Latino Leaders: April/May 2016

TED MATHAS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH

www.latinoleaders.com April / May 2016 Vol. 17 No. 2

CHAMPIONS, CDO’S AND MOST OUTSTANDING COMPANIES FOR DIVERSITY

30 INTERVIEWS AND PROFILES WITH LEADERS

Twitter: @LatinoLeadersUS Facebook: @LatinoLeadersMagazine Isssuu: https://issuu.com/latinoleadersmagazine

CONTENTS APRIL / MAY 2016 5 Publisher’s Letter Jorge and Raul Ferraez talk about how increasing inclusion and becoming diverse is still a big challenge for many companies, institutions, organizations and communities.

24 H&R Block’s Paola Meinzer

6 Editor’s Letter

26 Exclusive interview with Ted Mathas, CEO

Joseph Trevino shares his views on Diversity and what that meant as a soldier back in the Gulf War.

7 HACR Leadership pipeline program miss it!

don’t

8 Daisy Expósito-Ulla understands that Latinos are the new American consumer.

11 Rev Luis Cortés, Chairman of CTCA brings

hope against cancer.

12 Ricardo Garcia mover and shaker for social change and social justice shares his experience as a radio spokesperson.

14 Diversity Introduction

– Jorge Ferraez shares his thoughts and views on what diversity should be all about and introduces our champions in diversity.

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15 Bank of America’s Cynthia Bowman shares her thoughts on leadership, what drives her and how diversity makes companies stronger.

17 JP Morgan Chase’ Patricia David says when it comes to diversity, she just makes a decision and moves forward.

19 PepsiCo’s Deborah Rosado Shaw says Diversity is a catalyst for results and positive change.

21 Ted Acosta from Ernst & Young promotes diversity and inclusiveness that is always significant.

22 Mass Mutual’s Lorie Valle-Yañez knows how to

embrace diversity and says that in order to be successful in a diverse market, companies must understand their clients.

2 • April / May 2016

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has a lot of passion when it comes to diversity and credits that much of her professional success is because of her Latino roots. of New York Life - opens up about his family’s background, education, professional career and shares his vision on leadership and diversity.

27 Joe Bacigalupo of Vistage

talks about synchronicity: turning dreams into reality.

34 Raymond Arroyo, president of Alpfa solutions says that companies that invest in the Latino community are investing in the future of America.

PAOLA MEINZER FROM H&R BLOCK

CONTENTS APRIL / MAY 2016 36 HACR president Cid Wilson is grooming Hispanic executives for a corporate future.

37 Interview with Dolores Kunda executive director

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of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA). Today, Kunda focuses on increasing the number and influence of qualified Latinos on corporate boards to enhance America’s economic competitiveness.

38 Carmen Middleton, Deputy Executive Director of CIA, reaches out to the Latino community to

discuss opportunities at CIA, dispel misconceptions, and share her story about rising through the ranks.

40 Five outstanding companies for diversity.

Here we present brief profiles on five companies that are outstanding for diversity: AT&T, Comcast NBCUniversal, General Motors, Toyota, and Verizon.

JAVIER AND JORGE VILLALOBOS.

42 Diversity Champions – Presenting profiles of 15

of the more prominent CDOs and diversity executives in the corporate world today. Get to know them!

45 The Villalobos brothers

market one goal at a time.

reaching the Latino

46 Linda Forte talks diversity

- Comerica’s Chief Diversity Officer and senior vice president of Business Affairs for Comerica Incorporated strongly believes that diversity is is all about belongingness and engagement.

48 Cellar

Jorge Ferraez brings us the latest from the wine world. Enjoy.

Comcast’s Internet Essentials Reaches Milestone: 600,000 Families Connected Comcast recently announced a pilot program with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) ConnectHome initiative to attack the digital divide for public housing residents. Eligibility for Internet Essentials, Comcast’s acclaimed, high-speed Internet adoption program, is now extended to public housing residents in Miami-Dade County, Nashville, Philadelphia, and Seattle. This is the eighth time in five yearsComcast has expanded eligibility for Internet Essentials, which has connected more than 600,000 families, or 2.4 million low-income Americans, to the Internet at home. For more information on how to help spread the word or sign up, visit www.InternetEssentials.com.

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JORGE & RAUL FERRAEZ / PRESIDENTS OF FERRAEZ USA

A CONVERSATION WITH THE PUBLISHER

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We know Diversity is becoming obsolete, overrated and out. However, the principle of increasing inclusion and becoming diverse is still a big challenge for many companies, institutions, organizations and communities.

The reality is that there’s still so much to do, despite the work of many respected organizations. Sometimes it seems that diversity is not something that is going to be granted, but needs to be taken pretty much like power.

Our mission as a publication is to showcase and promote those positive examples and stories, so CONVERSATION they can inspire other leaders to WITH TED go further and accomplish their MATHAS, CEO OF NEW YORK LIFE. goals. This is the intention of the edition you have in your hands. We believe that this superb collection of leaders that have shared their visions and experiences, should provoke others to follow and achieve their dreams.

Our take on diversity means, we as a community need to start doing something about it. It starts with ourselves and not waiting for others to do it for us.

For this reason, Latino Leaders magazine has included for the first time in its history an interview with a non-Latino leader gracing the cover. Our purpose is to highlight and promote diversity , hence our very first “Diversity” edition.

The fantastic exclusive conversation we had with Ted Mathas, C.E.O. of the New York Life Insurance Company, is both an example of what a leader is doing in a company that has long demonstrated a commitment towards becoming diverse. We had to highlight someone like Mathas, someone who would have the approach and philosophy of a leader that truly believes in this matter.

We need more leaders working to promote diversity and inclusion, but we don’t want to “preach to the Choir” anymore. We need to start including in this dialogue those who lead in the white and especially in the African American communities. Without their commitment and support, the Hispanic community will continue to make slow strides, just like it has been doing for some time.

Jorge & Raul Ferraez latinoleaders.com

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR WHAT DIVERSITY SHOULD MEAN If I were to choose this country’s most diverse organization it would have to be the military. As Gulf War era veteran and after spending three years in the Army, I can speak about this with some experience. Growing up as a teenager during the 1980s in Los Angeles, I was, like all raw recruits, brutally thrust into Basic Training, going through the savage regimen in the sweaty camps of Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Growing up in Calexico, my family moved to Los Angeles when I was nine, landing in Watts, the part of the city that had seen the riots a decade earlier. Predominantly AfricanAmerican, Latinos were a minority during the late 1970s.

But the Army experience was different. Imagine not only training and working long harsh hours with people from very different backgrounds, places, creeds, cultures and accents; then imagine sleeping next to them from two to four months.

And that was just the beginning. My three-year tour took me across the country, from the ultimate urban experience in Los Angeles to a military fort surrounded by rural New York (which looks nothing like Manhattan and seemed a mixture of small towns that came out of It’s a Wonderful Life, with some country western ethos thrown in).

Almost a quarter of a century after I left the service, I can say that the diverse, multicultural experience I had was my biggest teacher in the meaning of diversity. During my time there, I made many friends and a few enemies; I still keep in touch with some of my friends.

During our current and first issued dedicated almost entirely to diversity, we have tried to tackle this theme that for decades, many experts have mostly paid lip service to it. According to social commentators like David Brooks, in his essay “People like us,” despite preaching a lot about it, we really don’t like diversity.

According to Brooks, we often not only segregate, willingly, along racial lines, but also cultural, economic and social ways. In academia, the institution that preaches diversity the most, people like conservatives and Evangelicals are non-existent, he says.

Amongst Latinos, our divide goes deeper than our countries of origins. In multicultural Los Angeles, some Mexican-Americans from areas like Montebello or Alhambra are accused of being wealthier and “sellouts” by some East Los Angeles Latinos. Yes, discrimination between Hispanics has historically been not only between countries of origin, but among those who are assimilated and those who have not been assimilated (makes you wonder how we can ethically ask for civil rights to people from other cultures when we belittle our own.).

Alas, sometimes tragedies can help us realize we are not that different from those we thought we had little in common. The generational divide that separated some Latino millennials from their immigrant parents came to light some years ago when ultraassimilated “Dreamers” who believed where U.S. citizens realized that they were viewed by immigration authorities just like they saw their foreign-born parents: as undocumented people who should be deported.

The tragedy, I hope, brought some sobering effect to those involved that we have much more in common with others, including our parents and children, despite generational and cultural divides.

As Brooks writes in his essay, most of us prefer to live, work and mingle with people who are like us or think like us. Just look at the neighborhoods we live in or the work miens we thrive or feel we don’t fit it.

Still, the pursuit of a diverse workforce for Latinos is something good. Not only because it could provide us with jobs, but because it gives us a chance to show what we bring with us and to learn from others, which has proven to be invaluable for any in their careers.

From our cover interviewee, Mr. Ted Mathas to the interview with Mrs. Carmen Middleton of the CIA (if there is one amazing opportunity and challenge for Hispanics to explore it has got to be this one), this issue is overflowing with knowledge and wisdom coming from the people who have made it happen or are making it happen in diversity.

We should relish the challenges of going into a diverse workforce. Yes, it can be challenging and sometimes scary, but as the ancient Greeks used to believe, life is like the Great Games, where the rush for excellence should move us, instead of making us flee.

Let the good times roll.

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Publisher Jorge Ferraez

President and CEO Raul Ferraez

Editor-in-Chief Joseph Treviño jtrevino@latinoleaders.com Director of Journalism Mariana Gutierrez Briones mcortez@latinoleaders.com Event and PR Director Mireya Cortez mcortez@latinoleaders.com Administrative Director Lawrence Teodoro Managing Editor José Escobedo jescobedo@latinoleaders.com Washington, D.C. Sales Associate and Representative Deyanira Ferraez dferraez@latinoleaders.com Art Director Fernando Izquierdo ferdiseno@latinoleaders.com Editorial Art & Design Rodrigo Valderrama Carlos Cuevas Luis Enrique González Eduardo David Rodríguez West Coast Editor Judi Jordan judijordanll@yahoo.com Human Resources Manager Susana Sanchez Administration and Bookkeeping Claudia García Bejarano Executive Assistant to the Publishers Liliana Morales Circulation Manager and Website Administrator Rebekah Melendez rebekah@latinoleaders.com For advertising inquiries, please call 214-206-4966 x 227.

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino (ISSN 1529-3998) is published seven times annually by Ferraez Publications of America Corp., 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA, April / May 2016.

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Daisy Expósito-ULLA understands that Latinos are the new American consumer Story by: Joseph Treviño Photo by: Courtesy photo Design by: Carlos Cuevas

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ith a $1.3 trillion purchasing power, U.S. Latinos rank among the top 15 global economies, an impressive powerhouse any way you look at it.

Daisy Expósito-Ulla foresaw that seismic shift in U.S. demographics long before the “Latino Boom” exploded into the American firmament in the late 1990s. What the seasoned advertising director saw was this: “Latinos are the new American consumer and for this demographic you need the new American agency.”

Thus the advent of d Expósito & Partners, a marketing and advertising agency geared toward being Hispanic centered at the core, according to Expósito-Ulla. The Latino market is growing and consuming more goods, including fast food and beverages at all levels, from the vaunted millennials – the young group courted by just about everyone these days – to older generations, she adds.

Based in New York, the firm is headed by Expósito-Ulla, who has a long history of spearheading marketing projects toward the Latino consumer that date back to the mid-1970s. Made up of seasoned professionals (including her husband, Jorge Ulla) and younger and creative people, her staff is looking to offer its clients a door into the Hispanic market at all levels She is succeeding. The agency’s goal is to reach not only the new target of most agencies looking to reach the Latino market, bilingual Hispanics, but the Spanish-speaking ones and the more assimilated as well.

Her clients include, among others, big names like McDonald’s and Marie Callender’s, Slim Jim, Tajin and AARP, the non-profit advocacy organization for people over 50.

dades, a PBS show produced by Raquel Ortiz (it was a rarity in those days to have a Latina producer), which profiled the lives of Latinos in the country. The show got her in touch with Latino movements, learning a lot about the plight of Hispanics in various parts of the country, she says.

After the show was defunded, she landed a job in Conill Advertising, one of the pioneering Latino agencies. In those mid-1970s days, there were few Hispanic marketing agencies; Castor Advertising Corporation and Spanish Advertising were the only notable ones.

Working directly under the agency’s owners, Alicia and Rafael Conill, Expósito-Ulla learned a lot. The agency was one of the first Latino firms to sell to global companies.

“It was the time that there were few national advertisers. It was a time of no information; there were no studies. It was about 1975,” she says.

Her then future husband, Jorge Ulla, a documentary filmmaker, told her about a gig at the Bravo Group, the small multicultural division of Young & Rubicam, the powerhouse marketing firm that became the highest-billing advertising agency in 1975, with billings recorded at $477 million. She joined them in 1980.

“It was like the cathedral of advertising,” Expósito-Ulla recalls.

She found out that most of her job was translating the advertising from English to Spanish. Shooting from the hip, then a common practice among Latino agencies, was discouraged at Young & Rubicam, she says.

Still, what she had learned at Conill served her well and was up to the level, Expósito-Ulla says. She stayed at Bravo for 24 years, going from the almost infant stages of marketing to Latinos to the Latino Boom.

“LATINOS ARE THE NEW AMERICAN CONSUMER AND FOR THIS DEMOGRAPHIC YOU NEED THE NEW AMERICAN AGENCY.”

From Havana to Manhattan Expósito-Ulla was born outside Havana. The birth took place in an apartment upstairs from her father’s hardware store, which had belonged to her grandfather since he moved to Cuba from Spain during the 1920s.

During the revolution, her father, like many other middle-class business people in Cuba, supported Fidel Castro. But after Castro declared the country a socialist state, nationalized businesses and militiamen came in the middle of the night and made her dad hand over everything, including the keys to his store, the family decided to leave the country, Expósito-Ulla says.

The family settled in Queens in 1964. Bereft of most of their material possessions, they had to start all over, often working menial jobs for 80 hours a week; the experience influenced her for life, she says.

Assimilating to her new country was lonely and hard, ExpósitoUlla recalls. Her new best friend was the TV set, learning English from shows like I Love Lucy and Father Knows Best.

With little money but lots of passion for entertainment, she was 14-years-old when she went to see the tapings of the Johnny Carson, Dick Cavett and Merv Griffin shows. She decided that that’s what she wanted to pursue.

“What fascinated me was not what was in front of the camera, but all that the production entailed,” she says.

Make it big Studying communications during her senior year at the New York Institute of Technology, Expósito-Ulla got her first chance in Reali-

New American Agency In 2004 she left Bravo to see more of her father, who had Alzheimer’s, and to dedicate more time to her son, Gabriel. Many people disagreed with her decision to leave Bravo (she was the CEO).

A year later, she created her own company. Expósito-Ulla believes she is called upon to market to Latinos in new areas and new ways, like targeting Hispanics age 50 and older via AARP. “We Latinos are the ones that are making the brands grow in this country. Without our consumer, these brands will not grow,” she says. “It does not matter if you talk in English or Spanish, culturally we have to talk to this consumer. Latinos are the new American consumer, and for this demographic, you need the new American agency.”

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REV. LUIS CORTÉS, CHAIRMAN OF THE CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA (CTCA) INAUGURAL HISPANIC ADVISORY COUNCIL. Story by Joseph

Treviño | Photo: Courtesy of CTCA

BRINGING HOPE AGAINST CANCER REV. LUIS CORTÉS, OF ESPERANZA, IS UNITED WITH CANCER TREATMENT CENTERS OF AMERICA IN HIS QUEST TO MAKE LATINOS AWARE OF THIS MALADY

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e meets with presidents and kings who confide in him about world matters. He is sought by rock stars and has been called one of the most influential evangelicals in the country. However, one of Reverend Luis Cortés’ most important missions has been to defend Latinos against cancer, leading him to be the Chairman of the Cancer Treatment Centers of America® (CTCA) inaugural Hispanic Advisory Council.

Cortés, the CEO of Esperanza, considered the premiere Hispanic Evangelical Network in the country, has been named by Time Magazine as one of the top 25 most important Evangelicals in the nation. Esperanza is a Philadelphia-based non-profit international organization whose mission is to strengthen Hispanic communities through legal, immigration, and housing counseling programs.

Health care is a key issue in the Latino community and Cortés worries that most Hispanics take cancer lightly - until it is too late.

Often, he says, cancer can be treated in time to save someone’s life.

“Latinos suffer from diabetes and asthma at a level we shouldn’t, and we suffer from cancer death at a level we shouldn’t,” says Cortés. “We are the last to go to the doctor, so more Latinas die of cervical cancer and more men die of prostate cancer than is necessary. In both cases, if found early, the survival rates would be higher.”

That’s where CTCA® comes in, Cortés says. The highly regarded network of cancer hospitals has been instrumental in not only treating Latinos for cancer, but also for creating awareness, which is key in the battle against that malady, he says.

REV. LUIS CORTÉS

Changing the culture for the better

Latinos often will wait until the last minute to get tested, Cortés says. A woman can feel a lump in her breast and will likely wait to see if it goes away, wasting precious days and months to be seen by doctors, he adds.

“Our cancer survival rate should be much higher than it is. It is too low because of our inability to respond to what we know we should be doing,” says Cortés. “We need to educate our folks, explain to them the importance of getting tested.

As you get older it’s very important to get these tests. We can beat almost all of these types of cancers we are suffering from, and we need to educate our communities about prevention through a healthy lifestyle and regular screenings.”

One decisive victory against cancer among Latinos was when CTCA built Eastern Regional Medical Center in Philadelphia. It was the third cancer hospital to implement the CTCA Mother Standard® of care, which harkens back to its founder, Richard J Stephenson, who lost his mother to cancer in 1982.

The 200,000-square foot facility formally opened its doors in 2005. It was a victory for the local community, Cortés says. The hospital is considered one of the premiere centers of its kind and continues to grow. Minorities represent 42 percent of the hospital’s workforce, with Latinos representing 10 percent.

“That’s unheard of in hospitals, but it’s a great thing,” said Cortés. “They invest in the community, and most importantly, they are helping save Hispanic lives.”

That’s why for Cortés, who travels all over the world working for Esperanza, being on the Hispanic Advisory Council of CTCA is very important. He understands the need for Latinos to be aware of cancer and preventative measures.

For more information visit www.cancercenter.com

RICARDO GARCIA

Mover and shaker for social change and social justice.

Story by: Charles A. Coulombe Photos by Ricardo Rodriguez

“My experience with the CBO’s taught me governance skills, and how to run meetings.”

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o complete history of the struggle for Latino civil rights and equality in this country could be written without mentioning Ricardo R, Garcia. Articles have been written about his cofounding of rural Washington Cesar Chavez was starting in California; organizing farm State’s Spanish language public workers. In California as well as in Washington, the farm radio station KDNA with Julio workers were treated as second citizens; poor and without Cesar Guerrero, Rosa Ramon, worker benefits.” and Daniel Robleski in 1 9 7 9 .

“My experience with the CBO’s taught me governance Calling itself skills, and how to run meetings. My self-esteem “Radio Cadena, La Voz del Campesino,” grew. I became aware that Chicanos were the fledgling station’s mix of music and second class citizens. Thus, I enrolled in activism caught the attention of Cesar the local community college in 1966, and Chavez. Impressed after visiting the later graduated from Central Washington station, Chavez used it as a model University. Back then, there was segregation for several radio stations he in the schools because the farm workers launched in California. Garcia GETTIN and their children would go back to Texas remained as Station Manager RICAR G TO KNOW DO GA after the finish of harvest in October. I for many years, although RCIA wanted to work in the school system as a he is now retired. His Ricardo G languag arcia is co-fou teacher but I wasn’t offered employment accomplishments are public nd e public radio sta er of Spanish by the school establishment because of record. But what about the ti Washin gton Sta on KDNA in my pro-Chavez visibility. I got bad press man himself? What led him te. from the local papers. So it was then to such a sterling life in His Promoti career has be that I joined local Chicano activists and public service? en focu ng Latin se o civil r ights an d on started a number of CBOs, such as the Garcia was born and d equali ty.

Northwest Rural Opportunities. This CBO raised in the small town Family M Ricardo received federal and state grants to provide of San Diego, Texas. “My att go they be t married in 1 ers 962 to M came p farm workers with work training, social elementary and high are Rene, M o aria and nts of three ch nica and and health services. Other CBS in the Valley school education was il E grandp arents o liza, and are n dren… were the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Health bilingual,” he recalls. o f w fi v the e…

Benjam in, Julia Nicolas, Elise, Clinics, Office of Farm Worker Housing, and I could read, write and Mia .”

Evergreen Legal Services. We also formed and speak fluently by a UFW affiliate in Yakima, and supported the time I graduated.

Cesar Chavez’ boycott actions. Locally, we Ninety-eight per cent befriended Democrat legislators who supported of the teachers and protective legislation for farm workers.” administrators were Hispanic.

Ricardo has retired from radio advocacy, but Even though I was raised in poverty, I didn’t remains active on local boards and advisory groups to know that we were second class citizens. There was no college in state agencies, a community foundation, and consults on health my future, and many of my friends went into the military. So after and education matters.

I graduated from high school in 1957, I did the same, training in What does he see as the challenges facing the farm workers of army administration at Ft. Ord, California. I did time in South Korea, today? “Well, in my time most of the farm workers were native ending my service at Ft. Lewis, Washington. born Chicanos from Texas. The Chicano movement convinced It was the Army that brought him to the Yakima Valley, located in them to establish roots in Eastern Washington, educate their Eastern Washington, where I participated in Army maneuvers as a children who are now employed in many professional fields in medical supply specialist On week-end passes, I went down to the our region. The Chicano activists accomplished social change and Yakima Valley because I had learned that farm worker from Texas social justice. It remains an untold success story. There were many were present doing harvest work. lessons learned from what we did. Most of today’s farm workers On one of my visits, I met my future wife, Monica at a public are undocumented immigrants going through some very difficult dance. When I got out of the service, I stayed in Yakima, and got social pressures. Currently, I have joined local efforts led by young married in 1962. We became the parents of three children…Rene, leaders who are rallying for immigration reform. But a lot of the Maria and Eliza, and are now the grandparents of five…Nicolas, first immigrant generation children of farm workers are joining Elise, Benjamin, Julia and Mia.” gangs, getting into drugs and other health risks. Today’s young He became active in the Catholic Church. “I made a Cursillo, leadership has to address these issues.” Ricardo Romano Garcia and met many of my future activist friends. The priests pushed us may be retired from radio, but he still observes the scene, and to join the government funded community based organizations is ready to share what he has learned with those who want to (CBO) that were being started through the War on Poverty improve conditions for tomorrow. programs of 1964. About that time, I became aware of what

Landing

Diversity Story by: Jorge Ferraez

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he “D” word for Diversity is starting to become a reality for many in Corporate America. The concept that years ago was just an illusion or a good goal to have, a politically correct posture, has started to move now from the plans and wish lists to the organizational charts and business plans.

Everyday more and more companies realize the value of Diversity. Either propelled by their Board of Directors or by a visionary CEO - the benefits and actual needs to become diverse are clear and present.

Diversity takes place in two ways: The first one (initiative) develops inside a company, by establishing a Diversity Office, working the H.R. departments to recruit and get diversity suppliers, making the C-Suite a more “multicolored” pack and establishing policies and strategies to secure a continuity.

The second initiative takes an outside direction, which means multicultural marketing efforts are under way, with the basic simple principle of “mirroring the market they serve”, conquer underserved minority markets and probably most importantly; understanding the dynamics of the Hispanic markets. For

14 • April / May 2016

Design by: Carlos Cuevas

many corporations, expanding to these markets is not only a way to grow, but also it could mean the only way to grow.

Today, Latino Leaders Magazine is making a pledge to promote and highlight Diversity at all levels, because it is directly related to the advancement of Latinos and the community at large. This is why we decided to dedicate this entire edition to the most relevant and influential leaders that promote Diversity in our country.

In the following pages you will find a collection of interviews, profiles and conversations with leaders that share with us their visions and efforts to promote diversity. To demonstrate our true and authentic commitment to Diversity, for the first time in its 15-year history, Latino Leaders magazine is proud to present the first ever non-Latino to grace the covers of our magazine. For our main story, we feature an interview with Ted Mathas, Chief Executive Officer for New York Life.

For many leaders the issue is eroded. Many even want to stop talking about it and instead, start doing something about it. This is precisely our intention by presenting the stories you will read; to inspire leaders to DO SOMETHING to increase, promote and even demand Diversity.

Story by: Diane Alter Photo: Courtesy

“FOLLOW YOUR PASSION. THE MORE YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU DO, THE MORE SUCCESSFUL YOU WILL BECOME.”

Cynthia Bowman Bank of America’s Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer shares her thoughts on leadership, what drives her, and how diversity makes companies stronger latinoleaders.com

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he worldwide movement toward economic, financial, trade and communications integration, or what is otherwise known as globalization, requires more and more interaction among individuals from diverse backgrounds. Profit and non-profit organizations alike acknowledge the need to become more diversified to remain competitive. Maximizing and making the most of workplace diversity is indeed a top priority today for management.

According to Cynthia Bowman, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Bank of America, an organization’s success and competitiveness depends upon its ability to embrace diversity, realize the benefits, and to capitalize on them.

Bowman recently took time to share her career journey and priorities. The recipient of trailblazer and diversity awards, Bowman also provided some invaluable essentials on diversity and leadership in the workplace in a Q&A session with Latino Leaders.

Latino Leaders: Tell us about your upbringing, education, family background and some experiences of your youth, your dreams, and wishes growing up.

Bowman: My early years were spent growing up in Camden, NJ. My mother wanted more for me and my brother, and was intent on seeing we got a good education in a safe environment.

We ultimately moved from Camden to Denver, Colorado, where I first started to see and experience differences and biases related to race. I ended up back in Atlanta where I attended college at both Spelman and Georgia Institute of Technology. I later went back to school and got my MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Business at Northwestern. Since Kellogg, I spent the rest of my career in the field of Human Resources and Change Management.

Latino Leaders: How did you come to work for Bank of America? Please share some background on your career.

Bowman: While at Spelman, I was driven to excel and was constantly surrounded by ambitious women. I landed an internship with AT&T in my sophomore year of college, which led to a fulltime position. Eventually I ended up in the company’s leadership program and gravitated from technology to Human Resources.

I became interested in human behavior and went back to school to obtain my MBA. I went into consulting right after business school and worked for Accenture where I ultimately made Partner. In 2007, Bank of America called me 16 • April / May 2016

DIVERSITY DRIVES GROWTH. THE WORLD TODAY IS SO DIVERSE, WHETHER IT IS MEASURED BY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS, GENDER, OR DEMOGRAPHICS. IN AN ERA WHEN FLEXIBILITY AND CREATIVITY ARE KEY TO COMPETITIVENESS, DIVERSITY IS CRUCIAL FOR AN ORGANIZATION’S SUCCESS. about an internal consulting opportunity in Human Resources associated with organizational behavior and culture change, and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve had the opportunity to serve in a variety of HR roles, each one allowing me to tap into my analytical side, as well as my passion for diversity and inclusion.

Latino Leaders: What is the most fascinating thing about your job, your position? What do you enjoy most in your responsibilities?

Bowman: Creating an environment where every employee feels that they are important and matter is the most rewarding aspect of my job.

That is my passion, and I get to do it on a global scale. Seeing the impact – hearing feedback from employees that they feel supported and included – that’s the most fulfilling part of my job.

Latino Leaders: In your opinion, why is diversity and inclusion important for corporations such as Bank of America? As a provider of services to many big corporations, have you seen any advantages when some of your clients embrace and promote diversity?

Bowman: Diversity drives growth. The world today is so diverse, whether it is measured by religious beliefs, gender, or demographics. In an era when flexibility and creativity are key to competitiveness, diversity is essential to an organization’s ability to meet the needs of their customers and clients.

Latino Leaders: As a leader, what are the most important lessons you can share with leaders in the making? Any tips on how to manage a team, how to advance a project and how to be efficient.

Bowman: First, follow your passion. The more you enjoy what you do, the more successful you will become.

Have a point of view and be willing to have courageous conversations that allow you to push thinking and drive progress.

Make sure your performance is consistently strong.

In addition to performance, it is also important to understand executive presence, or gravitas. It’s also about building credibility and having confidence. If things appear to have gotten too easy, set new hurdles and redefine your breakthrough moments. Stay current and stay competitive.

When you’re in a leadership role, surround yourself with diverse thinking and be inclusive of that thinking. Being inclusive when it comes to opportunities and assignments benefits everyone in the long run.

Don’t underestimate the need for sponsorship and those that can help open doors and opportunities. It’s important to cultivate and maintain those relationships. I can truly say that I had support along the way.

I have also cared tremendously for those that worked with and for me.

Compassion and mentorship of others is also a must for leadership.

Patricia David Cuts to the chase Story by: Judy Jordan

Photo by: Courtesy photo

Design by: Carlos Cuevas

PATRICIA DAVID, MANAGING DIRECTOR AND GLOBAL HEAD OF DIVERSITY FOR JPMORGAN CHASE.

D

on’t let that mild-mannered executive headshot fool you. JPMorgan Chase’s diversity diva Patricia David is a firecracker: blunt, confident, funny, and brilliant.

An engine of efficacy, her mind and mouth sync at 120 mph, the requisite speed for success in the fast lane of high echelon financial management. David’s signature ‘take charge’ style evinces with a lack of pretention and a surfeit of humor as she explains her disciplined method of management in her friendly New York City accent.

“I’m in a job where I could easily misuse my function. I don’t misuse my function,” she said. I could easily spend my time going to dinners, giving out lottery-sized checks.”

As a champion for excellence in corporate diversity, David doesn’t play. “I take my role very seriously.” David also doesn’t hide behind corporate policy. “I’m not one of 500 accountants. My way is the way, my voice is the voice.”

David came to JPMorgan Chase in 2010, and looked around.

“When I joined this company, I asked, ‘what have we got?’” David saw room for improvement. “We needed more deliberate communication so that employees didn’t experience things differently.” There needed to be a more level playing field. “There needs to be a de facto standard. We needed a more organized structure so that employees could experience the same thing.

Comes a point where there should be a baseline.” She had to find a way to get through to managers by speaking their language, the argot of success.

“Telling managers we need to include women and minorities isn’t a strategy, that’s a tactic.” All in all, David is pleased with the receptiveness to her message. “The reason I enjoy working here [at Chase] is this company is very mature. this company is constantly looking for a way to do things better, and that’s what I do.

I explain all day long what I do so people can feel it in their own stomachs. It’s about human capital. If someone comes to work and is not 100% engaged, you get ‘drag’.”

David asks managers the right questions: “In hiring, do you follow a process? How involved are you in the people process?

These are questions put to managers overseeing teams of 2,000, and they start taking notes, and saying, ‘Oh my god! I got to get to work!’” David feels the effect. “They love it because it’s thought provoking.”

17 • April / May 2016

David’s official title, Managing Director and the Global Head of Diversity for JPMorgan Chase, implies a certain detachment. In fact, as this conversation indicates, David is the hands-on heart and soul of the strategy. She fully “owns” and implements the policies she’s spent years developing. “I’m not here to make friends or enemies.” Responsible for working with key business partners to design, implement, track, and report on the ROI of various diversity initiatives, David sets a high bar internally and externally. “We’re not just chasing numbers,” she said.

For David, it’s about discernment and clarity of goals.

“You’ve got to have a position of no. I have the power of no. I say no much more than I say yes, and I say no to some really strong, powerful organizations.” David concludes, “I say yes because it’s going to make it better.”

David regularly utilizes HACER’s Leadership Pipeline. She also handpicks partners for sponsorships.

“We do ‘Proud to Be Latina’ and ‘Multicultural Women’s Conference’.” She develops diversity to fit the business strategy, refueling the “talent engine.”

“We pick our partners very carefully; we need to have a position last 12 to 18 months.”

Paving her road to diversity Her obvious love for what she does gets results, but David also learned to listen, prepare, and speak her truth at the crucial moments leading to her current diversity platform. David rode the wave from Salomon Brothers to Citibank, accruing many successful years in tech management. At a Citi crossroad, David was asked what she would like to do next. She was prepared. An astute corporate communicator, David was wary of the potentially damaging implications of declaring career intentions at odds with her perceived area of expertise, but she trusted her relationship with her boss, and clearly voiced her wish. “Asked by my then-boss what I would like to do, I told him, instead of interacting with people 5% of the time, I’d like to do 85% people. I wanted a job in communication or diversity impacting people more directly.”

Despite her lack of HR background, Patricia David’s ability to rise to the challenge, build systems, and vanquish doubt, became, at this point in time, a huge blessing, and a tiny curse.

Three months to the day, the diversity manager left, and her dream job at Citi opened up. Even so, David hesitated. “I turned the position down three times because nobody could explain to me exactly what the job was!”

David issued storm warnings before finally accepting the job: “I told my boss, if you don’t want it done, don’t give it to me.” They gave it to her, and she took the job. “I told them, I’m gonna do it with a vengeance, make sure you want it done!”

As feared, she stepped into an undefined diversity position of responsibility. “When I first walked in roles weren’t clear.” David’s predecessor had left no trace.

“So I had to quickly find out what to do what was needed, because if I didn’t someone would tell me what to do and I don’t like that,” she said.

It led to her becoming a Managing Director and the Global Head of Diversity for Citi’s Institutional Clients Group.

Inspired and funny A tip for anyone meeting Patricia David: Bring your AGame or go home. David pulls no punches, and has no patience for time wasters, whatsoever. That’s not to imply that she’s rude -- David, with her rapid fire delivery, could easily do an hour of stand-up at The Comedy Store on the topic of ‘Dissecting Diversity.’ Her first job was in a fast food restaurant where she learned customer service and self awareness. “I told myself I shouldn’t get mad because I’ve got this stupid job!” David sometimes refers to herself in the third person, assessing as an HR manager might a job applicant. “One thing I learned about Pat David … the minute I can see something; I can make it happen.

I like things mangled and chaotic so afterward, I can see the influence of what I’ve done.”

“I never liked to be told to do anything! I’m not a vigilante but I am decisive; let’s just make a decision and move forward, for Christ’s sake! I can get bored real quick. That’s why I’m head of Diversity!” she said.

“Brown people have some negative imagery to dispel. Don’t put up barriers that aren’t out there. I spend a lot of time getting people out of their own way. Our best defense is to show up as head of diversity and kick some ass.”

David knows she’s a born manager. “Am I a born manager? I think from birth! My mother gave birth to me on her own in England … I looked up at her like, ‘we got this.’”

“I NEVER LIKED TO BE TOLD TO DO ANYTHING! I’M NOT A VIGILANTE BUT I AM DECISIVE; LET’S JUST MAKE A DECISION AND MOVE FORWARD, FOR CHRIST’S SAKE! I CAN GET BORED REAL QUICK. THAT’S WHY I’M HEAD OF DIVERSITY!”

18 • April / May 2016

Diversity

a catalyst for results and positive change Deborah Rosado Shaw – Senior Vice President, Global Chief Diversity & Engagement Officer, PepsiCo Story by: Latino Leaders Staff Writers

Photo by: Courtesy photo

Design by: Carlos Cuevas

Tell us about your upbringing, education, family background - some experiences of you as a youth, your dreams and wishes growing up.

I grew up in the nation’s poorest congressional district; where heat and hot water and pretty clothes and new shoes were a distant dream. My father was a minister and my mother a social worker and nothing was more important in our family than a great education and making a difference for others.

My journey from the barrio to the boardroom became possible because so many others invested in me. Highly committed teachers helped me survive a tough inner city high school with 4,000 students where security officers wore riot gear and tattered and decade old books were shared by two or three students. Through the activism and benevolence of people whose names I will never know, I attended Wellesley College, at age 16, on a full scholarship. There I got exposed to a future I couldn’t even begin to imagine for myself and it changed the trajectory of my life.

How and why did you get to work in PepsiCo? Could you share some stories of your career there and some previous positions you held?

More than ten years ago when Latino Leaders first interviewed me, I was living the entrepreneur’s dream, running the international merchandising company I founded; designing, negotiating and closing multi-million dollar deals with some of the smartest buyers in the world including Walmart, Costco and Disney. As one of the few Latina CEO’s in this arena, I soon became tapped by my custom

19 • April / May 2016

“GREAT LEADERS KNOW WHAT THEIR LIFE IS ABOUT.”

ers to help them navigate and harness the opportunity of an explosive Hispanic demographic shift.

Those experiences served as a springboard for me to begin to work closely with C-suite executives of Fortune 500 companies in how to engage diverse workforces to support their business strategies.

PepsiCo was one of the early companies I advised at that time. For 12 years, I served as a member of its Ethnic Advisory Board. One of the accomplishments I’m most proud of from that time, especially given my entrepreneurial roots, is having played a critical role in expanding a platform that helped PepsiCo elevate its prominence not only as one of the most diverse companies, but also as a company that creates opportunities for minority-and women-owned businesses through an annual spend that has come to exceed $1 billion.

When I joined the PepsiCo family in 2014, I did so because of PepsiCo’s extraordinary commitment and legacy in bringing together diverse strengths, backgrounds and perspectives to achieve its strategic business imperatives. A global food and beverage company with net revenues of more than $63 billion and approximately 263,000 employees, PepsiCo is a company that doesn’t rest on its laurels. It insists on having diversity of thought and experience and lifestyle in order to challenge its assumptions and bring forth the continuous innovation necessary to achieve outstanding results.

What is the most fascinating thing about your job, your position? What do you enjoy most in your responsibilities?

PepsiCo’s values and strong legacy of leading in diversity inspires and challenges me. In the 1950’s we were the first major company to have a woman on the board. In 1962, we appointed the first African-American vice president of any major company in the United States. Back then, as today, the business understands the importance of harnessing the diversity to unlock new markets and drive innovation.

One of the best parts of my role is that I get to think and work with an amazing team and colleagues from many disciplines and regions from around the world. Each day we work to answer: “How do we use every asset, particularly the broad spectrum of diversity in the company, to drive growth at PepsiCo and best serve the communities we do business in?”

According to the Center for Talent Innovation, 90% of the global talent pool will not be white males. In this world, we can no longer rely on off-the-shelf solutions and winning formulas of the past to address the growing demographic complexity throughout the world. We have to keep inventing new pathways by harnessing the collective intelligence of our associates and listening carefully to the cultural preferences and nuances of the consumer.

One way we do this is by tapping into our diverse associates’ to better understand our diverse customers in 200 countries and territories. Take Adelante, our Hispanic employee resource group – they’ve built a market research network that our mar-

20 • April / May 2016

keting teams rely on for generating ideas and translating product and marketing materials.

It’s a win-win when we are able to find ideas and inspiration from our associates to solve for business challenges.

In your opinion, why is Diversity and Inclusion so important for corporations such as PepsiCo? In 2007, Chairman and CEO, Indra Nooyi introduced “Performance with Purpose” — our goal to deliver top-tier financial performance while creating sustainable value for all stakeholders.

It lives at the heart of PepsiCo where we believe that delivering for our consumers and customers, protecting our environment, sourcing with integrity and investing in our employees are not simply good things to do, but that these actions fuel our returns and position PepsiCo for long-term, sustainable growth.

Diversity and engagement is a key driver of Performance with Purpose helping to provide a sustainable advantage. Global corporations like PepsiCo are also in a position to use the inherent value of diversity to be a catalyst for results and positive change; from health and wellness to water conservation, sustainable agriculture and carbon reduction and so much more.

As a leader, what would be the most important lessons you would share with other leaders in the making?

Some tips on how to manage a team, how to advance a project, how to be efficient.

So you’ll notice that my title includes the word engagement in it. This is because one of the important lessons I’ve learned working with tens of thousands of people across many industries is that we have to continue to evolve the conversation around diversity. This includes an acknowledgement that representation on its own won’t yield the full promise of diversity. The opportunity now is to expand 21st century leadership skills around engaging diverse teams. This means building an expanded repertoire of inclusive behaviors that leave people feeling fully heard, valued and honored…engaged… regardless of rank or title.

At PepsiCo we know that our transactional prowess alone won’t deliver the extraordinary results we are committed to.

As such, we continue to invest in developing a community of transformational leaders capable of powerfully navigating great uncertainty, inspiring their team to courageous action, naturally collaborating across geography and function, while respecting diverse perspectives every step of the way.

And, for me the foundation for fully engaging diverse teams or advancing a project or yielding greater efficiency or achieving anything of real substance, is all about playing for something bigger than your concerns for yourself. Great leaders know what their life is about. They know what their careers are about. They take a stand for something and that stand acts like a magnet that pulls them through around over the many obstacles along the way that would otherwise keep them playing small and never discovering all that which they could contribute to others.

Latino Leaders, in partnership with Alpfa

T

ed Acosta is EY Americas Vice Chair-Risk Management for Ernst & Young LLP, headquartered in New York City. In this Q&A interview, Ted talks about his family background and education, as well as the importance of diversity and inclusion at Ernst & Young.

Tell us about your upbringing, education, family background - some experiences you had as a youth, your dreams and wishes growing up.

My upbringing was very simple, but full of diversity. I lived in the U.S., Europe and the Caribbean, which taught me to adapt to very diverse environments from an early age. I was also fortunate that my family placed a great emphasis on education, not only to expand my mind, but also as a foundation for a promising future. I still remember that for my 10th birthday I was given a full library (encyclopedia, novels, dictionaries) and a desk! Thankfully, for that Christmas I did get the bike I wanted. These two gifts formed a good allegory for what my life has been since: a sense of enjoyment out of learning new things, and a quest for travel and being mobile.

My career has been ruled by those two tenets. Every job or opportunity I have taken, without exception, placed me in a position of having to learn new things, even if sometimes I felt overwhelmed and out of my element. My jobs have also always involved significant travel, especially overseas, where the simplest tasks can seem completely new when viewed through a different cultural lens.

How and why did you get to work in Ernst & Young? Could you share some stories of your career there and some previous positions you held?

I began my career as an attorney in private practice, focused on regulatory and white-collar crime matters. Within a few years I had the opportunity to work for the federal government in an enforcement role, which I took without hesitation. Working in private practice was the best education I could have ever gotten in respect to acquiring discipline, shaping my work ethic, elevating my sophistication as a provider of services to clients, and learning the craft -- whereas working for the U.S. government felt differently. On the one hand, I was learning a lot, even at a faster pace given the greater amount of responsibilities one gets as a young government lawyer. It was exciting (and humbling) to find myself opposite senior law firm attorneys whose years of experience were as many as my age! It forces one to learn quickly. On the other hand, being a public servant gave me a sense of selflessness. We were working for the taxpayers, for the people, which may sound idealistic, but in reality gave us a profound sense of purpose. It was very fulfilling and I met many hard-working people who believed in what they did at work.

Joining EY came out of a personal decision to move back to New York and a desire to learn more about business. Once again, I was going to put myself in a position where I would be forced to learn. It was very difficult to accept that I would be leaving the practice of law, but I replaced that feeling with the excitement for what would be a ‘whole new world.’ From the start, EY was like no other place I have ever seen. Its scale, breadth of services, geographical presence, and client reach was not only 21 • April / May 2016

impressive, but filled with opportunities. It took a lot of adapting and “reskilling” and soon I found myself applying all of what I had learned in my prior eight years to the client services we deliver at EY. Now, looking back after 15 years at EY, I am mesmerized by the many things I have been able to accomplish, the wonderful clients I have served, and the people I have met in the more than 40 countries I have worked in. In 2014, I had the privilege and honor of being appointed Vice Chair of Risk Management for EY Americas. Now I serve the firm, our people, and our clients differently, and again have found myself learning new things and interacting with new people.

The journey continues.

What is the most fascinating thing about your job and your position? What do you enjoy most in your responsibilities?

My position is truly fascinating in that it can be as broad and involved as one’s imagination and hours in the day. Certainly, Risk Management can be a disciplined area with many defined components and tasks. Yet it is also almost a “philosophy” or an approach aimed at protecting, in this case EY, the firm, but also its people and clients— all of which entails understanding and respecting the interests of all constituents, such as regulators, the capital markets, and our communities. It’s about balancing all of these forces and helping our organization to achieve its objectives. In the case of EY, it is ultimately about “building a better working world.”

In your opinion, why is Diversity and Inclusion so important for corporations such as EY? EY is a provider of services to many big corporations. Have you seen any advantages when some of your clients embrace and promote diversity?

The effect of promoting diversity and inclusiveness is, at times, immensurable, but always significant. Even in its most subtle ways (different educational backgrounds, different hometowns, different business units), it brings diversity of thought. We know and have experienced that the more diversity we bring to our teams, the better they perform. Being inclusive of differing points of view and approaches makes our work product stronger. Indeed, our clients not only notice it, but they expect it because they, too, have come to experience the stronger teamwork and outstanding services they received from our diverse teams. This commitment is also completely aligned to our goal to build a better working world.

As a leader, what would be the most important lessons you would share with other leaders in the making? Offer some tips on how to manage a team, how to advance a project, how to be efficient.

At least for me, I have learned that no matter the task, one must approach it with confidence. If we are given an opportunity, it is because others believe one can do it. Even if one does not succeed or enjoy it one learns from it.

Ted Acosta promoting diversity and inclusiveness that is always significant

Story by: Latino Leaders Staff Writers Photo by: Courtesy photo Design by: Carlos Cuevas

Story by: Latino Leaders Staff Writers Photo: Courtesy

Lorie Valle-Yañez- knows how to embrace diversity

V

ice President and Chief Diversity Officer for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co., Lorie ValleYañez, leads the task of designing and implementing diversity and inclusion strategies for the company. In this interview, Valle- Yañez shares how her upbringing and professional experience have influenced her leadership skills.

Tell us about your upbringing and some experiences that shaped your character and leadership style.

I am first generation born in the U.S. My parents were from two different countries, Nicaragua and the Philippines. I was raised in the Hawaiian Islands, exposed to people from many different backgrounds and cultures.

This shaped my views on diversity and inclusion as a leader and prepared me for the role that I have now as a Chief Diversity Officer.

How and why did you come to MassMutual?

Could you share a brief story of your career at MM and some previously held positions?

I was offered the opportunity to join MassMutual in 2008, to collaboratively design and implement a diversity and inclusion strategy for the company. I enjoy building, so it was a great fit for me. Previously, I built the diversity practice at ESPN, Inc., as head of diversity, work-life and wellness. Prior to that, I was the group leader for diversity at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif.

In your opinion, what are the advantages of embracing and promoting diversity for a corporation like MassMutual? How does this impact the business?

MassMutual is committed to diversity and inclusion, not only because it’s the right thing to do, but because it helps us better serve and build relationships with our customers. We are a leading financial services company, and diversity continues to be a catalyst that fuels our growth. Whether it’s by helping us connect with consumers in meaningful ways and meet their needs or attracting and retaining top talent, diversity makes us a stronger, more profitable company.

What role does the Latino community play in MM’s present, and what role do you see it playing in its future?

Our purpose is to help people secure their future and protect the ones they love. Latinos have strong family values, yet we know that about 40 percent don’t have enough insurance to protect their families. It’s important for us to help Latinos achieve financial security, and we’re committed to delivering financial education and 22 • April / May 2016

services in a way that resonates with them. One example is the launch of our Spanish-language website, massmutual.com/Latino, which provides content, financial calculators and tools in Spanish.

Do you believe “TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN A DIVERSE MARKET, COMPANIES corporations can NEED TO UNDERSTAND THEIR CLIENTS AND BE ABLE TO AUTHENTICALLY CONNECT WITH THEM.” boost market share by having a workforce similar to their target clientele? What has been your experience regarding this belief?

To be successful in a diverse market, companies need to understand their clients and be able to authentically connect with them. Employees that reflect the diversity in the market can provide important cultural insights, which lead to more innovation and effective solutions to meet the needs of your customers. However, you need to have an inclusive culture to make it work.

What are your short- and long-term goals as MM’s Diversity leader?

My goal is to continuously drive change and inclusion at MassMutual. It’s about creating opportunities for people, fostering an inclusive environment and influencing our businesses to continue to look for opportunities to serve diverse communities.

As a leader, what would be the most important lessons you would share with other leaders in the making?

Be willing to take risks. Embrace change. Do the right thing. Pursue your passion.

What is the most fascinating thing about your position now? What do you enjoy most in your responsibilities?

The most rewarding thing about my job is, after a time, I am able to look back and see the impact that I and my team have had in influencing a more diverse and inclusive culture. Whether it’s seeing physical changes to the building that make it more accessible or hearing that the culture feels more inclusive, or seeing that our workforce, sales force and customer base have become more diverse.

What has been your experience as a woman and a Latina in a Diversity Director’s position? Is it different from other diversity directors?

I remember when I first started in the diversity field, there were very few Latinos, and even fewer Latinas leading diversity work. It’s different now, and that’s a good thing!

What would be the advantage of having more Latinos in this position?

Any time we can get Latinos in positions of influence, it is better for all of us. Latinos are the largest minority group in the country and growing, with huge buying power, yet are seriously underrepresented in the leadership ranks of every sector. Having Latinos leading diversity efforts can help companies grow and reach this important talent and consumer market. We need more Latinos at the diversity table. It’s important to point out that as diversity leaders, they must be inclusive and serve all communities. This work requires passionate people who believe in the power of diversity and are willing to help their companies be successful.

Story by:Joseph Treviño Photo: Bill Whitmire

Passion Paola Meinzer, H&R Block’s Manager of Multicultural Initiatives, says that her Latino roots is what inspired her to excel in her career.

P

aola Meinzer is passionate about her family, dancing, food and her culture.

She has honed that zeal into her work at H&R Block, as the firm’s Manager of Multicultural Initiatives. The international company is known for their tax preparations services and banking, payroll and financing services and operates in North America, Australia, Brazil and India.

For Meinzer, who came to the U.S. from Colombia, working at H&R Block is much more than numbers. She believes she can help other Latinos, both assimilated and immigrant Hispanics, by helping them reach their goals.

“My passion is to bringing those to achieve their American dream, like I have achieved mine,” she says.

Six years ago, H&R Block hired the Chicagobased former real estate agent and member of several community organizations. In 2010 she was appointed to help the company develop and support multicultural communities through education and advocacy.

She began to build relationships with non-profit organizations and community leaders. In addition, Meinzer implemented brand strategies.

24 • April / May 2016

“The main goals of the program is to reach out to the immigrant community, to provide education and to provide resources. The company believes in the well-being of the community through education,” she says.

The Colombian connection

Meinzer was born and raised in Colombia, where she worked for an American public relations firm that served as a consultant for Colombian armed forces, including the Navy. She decided to pursue her career goals in the U.S., where she moved.

But like most immigrants, she had to overcome barriers like learning English, adjust to the culture. Meinzer faced many challenges. “I came here to the U.S. with a luggage full of dreams. The only expectation I had was to work really hard. Where there is a will there is a way. I knew it was not going to be easy. I’m a very positive person,” she recalls. “I needed to embrace who I was, as an immigrant and as a Latina, instead of looking at it as a disadvantage I really wanted to embrace who I was, because we are very hard workers, we are responsible individuals.”

Still, she kept working hard and made much progress. Also, her love for her community led to her to volunteer and work for community organizations.

She was a realtor and served at the Lake County Chamber of Commerce, where she was spotted by people from H&R Block. She has been with the company since 2010.

Though very dedicated to her work, Meinzer still finds time for her other passion: her family. A mother of two daughters, Meinzer has one of her daughters serving in the U.S. Army, which makes her very proud.

Meinzer says she is happy that H&R Block shares her values, ethic and commitment to families. She is committed to maintaining her roots, which is something she recommends to young Latinos as they enter the workforce.

She says, “we can rule the world with our heart and with our hard work. Just be proud and embrace who you are.”

X

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TED MATHAS, THE CEO OF ONE OF THE NATIONS LEADING COMPANIES OPENS UP ABOUT HIS FAMILY’S BACKGROUND, EDUCATION, PROFESSIONAL CAREER, AND SHARES HIS VISION ON LEADERSHIP AND DIVERSITY.

26 • April / May 2016

Ted Mathas Connecting with the Latino community Story by: Joseph Treviño Photos by: Kevin Kane

T

ed Mathas walks into the venerable conference room decorated with a long, oak table and leather chairs. A giant grandfather clock looms over the entrance.

Decked in a dark sport coat, gray shirt, slacks and bereft of a necktie, he boasts an infectious smile and a congenial demeanor that highlight his sparkling green eyes. He is the head of New York Life, the country’s biggest mutual life insurer.

Mathas leads the Manhattan-based firm, which is headquartered in a classic, 40-story, gothic-revival styled skyscraper with a golden pyramidal roof. Designed by Cass Gilbert (the architect who designed the U.S. Supreme Court Building and the Woolworth Building) and completed in 1928, the edifice stands out amidst the cluttered landscape of the island – it speaks of old school Beaux Arts elegance and restrained clout.

Design by: Carlos Cuevas

Vivacious, imbued with a joie de vivre, Mathas, 48, is fronting what could be one of the company’s largest diversity recruitment efforts in its 170-year-old history. Via social media, the Internet, ads and word of mouth, New York Life, which has nearly 9,000 employees and 12,000 licensed reps, is looking for bilingual candidates.

The influx of Latinos into New York Life grows every day. The corporation has nearly 200 Latinos in management positions; Ralph de la Vega, Vice Chairman of AT&T, sits on its board.

“Ten percent of our current agents are Latino. That’s double what it was perhaps even six, seven years ago. Looking at our current agent recruits, 18 percent are Latino,” Mathas says. “We are driving that activity, and there’s still plenty of room to grow.”

But New York Life’s diversity efforts aren’t just about numbers, Mathas says. The company is looking for people who share its values.

“The growth in America is in the diverse communities of America,

27 • April / May 2016

where there are young families, people with family values who want to take care of their kids and make sure they can continue on, whatever the circumstances,” says Mathas, who lives in Westchester County, New York with his wife, Keryn and their three children.

“We want to lean in to the future of America. The future of America is diverse.”

Family man

Mathas, born Theodore A. Mathas, grew up in Norfolk, Virginia. A third-generation Greek, Mathas was raised in an extended family. His parents ran a small business, which afforded them an upper middle-class life, he says.

Life for the Mathas family revolved around their Greek Church, he says. From his father, who by means of his business was able to provide for his family, young Mathas learned the philosophy of noblesse oblige (nobility obliges), the French phrase that signifies that those who have more should make the most of their gifts.

“He basically instilled upon us we had it better than he had it, so there’s an expectation that we do more with that. That was a very powerful lesson,” Mathas says. “We used to sit at the dinner table and have conversations about business and politics, and it was grounded in the idea that there’s no such thing as entitlement. In fact, the more you have, the more responsibility you have to do something important with that.”

While his father showed Mathas that more was expected of him, his mother, a middle school math teacher, taught him the weight of words. As a child, he was a debater, and his mother showed him that how you say things is as important as what you say.

“I think that’s a great lesson. It didn’t make sense to me as a kid. I fought it as a kid.

28 • April / May 2016

But as an adult in the workplace I can tell you the messages we deliver to people are irrelevant if you don’t understand how to speak to people and how to treat them – to show humanity in connecting with people,” he says.

Last but not least in his family was his grandmother, an immigrant from Greece who lived with the family. She saw firsthand the Great Depression, lost her husband at age 39 and wore black mourning clothes till she was 98; yet despite her hardships, she managed to live a happy life.

“She got dealt some bad cards. I learned from her that stoic sense of, ‘this is your life, and regardless of what things come your way, look for the positives and make the best of it.’ She was a very happy person despite having, frankly, what people would call bad luck. To me, that right there is a great learning experience. I was very fortunate,” he says.

His family’s competitiveness, work ethic and stoicism prepared Mathas well. Whether in school, in sports or in everyday life, the lessons he learned at home drove him in public life.

“He says everything like he should win it,” told Charles Doumar, who grew up with him in Norfolk and at-

tended law school with him at the University of Virginia, he told Crain’s New York. When it came to sports, Doumar added, even when he lost a game he didn’t “pout, take the ball and hide.”

Destination: New York

For Mathas to attend the college of his choice, his father had to borrow cash from his whole life insurance policy to pay for school, he says.

“That was really the only financial asset that he had of value at that point in time, partly because he believed in it. He thought he had a responsibility.

He did that through life insurance. He paved the way for me to go to Stanford,” Mathas says.

Once at Stanford, he studied political science because he wanted a major that covered the most subjects possible. He often speaks more like a philosopher than a lawyer – his initial career – he credits his upbringing and his political science studies.

At school, he sought and found mentors who believed in him, sometimes even more than he believed in himself. It worked.

He advises students to look for mentors who have faith in them. It doesn’t have to be a legion; perhaps two good ones, he says.

In 1989 he graduated from Stanford University with distinction. He received a J.D. from the University of Virginia in 1992, where he belonged to the Virginia Law Review and the Order of the Coif.

After graduation, Mathas again showed the characteristic family tenacity as a lawyer for a Washington, D.C. law firm that worked with New York Life, he told Crain’s New York during an interview. He left such an impression on a New York Life executive in the insurer’s asset management business that she hired him as her chief of staff in 1995.

The position proved to be a good learning experience: “I read everything in her inbox,” he told Crain’s New York.

By September 1998 he had become Senior Vice President and by June 1999 he was named Chief Operating Officer of the Agency Department. He was on a roll.

The fact that his company’s core product, life insurance, helps students go to college, assists people in need and enables families to stay together is as satisfying as his professional accomplishments, he says. He advises young people entering the workforce to find a place or company where they are a good fit and that shares their values.

“I found a home here at New York Life partly because of that social good purpose. If you can find something that you really believe in, and can make an impact, that’s what’s meaningful. For me, this clearly is. Millions of people’s long-term financial security—that’s meaningful.

One thing that helped his meteoric rise through New York Life’s ranks is the firm’s ethos, Mathas says. Also, the company’s culture produces committed employees who stay with the firm for many years, with little turnover, he says.

Mathas would learn a job fast, get good at it, and move to another challenge, leaving one position for another inside New York Life – in contrast to the modern practice of some employees who go from one company to another.

“That’s what I would encourage: try to find a home that’s a good fit for you, with people you think you want to spend a lot of your life with. Because you will spend a lot of your time with those

New York Life Timeline Key Dates: •Founded on April 12, 1845 as the Nautilus Insurance Company.

•Renamed New York Life Insurance Company in 1849.

•Moved from lower Manhattan to 51 Madison Avenue in 1928. Previously, the first Madison Square Garden had occupied this block, as well as a Hippodrome museum and a circus.

people. I think that’s maybe more important than the specific job,” he says. “Then try to find within that place opportunities that will allow you to expand your toolset.”

In June 2008, the year the Great Recession hit the country, Mathas, then 41, was named Chief Executive Officer of New York Life, succeeding Sy Sternberg, who retired after 19 years of service with the company.

While many financial companies, including other insurance companies, were greatly affected during the Great Recession, New York Life came through even stronger, showing larger profit margins.

Today, Mathas runs a global company with more than $500 billion in assets, including operations in Mexico, Europe and Asia. The core of the business includes life insurance, retirement income, long-term care insurance and investment management.

A diverse present… and future

In December 2014, New York Life appointed Vice President Kathleen Navarro, who has been with the company since 1994, as its Chief Diversity Officer.

She succeeded Joanne Rodgers, who transitioned into a newly created role in Human Resources.

In 2015, DiversityInc ranked New York Life 27 among its “Top 50 companies for diversity.” Navarro said diversity is top of mind for the company.

•Ben Feldman, nicknamed “The Greatest Life Insurance Agent of All,” joins New York Life in 1942 and goes on to sell $1,800,000,000 of insurance policies.

•The New York Life Foundation is established in 1979 to aid national and local nonprofit organizations.

•In 1999, as the industry saw a wave of life insurers demutualizing, New York Life’s board voted to keep the company a mutual life insurer.

•Also in 1999, New York Life acquired Seguros Monterrey Aetna, S.A. and Fianzas Monterrey Aetna, S.A. The

transaction vaulted the company to the forefront of the individual life insurance industry in Mexico.

•In 2002, New York Life became the largest mutual life insurance company in America.

•New York Life’s operating earnings topped the $1 billion mark for the first time in the company’s history in 2004.

•In 2008, Ted Mathas was named Chief Executive Officer of New York Life.

•2015 marks New York Life’s 170-year anniversary.

MATHAS’ LEADERSHIP PHILOSOPHY 1.Purpose is paramount. Every company – and actually, every individual – needs to find purpose in their work. And by that I don’t mean simply generating profits. A strong bottom line is an outcome, one that is important. But it’s not a purpose. Said another way, making money should not be the only reason you get up and go to work every day.

“Everyone is encouraged to bring their own perspectives to the table—whether it’s cultural background, generational beliefs, or personal style. We seek out diversity of thought, opinion, background, and experiences. We don’t have a one-size-fits-all approach,” Navarro said.

A great part of the company’s efforts is working with community organizations, Mathas says. By working with non-profit organizations like ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America), New York Life is able to make even deeper connections within the Latino community, Mathas says.

“We look at Latino organizations as an extension of the company in building relationships with the communities we serve,” he says.

While many Latinos work as agents for the company, the challenge is to get more Latinos into corporate management at New York Life, Mathas says.

He believes diversity is good for the company because it fuels a diversity of ideas, challenging New York Life’s professionals to improve and do things better. Mathas wants people to question each other on ideas, without it spilling into personal clashes.

“To have an environment where there is conflict around ideas but without social conflict,” he says. “That’s the ultimate environment for a workplace.”

2.Grow the pie. The world does not have to be a zero-sum game. Someone’s win does not have to be someone else’s loss.

Instead of competing with others to get a bigger slice of the pie, we should all spend more energy on growing the size of the overall pie so everyone can have a bigger slice.

3.Build and sustain trust with others.

Nearly everywhere we look these days – in business, in politics, or in sports – we can find examples of individuals and institutions that seemingly believe that not getting caught is the same as not cheating. Frankly, that’s outrageous. We all know cheating is wrong. Not getting caught doesn’t make it less wrong by any measure. While it’s nearly impossible in any context to have true success without having trust, many seem to have lost sight of this fact.

4.Be confidently humble. More often than not, both luck and skill play a role in any success we enjoy. Acknowledging the element of luck keeps us grounded, and reminds us that every situation is an opportunity to learn. When we examine the reasons why we were lucky, we can find ways to do things better and minimize the need for luck the next time.

Synchronicity:

Story by: Iris Raeshaun Photo: Courtesy

Turning dreams into reality

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orn in Peru with Italian ancestry and traveling throughout South America with his parents set the stage for Joe Bacigalupo’s success in the United States.

His international exposure combined with a knack for showmanship predestined him for his position as a Chairman of a CEO and Executive Advisory Board at Vistage Worldwide (www.vistage.com), the most prestigious CEO and business owner peer advisory organization in the world.

Joe Bacigalupo is also the CEO and Managing Partner of AlliancesHub International (www.allianceshub.com), a Peak Performance Executive Coaching and Management Consulting firm that creates global engagement to increase revenues for technology companies expanding into the Americas.

“I had big dreams,” recalls Bacigalupo, a graduate of the Universidad Simon Bolivar in Venezuela where his family had finally settled.

One of his dreams was to make it big in Hollywood. Like his father, he wanted to work in show business so he dabbled in it as a college student managing the emerging careers of a couple of friends who were aspiring singers.

“I saw what my friends were doing and took it upon myself to coach them on branding, business, and stage performance,” says Bacigalupo. “It came very natural to me. They recognized that and trusted in my ability to help them improve. Several years later they become Latin Grammy Award winners.”

In 1989 Joe got an opportunity with the American Radio Network in Hollywood as a Host and Executive Producer for “Kaleidoscope Radio Magazine,” a Spanish radio production. “I thought it was my ticket to stardom,” Bacigalupo says. “However, the job was complex. I learned quickly that the needs for the Hispanic/ Latino market demographics in California were completely different than the ones in Venezuela. It didn’t matter that Spanish was spoken in both places.”

Yet, he was not defeated. He came to America armed with a Bachelor of Science degree in ElecVVISTAGE WORLDWIDE tronics Engineering so he took his aim in business Founded in 1957, Vistage where quickly landed a job with Ericsson. assembles and facilitates Over the next 25 years Bacigalupo gained private advisory boards for experience in global sales and business developCEOs, senior executives and ment including leadership roles, managing domesbusiness owners. An exclusive community of more than tic and international operations with enterprise 21,000 business leaders software, consulting, outsourcing services, and across a broad array of industechnology companies such as Ericsson, Infosys tries in 16 countries, Vistage Limited, Oracle-Primavera, and i2 Technologies. provides powerful networkJoe successfully built new markets from scratch ing opportunities and allows members to tap into different in US and Latin America. He also enhanced his perspectives to solve difficult education by earning an MBA in General Managechallenges, evaluate opporment, and a Graduate Marketing Certification tunities and develop effecfrom Southern Methodist University. tive strategies for better professional and business Joe experienced a major life transformation performance. Vistage boards in 2001 that would pivot his work. He decided are facilitated by successto forego a business trip to Manhattan on Sepful independent leaders who tember 11th. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11 provide valuable professional Joe began to examine his personal mission (For insight, executive coaching and corporate training based a free personal assessment visit (allianceshub. on their own extraordinary achievements.

JOE BACIGALUPO IS CHAIRMAN OF A CEO AND EXECUTIVE ADVISORY BOARD AT VISTAGE WORLDWIDE.

pro.viasurvey.org/character-survey). He learned about himself and how to increase performance in others by becoming certified in advanced graduate programs in Personal & Executive Coaching, Positive Psychology, Mindfulness, and Emotional Intelligence.

Last year, Vistage Worldwide recruited Bacigalupo to help them build a new CEO Advisory Board in the Dallas area. “Vistage was a great opportunity to utilize my executive coaching skills with my entrepreneurial and international corporate executive experience,” says Bacigalupo. “I thought Vistage would be a great avenue to build international CEO Advisory boards to enhance globalization.”

Since cultural diversity and adaptability are important to Joe, he decided to build the first Hispanic/ Latino CEO Advisory Board in North America as a way to get closer to his roots and to give back to the Hispanic/ Latino Community.

“Hispanic/ Latino CEOs and business owners are a well-kept secret in the United States,” says Bacigalupo.

Joe is committed to provide business leaders a peer advisory board where they can share ideas in a safe non-judgmental environment, solve problems with accountability, evaluate new opportunities, and work on an assortment of strategic and operational issues.

Vistage realized that a focus on Hispanic/ Latino CEOs and Business Owners would add value. By 2030 Hispanics will account for 29% of the total US population.

“You have to dream big, be resilient, accept change, and manage stress,” says Bacigalupo.

More importantly, he learned how to use the power of synchronicity, which Joe says are all the meaningful coincidences that happen in all our lives. Now he’s committed to helping others do the same.

Contact Joe Bacigalupo directly at: (469) 713-7834 or joe.bacigalupo@vistagechair.com

latinoleaders.com

Story by: Latino Leaders Staff Writers Photo: Courtesy

Companies that invest in the Latino community are investing in the future of America

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Changing Lives, One Person at a Time

aymond Arroyo is President of ALPFA Solutions, an ALPFA organization that delivers innovative leadership programs to create stronger Latino leaders who, in turn, deliver greater value for their companies and our nation. Raymond is also a Managing Director and the head of the Diversity Practice at Reffett Associates, a certified, veteran-owned, retained, executive search firm.

Raymond is also the Chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, representing more than 200 chambers and 4.1 million Hispanic-owned businesses.

He has been recognized with numerous awards, including being a Top 100 Hispanic in the U.S. by this magazine, for two consecutive years.

Despite gains in profitability and shareholder value, corporate America is facing significant challenges. From a developing labor shortage, particularly around technical and highly skilled labor, and a fiercely competitive global landscape, American businesses are looking for answers to the burgeoning challenges.

What role, if any, can Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) play to help mitigate these problems?

Whether companies are seeking the right talent, trying to anticipate clients’ needs around the globe or keeping up with technology, D&I can help. The reality is, though, too many competing priorities, limited budgets and lack of vision make it extremely hard for most companies to see it. This is exacerbated for the Latino community, where most companies are not envisioning the opportunity to solve many of these problems with the 55 million Hispanics in the U.S. and the 22 Spanish-speaking countries they represent around the world.

Why did you join the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA)?

I’ve been a supporter of ALPFA for more than 15 years.

I met many of the friends through our mutual service to ALPFA. When Charlie Garcia joined ALPFA about two years ago, he asked me to join his team – and I couldn’t refuse. Charlie, and his outstanding leadership team, have literally transformed ALPFA into an organization with a stronger mission, higher purpose and better alignment with the needs of our members and our partners.

That’s why I joined ALPFA as president of ALPFA Solutions, about 9 months ago.

34 • April / May 2016

What is ALPFA Solutions?

We partner with corporations to provide leadership training to their Latino workforce, entry level, middle-management level and executives. We deliver relevant and innovative programs that create stronger Latino leaders who, in turn, deliver greater value for their companies and our nation.

What does ALPFA stand for?

ALPFA’s mission is to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the global economy. That’s what we stand for. We are focused on positively impacting the lives of over 1 million Latino men and women in the U.S. as they experience the many opportunities that corporate America has to offer. Whether they are still in college or considering an internship, or whether they are interns or vice presidents or seeking to serve on corporate boards, we stand ready to support their careers and their goals.

The business case for increasing Latino professionals in corporate America is clear – or at least should be clear to all C-suite executives and foundations. Why do you think we haven’t yet seen marked improvements after so many years of diversity efforts in corporate America?

It’s a matter of competing priorities, limited resources, healthy dose of skepticism, and the focus of D&I efforts themselves. It’s hard, given the conflicting demands for resources, tight budgets, pressure for immediate results, and the changing priorities at work. Finally, D&I efforts are generally combined. For example, when reporting, companies often reflect the category of “people of color” rather than Latinos. Often, real issues that are affecting Latinos disproportionately are neither surfaced nor addressed appropriately.

For example, starting in 2011, 80 million Baby Boomers started retiring at a rate of 10,000 per day, and will continue for the next 13 years. And they’re living longer too, from an average of 65 just a few years ago to 79 on average today. With Social Security expected to go bankrupt and pension plans being severely underfunded in virtually every state, the U.S. is headed into a financial tsunami. Add to these challenges that the fertility rates have dropped significantly, from 3.8 per couple to 1.86, our standard of living will be hard to sustain without the contributions of Latinos, both “Latino Americans” and immigrants. Collectively, Latinos are the only demographic segment that can meet the labor demand that will help to solve many of these issues.

Given that we’re a big part of the solution, you’d expect corporations and foundations to be big supporters of the Latino population. Do you know how much foundations have given to Latinos in the last 10 years? A paltry 1%. Latinos are approaching 20% of the U.S. population, represent the majority in several states and citie,s and they get 1% of the overall disbursements of the foundations. Either the business case isn’t clear, or we are being ignored.

But it’s not too late. Partnering with ALPFA, and other organizations like the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, to name only a couple, we provide corporate America and their foundations a fresh opportunity to invest in a big portion of the bright future of America – the Latino community. Companies committed to the Latino community will ultimately invest in the Latino community, not because of political correctness, but because it makes sound business sense.

Photo: Courtesy

RAYMOND ARROYO, PRESIDENT OF ALPFA SOLUTIONS.

HACR President

Cid Wilson

Story by: George McQuade

Photo by: Courtesy photo

Design by: Carlos Cuevas

C

is grooming Hispanic executives for a corporate future

orporate Social Responsibility (CSR), or community outreach, is on the rise among Fortune 500 companies. So says Cid Wilson, who was named the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility’s (HACR) President and Chief Executive Officer in July 2014. He brings more than 20 years of corporate finance and Wall Street equity research experience.

“While things have improved in diversity and CSR among Fortune 500 companies, we feel there’s still a long way to go to include Hispanics in corporate America,” he said.

Wilson also believes CSR is important because companies need to be good corporate citizens, particularly with the customers of diversity and in the areas they serve.

“For example, if you have an oil- or gas-based company is in Houston that employs a lot of Hispanics or is in a region of a large Latino population, that becomes very important. Hispanics have an estimated buying power of $1.5 to $1.7 trillion, the 13th economy in the world, with a growing 55 million population,” he said.

Managing a staff of talented and dedicated professionals and working closely with corporate board members, Hispanic organizations, and diverse corporate partners around the country, Wilson directs programs and initiatives aimed at encouraging Fortune 500 companies to include Hispanics in the areas of employment, procurement, philanthropy, and governance.

“Within all of these areas, we basically execute our mission first to our programs. In order to have more Hispanics included in corporate America, we recognize that we also want to be a developer of talent,” explained Wilson. “We have various different programs that are geared towards developing Hispanic corporate talent, primarily within those Fortune 500 companies.”

Wilson offered an example: “Let’s say you’re a Hispanic employee who’s been at a company for five years. You would be identified as someone who has high potential, and could apply and qualify for the HACR ‘Young Hispanic Achievers Program’,” he

36 • April / May 2016

said. “It’s a competitive program where we only pay 35 candidates per year. We bring them together for three days of very intense leadership development, with a primary goal of staying with that employee for several years,” he added.

As the public face of the organization, Wilson promotes HACR through speaking engagements, traditional media sources and outreach to organizations and employee resource groups that share HACR’s mission. His ease in communicating with the C-Suite of major U.S. corporations presents a unique advantage in creating new partnerships, as well as strengthening relationships with existing corporate members.

“The idea is how to get these junior executives up the pipeline to become senior corporate executives,” said Wilson. “Once you become a future corporate executive, you become eligible for our Executives Corporate Forum. This program is specifically targeted for Hispanics who are within three levels of a CEO or they’re in command of a $500 million budget and the highest-ranking Hispanic at that company.”

In September 2009, President Barack Obama appointed Wilson to the National Museum of the American Latino Study Commission that proposed to the president and Congress construction of a new Smithsonian Museum on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. He was named board chair of the Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino in 2012 and continues to lead efforts aimed at sustaining congressional support for the museum’s completion.

“I had several celebrity commissioners such as actress Eva Longoria, Emilio Estefan, husband of Gloria Estefan, and the president of Miami College, to name a few,” said Wilson, a proud Dominican American, with Bergen County, N.J., roots. “Our mission was to present a report to President Obama and to Congress on the feasibility of building a brand new museum that would ideally be built on the National Mall. We submitted that report in 2011 and we are working to have Congress pass a bill to authorize the creation of a future Smithsonian Latino Museum that would be designated as the Arts & Industry Building,” he said.

Graduating from The Ohio State University with a degree in economics, Wilson launched his career in 1994 and was steadily promoted from the mail room to the executive suite, earning national recognition as the No. 1 Specialty Retail Analyst by Forbes in 2006. His leadership in the corporate sector also included previous service on the Ethnic Advisory Board for PepsiCo, Inc., and the Consumer Advisory Board for Verizon Communications.

Legendary Hispanic

Story by: George McQuade Photo: Courtesy “MY BIGGEST CHALLENGE WAS TRYING TO SHOW TO AN ORGANIZATION THE VALUE OF TALKING TO THE HISPANIC MARKET IN A WAY THAT WAS DIFFERENT THAN TALKING TO THE GENERAL MARKET (THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE MARKET).”

DOLORES KUNDA

advertising executive Dolores Kunda ,executive director of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA).

C

hief Executive Officer and marketing expert Dolores Kunda, of Chicago, who recently retired after a successful 30-year career in the advertising world, says she would have liked to have been involved more in politics.

“People like working with people they like, and I wished I had been more political. When one is part of a minority, and Hispanics are becoming less of a minority, we face an unfamiliar power structure in corporations. You need to make friends with people who are in power,” she said.

“And it’s not selling out; it’s not compromising your values. But rather, it’s playing the game in a smart way. I think you need to recognize what the power structure is and consider how you fit into it. Then you need to stand up and be counted,” Kunda advised. “People should not shy away from politics. Knowledge of politics is needed to move up in your career.”

As the founder of one of the top 10 Hispanic advertising and marketing companies in the U.S., Lápiz Integrated Hispanic Marketing, Kunda grew the company from five employees to a team of more than 70 premier advertising professionals. Revenues increased multiple times in a dozen-plus years, resulting in one of the largest and most award-winning multicultural agencies in the country. For more than dozen years from 1999, Kunda exceeded expectations of parent company Leo Burnett Company, Inc., a global advertising agency with 85 offices and 9,000-plus employees worldwide.

Kunda graduated from college in 1977 with a BA in English. Upon graduation, she became a reporter for five years in the pharmaceutical industry. She earned her MBA at Northwestern University, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, in 1984.

“I was recruited out of Northwestern’s Business School by Leo Burnett and entered a management training program,” she noted. “Because my name is not Spanish, no one knew that I was Latina. ‘Kunda’ comes from my Dad’s Ukrainian last name. I entered the general market, English-language division, at Leo Burnett.”

Later, Kunda was recruited to work in Mexico for three years with Burnett, running the Kellogg’s business.

Returning to the U.S., Kunda founded Lápiz Integrated Hispanic Marketing. Lápiz is a full-fledged agency with a nationwide brand thanks to Kunda. “I went to my small staff and said ‘we have to prove we can make money or we’ll never be taken seriously,’” she said. “So we started out by figuring out how much money we’d make by charging fees rather than being a service department of Leo Burnett. I convinced Burnett to allow us to have our own identity and ability to have our own clients. Thus, Lápiz was born.

When I retired at the end of 2013, we had 70 employees, all Latinos.”

As the president and CEO of Lápiz, Kunda led an executive team that implemented growth and strategic plans for the company’s three departments: Account Management, Creative, and Strategic Planning. Kunda was responsible for new business development, managing the firm’s profits and losses, and delivering to parent company, Publicis Groupe, a consistent track record of profits and strong net margins. Kunda performed executive-to-executive work with clients from some of the world’s leading brands, including Coca-Cola, General Motors, JP Morgan Chase, Kellogg’s, McDonald’s, and Procter & Gamble (P&G).

“My biggest challenge was trying to show to an organization the value of talking to the Hispanic market in a way that was different than talking to the general market (the English language market),” said Kunda.

“For many years the thought was we just translate whatever you have from English into Spanish and that’s fine. There was no cultural awareness to the fact that this is a group of people that are different from non-immigrant Americans, even though many of us are U.S. citizens,” she explained. “We are different, because we come from different backgrounds, have a different value system and we think about things differently.

Often that difference is not taken into consideration.”

Kunda started working with corporate boards in 2006. She is currently a director of Finish Line, Inc., a $1.6 billion athletic retailer with stores across the U.S. and more than 14,000 employees. From 2006-2009, Kunda was a board member of Lenox Group Inc., maker of fine china.

Most recently, Kunda turned her talents to the not for profit field, becoming the first executive director of the Latino Corporate Directors Association (LCDA). Kunda is a passionate believer in the LCDA mission of “increasing the number and influence of qualified Latinos on corporate boards to enhance America’s economic competitiveness.”

Kunda believes that diversity in the boardroom leads to innovative, creative thinking that translates into better solutions for today’s dynamic business problems. These innovative solutions are ultimately reflected in greater shareholder returns.

Kunda’s legacy will live on with the LCDA. She left the LCDA to take on her latest challenge: caring for her 91-year-old parents.

Another chapter begins. latinoleaders.com

Story by: Joseph Treviño

Photo by: Laurie DeWitt

Design by: Carlos Cuevas

CIA’s

Carmen Middleton reaches out to the Latino community

38 • April / May 2016

She’s on a mission.

Carmen Landa Middleton, the number four person on the Central Intelligence Agency’s hierarchy, is the top Latina in that organization. Her assignments, posts and missions have led her all over the world during her 31 years with the CIA, but her latest venture could be the defining one of her storied career: Carmen uses her seniority to help support CIA’ s diversity and inclusion initiatives.

As the senior most Latino, she has been very proactive and visible in reaching out to the Latino community to discuss opportunities at CIA, dispel misconceptions, and share her story about rising through the ranks to become the Deputy Executive Director of CIA. As far as diversity is concerned - the CIA’S goal is to have a diverse workforce reflective of the US population. And that is precisely what Middleton intends to achieve by creating an awareness among Latinos that the CIA is a diversity friendly place.

The scarcity of Latinos runs across the federal workforce, Middleton says. Latinos may have to jump many hurdles, including cultural ones, that are preventing them from looking into the CIA as a place where they can build a career.

“So much of the reason why we don’t have strong Hispanic representation at the CIA is because they just don’t know it’s a possibility,” she says.

Spanish is a beautiful language Middleton’s parents were of Mexican origin. Her father had been a Marine during World War II and her mother worked in a factory.

Her father became a Los Angeles County surveyor and was able to provide a near-middle-class life for the family in the confines of L.A. County, bordering with Orange County.

Growing up in a diverse neighborhood where there were few Latinos, her parents, who spoke Spanish, insisted that little Carmen and her brother speak only English. These were the times long before the Latino Boom of the late 1990s and being bilingual or speaking Spanish was looked down on even by other more assimilated Latinos.

“The reason they never wanted their children to have an accent was because the accent would be revealing of your background,” Middleton explains. “My parents did that and their brothers and sisters did the same thing with their children to protect their children growing up in California, because they knew there was discrimination, there was bias.”

Once in high school, Middleton was fascinated by her Spanish teacher, who showed the class slides of her time in Spain.

With good grades, she applied to major in Spanish at UC Santa Barbara, just like her teacher. Her father was not amused.

“He didn’t talk to me for a couple of weeks. I think he wasn’t so mad at me, but I think he was mad at himself,” she recalls, laughing.

Middleton and her family had not been out of California. She was attracted by travel and getting to know the rest of the globe.

“I knew there was a bigger world out there; I knew I wanted to travel. I wanted to be a teacher. All my role models were

teachers. I was not surrounded by people who were professionals. I didn’t know business people. My world view was very murky in terms of my aspirations. I knew there was something better out there for me, but I couldn’t pinpoint it,” she says.

She attended college (the first in her family to do so) and visited Spain. After graduating, her goal was to find a job as a Spanish teacher and in the meantime took a part-time job at a jewelry store at a mall when she saw an ad in the L.A. Times that advertised jobs with the CIA. To her surprise, she was called. She applied and passed the examinations.

“It was just dumb luck. I didn’t have any real good idea, I’m not even a spy fan, I didn’t watch the James Bond movies, I didn’t like any of the Bourne Identity books, it’s just not my taste,” she recalls. “I did know they were focused overseas; I think that was the global mission plus government service. It was extremely important. It was instilled in me and my brother.”

The spy who came in from California After training, she joined the Open Source department as an editor in February 1984, taking information from places like Burma, other parts of Asia and Europe and sending it back to Washington analysts. She started working in Africa, where she met her husband, Joseph Middleton, who worked in the same department for the CIA. Middleton was later transferred to Southeast Asia and later served two tours in Europe, where her daughter was born.

During her long career, Middleton has held various management jobs in the Open Source Center and the Directorate of Analysis. She was the Director of CIA’ s Diversity Office, was Director of the Open Source Center, before being asked by CIA’ s most senior leaders to serve in her current role as the Deputy Executive Director of CIA, the number four officer at CIA.

In search of diverse individuals Middleton lives in Reston, Virginia, with her husband and her daughter, Margaret. The mother and CIA member is a “Nats” fan and enjoys her time around the dinner table. She also volunteers as an instructor in her church’s middle school youth ministry.

Her goal now is to instill in others, especially Latinos, how to figure out a career in the CIA. With no Latino role models around, Hispanics will have to become role models themselves to inspire generations to come, she says.

“What’s next is taking that message out as broadly as possible, to hopefully inspire young people who are stuck in their careers, with feelings that they don’t have what it takes to stick with it, just like I did at one point,” Middleton says. “For people who see no one above them who look like them to say, ‘it doesn’t matter, you can be that someone.”’

“SO MUCH OF THE REASON WHY WE DON’T HAVE STRONG HISPANIC REPRESENTATION AT THE CIA IS BECAUSE THEY JUST DON’T KNOW IT’S A POSSIBILITY.”

Story by: Pablo Schneider

Five Outstanding Companies for Diversity

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ow do you know whether a company is strong on diversity?

There‘s a long list of diverse companies. There are many diversity awards. Some of the lists and awards are solid and substantive; others, not so much. In considering top companies for diversity there are some great sources that are based on concrete and tangible data points. Beyond lists and awards, there are several key factors to look at and questions to ask.

What is the company’s rating in the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index (which rates companies based on Hispanic inclusion in employment, procurement, governance, and philanthropy)? How much business does the company do with MWBE’s (minority and women business enterprises)? Are they a member of organizations such as the Billion Dollar Roundtable (BDR), the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), and the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC)? Does the company have diverse leaders in top leadership?

Here we present brief profiles on five companies that are outstanding for diversity: AT&T, Comcast NBCUniversal, General Motors, Toyota, and Verizon.

AT&T is ranked #12 among the Fortune 500 with $132.4 billion in revenues, $6.2 billion in profits, $86.3 billion in stockholder equity, over 243,000 employees, and a market value of $169.4 billion. In the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index, AT&T is one of only three companies to earn a rating of 95 out 100. What is even more remarkable is that AT&T has scored a 95 rating each of the past five years. When it comes to supplier diversity, AT&T is also among the top companies, purchasing over $15.5 billion per year in goods and services from MWBE’s. AT&T 40 • April / May 2016

is a member of the Billion Dollar Roundtable, a prestigious group of 20 major companies that spend $1 billion or more with Minority Business Enterprises. AT&T is also a member of the BDR, NMSDC, and WBENC. Ralph de la Vega is a great example of a diverse leader in the top leadership of AT&T. During his career, he worked his way up within AT&T and its predecessor companies and was recently promoted to Vice Chairman, AT&T Inc. and Chief Executive Officer, AT&T Business Solutions and AT&T International. Ralph also serves the board of directors of New York Life. It is worth noting that AT&T has 12 employee resource groups (ERG’s) and nine employee networks (EN’s) that have a combined membership of 122,000 employees. AT&T’s Hispanic ERG, which is called HACEMOS, has been widely recognized as one of the strongest ERG’s in corporate America.

C o m c a s t NBCUniversal is ranked #43 in the Fortune 500 with $68.8 billion in revenues, $8.4 billion in profits, $52.7 billion in stockholder equity, 139,000 employees, and a market value of $143.5 billion. In the HACR Corporate Inclusion index, Comcast earned a ranking of 85, an impressive improvement of 25 points over the past five years. In 2015, Comcast reached over $1 billion in supplier diversity spending and was inducted into the Billion Dollar Roundtable. They are also a member of the NMSDC and of WBENC. Myrna Soto is one of the top diverse senior executives at Comcast. She is Senior Vice President and Global Chief Information Security

Officer of Comcast Corporation. Myrna also serves on the boards of directors for CMS Energy and Spirit Airlines. Comcast has over 50 entities globally and has an extensive portfolio of Hispanic properties and content, including Telemundo, which reaches U.S. Hispanic viewers in 210 markets nationwide and syndicates Spanish-language content to over 100 countries in 35 languages.

General Motors is ranked #6 among the Fortune 500 with $155.9 billion in revenues, $3.9 billion in profits, $35.4 billion in stockholder equity, 216,000 employees, and a market value of $60.4 billion.

In the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index, GM earned a rating of 95, an increase of 20 points from the previous year, which is the highest rating and is tied for first with AT&T and MillerCoors.

A long-standing member of the BDR, GM also has one of the highest levels of supplier diversity spending at $6.6 billion annually. GM is a member of both NMSDC and WBENC. GM has had many outstanding Hispanics in top leadership, such as Grace Lieblein, who recently retired as VP of Global Quality, and Cynthia Telles, who served on the GM board of directors from 2010-2014. One of the top Hispanic leaders at GM today is board member Joseph Jimenez, who joined the GM board in June of 2015. Jimenez is the Chief Executive Officer of Novartis AG. GM does a terrific job supporting Hispanic education in STEM and actively recruiting Hispanics for career opportunities at GM. Toyota is ranked #9 on the Fortune Global 500 with revenues of $247.7 billion, profits of $19.7 billion, assets of $39.8 billion, and over 344,000 employees. Toyota earned a rating of 80 in the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index.

A member of the BDR, Toyota spends over $2 billion per year with MBE’s. Toyota is a member of NMSDC and WBENC.

Pat Salas Pineda is one of the top Hispanic executives and one of the top women executives at Toyota Motor North America. Pat is Group Vice President, Hispanic Business Strategy, North America, Toyota Motor North America. Pat also serves on the board of directors of Levi Strauss & Co. as well as serving as Chair of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. Toyota is the top brand in the U.S. Hispanic market. Even more remarkable, Toyota has been the top brand in the U.S. Hispanic market for ten consecutive years. Toyota’s share of the U.S. Hispanic new vehicle market is around 18%.

Verizon is ranked #15 among the Fortune 500 with $127.1 billion in revenues, $9.6 billion in profits, $12.3 billion in stockholder equity, over 177,000 employees, and a market value of $198.4 billion. Verizon earned a strong rating of 85 in the HACR Corporate Inclusion Index, an increase of 10 points in the past two years.

Verizon spends over $1 billion per year with MBE’s and is a member of the BDR, NMSDC, and WBENC. One of the outstanding examples of diverse leaders in the top leadership is Magda Yrizarry, Chief Talent and Diversity Officer. Magda plays a vitally important role at Verizon, overseeing global diversity, recruitment, and executive development and succession. Verizon has a strong presence in the Hispanic market, ranging from providing scholarships to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, to sponsoring Hispanic Heritage Month, to engaging with Hispanic organizations, to having a robust ad spend and carrying numerous Spanish-language channels on FiOS. latinoleaders.com

Diversity Champions TOP

15 CDO’S

Story by: Steve Penhollow

Courtesy photos

The job of the Chief Diversity Officer is not just to ensure that a company is diverse, it is to ensure that a company is strong.

“Many organizations have come to realize that diversity is a resource that should be leveraged to increase performance as well as improve human relations,” Kenneth Rice wrote for the Multicultural Advantage website. A leader who understands employees’ distinctive cultural backgrounds, Lay wrote, better understands their attitudes, actions, goals and motivations.

Here are profiles of 15 of the more prominent CDOs and diversity executives in the corporate world today.

DAVID L. COHEN

JAMES E. NORMAN

Is senior executive vice president and chief diversity officer for Comcast Corporation. He is also senior counselor to the CEO. Prior to joining Comcast, Cohen was a partner in and chairman of Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, one of the most prominent law firms in the country. In the mid-‘90s, he served as chief of staff for Philadelphia mayor, Edward G. Rendell. Cohen serves on the boards of a number of prominent educational and municipal institutions in Pennsylvania. He is also on the national board of the National Urban League and serves in several executive capacities for the National Council of La Raza. Cohen has won the Americanism Award of the AntiDefamation League, the American Red Cross Citizen of the Year Award, the National Cable Television Association Vanguard Award for Leadership and Impact in the Cable Industry and the President’s Volunteer Service Award, among many other honors.

Served in many capacities at Kraft Foods before becoming vice president of diversity in 2008, including in operations management and human resources.

He has, during his three-decade stint with the company, been responsible for quality assurance, sanitation, production and shipping supervision. He was made director of diversity for Kraft Foods North America in 2001 and senior director of human resources for the Kraft Foods Snacks & Cereal Business Unit in 2004. As director of diversity, he “worked to expand the definition of diversity and develop strategies to advance the diversity and inclusion agenda at Kraft Foods,” according to the company.

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DINEEN GARCIA Is vice president of diversity strategies at Macy’s, Inc. She spearheads Macy’s diversity efforts externally and internally, and fosters relationships with Latino organizations across the country. Prior to assuming her diversity duties at Macy’s, Garcia was a prosecutor in New York City, worked for Macy’s in its Federated Law department and served in a legal capacity at the project management consulting company, PACO group. “What I love the most is that I get to meet really, really outstanding Latinos, something I didn’t have before,” Garcia told NBC about her current position at Macy’s. “I’m exposed to so many Latinos who have contributed so much.”

LISA GARCIA QUIROZ RUDY M. BESERRA Is vice president of Latin Affairs at Coca-Cola.

He joined the beverage company in 1989 after serving under President Ronald Reagan as special assistant on Latino and Small Business Affairs. He is on the board of directors of numerous national organizations that assist and advance Latinos including the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens), NALEO (National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials), the National Council Of La Raza, Inc., the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and the United States-Mexico Chamber of Commerce.

Among his awards: the Hispanic Community Commitment Award by the Latin American Management Association, a Special Recognition Award from the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

DONNA ALLIGOOD JOHNSON Has been chief diversity officer for MasterCard Worldwide since 2010. In this role, she advances the company’s global diversity and inclusion strategy. She strives to create work environments that foster inclusion and innovation and increase employee productivity and engagement. She also develops the company’s talent pipeline. Johnson joined MasterCard in 1995. In 2008, she launched the MasterCard Business Resource Group (BRG) for employees of African descent. She is a member of the MasterCard Global Diversity and Inclusion Council (GDIC), the Executive Women’s Steering Committee, and the Multicultural Steering Committee.

Was made Time Warner’s chief diversity officer in 2012. She is also a senior vice president at the company and president of the Time Warner Foundation. Previously, Garcia Quiroz worked in the Time Warner’s magazine division and ran a corporate responsibility campaign for the company. She is the founder of the Spanish language version of People Magazine. At President Barack Obama’s behest, she served on the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service. She is also director of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. In Talent Management Magazine, Garcia Quiroz advised first-time CDOs to open their ears. “I would spend a lot of time really listening to your colleagues,” she said. “Go on a serious listening tour, and go back and look at every communication in the company on important things.”

BEN-SABA HASAN Was named WalMart’s chief culture, diversity and inclusion officer in 2015.

As part of Wal-Mart’s Global People team, Hasan is responsible for fostering a healthy company culture, encouraging behaviors that embrace diversity and inclusion and promoting the company’s reputation. Hasan previously held the post of senior vice president of strategic services in Walmart Technology.

Prior to joining Wal-Mart, Hasan held several leadership positions at Dell Computer and worked for ENSERCH Corporation, an oil and gas company. In 2006, Hasan received the Temple University Fox School I/T Award for Distinguished Alumni.

STEVE PEMBERTON

CHRIS MEYRICK

Is chief diversity officer and divisional vice president for Walgreens. He currently serves on the boards of The Home for Little Wanderers, a non-profit child and family service agency, and UCAN, an organization that helps youths who have suffered trauma. At the Home For Little Wanderers, a Pemberton Fund For The Future was established in his name to assist children who are aging out of the foster care system. His awards include the 2014 Trumpet Award and the 2014 Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation Helping Hand Award. In 2012, Thomas Nelson Inc. published a memoir concerning Pemberton’s difficult childhood called “A Chance in the World: An Orphan Boy.”

Is the chief diversity officer for the American Express Company. The global diversity and inclusion strategy that he oversees for the company covers more than 54,800 employees in at least 130 markets. It is Meyrick’s responsibility to cultivate diverse talent for American Express and to nurture an engaging global workplace. Prior to taking on the CDO role at the company, Meyrick held a number of other positions there, including human resources director for World Services, vice president of human resources for Global Business Travel Operations, human resources chief for American Express OPEN, and vice president in human resources for 12 markets in Asia Pacific.

latinoleaders.com

LINDA D. FORTE Is Comerica’s Chief Diversity Officer. She is also senior vice president of Business Affairs for Comerica Incorporated, is a member of Comerica’s Senior Leadership Team and is responsible for the Comerica Charitable Foundation and Comerica Contributions & Civic Affairs.

She is active in organizations dedicated to the revitalization of Detroit. She has received numerous honors including the 2014 Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion Annual Humanitarian Award, a 2014 Michigan Women’s Foundation Woman of Achievement and Courage honor, and recognition as a distinguished alumni by Bowling Green State University. In 2011, She was recognized

by Black Enterprise as one of the “Top Executives in Diversity.”

KEN BARRETT Has been General Motors’ chief diversity officer since 2012. He had previously served as the U.S. Navy’s diversity director and as the acting director of the Office of Diversity Management and Equal Opportunity for the Under Secretary of Defense. While Barrett was directing diversity efforts for the U.S. Navy, its Strategic Diversity Working Group was selected as the nation’s number one Diversity Council by the Association of Diversity Councils. The Navy was also selected as the Top Federal Agency by DiversityInc. During that period. When Barrett was first hired by GM, DiveristyInc CEO Luke Visconti said of him, “Ken Barrett is a strong, yet humble leader who took the Navy from being a pack player to having the most-effective diversity department in the entire federal government.”

LATONDRA NEWTON

REUBEN SHAFFER

Is group vice president and chief social innovation officer of Toyota North America.

She spearheads Toyota’s diversity and philanthropy functions across national affiliates.

Previously, she served as Toyota’s chief diversity officer. Since joining the company in 1991, she has held numerous leadership positions, including assistant general manager of human resources, where she launched the corporate diversity function for North American manufacturing. Newton is on the board of trustees of the Manufacturing Institute, where she strives to increase professional opportunities for women in the manufacturing industry. She told DiversityInc. that her mother inspired her to go out and make a difference in her community.

Is vice president and chief diversity officer for Cincinnati’s Kroger Co. He oversees comprehensive diversity initiatives for 400,000 associates working at 3,700 supermarkets, conveniences stores and jewelry stores in 34 states. He also supervises such initiatives at 37 foodprocessing plants and 34 distribution centers.

He guides Kroger’s ongoing commitment to create an inclusive business culture.

Reuben joined Kroger in 1988. He has held a variety of leadership positions with the company through the years. He was named to his current post in 2011.

Reuben is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati. He is involved in several Cincinnati area organizations, including the Cincinnati Association of the Blind and the Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation.

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JIMMIE PASCHALL Is head of enterprise diversity and inclusion at Wells Fargo. She is responsible for guiding the company’s diversity and inclusiveness initiatives. She previously served as global diversity officer for Marriott International. She has held leadership positions with Volunteers of America, a national service organization, and Sodexo, which provides quality of life services. Paschall is a member of the Marriott Foundation for People with Disabilities Board, the Wells Fargo Foundation Board, the Executive Leadership Council and she sits on the Conference Board’s Council of Global Diversity and Inclusion Executives. She has received the National Urban League’s Donald H. McGannon Award.

DEBORAH ROSADO SHAW Is senior vice president and chief global diversity and engagement officer for PepsiCo. She has guided PepsiCo’s Global Diversity and Engagement (D&E) strategy since July 2014. It is her job to ensure that diversity and engagement are ingrained at PepsiCo and that they create pathways for identifying and developing global innovators of many cultures. Deborah was a member of PepsiCo’s Ethnic Advisory board for 12 years.

She has discussed diversity and engagement on “Oprah” and on programs on CNN, FOX, NBC and Telemundo. Hispanic Magazine named her among the “100 Most Successful Latinas in the U.S.”

The Villalobos Brothers reaching the Latino market one goal at a time Story by: Latino Leaders Staff

Photo by: Courtesy photo

Design by: Carlos Cuevas

S

ports Marketing Monterrey helps companies, brands, nonprofits and other agencies reach the Hispanic market in meaningful ways through sports platforms, events, influencers, sponsorship programs and consulting.

Helping brands to reach the Hispanic market

Founded by brothers Jorge and Javier Villalobos, and headquartered in Dallas, Texas, the expansion and leadership of the company has been taking gigantic steps every year. With more than 55 million Latinos in the U.S. and more than 120 million projected for the year 2060, the agency is helping brands like Coors Light, MoneyGram, Pepsi and MetroPCS to engage this market through multiple integrated platforms – from digital strategies, sporting events with elite professional Mexican soccer teams, brand activations with active soccer stars, among other strategies.

With soccer growing fast in many ways in the U.S. and attracting legions of new fans every month, Sports Marketing Monterrey is the leading agency that helps companies reach the dynamic Latino market in the sports marketing industry.

The company currently represents over 47 professional athletes worldwide and promotes professional soccer matches with top teams from Mexico, having the exclusive rights of elite soccer teams in United States for marketing, merchandising, matches, and other opportunities.

Sports Marketing Monterrey was recognized for its impressive 1,031% revenue growth in the Inc. 5000 list, a prestigious compilation of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States.

The company ranked 450 in the Elite 500 group, and Villalobos’ company was the only agency in the sports industry on the list.

3 reasons why companies should invest in Hispanic sports strategies 1) Fastest-growing market and the fastest-growing sport in the country are correlated and represent a trillion-plus buying power and multibillion-dollar industry.

2) Leaders in their industry, beer companies, insurance, banking, auto, supermarkets, restaurants, service companies and many others have invested in Hispanic sporting events every year and with measurable results.

3) If you are looking to grow your business and whether you already are reaching this market or not, you should consider not just reaching but connecting on a deep level with positive experiences with your consumers through attractive sports platforms.

SocioMX, the only Hispanic platform that connects fans, teams, brands with a unique experience.

The company successfully promoted the SocioMX Cup and SocioMX Tour with an impressive 200,000 in attendance with elite Mexican teams, broadcasted live by ESPN in more than 20 countries and played every year in cities such as Dallas, Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles. Reaching thousands onsite and millions off-site, The SocioMX Cup is the biggest Hispanic professional club competition in the country in terms of people reached, brands involved and the quality of teams playing (Cruz Azul, Pumas and Monterrey, to name a few).

“The company is growing along with the dynamic Hispanic market. We are proud to be participants and generators of soccer trends in the United States,” commented Jorge Villalobos, Sports Marketing Monterrey’s CEO. JAVIER (LEFT) IS PRESIDENT OF THE COMPANY AND HIS BROTHER JORGE (RIGHT) IS THE CEO.

Linda Forte talks Diversity Story by: Joseph Treviño

Photos: Jason Kinding

Comerica’s Chief Diversity Officer and senior vice president of Business Affairs for Comerica Incorporated, Linda D. Forte, strongly believes that diversity is is all about belongingness and engagement. For the past years, Forte has been actively involved in diversity and inclusion and as a result, she has received numerous honors including the 2014 Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion Annual Humanitarian Award. In 2011, She was recognized by Black Enterprise as one of the “Top Executives in Diversity.”

n a side note, Forte was one of the many participants during the Chief Diversity Officers Roundtable hosted by Latino Leaders magazine and organized by Comerica Bank held in downtown Dallas last May. In this Q&A Forte shares her thoughts on diversity and the workplace, challenges as well as sponsoring and mentoring.

LL - Is diversity good for a company? If so, why?

LF- Absolutely! A diversity and inclusion focus for any company signals a commitment to engage all existing and prospective constituencies. Also, the focus invites and facilitates a company’s ability to leverage the power of new ideas, perspectives and experiences to support, increase and sustain the company’s success.

LL - What are the diversity goals for Comerica Bank?

LF - At Comerica, for diversity and inclusion, we focus on four impact areas which we believe will support and increase sustainable business success. Every senior officer incorporates “diversity scorecard” goals for these impact areas in their annual performance plans. These areas include: 1. Human capital representation; 2. Revenue growth; 3. Environment and culture (defined by outcomes for improved productivity, decision making and problem solving); and 4. Supplier diversity.

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LL - Diversity-wise, what have been the achievements of Comerica Bank?

LF - We are very proud of our achievements. Our leadership is engaged from the very top. In fact, diversity is one of our company’s core values. Comerica’s CEO chairs the Executive Diversity Council (EDC), a council comprised of the executive leadership team.

The EDC meets quarterly to approve and monitor strategic goals for diversity and inclusion. As previously mentioned, all senior officers are all required to have diversity and inclusion goals incorporated in their annual performance plans. All colleagues are required to complete diversity education sessions and further, must complete an annual diversity education module.

In addition, 85% of our colleagues are enrolled in a continuing diversity education curriculum which offers numerous learning and awareness opportunities along nine dimensions of diversity. Colleagues can strive for bronze, silver, gold or platinum certification in this unique “Master of Diversity Awareness (MDA)” program. This self-nominated, self-paced educational awareness program is remarkably popular.

“OUR STRONG COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, SUPPORTED BY THE PROGRAMMING PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED, FACILITATES INCLUSION IN A PROGRESSIVE, SUSTAINABLE MANNER AT COMERICA.” Comerica has 36 diversity teams. These highly engaged teams are led by colleague Chairs, supported by executive leaders as Executive sponsors. In each of our primary markets, they focus on cultural diversity, female, LGBT, veterans, quantitative professionals to support the Bank in three main areas: 1) employee engagement to support professional development and community outreach; 2) business outreach to build and sustain lasting business focused relationships; and 3) diversity education and awareness of our colleagues.

Our strong commitment to diversity, supported by the programming previously described, facilitates inclusion in a progressive, sustainable manner at Comerica.

LL - How does diversity in the work place affect the company?

LF - A focus on diversity in the work place supports an environment of inclusion. In other words, it increases the feeling of belongingness among colleagues in the workplace and hence, engagement. As a result, I believe colleagues feel more included and thus, invested in the company’s success. In addition, by having an employee base that reflects the diverse communities we serve and is sensitive to their needs, we can further drive the growth of our business.

LL - How does it affect it in economic ways?

LF - Invested colleagues connect with the understanding that their efforts directly support the company’s success. We want to be the bank of choice for the diverse communities we serve and our focus on diversity supports those efforts.

Diversity Champions. From left to right Kelly Johnson of JC Penney, Terri Bryant-Harrell of the Dr Pepper Snapple Group, Linda Forte of Comerica Bank, James Fripp of Yum! Brands and Mina Kini of Texas Health Resources during the Chief Diversity Officers Roundtable hosted by Latino Leaders magazine and organized by Comerica Bank.

priority because managers are less experienced, knowledgeable and practiced in this area. I strongly believe that if managers elevate consideration of diversity and inclusion in business planning, they will be able to efficiently and effectively design business solutions to move the company forward.

LL - Where do you see diversity in Comerica Bank in say, 10 years?

LF - In 10 years, I see diversity as a natural and organic consideration to every decision our leaders and colleagues make about new opportunities and growth.

LL - Mentoring and sponsoring. How do we get from one to the other?

LF - I believe that sponsoring is a natural outgrowth of mentoring. Mentoring provides the opportunity to understand and guide an individual’s growth, experience and knowledge. Having a deepened knowledge of the individual enables a mentor in the appropriate circumstance and circles to be able to confidently underwrite and promote that individual’s qualifications and capacity for success for advancement.

LL - What are the challenges of diversity in upper management levels in companies in general?

LF - There are so many important and competing business priorities that at some companies diversity can sometimes be viewed as a less critical and lower

LL - Any closing remarks or area you would like to share with us?

LF - Diversity and inclusion is absolutely critical to the future success of business. Through intentional consideration of this important factor, talent, ideas and innovation will be unlocked to strengthen the success and sustainability of our companies. latinoleaders.com

LATINO LEADERS @JFerraez_Latino

MEXICAN AND CALIFORNIA

WINES BETTER THAN EVER!

O

NE OF THE most beautiful places I have visited is the little town of San Miguel de Allende in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. When we decided to spend our last Spring Break with the kids there, I never imagined the level of gourmet sophistication, boutique restaurants and haut-cuisine food. My best experience came when we decided to go to the renowned chef Enrique Olvera’s Moxi restaurant, where we had an absolute marvelous dinner.

To my surprise, I found much variety and great quality of Mexican wines, not only in restaurants, but also in stores as well. One that was my favorite was actually from Guanajuato: Bodegas Vega-Manchan “Laja” 2013 ($25) a red blend which was showing red ripe fruit, chocolate and red currant notes in a complex and succulent medium body structure.

Another impressive wine was the one we drank at Moxi: Bodega Rivero Gonzalez 2012 Red blend from Baja ($69). This one is actually a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc which was absolutely delicious with notes of plum, currant, blueberry and tobacco. A great wine from the new wave of Mexican winemakers who present new varieties and tastes.

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CELLAR

Shafer Vineyards “One Point Five” 2013 (sent by the winery for review) Region: Napa; Stags Leap District Varietal: Cabernet Sauvignon Price: $ 85 Aromas: Prunes, Cherries Flavors: Fruit jam, Pepper Impression: Fantastic fruit concentration Structure: Deep, balanced, hamronic Drink with: Roast Beef, Grilled Rib Eye, Roasted Pork Chop Why I loved this wine? Sophisticated, silky My Rating: 95 pts.

Mi Sueño Winery Malbec “Seleccion Victoria” 2009 (a gift from Rolando Herrera, the winemaker) Region: Napa Valley Varietal: Malbec Price: $ 130.00 Aromas: Chocolate and ripe plum Flavors: Cocoa bean, dark cherries Impression: Complex with floral aromas Structure: Muscular, powerful Drink with: Pan seared pepper fillet mignon, a big juicy steak au poivre.

Why I loved this wine? Beautifully crafted and impressive My Rating: 97 pts.

Luca Chardonnay G Lot 2011 (bought at Central Market) Region: Tupungato, Mendoza, Argentina Varietal: Chardonnay Price: $ 35 Aromas: Tropical Fruit, white flowers Flavors: Melon, butter, pear Impression: Lack of wood notes Structure: Medium body Drink with: Grilled Salmon, Chile Relleno, Chicken Enchiladas Why I loved this wine? Resembles more a Sauvignon Blanc than a Chardonnay My Rating: 90 pts.