles and the organizational mission.

It is necessary to address systemic issues for progress, so as not to burden the individual with clearing barriers and obstacles that are beyond one person’s control. Addressing these disparities requires companies to implement more structured mentorship programs, track Latina representation at all levels, and create inclusive cultures that consider the unique challenges Latinas face.

By Nicki Gilmour, Executive Leadership Coach, Founder and CEO of theglasshammer.com

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Yasmine Coupal: Partner, Goldman Sachs

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Yasmine Coupal“Careers are not linear, and there isn’t a one size fits all approach. I think the key is to find the balance that works for you professionally and personally. If I had tried to predict what the next five years of my career would have been at any single point in time, I would have been completely wrong,” says Yasmine Coupal, a partner in Investment Banking, Goldman Sachs. “I thought I was joining Goldman Sachs for two years, and here I am, 20 years later.”

Coupal’s career is a testament to the power of embracing the unexpected. Born and raised in Venezuela, she initially set her sights on economic development, education policy in particular, planning to return to Latin America after completing undergraduate and graduate degrees in Economics and International Policy at Stanford. But a surprising detour into finance changed everything.

After graduation, a friend who was working at Goldman Sachs recommended she interview for a role on the Latin America credit team and Coupal was impressed with the people she interviewed with.

“It was too compelling of an offer to pass up, even though it meant adjusting my plans to return to Venezuela to be with my then boyfriend, now husband of 19 years.” She remembers, “long story short, I took the job in 2004, and he moved to New York instead.”

Yasmine thrived at Goldman as an analyst on the Latin America and Natural Resources credit risk team. Coupal states that she loved to travel across the region and while on a business trip in Argentina in 2007, she met a VP that ultimately convinced her to join the capital markets team as an associate. She then shifted her coverage from Latin America to domestic industrial companies.

“I wasn’t looking for a move, but I knew it was time for a challenge and to try something new.”

It was Coupal’s unwavering openness to new challenges that propelled her advancement from an internal facing role in Credit Risk to a client facing role in Capital Markets. However, it was the personal decision to relocate to San Francisco with her husband that proved to be a turning point in her career. Taking the risk to leave the financial hub of New York and follow her heart, Coupal found herself in the midst of Silicon Valley’s booming tech scene. Leveraging her unique position of being on the ground to meet with large cap tech clients, Coupal built relationships, knowledge and experience with TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) clients while still very much covering her sector of industrial and real estate companies for the bank.

Ultimately, when the Managing Director for TMT debt capital markets retired in 2014, Coupal raised her hand and was selected to lead the team due to the strong relationships she had built with clients on the West Coast. In fact, she made Managing Director in 2015 and in 2018, the firm officially created the West Coast Financing Team. Along with Will Connelly, Coupal was named Co-Head and after growing and guiding the team through the pandemic, Yasmine made partner in 2020.

She reflects, “there will be moments in your career when you’ll need to make decisions based on what aligns with your professional goals and then there are moments when personal priorities are more important. Sometimes it involves taking risks, even when the outcome is uncertain. Ultimately, finding the right balance that works for you is key.”

Never one to get too comfortable, Coupal made another bold move two years later in 2022, stepping into an investment banking role where she leads coverage of large cap technology companies. Driven by her constant quest for growth and her ability to turn every opportunity into a success, Coupal is excited to keep pushing her boundaries and challenge herself as she continues as a leader at Goldman Sachs.

Investing in Relationships

When Coupal first interviewed at Goldman, it was the people she met who ignited her excitement about joining the firm. Even today, the connections she built at the firm throughout her career remain a driving force in her sense of fulfillment at work as she notes, “you’re not going to really love the job or be successful if you don’t like the people that you work with.”

In addition to making the work more enjoyable, building relationships also expands one’s network. Coupal advocates for taking the time and effort to establish those connections, particularly through in-person opportunities like meeting for coffee.

“You need to invest in your network. It’s important to have a goal of setting up an in-person catch up with someone that you work with every single week because it allows for people to get to know you as a person, so that you’re not just a name on the other side of an email.”

The value of investing that time is multifold as it creates a sense of support, opens opportunities to learn from others, and engenders loyalty to each other and the firm.

“As people understand your interests, give you feedback and see that you’re performing, you automatically get new opportunities. It becomes this reciprocal cycle that leads to success,” says Coupal. “It’s also the glue that keeps people at the firm. One of the reasons I’ve stayed so long is because I have people that I admire who have invested in me. It creates a sense of loyalty.”

Mentorship is Reciprocal

In thinking about the significance of finding inspiration and support, Coupal points to one of her mentors, Susie Scher, as pivotal to her leadership development.

Coupal shares, “Susie was instrumental in my growth at Goldman Sachs from the associate level to Vice President, Managing Director and ultimately, Partner. In essence, she saw me grow up at Goldman Sachs. She is someone who identified my talent, invested in it, and was courageous enough to give me a lot of responsibility.”

Having the experience of a mentor who believed in her engenders a deep commitment for Coupal to pay it forward and be that support for others.

“It begins with how I develop my team and invest in them, placing a strong emphasis on feedback. I focus on building genuine relationships, getting to know who they are, their skills, their ambitions, and identifying the potential in them that they may not yet have recognized.”

Extending her influence beyond her direct reports, Coupal participates in formal mentorship programs at Goldman while also being open to informal connections when people reach out to her for guidance. In either circumstance, Coupal emphasizes, “mentoring is a two-way relationship, it requires both sides to equally invest. I might want to mentor as many people as I can, but if the other side is not reciprocating and wanting to develop that relationship, there’s only so far that I can go.”

Reflecting on where sponsorship fits within the framework of support and building relationships, Coupal believes that mentorship and sponsorship go hand in hand as the roles can shift and change as people move through the firm.

“It’s fluid. A mentor can become a sponsor, or vice versa, but the key to success lies not just in getting to know you personally, but in working with you. It’s that combination that makes the relationship most effective.”

Champion your Uniqueness

In addition to being an avid mentor and sponsor, Coupal supports diversity and inclusion efforts, participating in speaking engagements and hosting sessions that provide an opportunity for female talent at the firm to talk candidly about their experiences. One theme that she strives to convey to junior analysts is, “be your genuine self. Don’t try to be someone else. Don’t try to fit a mold that you think is the key to success.”

As a Latina woman excelling in the financial industry, Coupal speaks to how she champions her uniqueness and sees it as an asset.

“Being a subject matter expert while being a woman and Latina differentiates me, makes me unique and memorable, and many times allows me to connect with clients on a different level. Establishing these deep connections and trust has been critical in my career and allowed me to build and foster relationships I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Beyond recognizing the power of authenticity, Coupal emphasizes that adaptability and a willingness to step outside one’s comfort zone are instrumental to career development.

“Success in one stage of your career may not guarantee success in the next. Staying humble, seeking advice, thinking ahead, and remaining flexible when plans change is key.”

She continues, “be comfortable being uncomfortable. When you start feeling too comfortable, it’s a signal to challenge yourself with something new. It keeps you on your toes and ensures continuous growth.”

Outside of work, Coupal is eager to instill in her children the same curiosity and openness to new experiences that have shaped her own journey, especially through travel. “One of our greatest joys is taking our kids to explore different countries, cultures, and cuisines,” she says. Passionate about family time, Coupal loves spending weekends cheering at soccer games or unwinding together with a backyard barbecue.

By Jessica Robaire

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Vanessa Rodriguez: Head of Community Lending & Investment, Commercial Real Estate, Wells Fargo

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Vanessa Rodriguez“At some stage, it’s not completely linear any longer. Sometimes, you must take a step back, or move laterally, to go forward,” says Vanessa Rodriguez. “You have to leave what you’ve exclusively done, branch out, take a risk or accept a new challenge. That could be a geographical change, a different line of business, a new company or position – but generally, it’s out of your comfort zone.”

Rodriguez shares on interviewing for a senior promotion while becoming a mother for the first time, learning to show up authentically regardless of who is in the room, and her commitment to coming at life and work from a genuine and constructive perspective.

On A Mission Towards Affordable Housing

After completing her B.S. in Business Administration from the UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business, Rodriguez was recruited to join the Wells Fargo Financial Analyst program in the Company’s Commercial Banking business. In 2007, she moved to NYC to take a position in Wells Fargo’s Real Estate Merchant Banking business, jumping into the hot seat just before the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) hit in 2009.

“I had no clue as a young banker how bad it could or would get. I’d never seen a market cycle,” she says. “Being in commercial real estate, specifically in workouts, in NYC during the GFC was intense but an amazing and enriching experience. Three years felt like ten years and only elevated my interest in building my career in commercial real estate.” She began to rise in the ranks, leading teams in NYC and then back home again in the San Francisco Bay area. In the past couple years, she took the opportunity to further expand her real estate career by becoming the Group Head of Wells Fargo’s Community Lending and Investment (CLI) group.

“Affordable housing is one of the Bank’s top priorities, and this was an opportunity to lead a premier affordable housing team and large national business at Wells Fargo,” says Rodriguez. “It’s exciting to look at commercial real estate from a different angle and immerse myself in this new ecosystem – which includes non-profits, housing authorities, foundation work, government and community relations, public policy state and local governments.”

Rodriguez notes that providing a quality, affordable home to all must be a top priority everywhere in the US. In the San Francisco Bay Area, many of the families and friends she grew up with have had to relocate to attain good, cost-effective housing. Some now have 2-3 hour super commutes to work.

“It’s really sad when you become priced out of the place that you grew up, and that’s happening for more and more people across the country,” she says. “There are so many amazing things here in the Bay Area- the outdoors, the moderate climate, the diverse culture, so many top notch universities, the innovative tech industry, think tanks and VCs. But the downside is an extremely high cost of living in which regular people are forced out, breaking up families and communities, and negatively impacting the landscape. We need to work on these problems in communities across the country, and I want to be a part of that solution.”

Taking a New Role While Welcoming Her First Born

At a certain point as you ascend in leadership, Rodriguez notes that the path can become less clear. What your next step will be depends on investing in a lot of self-reflection and soul-searching around core questions: What do you want to do? How do you want to spend your time? Where can you add the most value? Because ultimately nobody else is going to be equipped to hand you those answers.

Such a moment came for Rodriguez when she was 41 years old and seven months pregnant with her first baby in 2021. The opportunity to run Wells Fargo’s CLI group came up, and she “looked away, frankly.”

“This is the value of having those strong personal and professional relationships in your life, whether they are formal or informal mentors or sponsors or ultimately over time perhaps become friends after years of working together” she says. “I had some of these people call me and say, ‘Don’t look away from this. It’s probably tough to think about a new opportunity now or interviewing for a new role at eight months pregnant, but do not check out right now.’”

So, despite how daunting it felt, Rodriguez began the interviewing process while pregnant in her third trimester, finished while on maternity leave, and ultimately returned to work in a new position. She had a second child in November 2022, and appreciates Wells Fargo for the support she’s received: assuming the role at this stage in her life has included managing her own high expectations around her career and motherhood, working hard to deliver, but speaking up where flexibility is needed. Rodriguez is inspired that while there are many things about parenthood that remain unique to women, parental matters are seen less and less as only women’s issues.

“But I will say that every day, I am forced to make decisions about where I am most needed because there are only so many hours in the day,” she admits. “I would love to get up every day and have my set routine, but my current state is more like a Rubik’s cube, where I move this piece down, pull it up here, take the lever off here, and make tough decisions about what I can and can’t do today. The truth is it’s not always graceful but tomorrow is always another chance to improve and do it better.”

Building Your Personal and Authentic Brand

“From the beginning of my career, I always focused on treating every single task like it was very important. It was all about building my personal brand,” she notes. “I tell young people: ‘You need to sweat the small things as well as the big things as you build your brand. Make your mark. What do you stand for? What are your standards on the quality of your work product and how do you approach it?’ Because if you build that personal brand and do great work for people, there is a multiplier effect where people start asking for you and saying your name in the room when you’re not there.”

Yet keeping your head down isn’t enough. Rodriguez also focused on real estate being a people business, and the importance of connecting, regardless of whether she may have initially felt like an outsider, to gain a strong network and the right visibility. Rising into that confidence to bring more of herself to the table has been immensely important to her growth.

“Twenty years ago, I entered the space focusing on being less visible. Over time, I realized there is a lot lost when you try to fit the mold, when you do not bring your full self to work, your best self to work” says Rodriguez. “We can and should bring our personal style and unique experience to work and connect in different ways. I certainly would encourage that in a sea of many, be memorable.”

Being extremely competent, authentic and walking the walk are important to Rodriguez’s sense of personal brand. As a leader, she never asks anyone to do something she hasn’t done or wouldn’t do herself. She prefers to roll up her sleeves. She values genuine and transparent communication and people feeling comfortable enough to share their unique perspectives.

“I want to bring value to people, whether it’s my clients, my team, or senior management, and what it means to bring value is going to be different for every situation,” she notes. “I hope that when I’m not in the room, people say she brings leadership value everyday, and she brings it in an authentic and genuine way – and we enjoy being in her orbit.”

Belonging, Irrespective of the Room

When it comes to entering a room where she may be the only woman, let alone the only Latina, Rodriguez says, “It starts with whether any of those factors intimidate you. I’ve always just prided myself on not being intimidated, even if there were moments I could have been.”

“When I enter the room, I focus on being prepared for the content of the meeting, on being a good listener, on finding solutions,” she says. “I focus on the principles that matter, irrespective of who’s in the room and whether you’re the only woman.”

While she’s had many moments of feeling she wasn’t part of the club and remembers once being told it was a career-limiting move not to golf, Rodriguez comes back to her confidence in the subject matter and being memorable because of her difference.

While twenty years ago, she may have gone with a strategy of blending in, today she would advise: “Embrace who you are and everybody else will be richer for it.”

Maintaining A Constructive Mindset

“There’s a moment, which is certainly an adjustment, when you’ve reached the point in your career where the buck stops with you in leadership. I’ve always been someone that took responsibility and was willing to make decisions, but when you get to the level where you have complete ownership from start to finish, it’s no longer someone else’s problem in leadership,” she says. “It’s ‘we’ and it’s ‘me.’ You’re not alone – you have peers, a whole team, a manager – but it’s embracing an entirely new level of ownership and responsibility.”

At that level, Rodriguez has embraced the advice to be vigilant with her mental approach, day-to-day and in all parts of life.

“How constructively you approach anything is going to be the difference-maker for you and for all those who work with you and for you,” she says, “When you hit those roadblocks and it’s tempting to pivot to feeling captive or negative, I force myself to remember that the only way out is forward. Approach issues constructively and that will help you rise above the challenge or circumstance, to focus on a solution.”

She continues, “I’ve needed that encouragement at times. We could waste time wallowing, but the work will be there tomorrow. So give yourself a few minutes, if you need to take a step away, do. But then, come back to it, calmly and constructively. That’s what I want to exemplify for my team, the leader I want to be. Cooler heads will always prevail.”

Keeping the Perspective of a Longer Arc

Twenty years into her work journey, Rodriguez would also advise that it’s okay to slow down and pace yourself: “If we’re lucky, the career is long. We live in a culture of instant gratification and are wired to constantly seek it. Technology only serves to reinforce and accelerate the need for instant gratification,” she notes. “But you truly have to toil away at something to really learn it, to master it, to become an expert, to unlock the benefits and skills that will propel you to that next level. The corporate ladder is really a staircase with various landings along the way and you have to play the long game. Climb the staircase…”

With two little ones at home, Rodriguez observes that “six months feels like a night” and time feels more precious than ever. Rodriguez loves spending time with her kids, husband and extended family. She’s seeking to weave back in her wellness focus and routine, and having enjoyed much travel before motherhood, muses on family travels to one day come.

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How to be an Ally to Latinas this Hispanic Heritage Month

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hispanic heritage monthIf you take a look through a list of CEOs at Fortune 500 companies, you’ll find that 10% of the most senior leaders are women. After many years at the 8% mark, the start of 2023 brought a slight jump with 5 female CEOs being installed. These CEOs include Karla Lewis of Reliance Steel & Aluminum, Julia Sloat of American Electric Power, Jennifer A. Parmentier of Parker Hannifin, Stephanie Ferris of Fidelity National Information Services, and Maria Black of Automatic Data Processing. Although this is a win, there is still a considerable amount of work to be done to make the leaders of companies more representative of the people who work under them. And one of these areas that needs the most focus is the number of Latina professionals in leadership positions.

In the United States, the Latinx population are a major economic driver, contributing over 28% of the US GDP, as well as being the second largest ethnic group. Yet, they are the one of the least represented in the professional world, Latinas especially. Latinas make up 10% of the national population but hold less board seats at Fortune 500 companies (less than 1%)  compared to any gender, ethnic or racial group. White women hold 1226 seats followed by Black women with 183 and 89 seats for women from Asian descent. While Latina professionals hold the smallest number of seats, thirty less than women of Asian heritage, as of 2022 women overall still only hold 30% of Fortune 500 board seats.

Currently, in 2023, there have been only three Latina CEOs in these companies. The first of these CEOs was Geisha Williams who acted as CEO of Pacific Gas and Electric Company (PG&E) from 2017 to 2019. She is the first Latina to ever hold the title of CEO at a Fortune 500 company. The second was Cheryl Miller who was CEO of AutoNation from 2019 to 2020. The third, and only current Latina CEO, is Priscilla Almodovar who began her journey as CEO at Fannie Mae at the end of 2022.

Although Latinx accounts for over 18% of the total population in the United States, the number of board seats allocated to Latina professionals is around 1%. Ester Aguilera, CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA) shares, “In fact over the last 10 years, between 2010 and 2020, Latinos only gained 1%. We went from 2% of corporate board seats to 3%. Latinos and Latinas are invisible in the C-suite and the boardroom. For Latinas, it’s even smaller. Only about 1% of the public company board seats are held by Latinas.” Aguilera attributes this small number to lack of visibility which makes companies feel as though they cannot find qualified Latinas to hire for board positions. The LDCA prides themselves on helping quicken the search to find qualified Latinx professionals and have created a directory with a talent search tool to hone the search for Latinx employees.

What Can You Do To Be an Ally to Latina Professionals?

Understanding that there is a gap for Latina executives is the first step, but deciding what tactics you can bring into the workplace is the most vital step. It can be very difficult for a company to work cohesively if there is not a level of trust and safety felt by its employees. Amy Edmondson introduced the concept of team psychological safety in 1999. Research shows that it still rings true today in making employees more content in the workplace, lowering levels of conflict between coworkers while boosting higher levels of performance. When speaking of psychological safety, Edmondson explains, “Psychological safety exists when people feel their workplace is an environment where they can speak up, offer ideas, and ask questions without fear of being punished or embarrassed.”

In keeping true to the concept of psychological safety, employers must be willing to create an inclusive environment for all backgrounds and cultures. The Harvard Business Review found that 76% of Latinx employees repress parts of themselves at work. This includes their appearance, accents, body language and communication styles which are all part of executive presence, an important element when defining leadership potential. They also found 43% of Latinas feel as though they need to push aside their authenticity to meet the standards of executive presence at their companies. Employers need to create a space where Latinas can be their true selves and below are just a few examples as to how this can be achieved.

Check Your Own Bias

The change will start with you. As a leader, you are the first obstacle to creating an inclusive space. Take some time to sit with yourself and understand what biases you may have. Think about taking an Implicit Association Test to explore your biases. Once you’re aware of your biases, pay attention to them. Take a step back and think about why you made a decision and if your biases had any influence on that choice. See if there are any stereotypes you are holding in your head such as “I don’t like to work with her, she’s too fiery.” Or “I can never understand what she’s saying, her accent is too strong.” Acknowledging your own biases, and apologizing when they get in the way, is a considerably positive step to creating a healthy team culture.

Engage in Active Listening and Use That Information for Change

While attempting to increase any type of inclusion, leaders should strive to listen to what their team is telling them. Take time to connect to your employees, listen actively and be aware of who they are. If leaders want to retain Latinas and hire more, listening to their needs is overtly important. In learning about needs, you need to let the employees lead the conversation and make sure you ask questions and participate so they know you are listening to understand. From what you learned in these conversations, bring change. Create new policies that meet their needs and help them feel more comfortable in their work environment. Knowing the workplace they would be joining is a safe place, where they don’t have to hide their true selves, would be a driving factor to hiring more qualified Latinas.

Increase Opportunities for Latinas

Another way to help increase the number of Latina professionals is to provide more opportunities for advancement. One way would be to implement a mentorship program in your company. You can follow examples such as the one set by JPMorgan Chase. JPMorgan Chase has created an initiative for advancing Hispanic and Latinx in which they provide activities with emphasis on career readiness and support, entrepreneurship, community development and financial help. Having someone to go to for advice will help Latinas feel like they belong as well as give them someone who may have been in their position to help them advance confidently. The JPMorgan Chase initiative also includes fellowship programs for collegiate level Latinx to help them find their way while still in college. Applying an initiative like this, with a focus on Latinas, could create a better laid out path from college to executive positions. You may also try implementing groups for Latina women to connect with each other and share their own stories. Networks and connections play a large role in advancement in today’s professional occupations. Creating a space where Latina employees can feel as though they belong, with people who look and speak the same way they do, can help increase their executive power and feeling of confidence in an executive position.

While all of these ideas can positively affect Latinas professionally, you must keep in mind that change cannot happen overnight so stay focused. By following these suggestions, you can help take that step towards increasing the number of Latina executives in the professional leadership community. This Hispanic Heritage month, remember to be aware of your own biases, listen to understand, and work to increase opportunities for Latina professionals. Supporting this growing community is essential for companies to retain their Latina employees and create a space in which others will want to join.

By Chloe Williams

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Cassandra Cuellar: Partner, Venture Capital, M&A and Capital Markets, Shearman & Sterling LLP

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Cassandra CuellarAs a partner in the buzzing Emerging Growth practice, Cassandra Cuellar works with entrepreneurial clients who are launching companies and investors who are looking to back a promising venture.

Taking Ownership To Grow

“What gets me out of bed in the morning is the opportunity to work with people that are pouring their personal energy, time and wealth into the companies they’re growing,” says Cuellar. “It’s very rewarding to be a part of their journey as they start those companies, grow them and hopefully realize a successful exit. It’s life-changing for them.”

Cuellar must understand the concerns and interests of both founders and investors in her practice. She emphasizes that a collaboration mentality and solution-orientation is required to effectively advocate for her clients: “Our job is not to identify 20 roadblocks and then say we can’t go further. Our job is to identify the roadblocks, figure out if this is truly something that will be detrimental to our client, and then bring our clients in on that, figuring out the solution together.”

Cuellar enjoys the fast pace of work these days: “You get so many more people that have new ideas and diversity of thought starting companies and taking a chance on themselves. It’s great to see that and be able to be part of that.”

She is also comfortable leaning in and taking a chance on herself. “I have a willingness to take ownership over things without necessarily having to be so dependent on a hierarchical structure,” she says. “Startups run lean, so that’s the way my group approaches the practice and it’s how I’ve developed as an attorney.”

From early in her career, she had to get comfortable communicating with CEOs, CFOs, and key decision makers, but she relates learning through taking ownership to even earlier in life.

“I grew up in a small town as the oldest of four kids, and my parents had their hands full. I had to take ownership of my own professional career – getting into college, getting scholarships and making sure I was set up to move away and do my own thing,” says Cuellar. “Having that ability to do that from a young age translated well into being successful at this practice. I’m not afraid to take ownership over issues and clients and get stuff done.”

The Confidence To Trust Yourself and Others

“Latinx students going into law school don’t necessarily have readily-accessible role models that have gone into BigLaw, so often Latinx students make a choice to opt out of BigLaw, despite being more than qualified,” cautions Cuellar. “But I have found that because Latinx students often have to figure things out on their own without role models, that makes us uniquely qualified for this profession. You are used to navigating unknown waters, so it makes it easier to approach novel legal issues, transactions, and clients. The one thing I’ve learned – through negotiating the law school process, getting a job in a big law firm and now building my career – is that whatever you can throw at me, I’m going to figure it out,” she notes. “I don’t get scared off by challenge. I can rise to it because I have done it before.”

While launching herself into responsibility came naturally, her stretch zone has been releasing control. As a senior associate, she was accustomed to knowing every detail in every transaction and trusted herself to deliver on the high expectations she set. As she’s moved up, she’s had to learn to let go and trust in her team. Cuellar echoes other Latinas we’ve spoken to in expressing that being the one Latina within her practice, or one of few, feeds the drive to validate through performance. It makes letting go harder because more has felt at stake.

“Being a Latina, there’s not that many of us doing what I do, so I do feel a certain responsibility to be able to prove myself here and make sure that anything I work on is done at 100%,” she reflects. “That part of my identity and proving myself is impacted by this other part of me that needs to grow and trust other people to do things, even though I don’t have 100% control.”

Along with that self-awareness, she’s found that empathy is important.

“Letting go of some of that control has been hard, but I’m working on it,” she admits. “I’ve realized that everyone is an individual, and they’re not all like me, and I have to manage to each person versus to what my personal expectations, approaches, or processes would be.”

Encouraging Each Other’s Potential

Inspired by leaders she’s worked with, Cuellar models her practice upon listening and showing understanding to clients and those she is working with. She would love to see more Latinas follow a law path, and attributes her own decision to meeting a Latina lawyer in the Texas legislature, who encouraged her on the path.

At Shearman, Cuellar has felt supported in opening her possibilities by other women mentors: “I’ve always found someone willing to sit down and talk to me about things in a very honest fashion, who would guidepost, for example, that I needed to be thinking about business development, even as a second year, if I ultimately want to make Partner.”

In formal mentoring of law school students, especially Latinas and Latinos, she implores students not to limit themselves based on context or precedents, but instead to take a good look at whether a big law firm could be a match: “You work a lot, but you learn a lot, and have a lot of professional opportunities. I think it’s important that more Latinos and Latinas feel comfortable taking that risk, even if it might not be something your family understands at the time. You’re setting yourself up for your future professionally. You can at least try, and you could even be successful.”

Finding Out What Works For You

Cuellar admits it has taken her years to get comfortable in networking, but she tells students to take networking seriously as a skill to develop, the earlier the better.

But she’s also found her own approach to creating connections. “What I’ve discovered, whether it’s within the firm or with a volunteer opportunity, is my best networking is done when I’m working with someone. I take that approach of trying to get to know people by doing a good job with work they send my way, making sure that they feel valued and working from there (with common interests etc) – versus attending every networking event, because I find it hard to make deep connections in that context.”

Cuellar considers it part of the trial and error of getting to know yourself. Try out different things to see what works for you, and develop your own network style.

Her close-knit family and three year old son Max come first in her life. They enjoy cooking, celebrating birthdays and planning holidays. She enjoys connecting with close friends through the early experiences of motherhood. In this particular moment, it appears her son Max is rebelling against preschool yoga.

By Aimee Hansen

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Indhira Arrington: Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer, Ares Management

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Indhira Arrington“My career trajectory is a combination of two factors. The first is that I am standing on the shoulders of people and organizations who have sponsored me and have opened doors for me to join rooms, organizations and functions that I otherwise would not have been able to,” says Indhira Arrington. “The second is that while I was fortunate to have those opportunities present themselves, I was also prepared and motivated to seize those opportunities.”

Stepping Up to Opportunities, All the Way to the C-Suite

Instilled with a strong work ethic by her family and driven to prove herself as an immigrant in a new country, Arrington was determined to perform at her best and demonstrate her value from early on.

“Being an immigrant really is at the core of my experience,” she says, “Even though I’ve now lived in the U.S. longer than I lived in the Dominican Republic, I distinctly remember that feeling of being an ‘outsider.’”

With her parents speaking little English and no precedent for success in corporate America, Arrington’s “second family” at INROADS set her up with the mindset and skills that enabled her to perform at a high level (academically, as a 4.0 student) and step up to opportunities.

With both the prodding of her INROADS mentor and with the sponsorship of The Consortium, she received her MBA at NYU Stern School of Business before taking on sales and trading roles at Citi and Morgan Stanley: “I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and I was fortunate to have people who saw my potential as much bigger than I did. They pointed me in different directions.”

While building her career on the trading floor, Arrington says that DEI was her steady second job. As a “double only” Latina in the room, she was often called on for diversity conferences and networking needs. She wanted to show up and open doors for others, too.

Then came a crossroads of choice.

“Sales and trading was where I could have maximized my earning potential, but I faced the difficulty of having the intensity that job required and being the type of mother I wanted to be,” reflects Arrington. “I was very good at my job, but it didn’t fit with how I wanted the rest of my life to play out.”

Coinciding with the economic downturn and start of her family, Arrington shifted into diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) as her primary career focus in 2009 – first at Bank of America and then Wells Fargo, before taking her present role at Ares Management Corporation as Global Head of DEI in 2021.

“There are thousands of people that are good at their job and that want to ascend the corporate ladder, but doing it alone likely won’t get you there,” she says. “You also need to have strong executive presence and act like a leader, and then hopefully that combination gains you the sponsors who have the power to open those doors, propel you and pull you up.”

Becoming an Impact Player

As a constant learner, Arrington has focused on becoming the subject matter expert of her craft. Once she realized she could be vulnerable, ask for help and not figure everything out by herself, it was a game-changer in advancing her learning curve: “I always say to my team that when I don’t understand something, even today, explain it to me like a five-year old.”

A key principle she abides to and encourages in her team is to be in service of others: Don’t aim to be basic. Aim to be exceptional.

“Anybody can do what they are told and put the spreadsheet together. But if you’re in the service of others, you’re going to ask the next question about what they are trying to do and the end goal,” she says. “You take the work to the next level, and in doing so, you build good will and advocates who will remember you.”

Whether it’s volunteering to bring in great talent, working with ERGs, or taking the initiative to fix a broken process, Arrington suggests to ask, “Outside of your day job responsibilities, what are you doing to contribute to the greater good of the organization and to make yourself an impact player? Anybody can get work done. People want to promote impact players.”

Leveling Up To Advance Your Career

Arrington emphasizes that leveling up requires the maturity of being open and direct about what you need and want and what your expectations are, and not just expecting your boss (or anyone) to be a mind-reader.

Owning what you want also means learning to “manage your manager” – putting your objectives and goals out, and then soliciting the clear guidance on where you need to focus on developing your skillsets and capabilities to be able to reach your goals. Find out what might be getting in your way and what superpowers you need to double-down on to excel.

“Be unapologetic and say this is what I’m thinking, but also leave space in the room for your managers to say ‘maybe you’re thinking too small’ or ‘maybe you’re thinking too big.’”

Thirdly, Arrington has learned from experience that “the unwritten rules are real.” Knowing the difference between titles, influencers and key decision-makers, as well as knowing the personalities you are interacting with, is essential when it comes to succeeding in advancing your ideas as you rise to bigger roles where more is at stake and few ideas get funded.

“Pre-selling your idea to the right individuals and setting yourself up to succeed is so critical, but women often don’t focus enough on that,” she observes. “We focus on the best idea and presentation and assume everyone is going to like it. The pre-game and understanding how things really get done in your organization is key.”

Arrington encourages women to have a portfolio of sponsors and advocates you spend time with and who know the value you deliver, and be more strategic in building your network. She observes that men tend to build diverse networks that create a matrix intentionally directed towards where they want to go, whereas women tend to build their networks around proximity and likeness. Leverage your network as an opportunity to put your intentions out there to those in the places you want to go.

Impacting Change as a Latina

“As Latinas, we’re bred to be loud and we’re bred to sit in our truth,” laughs Arrington, reflecting on her cultural capital.

As a Latina woman she’s brought her personal experiences to the table: “There’s nothing like breaking down barriers by being vulnerable and telling your personal story of microaggressions and how you have been made to feel less, unwelcome or like you don’t belong in situations. It changes the way that reality lands when a person realizes that somebody that they know isn’t having the same experiences that they are.”

For two decades, Arrington has sat on the board of directors for the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, supporting Latinos in New York around school, work and childcare. She is currently the Vice Chair for the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP), focusing on supporting women and people of color to leadership roles in corporate organizations. Her experience of feeling like an outsider has inspired her towards actions that bring about change.

While successful in overcoming obstacles, Arrington admits it has been challenging at times to be the only Latina in a room: “That’s where vulnerability came in. Without somebody that would have a naturally predisposed affinity towards me, I had to figure out how to break down barriers to be let in and be embraced even though I was different,” says Arrington. “It’s much easier when you feel that level of comfort and connectedness.”

Why Managing Is Really Coaching

Arrington jokes that she cannot have a boss who doesn’t want to be her friend, but she also means it: “If you don’t know me and you don’t understand what drives me and what ails me, then how could you truly be in charge of growing me and taking me to the next level?”

She continues, “I think it’s really important as managers that we take the approach of being coaches and changing the relationship from ‘I’m here to manage and make sure you do what you’re supposed to do’ to ‘I’m here to coach you and make sure that you exceed that.’”

In a coaching relationship, honest feedback can be received as care and guidance with your best interests at heart.

“Most managers feel like I can’t get too close because then I can’t be objective, and I think it’s the opposite,” says Arrington. “If you’re not close enough, you’re going to miss what’s happening and you’re going to miss opportunities to support people in a way that makes them want to come to work and be part of the community.”

Having often felt she had to prove herself along her journey, she would have a simple message to her younger self: “Stop being so scared. Try to enjoy it more along the way. You are worthy. You are good enough. You’re more than good enough.”

These days, Arrington practices giving herself grace on a daily basis. With her twelve and nine year-old sons playing flag football on the weekends, Arrington confesses to be that sports mom cheering on the sidelines with a cowbell. She enjoys yoga and learning through documentaries, and is an avid reader when she can sneak a few chapters in.

By Aimee Hansen

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Latina Inclusion: Do Not Check Your Identity at The Door!

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Latina Inclusion FeatureThe gap in Latina leadership in Corporate America is still an inclusion issue. But as more Latinas decide to go where they are valued, it’s Corporate America that is losing out the most – and more so in the future.

Hispanic and Latina women comprise only 1.6% of senior executives in the U.S.’s largest companies, less than other major demographic groups. USA TODAY reviewed 92 companies in the S&P 100 and found 18 had no Latinas in senior executive positions: including Apple, CostCo and Netflix. While few had a proportion equal to representation in the U.S. Workforce, PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Visa came closest.

It’s not just senior management: Latinas are underrepresented as only 4.4% of managers and 3.2% of professionals. And, according to the Latino Corporate Directors Association, Latinas hold only 1% of board seats in Fortune 500 companies, fewer than other gender or ethnic groups. But Latinas comprise 16% of the female labor force – the largest group behind white women, and by 2029, are projected to be 9.3% of the total US labor force.

Hispanic women earned 16.4% of bachelor’s degrees and 12.3% of master’s degrees in 2020, and Latinas represent 56% of Latinx students, though Latinx enrollment has taken some hit since the pandemic. Over two million Latina-owned small businesses exist – the fastest growing segment of the business community – with over 87% growth in business numbers since 2007. Latinas are creating business six times faster than any other group.

Barriers to Inclusion

Comprising 19% of the population and growing, Hispanic buying power continues to accelerate and demand that organizations understand this market.

While Latina women should have good reason to feel more emboldened than ever to bring their full identities to work through culturally relevant Latina leadership, they continue to be under-supported to do so and underpaid by corporate America.

When it comes to the paycheck, Latinas earn 55 cents for every dollar earned by non-Latino white men: even in the exact same job. Latinas earn 28% less than white women. The pay gap is also widest for Latinas with college degrees.

While Latinas ask for promotions and raises at similar rates to white men, the “broken rung” is exposed when you consider that Latinas are only 71% as likely as men in general to be promoted. Only 19% of Latinas feel supported by white co-workers. Only 5% of Latinos overall in big companies say they have a sponsor, whereas Latinos who do have sponsors are 42% more likely to be satisfied with career progression. Latinas who have reached executive levels often report the importance of that sponsorship in reaching where they are.

Latinas have reported being cast as caretakers, or the media image of ‘jefa of the household,’ rather than corporate leaders. Latinas are arguably more culturally wired for community building, a deeply held value which they often practice at home and that would serve organizations, but the value of individualism still dominates vertical mobility.

Latina women also report, according to Esther Aguilera, CEO of the Latino Corporate Directors Association, having to overcome biases around accents and myths and misperceptions around capabilities – which leads to a cycle, as we’ve heard echoed at The Glass Hammer this month, of Latina execs still feeling the internal drive of needing to prove themselves.

Indeed, 63% of Hispanic leaders indicated they have to work harder because of their ethnicity. And two in three Hispanic professionals felt educating coworkers around DEI falls upon them, spending substantial time whether it relates to their job or expertise.

Compared to non-Hispanic peers, Hispanic professionals are 53% less likely to feel included at work and 53% less likely to say they’re comfortable fully expressing their identities at work. Latina women have reported having to “check their identity at the door” or adjust their persona (code-switch) to fit into white masculine stereotypes of leadership.

The Post-Pandemic Impact

So it may come as no surprise that UCLA found that Latinas are leaving the workforce at higher rates than any other major demographic. Between March 2020 and March 2021, the workforce lost 336,000 Latinas, a drop of 2.74% in the workforce. Perhaps the promise of the American dream became too far stretched in reality for some, taking too much emotional, mental and physical toll without enough reward. One qualitative study found that senior level Latina talent were exiting Corporate America because of poor culture fit and a lack of evidence that Latinas were being structurally promoted.

“The Latina Pathway to Excellence in a Post-Pandemic World” report shared how the pandemic had changed the employment outlook of many Latinas. They both felt more invisible and yet found a “new virtual world confidence” in which they’ve learned to promote their profile more authentically at a professional level.

Mid-career Latinas expressed challenges such as: difficulty in maintaining their true selves in the workplace, a lack of champions they could identify with and trust, a lack of management check-ins, and lack of access to upper management. They emphasized the value of knowing your unique gifts and individual brand and leveraging the value that intersectionality brings to the table.

Executive-level leaders discussed promoting your distinct qualities, developing more skills and taking risks to seize opportunities amidst reduced visibility. They emphasized the importance of overcoming imposter syndrome as well as cultural Latin gender norms, being ‘ready to represent’ at the upper echelons amidst disproportionate scrutiny, and seeking mentorship and sponsorship (many had been sponsored by Latino men). They also encouraged trusting in the “Latina 6th sense” of intuition and decision making. Some C-Suite Latinas had leveraged the virtual meeting place to create new connections and visibility with senior leaders.

As written in Be Latina, “The growth of the virtual world allowed, in certain ways, for ‘authenticity in the business world.’”

It’s about Latina Inclusion

So what about organizations that want to get serious about promoting Latina talent? The answer is valuing the culture add and fostering cultural inclusion. At base level, greater inclusion for Hispanic and Latina women requires at least three things:

  1. Address unconscious bias in talent management decisions – Too many talent decisions are riddled in bias at each level (hiring, promotion, pay) and inhibiting organizations from leveraging and promoting Latina talent. From entry level recruitment to promotion to senior posts to pay packages, it’s possible to identify and shake up the way approaches have kept Latina talent from top positions.
  2. Make sponsorship happen – Ideally through formal sponsorship programs, managers and senior leaders should be challenged to reach beyond their own affinity bias and the gap in sponsorship for Latina women must close to transcend the block to corporate leadership.
  3. Encourage authenticity – Build a culture that celebrates each individual’s perspective, and the intersectionality that often informs that perspective, rather than pressures Latina women to forgo their wholeness to belong in the corporate workplace.
Please Don’t Check Your Identity!

Ask Hispanic and Latina executives, and showing up authentically can be the biggest challenge, but ultimately, there’s no path to stronger performance and personal fulfillment than being able to be who you are.

Latina women are bicultural, bilingual and possess many aspects of cultural wealth that can be leveraged as a leader. In part because of what it’s taken to get this far, Latinas often have developed strong skillsets of resilience, creativity, optimism, social ease, charisma, passion, relationship-building, multi-tasking and adaptability.

It’s recommended that Latinas who wish to thrive look for strong cultural fits that will value your whole selves, be persistent and also know when to adapt and take risks to overcome barriers. It’s important to accept imperfection in selves and others and be grounded in your ethnic background while navigating two cultures. Surround yourselves with mentors and those who can support your advancement.

One hunch about Latina leadership: it’s happening and those who embrace cultural diversity and inclusion will know the advantage of leveraging it.

By Aimee Hansen

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