latino leaders magazine | september 2014

Rey B. Gonzalez

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MaRia ContReRas- sweetexClusive inteRview with the new head of the sMall Business adMinistRation

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CONTENTS SEpTEmbEr 2014

Maria Contreras-

Sweet: Head of the Small Business

Administration, Maria Contreras-Sweet opens up about her journey as a leader on the national level while maintaining her role as a mother. Her children join her to

talk about their experiences, which have left a legacy of strength,

success and support of each other.

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14 Look who’s talking: Taking the reins of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility,

Cid Wilson speaks candidly about his desire to see Latinos excel as they bring their culture,

ideas and influence to corporations throughout the country.

22 Commemorating Hispanic Heritage: Walk through history with our latest visual guide taking you step by step through the events

that demonstrate how Hispanics have achieved success and continue to make strides in

leadership.

26 Rey B. Gonzalez: Rey Gonzalez stands apart from other Latinos in leadership as he guides El Valor, a nonprofit organization that has focused

on the needs of those with developmental or physical disabilities for more than 80 years.

Extending its care from the Latino community in Chicago to the interior of Mexico, the

organization continues to look for ways to partner with families, continue education and

create safe havens for a new generation.

38 Boards Edition 2014: This special section, coordinated by Special Editor Pablo Schneider,

focuses on the significance that Latinos play as corporate captains. We present our extensive

list of Latinos who currently serve on boards and examples of strong board members who have

the potential to become gamechangers on the forefront of U.S. business leadership.

58 Nicolas Ferri: Delta Airlines’ Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean talks about

his love for flight, the friendly and dedicated Delta community and his mission to create

the best travel experience possible for every customer.

EvENtS CovERaGE16 Latina Vanguard

24 NAA National Summit60 Chicago Maestro

IN EvERy EdItIoN06 From the editor’s desk

08 Conversation with the publisher10 Lexus Luminaries

12 Southwest Landing64 Cellar


CONTENTS SEpTEmbEr 2014

Robyn Tavel wiTh husband and MaesTRo dR. Juan alzaTe

EsthEr MariE PErEzEditor in ChiEf

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, October 2014. Subscription rates: In U.S. and possessions, one year $15.00. Checks payable to Ferraez Publications of America, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA. POSTMAS-TER: Send address changes to Latino Leaders, 15443 Knoll Trail, Suite 210, 75248 Dallas, TX, USA.© 2001 by Ferraez Publications of America Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced without the consent of Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino. The periodical’s name and logo, and the various titles and headings therein, are trademarks of Ferraez Publica-tions of America Corp.

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Connecting Leaders, Inspiring the Future

It is with great pride that we see success defined by those who have pushed against the standards that would have kept them standing still. This month, we take time to discuss the strides that Latinos have made with our infographic on page 22 highlighting significant achievements that have defined Hispanic heritage in our country.

As Latinos continue to influence our nation, Maria Contreras-Sweet rises to the top. Talking to newly appointed chief of the Small Business Administration opened up a perspective of the leader that

not many have been able to see – a glimpse of her pursuit of progress while changing the standards of corporate responsibility, public interest and motherhood. The now nationally recognized face for small businesses across the country started off solely as a young corporate officer with one goal – to make a difference in her company as a woman striving for success. She not only accomplished that goal but also surpassed it, dutifully serving a nation of corporate leaders.

Of those corporate leaders, we are proud to highlight the excellence of Latinos who are serving on boards in our seventh annual board edition. Compiled by Pablo Schneider, Latino Leaders Magazine’s special section editor and media consultant on the climate of Latinos in corporate America, this year’s coverage gives an updated look on how Latino are bringing diversity to business.

LEttEr from thE Editor


A month of inSPirinG LEAdErS

Twitter to the editorWith Hispanic Heritage underway, we

encourage you to remember that not only are Latinos celebrating the examples of

history that have led us to greatness but also the current work that is being done to advocate for even more change

whether that be on a political, corporate or social platform. Remember that your

actions today change the outlook for tomorrow. Wanting to see your involve-

ment to commemorate Hispanic heritage and in the movement to claim the vote

for Latinos across the country, we will be looking for your photos and tweets with

the hashtag, #LLbuildingheritage.

OOne of the best-known Latinos in the Washington, D.C., political circles is Mickey Ibarra. An intelligent and seductive guy, he’s grown a well-reputed firm as lobbyist. A native of Utah, his dad was an Army officer who later established his own small business in Sacramento. After trying some farm work with one of his uncles picking tomatoes he told himself: “I don’t want to do this ever again” and went off to seek a college education.

“One of my greatest influences was the presidential campaign event speech of vice president Hubert Humphrey. The speech convinced me to devote my life to public service and changed my life forever.”

Ibarra’s dream was to become a teacher and change the life of kids. After going back to Utah to live with his foster parents he managed to finish a major in political science at the Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City. “I wanted to promote a sense of justice and equal opportunities for all, to young minds,” he says.

Taking advantage of a great opportunity, he joined the National Education Association (NEA) and spent 13 years performing different leadership roles, and at the end, he became the liaison between the NEA and The White House in Washington, D.C. “I had the opportunity to develop a great relationship with the office of The President and the Democrats running the re-election of the Clinton-Gore Campaign.”

Intelligent and sharp, Ibarra is someone everybody likes. His impressive reputation with his firm has lead him to organize the “Latino Leaders Luncheon Series” in Washington, celebrating its 40th luncheon this year to honor the Leadership of Dr. Juan Andrade Jr., president of the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute in Chicago.

“I was hired by the Clinton-Gore re-election campaign in 1996, and after the election, I was offered something that I just couldn’t reject; although I was ready to go back to my old position at the NEA.”

What was so attractive to him was the fact that the Clinton administration wanted more Latinos to work with them, so he became the Assistant to the President for Internal Government Affairs.

“The work was harder than I thought; no one is fully prepared for The White House, the level of intensity, the transcendence of your decisions.”

Mickey worked intensely until the last minute of the administration, and his reputation and experience with political and governmental affairs is the pillar of his current endeavor. “It was my brother who encouraged me to do a for profit activity with all my experience and skills and in 2001 I started my own firm The Ibarra Strategy Group.”

A veteran of political relationships, his many clients (Coca-Cola, Southwest Airlines, Anheuser-Busch, among others) speak highly of him. He’s now focusing on writing books and finding ways to share what he knows with others. Perhaps a teacher after all, Mickey Ibarra comprises what many Latinos would like to achieve – a fun, enriching, learning and profiting career.

Mickey Ibarra- a true strategist in Washington

a conversation with the publisher


LANDING

Before she was old enough to understand why, the bar was set high for Alyessa Ornelas early in life. Going to col-lege, making good grades and bettering herself weren’t options; they were expectations. As the youngest child of two first-generation college graduates, Ornelas remem-bers, “it was never a question whether I’d go to college or not.” And that mindset eventually set the tone for her

professional career. Now, as an assistant production manager at Warner Brothers Stu-

dios in Los Angeles where she works in animation, Ornelas knows that her hard work has paid off, but more is yet to come.

Although she never thought she’d be working in the animation industry, Ornelas had a passion for film and photography as a teen-ager. With a father who was an accountant and a mother who was a teacher, the values of hard work were instilled in Ornelas as a child in Carlsbad, New Mexico. Her father not only worked in accounting as a CFO, he also passionately taught accounting to students and led them in national competitions, which sparked Ornelas’ initial interest in the field upon starting college. Watching her mother complete her college degree and become a bilingual teacher while she was a child, Ornelas knew she had a lot to live up to when she began pursuing her degree starting in El Paso, Texas. However, after learning the ins and outs of the financial industry through school and her father’s teach-ings, there was something missing.

“I enjoyed photography; I enjoyed entertainment; I enjoyed mov-ies; so there was always this part of me that wanted more than just accounting.” She wanted to move from the Texas border town to join the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, the country’s arts and film Mecca.

Like many parent-child relationships, a deal was made between Ornelas and her father that he would offer her complete support for her first year in L.A. while she chased her dream in entertainment; his skepticism still intact.

“It was a time for me to figure out where I was going to go, what I wanted to do and how I was going to get there,” Ornelas described.

While attending Brooks Institute of Photography in California, Or-nelas participated in the 35mm Project, sponsored by Kodak, in which the school partnered students with mentors actively working in the in-dustry while they completed a full film production. Ornelas was able to take the title as second assistant director on the project and gained experience from joining her mentor on commercial shoots.

“It was really cool to be in school and to have someone who would help you and guide take you on these shoots to teach you, so I think that was really amazing.”

Soon, Ornelas found that getting steady jobs in such a fast-paced industry often came and went quickly as many gigs were only week-long commercial shoots. She began applying to any and every job she came across and landed an interview for a receptionist position at an animation studio, although she had little interest for the animation side of the field at the time.

“I just thought, ‘I have no interest in animation; so I’m just go-ing to go to the interview and practice to get used to it (interview-ing),’” Ornelas said.

Ornelas credits securing the position to her lack of stress and worry over not actually wanting the job. Although it was a recep-tion position, Ornelas rationalized, “It’s a steady job; it’ll be for at least a year, and while I’m looking, it'll help me start saving in the mean time.”

But Ornelas took the opportunity because of the job security in a time when the economy was in decline, out of concern over the possibility of unemployment. Little did she know the simple position would open up a whole range of doors Ornelas never thought she’d step through.

At the end of her tenure as the company’s receptionist, Ornelas’ boss offered to help her get into animation production if she was interested. With doubts of job security looming, a permanent job was far-fetched, and she eagerly accepted the position, where she worked for five years under the lead production manager.

When her production manager got a job working for Warner Brothers, Ornelas submitted her resume and was hired for the posi-tion she holds today in the animation studios.

“When I started animation, I realized that you don’t neces-sarily have to be an animator or designer but you can be in man-agement and work on the budget, especially with an accounting background.”

In her current position, Ornelas helps coordinate different aspects of projects from budgeting, to set building, to brainstorming on ideas of how to digitally build materials and props. Her ultimate goal, how-ever, is to become a line producer, where she would be overseeing and planning the entire production of a feature film, commercial or television show.

In her spare time, Ornelas has been working with her family to kick start a business called RB Hearts (http://rbhearts.blogspot.com/), which was formed to sell hand-embroidered linens, bags and cloth-ing. Ornelas’ passion for creativity and collaboration are visible in her full-time job and her side projects alike, and her drive won’t be slow-ing down any time soon.

AlyessA OrnelAsSTORY BY: Emilia Gaston COnTRiBuTed phOTO

assistant Production manaGEr at WarnEr BrothErs studios

GEttinG to KnoW alyEssa ornElasWho is your favorite writer? My favorite writer is Paulo Coelho. The Alchemist is one of the most inspirational books I’ve read.What would you do if you could have any other job?A photographer: I’ve spent many years in a darkroom and really miss it.how do you like to spend your free

afternoons?I like to spend my afternoons catching up with my family and friends. Sometimes work and life gets very busy, so it’s nice to catch up with everyone.you never leave home without … ?I would never leave home without my red lipstick. I get that from my grandma!What is your worst habit? My worst habit is not getting enough rest/

sleep. There is always so much to do; I could use more hours in a day.What was the last movie you saw? “Gone With the Wind”What is your favorite food?My mom’s chile verde made with Hatch Chile.What is one of your bucket-list items?

To take an extended trip with my husband to Spain and ItalyWhat is your favorite thing to wear?Red lipstick, headbands and Chuck Taylors – I really can’t chose my favorite between the 3.


What motivated you to promote Hispanic representation in the corporate world?I stand on the shoulders of the many giants in our community who made major sacrifices so that my generation and those after me can have an equal opportunity to compete and succeed. As I contin-ued to rise up the corporate ladder, I felt the duty to honor the generation before me by making sure that I strongly represent the Latino community at the corporations where I worked. This includes not only demonstrating my pride for my commu-nity, but also engaging companies to be more in-clusive of the Latino community.

What kind of legacy do you hope to define as the new president and CEO of HACR?My goal as the new president & CEO of HACR is a clear one: MORE HISPANIC INCLUSION IN THE CORPORATE WORLD THAT IS COMMENSURATE TO OUR ECONOMIC POWER AND POPULATION GROWTH. This means making ambitious goals

for more Latinos on corporate boards and more Latinos in the C-suite, as well as greater engagement by corporations with the Latino community and their causes, and finally, more procurement contracts for Latino-owned businesses by the major corporations. This will be done through pro-grams, advocacy, leadership development and relationship-building. If these goals are accomplished, I would like for my legacy to be that I was a leader that faced these challeng-es and made a measurable difference to improve Hispanic inclusion in corporate America.

As HACR progresses, what new goals do you wish to see the organization accomplish? I would like to see the organization grow and expand our pro-grams as we make further inroads into the area of corporate di-versity. There are too many corporations that have not a single Latino on their corporate board and many that have neither a board member nor a high-ranking executive at the company. I am anticipating that the demand for our leadership programs will increase, and we need to be ready to grow with that in-creased demand.

What are you most passionate about at your new position? I am deeply passionate about empowering our Latino com-munity. This has been in my DNA. As soon as I got my first Wall Street job working in the mailroom of an investment firm, I got involved in my local community. As I rose up the

corporate ladder on Wall Street, I got increasingly involved in the community. In this new role, I will leverage my two decades on Wall Street and community activism to make a difference in advocating to our corporations that we need greater Latino representation at the highest levels, including boards and executive positions.

What do you attribute to your success? My parents were community and professional leaders in the Do-minican community, especially in the medical field. My father is a medical doctor and my mother was the office manager for my father’s private practice for 40 years. They were the co-founders of the Dominican Medical Society in New York City. They were also involved with the Northern Manhattan Lions Club. Both came from very challenging beginnings in Barahona, Dominican Republic. I learned very early in my life from my parents that regardless of life’s challenges, you can succeed.

What has been your motivation throughout your personal endeavors? I am a huge believer in goal setting. Every success that I have had is because I had planned for it months or years prior. I believe that you must take action with a sense of purpose. If you have a pur-pose and a vision of your goals, it will manifest a destiny of success.

What risks, whether they led to gains or failures, have you endured that have molded you into the leader you are today? I welcome new challenges as these are growth opportunities. When I achieve a new goal, I enjoy celebrating that achievement by sharing with others how I did it and how they too can achieve their goals. When I don’t succeed, I learn from those experiences so that I can achieve success the next time I experience a similar circumstance. There is an old saying that “Success is the result of good judgment; good judgment is the result of experience; and experience is the result of bad judgments.”

What advice would you give to aspiring Latino businessmen and women? The best advice I can give to Latino businessmen and businesswomen is to FEAR NOT YOUR AMBI-TION. If you believe in your heart and soul that you have what it takes to succeed at the highest levels, you should go for it. When you do achieve your level of business success, always remember where you came from and return to the com-munity to show others how they too can achieve your level of success.

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As the new leader for the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, Cid Wilson takes a moment to discuss his passion for the Hispanic community, his dedication to overcome challenges in his own way and the long lasting effects Hispanics can have on corporate America.

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As guests settled in for the intimate luncheon, each woman shared inspirational stories of how she overcame difficult circumstances to achieve her dreams and make significant contributions to the Latino community.

The honorees wrapped up the engaging discussion with promises to cooperate with each other to effect change in the Latino community. All four women expressed their hope that young Latinas would read their stories and know that they can do anything they set their minds to, regardless of their circumstances.


events May 13, 2014La valencia Hotel

Presented with the support from:

On Tuesday May 13, 2014, a group of San Diego’s most successful and inspiring Latinas gathered on the tenth floor of La Jolla’s historic La Valencia Hotel. Amidst floor-to-ceiling ocean views and the sound of uncorking wine bottles, the women sat down to enjoy a three-course meal to swap stories, relate with their Latina roots and offer visions for a better future.

Story by Natalie HoltzPhotos by aNdrew Mcrory

Jacqueline ReynosoPresident and CEO of the National City Chamber of Commerce

Jacqueline Reynoso was born in National City to immigrant parents, and in a very full circle twist to her story, she is now the President and CEO of the National City Chamber of Commerce. When she was elected to office in 2008 at only 28 years old, she became the youngest chief executive the chamber had ever had. Armed with a magna cum laude undergraduate Psychology degree from U.C. Berkeley; a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Harvard; three years of heading shareholder relations at ProAmerica Bank in Los Angeles; and a year of redevelopment work at City Hall, Reynoso could have worked anywhere after graduation. In her mind, however, she had reasons for coming back to her roots. “Growing up, there weren’t people in positions of power that looked like me, and I thought that was just really important - to bring that back home,” she says. “Leadership is not about the individual. Leadership is about love. It’s about providing a vision for your community, for your family, for your company, for your organization, and we shouldn’t forget that.”

Fanny MillerPresident/CEO of el Latino Newspaper Inspiration comes from a lot of places, like Fanny Miller. Originally from Colombia, Fanny was sent to the United States to live with her aunt in San Diego when she was 13 years old. By the time she was seventeen, Fanny was completely on her own.

Jaqueline Reynoso

Fanny Miller

“After I graduated college, I came back home to help my mom and my older sister was away. She had married young, she had already had her first daughter, and I had two younger siblings and I knew my Mom was struggling financially. We were a family of three living on $11,000 a year. So I started getting more involved and interested in community development, social justice and educational justice issues that I had lived through but didn’t really understand from a policy perspective. That’s what started being my calling.”

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(Fanny Miller cont.) Finding it too difficult to stay in school, hold a job and pay all of her bills, Fanny dropped out of high school and worked full-time jobs for several years. Then, on Cinco de Mayo in 1988 when she was 21, Fanny and her three sisters released their first of edition of el Latino. “It was four sisters,” she explains, “With no money, no education, no experience in publishing, absolutely nothing. We had a lot of obstacles at the beginning. My cars got repo’d, we had no computers.” Now, the San Diego publication is the largest Hispanic-owned Spanish language newspaper in California. A few years ago, El Latino was featuring a story on a woman who happened to have pancreatic cancer. The woman had three daughters. Fanny met her, bonded with her, and after a conversation, they both decided Fanny would keep her girls. Now Fanny has three boys she gave birth to and these three daughters. Fanny doesn’t think there’s a secret recipe for success. “You just have to work hard, and try to learn to work smart,” she says. “Success really comes from working. Nothing happens overnight.” Fanny also puts on a yearly event called Celebrando - an event for Latinas to be pampered, informed and empowered that is currently

the largest Latina conference in Spanish nationwide.

18 • June 2013

Catherine ArambulaPresident of Mana de San Diego and Financial Advisor at Northwestern Mutual National-city native and Northwestern Mutual Financial Advisor, Catherine Arambula, has always been a (very) hard worker. Raised in a family of limited means, Arambula has been paying $50 a month in rent to her parents since she was thirteen. “When I was in college, I was working four jobs and going to school at the same time. I slept maybe three and a half hours a night,” she says. “You do whatever you need to do to get yourself ahead.” After earning a Business Administration degree from San Diego State University, Arambula held management positions for years before assuming her current role. As the acting President of the mentorship organization, MANA de San Diego; one of the founders of the Latinas in Business Foundation; and a member of the San Diego Small Business Advisory Board, Arambula is one of the most active and brightly shining leaders in San Diego’s Latina community. “My passion is trying to get out into the community and provide financial education,” she says. “I think that to educate a Latina is to educate a community, and our community is so under served.”

Dr. Juan Alzate


vanguard 2014Latina

“I really didn’t know what I wanted, but I always have known what I didn’t want. I always knew that I did not want to be a young mother. When I had a kid, I knew I wanted to live in a nice neighborhood. I really admire people that are young and say, ‘This is where I want to go,’ but I just knew where I didn’t want to be.”

“When I was going to school, I was working four jobs and going to school at the same time. You do what you gotta do to. I think I slept maybe three and a half hours every day. I would work at a day care from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. I had a 9 o’clock class and wound up taking courses after that, and then in the afternoon I would work at a bank as a teller. And then after that, in the evening I was a manager for a movie theatre. So I worked until 2 in the morning, and I would do homework in between while people were watching movies. Then I would close up shop, sleep a couple hours and be at work at 5 in the morning again. You do what you gotta do to make sure you can get yourself ahead.”

Catherine Arambula

Nadia BermudezPartner at Garcia, Hernández, Sawhney & Bermudez LLPBorn and raised in El Centro, Nadia Bermudez’ father was an ironworker who worked long, physically exhausting days, and commuted up to two hours to and from work. She says he wanted something better for his three daughters, all of whom went on to become successful attorneys. “He would say things like, ‘No todas las mujeres necesitan para casarse.’ Not all women have to get married. Those weren’t the kind of values he taught. What he wanted to impress upon us was just to work hard.” Bermudez did work hard. With a B.A. in political science from U.C. Irvine and a J.D. from Stanford Law School under her belt, she’s now a partner at a minority and women-owned law firm - which is truly a rarity in the legal field. Nadia has received numerous awards for her work on a local and national level, including being honored with San Diego Metropolitan Magazine’s “40 under 40” list and the Women Who Mean Business Award from the San Diego Business Journal in 2010. “It’s not a surprise I became a lawyer,” she says, “Because part of growing up in an area that’s not economically developed, you have to develop strategies on how to succeed. And that’s what I do now. I develop strategies with my clients. I try to figure out how to get what they want.”

vanguard 2014Latina

“I’m grateful to my mom and dad and to my older sister because they had a vision. Sometimes you just have to imagine it, because you don’t see it. But you read it in a book, you see it on TV, a teacher tells you you did a good job. And so for me, I had an immediate role model in my older sister who is ten years older than me. For her, and I’m just speculating here, but she just had to imagine it. That’s why role models are so important. That’s why it’s important to be active in your community, because you can really touch lives just by meeting somebody, spending ten minutes with them, and then making them feel that they have value and there’s somewhere they could be. That they have some kind of potential. It can make a dramatic difference in someone’s life.”

nadia Bermudez

nadia Bermudez, Fanny Miller, Catherine Arambula and Jaqueline Reynoso

Fanny Miller


Graphic by Ubaid Ur Rehman

There are an estimated 3.2 million Hispanic-owned businesses throughout the U.S., according the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

According to the Pew Research Center, 25.2 million Latinos are eligible to vote in 2014, which has grown 3.9 million voters from 2010. The impact that we can continue to have as a country is immeasurable.

3.2 MillionIn 2013, eight states – Arizona, California, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York and Texas – had a population of 1 million or more Hispanic residents, according to the United States Census Bureau.

2009

In 2009, Sonia Sotomayor becomes first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice and Secretary of Labor; Hilda Solis becomes first Latina Cabinet member.

1974

In 1974, the Equal Opportunity Act allows for bilingual education

In 1962, Cesar Chavez and Dolorez Huerta founded the Na-tional Farm Workers Association, which organized agricultural workers and brought public awareness to the effects that prejudice had on wages, living conditions, voting and education.

Established in 1565, St. Augustine, Florida, became the first permanent Spanish settlement and was founded beforePlymouth, Massachusetts.

1565The beginning of the month long celebration falls on the anniversary of independence for five Hispanic countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico achieved independence on September 16 while Chile gained independence on September 18.

Commemorating

Hispanic Heritage MonthTaking the time to note the strides made by Latinos during Hispanic Heritage month, Latino Leaders Magazine wishes to leave you with a reminder that effective change is not limited to the standards set by those who have come before, but it is rather an element that is constantly morphing. We are proud to depict that change using examples from history and to cover current agents of change within the pages of our magazine.

1565

1974

2009

2014

This month, share your passion for Hispanic Heritage Month and advocate for change by using the hashtag #LLbuildingheritage as you tweet your photos and comments to @LatinoLeadersUS. Let’s celebrate the influence of la raza throughout the United States.

Hispanic Heritage Month

1968

1988

Originally introduced as Hispanic Heritage Week by President Lyndon B. Johnsonin 1968

it was expanded to a month of recognition by President Ronald Reagan in 1988, starting on September 15 and ending October 15.


On August 5 and 6, 2014, the New America Alli-ance convened in San Antonio, Texas, for its 2nd American Latino National Summit. The summit brought together leaders from all sectors to discuss a variety of issues affecting Latinos to-day, including immigration reform, health care, education, harnessing the Hispanic vote and expanding diversity in America’s workplace.

The summit, held every other year during an election cycle, also proved to be an invaluable opportunity for lead-ers to network across disciplines and share their expertise with others.

“The summit has been purposely structured this way,” said Frank Herrera Jr., NAA Inc. chairman.“As an organization, we want to focus on the prevalent issues of the time. This time around, we focused on immigration reform, education, the Latino vote issue and more. In an election cycle, we want the public officials to take note that if they want to be our representatives, then they have to focus on these issues.”

NAA Institute Chairwoman Ana-María Fernández Haar, called the summit an opportunity to “engage the next genera-tion of leaders” and said that the NAA seeks to create a nurturing and nourishing environment for the younger generation.

“It’s your show,” said Fernández Haar. “We’ve brought it here. We know that the next generation of Latinos will be able to take it much higher.”

Maria del Pilar Avila, CEO of the NAA, said that all issues, from health care to education to immi-gration reform, are discussed from an economic perspective. Avila said that knowing the economic rationale is critical to understanding why these are American issues and why it is necessary to work together to move American Latinos forward.

“The contribution of the NAA is to raise the voice of the community and to provide direc-tion, clarity and inspiration,” said Avila. “If we want America to be strong and to continue to be a leader in the future, we need to ensure that we address American Latino progress in all areas.”

The 2014 conference was the second in-stallment in the series, following the inaugu-ral summit in 2012 at Miami Dade College’s downtown Wolfson Campus. At each summit, an American Latino Agenda Report has been distributed to attendees, something Fernández Haar calls a member’s “marching orders.”

This edition of the report includes con-tributions from the American Immigration

Engaging thE nExt gEnEration

Frank Herrera Jr., NAA Inc Chair of the Board; Founder, The Herrera Law Firm

From left, National Summit attendee; Luis Restrepo, NAA board member and CEO of Dakoy Capital Markets; Maria del Pilar

Avila, NAA CEO; and Alfred Ramirez, board treasurer and former president of Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

Story by Carlos Anchondo Photos contributed and taken by Lindsay Walker

lat inoleaders.com

Council, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, Educational Testing Service (ETS) National Hispanic Medical Association (NHMA), Excelencia in Education, Univi-sion, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), His-panic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) and the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Following each briefing in the report, a succinct and deliberate “recommended action” is provided as guidance on how to accomplish each goal.

The 2014 report, which can be viewed at naaonline.org, is an instrumental part of the NAA’s goal of wealth building in the American Latino community.

Herrera, who was present at the NAA foundational meeting in 1999, said that the organization operates on what he likes to call “the Jewish model.”

“This is where you develop wealth,” said Herrera, “but with the purpose of empowering the community, with the purpose of sharing with the community, with the purpose of giving back to the community so that juntos we can pre-pare the Latino community from an economic perspective to well-finance itself.”

Linda G. Alvarado, president and CEO of Alvarado Construc-tion Inc., echoed Herrera’s sentiments and said that events like the 2nd American Latino National Summit build upon a founda-tion of Latinos working hard, enabling others and giving back.

“This event has been amazing,” said Alvarado. “The individuals here today represent not just themselves, but communities, families, organiza-

tions and the issues being discussed affect not just one segment of our community, but all of us, and, quite frankly, all of America.”

Maria Cristina Caballero, president of Dialogue on Diversity, said that she left the event feeling as though Latinos can conquer the world.

“All of the speakers were very empowering,” said Caballero, who said she almost missed the summit but was glad she made it. “After a day and a half I feel as though I got so much out of knowing and meeting the personalities that shape the NAA.”

As the NAA celebrates its fifteenth year, or quinceañera, as Herrera nicknames the occasion, the organization readies itself for a grand celebra-tion on November 19 at the Waldorf Astoria in New York, NY. The 15th Anniversary Gala takes place alongside the organization’s 14th Wall Street Sum-mit, which is scheduled for November 18 - 20.

Latino Leaders Magazine is a proud me-

dia partner of the New America Alliance and member of the NAA Business Roundtable.

Engaging thE nExt gEnEration

Ana-María Fernández Haar, NAA Institute Chair of the Board; Managing Partner, Victoriana, LLC

Discussion topic: Reforming Immigration and Harnessing Our Power. Panelists, from left to right: Alfonso Aguilar,

Dr. Juan Hernandez, Honorable Roel C. Campos, Cristina Jimenez, Tamar Jacoby, Ali Noorani.

The Honorable Raúl Yzaguirre, NAA Co-Founder; Former U.S. Ambassador to Dominican Republic and Sebastien De La Cruz, El Charro de Oro


Considered the gold standard of the nonprofit world, El Valor’s programs sound like progressive private school offerings and not inner-city salvation. El Valor works with more than 4,000 children under the age of five, 20 percent of whom

are diagnosed with a developmental or physical disability. It begins with Prevention/Prenatal Care and Early Head Start teaching babies from birth to three years old — succeeding to the more traditional Head Start for ages three to five, and expanding into Early Childhood Programs which propel advancement of children with innovative training programs such as Raising A Thinking Child, Family Engagement and Fathers’ Integration – providing fathers and children unique bonding opportunities. El Valor offers parents a variety of enrichment opportunities including English Language courses, Computer Literacy courses, Parenting seminars and family support groups. Parents develop leadership, decision making and family advocacy skills. El Valor personifies innovation through their unique system of child development, parental involvement, multiculturalism and respect.

It all started in the basement of a church in 1973, with a $50k loan. Guadalupe Reyes, a visionary and the mother of a special needs son, dreamed of a safe haven for her child and others like him to thrive. Aided by a group of mostly Mexican,

courageous women, this award-winning organiza-tion has blossomed beyond all expectations.

El Valor’s Heart-Driven CEO: from Hamburgers to Hope A patient man apparently, Rey B. Gonzalez recently became the President and Chief Executive Officer of El Valor after 30 years of serving as chair of its board of directors. Before Gonzalez’s El Valor C-suite appointment, he served as Exelon-owned energy supplier ComEd vice president for Legisla-tive and Community Affairs after a stint as its VP of Corporate Diversity. Prior to Exelon, Rey served as vice president of Diversity for the McDonald’s Cor-poration where he oversaw national External Diver-sity Partnerships, tying in philanthropy and hiring.

Chicago’s Finest:We are purposely located on the north side of Chicago in heavily Latino areas needing the most resources; we specialize in working with the Latino community but we don’t discriminate. Our staff and board are very diverse,” Gonzalez says.

Much more than just a successful, good works nonprofit, this organization has risen above the notorious Chicago politicking as a symbol of triumph worthy of international replication. “We’re the second largest org of this kind in the city of Chicago.” What began over four decades ago as a safe haven for people with disabilities became an oasis of possibility. They are liter-

El Valor Monarchs of Motivation: Branding by Butterflies

“Kids are born with innate skills raised in bilingual

atmospheres.”

Story by Judi Jordan Photos contributed

ally guiding the lives of children from pre-birth through college, preparing the next generation of Latinos for leadership with some pretty amaz-ing, forward-thinking programs that address the early, formative years and teach inspired parent-ing techniques to ‘bring home’ the know-how to create stronger family bonds, and support the growth and dreams of children and parents alike.

Rey of Sunshine The role of soft-spoken, positive and personable Executive Director/CEO Rey B. Gonzalez cannot be underestimated. His 34-year investment has been the cornerstone of El Valor’s phenomenal results. To-gether with the energetic Clara Lopez, vice president of Children’s Programs, they find the delicate balance of visionary, mission-driven management, supportive, hands-on oversight and heart-centered team-building and vigorous implementation. Rey’s passion has not dimmed; his delight is obvious. “It’s mission driven – we believe there’s greatness in every child. Day to day we see that in the ongoing success. There is huge satisfaction-for me personally; when I visit the pre-school class and see these children; they wave at me. … They’re learning French, German, science and math. We transmit the foundations of respect.”

This all happens in El Valor’s world com-posed of three Children & Family Centers, a Technology Center, a Vocational Develop-ment Center and five Community Residence Homes for adults with disabilities. Over three

hundred staff members and hundreds of vol-unteers provide these exemplary services.

“It’s very much about inclu-sion of families—a partnership.

“We get to know the families and their vision for their child; we connect them to resources and help to get them what they want. … We help to connect them to orgs that will develop leadership skills; the model we follow is to enrich the child.”

Trainers without Borders:Gonzalez has a lot on his plate. “National Head Start would very much like us to figure out a way to bring this country-wide; we’re in Mexico in several states, spreading the El Valor methodology. Clara Lopez, recipient of numerous awards for her ser-vice, is also excited. “We are taking our training to Mexico-Guanajuato. We’re training the trainers. Rey is also going to Barcelona’s Fiesta Conference [fi-esta-project.eu] in October as an ambassador of El Valor. We’re the only American group represented.”

Gonzalez adds: “Our programs are very result-ori-ented – we worked with DePaul University Dept of Anthropology and we went back to connect with 18 kids who had been involved with El Valor 25 years past- Spanish first language group—all 18 had grad-uated from high school and 16 of the 18 had gradu-ated from college—or were about to.” The latest offering of El Valor, Leadership Through Education, gives working adults the opportunity to attend col-lege, university and even attain advanced degrees.

Rey B. Gonzalez is dedicated to bringing change and hope to Chicago through his

nonprofit work at El Valor.

El Valor Monarchs of Motivation:

“We purposely located on the north side of Chicago in heavily Latino areas needing the most resources; we specialize in working with the Latino community but we don’t discriminate. Our staff and board are very diverse.”

El Valor Monarchs of Motivation


Ever Inventive:Constantly innovating, El Valor is always looking for ways to communicate: Mis Padres, Mis Maestros, or My Parents, My Teachers, is a bi-lingual English/ Spanish video demonstrating the importance of playing, reading, talking and singing to children. Raising a thinking child teaches non-violent conflict resolution and critical-thinking skills, and the program works to prevent depression, child abuse and domestic violence; decrease stress. Their inclusive programs work with fami-lies throughout the Chicago metropolitan area. This doesn’t come cheap. El Valor has a budget of well over $15 million and counting. They even find the time to raise butterflies with the U.S Forest Service as their strategic partner in El Valor’s Flight of the Monarchs – one of the most visual of El Valor’s youth enrichment programs.

El Valor’s Secret: Consistent Top Tier Management, Stellar Relations & Tireless FundraisingWith a wise allocation of funds, transparency, a five-star, hyper-connected board and visionary pro-grams undoubtedly have helped to attract top-tier partners/sponsors but leaving nothing to chance, a platoon of fundraisers on staff remain dedicated to El Valor’s oath of support to the Latino commu-nity and beyond; implementing empowering new programs that are generating extraordinary results.

About Those Butterflies: Butterflies have become symbolic of the trans-formation and magical beauty embraced by the children. “We talk about the migration of the butterflies, plant milkweed, every classroom has a butterfly program from egg to caterpil-lar to chrysalis to butterfly. We’re planning on a butterfly release of literally hundreds of butterflies. There’s a lot of intentionality – we work with children from birth to five, and they make butterfly costumes. It’s a big event.”

Rey’s Words to Parents: There is no such thing as loving your child too much – encourage curiosity, let your kids learn and explore, allow them to dream their dreams. “Kids are born with innate skills raised in bilingual atmospheres.”

Been There, Did That: Rey knows the tug of responsibility from per-sonal experience. “I wanted to go to college but was discouraged by counselors. … In the Mexican community, it’s about a good job. Grow-ing up in a steel town, there was the focus on working and providing for your family.”

Gonzalez did indeed work in a steel mill be-fore his incredible career took hold. “I was married at 18, and at 19 I was a father, but for my kids, I wanted a different life.”

This underscores his passion for El Valor’s Lead-ership Through Education program which helps working adults achieve higher education. More than 650 working adults, 90 percent of which are Latino, have master’s and doctorate degrees from El Valor’s community-based university partnerships. Through El Valor’s programs, 120 working adults, 98 percent Latino, 2 percent African-American, have enrolled in master’s in business administra-tion, master’s in social work, doctorate in educa-tion leadership and doctorate in community psy-chology in partnership with area universities.

Compassionate Words on Immigration Children at Risk: “We’re proud of the Illinois and Chicago area as a sanctuary; Mayor Emanuel has reached out to us and we’re finding beds for kids. I would hope that we would treat these children with compas-sion as they are victims of victims. On a personal level, a couple of people in Chicago would love to take in these children. We’ve got young children at the border. People are going all over the world trying to adopt babies, yet there is such a need right here and an opportunity,” Gonzalez says.

“We’re proud of the Illinois and Chicago area as a sanctuary; Mayor Emanuel has reached out to us and we’re finding beds for kids. I would hope that we would treat these children with compassion they are victims of victims.”


Maria Contreras-sweet stands in front of the Los

angeLes CentraL Library.

Underdogs’ Champion

The

Maria Contreras-sweet, newly appointed

adMinistrator of the sBa, talks feMinisM,

faMily and eConoMiC Change

Story by Esther PerezPhotos by Jeremy Fraser


How many of these are your i m m e d i a t e family?” an aide asked, p r e p a r i n g to turn away a few bystanders at

the shock of such a large turnout. “All of them!” Maria Contreras-Sweet said.

With brothers, sisters, and cousins in tow to meet the president at her nomination, Contreras-Sweet was stopped by one of the presidential aides who said, “We’ve never seen such a large immediate family to meet the president. You have broken the record.”

With ties, dresses and an air of excitement, a small crowd gathered and was

restlessly awaiting the nomination of the new

head of the Small Business Administration.

Maria Conteras-sweet and her husband ray have

three Children and one granddaughter.

As the 24th adminis-trator of the SBA, Con-treras-Sweet’s leader-ship shines as a beacon for Latinas across the country. Staying true to her culture and her passion of inclusion to make comprehensive change through part-nership with others, Contreras-Sweet stands as an example for excel-lence both in her jour-ney as a leader and her dedication to family.

“My family is a source of empowerment. They are a source of energy, and the reason is that we all take great measures to ensure that we’re connecting with each other on our highs and our lows, and we help each other through it. Any time that I am given an opportunity to take a bow such as this about a sense of accomplish-

ment, I have to say the honest truth that our families have made sacrifices right along with us to help us make these ac-complishments. So I owe it to my family. We all work together.”

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Contreras-Sweet’s introduction to America was similar to that of many other immigrants. Coming to the U.S. when she was 5 years old, she had a lifetime of learning to integrate into the fab-ric of society while still retaining her roots.

“I worked to learn the language, not just the English language but the business lan-guage, cultural language, the social norms.”

That process of integrating her Mexican roots with her U.S. home has shaped Con-treras-Sweet’s passions for immigrants

and others looking to better their future in the U.S. while also giving her a base to identify with those she meets. One of her greatest goals is “to bring my culture – not to get lost, not to shed my culture – but to embrace it and to use it as a powerful tool to help engage in those challenges.”

Contreras-Sweet has chosen to retain hope throughout the challenges she has faced as a leader. Embracing the concept of hope in her, as a young corporate offi-cer at Westinghouse, an American manu-facturing corporation where she served as the director for public affairs, Contre-ras-Sweet founded a group by the same name to help women in the business world. HOPE, which stands for Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, was a revolutionary organization that brought to light limitations placed on women in the workforce. As one of the first of its kind to expose the inequality that gender has had in the business world, HOPE has had a significant impact on redefining the policies of corporations for women today, advocating for equality in pay, decision-making and empowerment.

“The United States Senate appointed me to serve on a commission called the United States Federal Glass Ceiling Commission, and that was really where I became much more engaged in women’s issues. We were breaking ground on equal payment for women and other artificial barriers that kept people from getting to the top when there was no consciousness.”

Much of the work that Contreras-Sweet did with HOPE came in a large part from the inspiration that her daughter, Franc-esca, played in her life.

When Francesca was a child, Contreras-Sweet enrolled her daughter in a girls’ soccer league, a concept that was starting to form to highlight girls’ participation in sports and inclusion in activities that were not gender-specific. And as Contreras-Sweet watched tiny pigtails bunching up

“My faMily is a source of eMpowerMent. they are a source of energy , and the reason is that we all take great measures to ensure that we’re

connecting with each other on our highs and our lows, and we help each other through it.”

to chase after the ball, she started thinking about the glass ceilings that her daugh-ter and the other girls on the field would grow up to face without mentors placed in their lives through TV or other influences. Without those mentors to break down those barriers, how would girls find the in-spiration and strength to pursue their own dreams? As a result, HOPE inspired and funded a book, called Women of Hope, that highlighted Latinas who had excelled in different fields.

Throughout her life, many of the pas-sions that Contreras-Sweet acted upon have been a direct result of the expe-riences her children have shared with her. During one of her son’s internship at a large financial institution, he no-ticed that many Hispanics and low-in-come families were not getting the help they needed to navigate through the fi-nancial system because of their speech or mannerisms. After hearing her sons concerns for others, Contreras-Sweet formulated an idea to help others, which in turn lead her to formulate a private equity firm, focused on aiding small businesses, specifically those that were minority- or women-owned.

Her passion of helping others and lead-ership lead to many other accomplish-ments, one of the most notable being her position as the founding chairwoman for ProAmérica Bank in 2006, which was the first Latino-formed commercial bank in over 35 years.

Her knowledge of investment, banking and business paired with her experience as the cabinet secretary of the California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, overseeing 44,000 employees, a $14 billion budget and 14 state depart-ments, molded her to be the perfect can-didate for administrator of the SBA. But her journey was not taken alone.

“I loved that work because it was about infrastructure, and it was about things that

lat inoleaders.com

“we were breaking ground on equal payment for woMen and other artificial barriers that kept people from getting to the top when there was no consciousness.”

lat inoleaders.com


“ i wa s b o r n s om e w h e r e e l s e , yet that the president recognized that i could be a contributing MeMber o f h i s c a b i n e t s p e a k s a lot a b o u t h i m a s w e l l a s t h e p ow e r o f t h e h i s pa n i c c om m u n i t y. ”

women don’t normally do. There was an excitement about doing that, but when the president asked me to serve on the Small Business Administration as its chief, there was the sense that this is where we need to be because our community is entrepreneurial. When you think about Latinos, lamentably, we haven’t broken as many glass ceilings at the corporate level, but we’re making effective strides.”

Spurred not only by her family but also her country, Contreras-Sweet says that her conversations with President Barak Obama have already defined clear goals for the suc-cess of the SBA under her guidance.

“He asked me to do three things – he asked me to run an effective SBA. He asked me to be a voice for small business – all small businesses in a very inclusive way – and he asked me to make sure that we were taking small businesses to the next level.”

As a Latina, she is proud to represent her culture on the national level and says

that she is ready to take the lead, not only for Hispanics but also for all small busi-ness owners, and that her background will help as the SBA continues to focus on programs to aid aging seniors, women and other minorities in business.

“I was born somewhere else, yet that the president recognized that I could be a contributing member of his cabinet speaks a lot about him as well as the pow-er of the Hispanic community.”

As she continues to make strides and break down barriers, Maria Contreras-Sweet focuses on the reason she contin-ues to pursue excellence for her family and for the thousands of Latinas who will follow in her footsteps.

“My grandmother used to use a word – aproveche – take advantage of life. I took that to mean that we have to seize oppor-tunities as they come before us. As I look in my granddaughter’s eyes, I want her to have a different set of challenges. “

FroM leFt to right, youngest

son, antonio; Maria; husband,

ray; daughter, FranCesCa;

and eldest son, raFael.

Sweet SucceSS

Rafael Sweet is an attorney at Contreras

Sweet Law. Francesca Sweet is an director of

product management - speakers at Beets by

Dr. Dre.Antonio Sweet just

graduated from Harvard University.

Story by Pablo Schneider


Contributed photo

the

Corporate boards in America, especially those of the Fortune 1000, wield a tremendous amount of power and impact the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis. For example, the top 10 Fortune 1000 companies, including: Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Berkshire Hathaway, Apple, Phillips 66, General Motors, Ford, General Electric and Valero Energy, have a combined total of over $2.2 trillion in revenues, $158.5 billion in profit and market value of $2.1 trillion.

board diversity Imperative

Since developing the annual board edition in 2008 and serving as its special editor for the past seven years, I have interviewed and featured dozens of corporate directors and strong board candidates as well as a number of influential in-dividuals such as governance experts, search firm executives, and government leaders.

Four top leaders in governance whom I’ve had the pleasure of featuring include S.E.C. Commissioner Luis Aguilar, Corporate Di-rector Kim Casiano (Ford Motor Company, Mead Johnson Nutrition, Mutual of America and Scotiabank Puerto Rico), NACD Chairman Reatha Clark King and Corporate Director Sol Trujillo (WPP and Western Union). All four of these leaders are esteemed in corporate America and speak about corporate governance with significant authority. For this article, I asked these renowned experts to share their thoughts on the corporate governance ecosystem including topics such as the business and governance case for board diver-sity, strategies for increasing board diversity, and advice to diverse professionals who aspire to corporate board service.

Are You Ready?

Some of the key points these experts shared include:

•For the vast majority of major companies, there is a significant gap between diversity in the boardroom and diversity in the operating environment. •There is a compelling business and governance case for more board diversity.•There are tangible disadvantages to a lack of diversity.•It is incumbent on diverse board candidates to be prepared to serve – to develop governance skill sets, to form personal relationships in the governance ecosystem, and to be strongly positioned for corporate board service.

Given the scope and scale at which these companies operate in the U.S., it would make sense for the composition of their boards of directors to be well aligned with the U.S. operating environment – including customer groups, work-force, suppliers and other constituents. With a population of over 56 million and purchasing power of $1.3 trillion, there is no question that U.S. Hispanics have a huge impact on these companies – and vice versa. Yet, of the 123 corporate direc-tors who serve on the boards of these ten companies, there are just three Hispanic directors: Aida Alvarez (Wal-Mart), Rick Hernandez (Chevron), and Kim Casiano (Ford). As for ExxonMobil, Berkshire Hathaway, Apple, Phillips 66, General Motors, General Electric and Valero Energy, there are no Hispanic voices on those boards.

Increasing board diversity, including Hispanic participation on cor-porate boards, is up to us. When the time comes and more opportunities arise to serve on corporate boards will we be ready? Will you be ready?

“Board diversity is both beneficial and necessary in today’s 21st century economy. In fact, significant studies have found that board diversity translates into real value for both companies and shareholders—including better stock returns and improved employee morale. Unfortunately, too many boards remain hope-lessly homogenous. This is unacceptable. Companies that care about the bottom line need to pay closer attention to diversify-ing their boardrooms. Given the availability of high-quality female and minority board candidates, the continuing lack of diversity across the boardrooms of corporate America cannot be justified,” says SEC Commissioner Luis Aguilar.

Here, some of the key questions of increasing board diver-sity are addressed such as: What attributes and experiences are boards looking for; how are board members selected; and what can diverse professionals do to prepare for board service?

What attributes and experiences are boards looking for?According to the 2013-14 National Association of Corporate Di-rectors – Public Company Governance Survey, the top attributes and experiences that corporate boards are looking for include the following, in order of importance:

Years ago, before board of director diversity focused on recruit-ment of African Americans or Hispanics or Asian Americans, the focus was on recruiting women directors. Years ago, women were the first diverse group to be recruited to boards, so there are quite a few Fortune 1000 boards with a critical mass of women (3 or more women). In the past few years, several in-depth studies have been undertaken by world-class entities studying the correlation between a company’s performance and a critical mass of women on their board of directors. The busi-ness case for the inclusion of women on boards is compelling. These studies have shown how shareholder value grows dispro-portionately in companies with a critical mass of women on the board. This is true in each and every company and the experts conclude that it is not a coincidence. These studies clearly

demonstrate that diversity must evolve beyond feel-good tokenism. Diversity must be viewed as a good business decision. And I believe that the next logical step will be that these world-class entities will analyze the performance of companies with a critical mass of African American direc-tors – who, after women, were the second diverse group to be recruited. African American directors are substantially more numerous than Hispanic directors. The percentage of Hispanic directors sadly has been stagnant for years. My hope is that once the ‘Old Boys Club’ starts to realize that it makes good business sense to have more diversity on corporate boards of directors, more Hispanic directors will be recruited.

How are board members selected?According to the 2013-2014 National Association of Cor-porate Directors – Public Company Governance Survey, respondents said the most prevalent methods of director selection used by boards include the following:

•Nominee identification by a board committee - 72.3%•Personal networking/word of mouth - 69.9%•Search firms - 51.6%•Shareholder suggestion - 15.7%•Director database - 9.2%

1.Financial Expertise2.Specific Industry Experience3.Leadership Experience4.International/Global Experience5.Diversity6.Strategy Development7.Corporate Governance8.Technological Expertise9.Information Technology10.Marketing11.Risk Assessment12.Government Experience13.Medical/Scientific Expertise14.Legal Expertise15.Human Resources

”

“

“Each board should recognize the benefits from having a diverse Board and then identify its own plan of action to diversify the Board. There are several participants in this endeavor but the role of the Board’s Governance and Nominating Committee is critically important. This Committee should provide leadership for identifying the skills set and perspective that the Board needs to be effective. With this information available, the Committee should then seek the involvement of fellow board members, the CEO and possibly search firms to identify candidate names that fit the targeted criteria,” says Reatha Clark King, former president of the General Mills Foundation, on the process of selecting directors.

Here are Kim Casiano’s thoughts on recruitment of directors:

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What can diverse professionals do to prepare for board service?Here are Sol Trujillo’s thoughts on being ready to serve:

“Semper paratus - always be prepared. Understand fiduciary duty, understand corporate governance, understand income statements and balance sheets, corporate strategy, competitive pressures - where you can add value to the board/company.

The demands for expertise, knowledge and proper leadership are paramount as there are now more requirements for engagement by board members. Be as prepared, as competent, as engaged and know your strengths as well as any top board member.”

Are you ready?Over the past 20 years of serving on private, nonprof-it and governmental boards; 15 years of participation in the National Association of Corporate Directors; and seven years of serving as the special editor of the board section of Latino Leaders Magazine, I have interviewed and interacted with dozens of Fortune 1000 corporate directors.

The journey of corporate board service is like a marathon. The more “runners” we have in the mara-thon, the more will cross the finish line. Have you begun the journey?

•A lengthy track record of high achievement in their chosen career;•Deep experience in one or more industries;•Substantial functional expertise;•Financial literacy;•Significant nonprofit, private, and/or governmental board experience;•Prominent stature in their profession, industry, community and people group;•Excellent reputation – personally held in high esteem by influential leaders;•Significant social capital and network – especially among corporate directors and senior executives.

Some of common threads among those corporate directors include:

In America, there is a significant gap between the power of the “new mainstream” and the participation of Hispanics, African Americans, Asians, women and other diverse individu-als on corporate boards of directors. As Latino Corporate Di-rectors Associations, or LCDA, Founding Secretary Tom Castro notes, “For the last decade, there has been no progress on integrating America’s boardrooms. This is bad business and not sustainable in a Democratic society.” One of the strategies aimed at addressing this “representation gap” is the establish-ment of diverse corporate director associations such as the Black Directors, A+ (Asian Directors), and Women Corporate Directors (WCD).

The Hispanic “representation gap” on corporate boards can be illustrated by the fact that Hispanics comprise 18 percent of the U.S. population and have purchasing power of $1.3 trillion dollars yet hold around two percent of Fortune 500 board seats. In order to bridge this gap, a group of Latino directors launched the LCDA.

The first association exclusively for Latino directors, the LCDA’s origins rest with the HACR Corporate Directors Summits. Rec-ognizing that action must be taken, the directors brainstormed possible solutions. Out of these meetings the LCDA was born as an independent organization focused specifically on convening and supporting current Latino corporate directors and increasing the number of Latinos on corporate boards.

“LCDA’s mission is to increase the influence and number of

CLOSING THE GAP By Pablo Schneider and Kristin Schneider

Latinos on corporate boards to enhance America’s economic competitiveness,” said Pat Salas Pineda, founding chairwoman of LCDA. “LCDA plans to collaborate with U.S. companies to help make their corporate boards more representative of today’s America.” In order to complete this mission, “LCDA will help identify and support senior Latino executives who have the qualifications and experience to serve as corporate directors,” explains Founding Treasurer Lou Nieto. “Only 2 percent of the 5,500 board seats available on Fortune 500 corporate boards are currently held by Hispanics, and we at LCDA have an opportu-nity to improve on this.”

Led by a board of directors and group of dedicated officers, the initial membership of the organization is made up of 32 of the top Hispanic business leaders in America. These 32 mem-bers collectively hold 44 board seats, representing renowned companies such as CBS Corporation, Ford Motor Company, Manpower, Prudential Financial, Target Corporation, Time Warner Cable, Walgreens, Walt Disney and Wal-Mart. These as-sociation members are taking the lead on increasing the number of Latinos on corporate boards.

To help achieve this goal, LCDA will undertake a variety of activities such as providing corporate director education, organizing networking events to increase visibility and estab-lishing a corporate director candidate database to serve as a resource for corporate boards and search firms.

Story by Peter R. GleasonPhoto contributed


A Valuable Resource for Hispanic Professionals

Corporate boards in America, especially those of the Fortune 1000, wield a tremendous amount of power and impact the lives of millions of Americans on a daily basis. For example, the top 10 Fortune 1000 companies, including:

NACD

Wal-Mart, ExxonMobil, Chevron, Berk-shire Hathaway, Apple, Phillips 66, General Motors, Ford, General Electric and Valero Energy, have a combined total of over $2.2 trillion in revenues, $158.5 billion in profit and market value of $2.1 trillion. When the membership publication NACD Directorship recently profiled Carlos C. Campbell as an National Association of Corporate D Board Leadership Fellow, Campbell was asked what advice he would give someone consider-ing becoming a director. To quote former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher: ‘Always expect the unexpected.’ After that,” Campbell told the interviewer, “the chal-

THE

lenge of being a responsive director in the 21st century is engagement. This requires knowledge: awareness of corporate culture, globalization, strategy, and shareholder centricity.”

Advancing the knowledge of individual directors and the constituencies that they serve has been at the heart of NACD’s mis-sion since it was founded 37 years ago.

Campbell is one of NACD’s more than 15,000 members and is among 359 directors to have completed the required coursework to be designated an NACD Board Leadership Fellow. Directors, particularly those of pub-licly traded companies, often are scrutinized

Ken Daly, president and CEO of the NACD. He has held the position since May 2007.

for their experience and questioned specifically about what value they bring to the entities they serve.

A Board Leadership Fellowship designation results from the completion of rigorous educational requirements and the demonstration of a commitment to continuous learning. “Direc-tors who choose to enhance their skills and knowledge base by becoming NACD Fellows demonstrate to company management, shareholders, and their peers a desire to perform their fiduciary duties to the best of their abilities,” says Ken Daly, president and CEO of NACD.

This is just one of the many benefits of NACD membership. NACD also provides its members access to exclusive research, publications, and surveys as well as programming created for all levels of executive leadership. If you have never been a direc-tor but wish to pursue the opportunity, an introductory on-line course, “How to Become a Director,” may be a requisite first step. More seasoned business executives may prefer to explore NACD’s flagship program, called “Director Professionalism”, developed to expand their knowledge of the board and its functioning.

Recognizing the specialized knowledge and leadership skills that former military personnel can lend to the boardroom result-ed in NACD’s one-of-a-kind “From Battleground to Boardroom” program. More than 150 existing and retired military officers have taken the course, which underscores NACD’s commitment to advance the high standards of director professionalism and develop cognitive diversity on boards.

NACD’s Director Professionalism and Master Class are scheduled throughout the year in different locations for sitting directors. Director Professionalism is geared toward refreshing boardroom basics such as fiduciary responsibili-ties and the fundamentals of strategy oversight, while Mas-ter Class curricula is developed for the more experienced director, specifically committee chairs and lead directors. Erin Essenmacher, NACD chief programming officer, as a matter of routine reminds members that NACD provides educational opportunities “when, where, and how you want.” In addition to small-group classes, NACD conducts customized and confidential in-boardroom education conducted by faculty with deep boardroom experience and provides all its members access to timely webinars, which may be accessed online whenever, wherever.

NACD membership, programs, and services have grown dramatically under the leadership of Daly, who was named president and CEO in 2007. Case in point: the 2014 NACD Board Leadership Conference this October in National Har-bor, Md., just across the Potomac from NACD’s headquarters at 2001 Pennsylvania Avenue. The national conference has more than doubled in size since Daly took the reins. This year it will attract some 1,400 attendees who, over the course of three days, will avail themselves of more than 50 sessions, keynotes, topic-specific small-group discussions and more.

In addition to providing ample opportunities to network with peers, the conference has become the must-attend event of the director community, drawing high-profile speakers such as former Xerox CEO Anne M. Mulcahy, PepsiCo direc-tor Steve Reinemund, venture capitalist Scott Kupor, and crisis management expert Judy Smith. Programming covers wide-ranging issues at the leading edge of boardroom agen-das: disruptive technologies, understanding the Securities and Exchange Commission under Chair Mary Jo White, how to use a board to help make critical decisions in a family-owned business, cybersecurity, managing risks endemic to small-cap companies, and more granular sessions exploring current issues before the audit, compensation, and nominat-ing and governance committees of a board.

Developing an engaged community of men and women who retired from the most senior ranks of the military will raise the standards of directorship,” Daly said in 2012 when the program, dubbed “B2B,” launched. In addition, he said, B2B will “provide diversity candidates for future director positions and opportunities for retired military officers currently serving as directors to mentor those with an interest in serving in the boardroom.

MAKING AN IMPACT

Total NACD membership (as of August 1, 2014): 15,001

Percentage of Fortune 1000-ranked companies that have NACD members on their boards:

Fortune 50 98%Fortune 100 95%Fortune 1000 87%

NACD Full Board Members by Company Type (shown as a percentage) Public companies 74% Private companies 16% Nonprofit organizations 11%

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This year’s conference opens on Sunday, October 12, with a keynote address by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Carlos Wat-son, now CEO and co-founder of Ozy Media. The charismatic Harvard- and Stanford-educated Watson has created an online news site (with backing from Steve Jobs’ widow and long-time supporter, Laurene Powell Jobs, and other angel investors) that competes against Vox Media, Business Insider, BuzzFeed, and others. When the site launched last year, Watson told Business Insider:

Watson’s desire to bring “what’s next” is consistent with Daly’s oft-heard reminder, borrowed from hockey legend Wayne Gretzky “to skate to where the puck is going to be.” NACD strives to formulate not only best practices but what Daly calls leading “next” practices. To harness this insight, NACD hosts four Advisory Councils each composed of Fortune 500 committee chairs, investors, regulators, and other influential stakeholders. These advisory councils, which meet quarterly either telephonically or in person, are devoted to synthesizing multiple opinions around the work of the major board committees (audit, compensation, nominating/governance, and the newest AC, risk). Regular findings—reported in summaries of proceedings that are distributed to all NACD members—oftentimes become the basis for NACD’s posture on issues of national importance to the director community, thereby enhancing and amplifying the voice of the director.

Anticipating what’s to come led NACD in 2012 to develop a series of programs that seeks to identify what the board of the future will look like and how corporate officers and direc-tors should be preparing. The Directorship 2020 program series, now in its second year, has defined seven disruptive market forces. Each program, held in various cities around the country, hosts experts in those areas to both enlighten and be enlightened by their director audience.

The Voice of the DirectorNACD takes seriously its role to represent the viewpoints of directors. In addition to writing comment letters to and testi-fying before regulatory, rule-making, and enforcement bodies,

NACD each year addresses the most challenging issues facing boardrooms. The first Blue Ribbon Commission, convened in 1993, took a penetrating look at executive compensation. Each year since, NACD has appointed chairs and co-chairs to lead the BRC in studying a thorny boardroom issue.

The 2014 BRC—co-chaired by Maggie Wilderotter, chair and CEO of Frontier Communications and current director for Xerox and Procter & Gamble; and Raymond V. Gilmar-tin, former chairman, president, and CEO of Merck, and current director of NACD and General Mills—will be pre-sented at the Board Leadership Conference. The commis-sion’s work and recommendations ultimately will result in the Report of the NACD Blue Ribbon Commission on Strat-egy. In a story in the current issue of NACD Directorship, Gilmartin explained that the BRC will consider such ques-tions as when “assumptions and the external environment have changed and a change in strategy is necessary, how does the board become more engaged without crossing that boundary into the CEO’s responsibility for ultimately developing and executing a strategy? Perhaps there are circumstances when a board should cross that boundary. And then how do you cross that boundary constructively? This is still an untested area.”

In addition to the BRCs, NACD each year surveys its membership at public and private companies and nonprofit entities, revealing trends, statistics, and shifts in perspective. The results of these surveys provide C-suite, investors and stakeholders with crucial information on the current state of corporate governance in the United States. This data also is used to inform NACD comment letters and in-person testimo-ny on behalf of boardrooms to regulators and lawmakers. The three annual governance surveys also yield industry-specific one-page benchmark reports.

NACD’s activities are not limited by geography. Direc-tors who join NACD routinely are invited to attend exclusive events. Members also are welcome at events hosted by any one of the 22 NACD chapters located throughout the country. Should an NACD member who lives in Phoenix, for example, find herself heading to Boston, she should check out the New England Chapter events. NACD’s local chapters help to build the director community in the places where directors live, promoting greater understanding of increasingly complex issues by convening experts and directors while increasing their presence as a community to local, state, and regional governance officials.

NACD is expanding internationally as well. Two years ago, it became a founding partner in the Global Network of Directors (gndi.org), an international partnership forged so far between 13 leading membership organizations for corpo-rate directors in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Europe, Malaysia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United States. Among its aims is to anticipate and explore emerging trends affecting global governance and to publish papers related to common issues that ultimately promote the advancement of exem-plary board leadership.

Peter R. Gleason is managing director and CFO of the National Associa-tion of Corporate Directors (NACD).

In a broad-based way, Ozy Media is creating something that consistently brings you what’s new and what’s next. I don’t think that kind of place [exists]. For a whole generation of us, we’re incredibly curious and we want to peek up ahead.”

Story by Laura Rivas and Pablo Schneider Photo Contributed

New face of HACR looks to build momentum of Hispanic businessmen and womenThe Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) has named Cid Wilson as its new president and CEO. Founded in 1986 and based in Washington, D.C., HACR is one of the nation’s leading advocacy organizations for Hispanic inclusion in Corporate America. In addition to conducting valuable research initiatives and professional development programs, HACR advocates for corporate responsibility and market reciprocity for the nation’s growing Hispanic population.

Taking the reins

HACR places great importance on diversity in Fortune 500 companies at the highest levels of management and gov-ernance and strives for Hispanic representation that is commensurate with the economic contribu-tions of Latinos. In a Q&A with Latino Leaders Special Editor Pablo Schneider, Wilson stated, “With over 50 million Hispanics liv-ing in the United States

and Puerto Rico, who collectively possess $1.3 trillion in spending power, we are an economic powerhouse. But our spending power and our population size are not reflected in the representation of Hispanics on corporate boards and in C-suite positions.” According to HACR, Hispanic inclusion on Fortune 500 boards still remains around 3 percent.

Wilson advocates a proactive approach to Corporate America, its shareholders, Latino organizations and the public to actively increase the number of Hispanics on corporate boards and in C-suite positions. “HACR has developed many initiatives to advance the goal of Latino diversity in the areas of employment, procurement, philanthropy and governance,” said Wilson. “These include HACR’s professional develop-ment and leadership programs, research, outreach, and our flagship event—the HACR Annual Symposium—where we bring together all of the stakeholders of our mission under one roof. Together, these initiatives will help to move the needle in terms of achieving our mission.” The 23rd Annual HACR Symposium: The Power of Hispanic Inclusion will take place April 27-28, 2015, in Atlanta. The HACR CEO Roundta-ble provides a forum for CEOs of top Fortune 500 and HACR’s corporate member companies to discuss best practices related to inclusive employment and retention strategies, increasing Hispanic Consumer Market outreach and brand loyalty and diversity in the corporate board room. Other key programs include Young Hispanic Corporate Achievers, Cor-porate Achievers Summit, Corporate Executives Forum and the Corporate Directors Summit.

As the new president and CEO of HACR, Wilson says it is not only his job to lead these initiatives, but it is also his passion. “There are certain industries that have made great progress, and then there are those that have a lot of work to do to achieve what we believe is acceptable in terms of Hispanic inclusion,” he says. “This especially applies to ‘new economy’ industries.” Wilson’s goal is to start strong and build the momentum that will help accelerate Hispanic inclusion.

Wilson, a graduate of The Ohio State University, has worked in the financial services industry since 1993. Having received a presidential appointment to serve on a study com-mission for the creation of a Smithsonian American Latino museum, Wilson is now chairman of the board of Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino, advocating for Congressional support for its authorization and development. He previously served on the ethnic advisory board for Pep-siCo and the consumer advisory board for Verizon Commu-nications and has been a board member of leading minority advocacy groups such as LatinoJustice PRLDEF (formerly the Puerto Rican Legal Defense & Education Fund), the National Council of La Raza and Dominicans on Wall Street.

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Don Knauss and Richard CarmonaThe Clorox Company is ranked #451 of the Fortune 500, with revenues of $5.6 billion, profits of $572 million and a market value of $11.4 billion. Clorox has maintained

an international household presence for generations, in large part because of its acumen in anticipating and staying at the forefront of demand, population and branding trends. It is one of only 19 Fortune 500 companies to have two Hispanic board members. Clorox recognizes that, to meet the needs of a rapidly changing global demographic, it must have a culture and leadership that is reflective of its consumer base.

The Clorox Company:

Special Editor Pablo Schneider interviewed both the chairman and CEO of The Clorox Company and a prominent Hispanic The Clorox Company board to discuss board diversity and the growing U.S. Hispanic market. Clorox Chairman and CEO Don Knauss has had a distinguished background in corporate America as former president and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company and as a corporate director serving on boards of companies such as the Kellogg Company. Dr. Richard Carmona is a decorated physician and public health administrator who served as U.S. Surgeon General from 2002 to 2006. His board service includes director-ships with several companies including Herbalife and NJOY.

Latino Leaders: How is the changing face of America impacting The Clorox Company in workforce, suppliers, executive and board leadership?Knauss: Five years ago we spent $20 million on diverse suppliers—people of color and women—while today it’s over $130 million. It’s not just creating demand with consumers but also working with suppliers who can understand how to create more demand. Two years ago almost two-thirds of our new hires were people of color, not only because this was the right thing to do but because we shifted as a company from looking at multiculturalism as a human resources experiment to a business imperative. How are we going to get the market share of Hispanics if we don’t have Hispanics working on our brands?

LL: For U.S. companies operating globally, how does a diverse board with a variety of perspectives add value for domestic and international markets?Carmona: The more you can make your board diverse and reflect the population you serve, the more you will be successful because you will have understanding of the particular nuances of any culture. If you don’t un-derstand the uniqueness of the population and there’s not someone on your board to guide you, you lose that business opportunity. For example, someone will ask, “How do you deal with the Hispanic community?” They think they’re being diverse, yet not understanding that the Hispanic community is very heterogeneous in itself—Cubans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, etc.Knauss: Forty-five percent of our board members are people of color. We are one of 19 Fortune 500 compa-nies with two Hispanic members on our board. I don’t know how you win unless you have people who are ex-pert and who understand the culture. Every Fortune 500 CEO has two things in common: they’re competitive

and have a pretty good commercial mindset. The fact that there’s not more Hispanic representation on boards is based on ignorance and lack of awareness. The Latino community needs to build better awareness with these people about the richness of the experience and the talent in the market.

LL: With the U.S.-Hispanic market equivalent to the 14th larg-est economy in the world and growing rapidly, what are your thoughts on the U.S.-Hispanic market opportunity?Carmona: If you look at Florida, Texas, Arizona—where there’s a very high and growing Hispanic population—the changing demo-graphics through 2050 predict Hispanics to be a majority. In some areas they will become the largest consumers of whatever you’re selling or making.Knauss: Two-thirds of The Clorox Company’s international busi-ness is in Latin America; so as people migrate north, they bring those brand loyalties with them. We’ve got a great advantage if we can continue to connect with them. When we first addressed that trend, we changed our advertising. The whole focus of a recent meeting of our Hispanic Advisory Council was on Hispanic retail-ers. We just launched a bleach brand for Hispanics called Clorox Fraganzia which has more intense scents. We found that Latino consumers wanted a heavier scent and use bleach in fundamen-tally different ways than the general market. In Latin America, 70 percent of bleach is used for cleaning and 30 percent for laundry. In the U.S., it’s the reverse. Now, we need more Hispanic-relevant in-store programs and relevant products. Everybody can make their brand relevant to multicultural. It’s how you are going to embed that in the strategy of the brand.

LL: Today, Hispanic participation on Fortune 500 boards is in the low single digits. What are your thoughts on increasing Hispanic board participation in the short-, mid- and long-run?Carmona: The smart CEO recognizes value in diversity and will have benchmarks built into their strategic planning to recruit Hispanics with the right core competencies. Unfortunately, it’s not only boards. We are not adequately representing the academics with the proportion of the society they work with. We have a long way to go, and there are a whole host of reasons for these inequi-ties and disparities. Rather than dwell on the past, more important is to recognize the disparities and the value of correcting them.

LL: What advice do you have for Hispanic professionals on pre-paring and positioning for corporate board service?Carmona: The first thing you have to understand is that this is not a beauty contest or just about diversity. Some people start with entry-level positions on public boards or volunteer boards and then go into the private sector. To get on the board of a publicly-traded company you have to earn the right because the shareholders vote you on. That’s an immense responsibility and hard work. There’s a lot of reading and understanding of various security laws and a whole host of information. Learn about governance and your fiduciary responsibility. Understand a good CEO and board will

bring you on only if you will bring added value to that com-pany. That’s the standard by which you will be evaluated for entrance and to stay on the board.Knauss: Board membership comes down to the three Cs: ca-pability, capacity and chemistry. The lack of awareness of the capability, or talent, that’s out there is fairly widespread. Every board looks at board membership and asks, “What gaps do we have in capability? Do we need a marketing expert? Do we need someone with broad international experience?” People need to really understand and showcase their uniqueness and expertise. The community can do a better job of highlighting and using organizations like Korn/Ferry and the big recruiting firms to do a better job of building awareness. Organizations like HACR to communicate with the CEOs and chairmen of the boards to really make sure they understand the capabili-ties out there. Then it gets into capacity—what’s your capacity to do it? Are you sitting on four boards already or no boards? I’ve never found chemistry to be a real problem. Our board is very diverse but works extremely well together.

LL: A National Association for Corporate Directors public company governance survey shows that more than 70 percent of respondents said that personal relationships and word of mouth are the number one way that they fill board seats. What are your thoughts on the process of getting on corporate boards?Carmona: Be introspective and ask why anybody would reach out to you. “What expertise have I achieved in my area that my peers see me as a significant thought leader?” Once you’ve achieved that, people you know who sit on boards will reach out to you. Most of the discussions I’ve had with fellow board members are about the core competencies we need and who knows people who fits that picture. Will they fit into the culture that we’ve created? We’ve had some people with extraordinary resumes then learn about how they handle themselves, their integrity, the discipline they have or don’t have. Politics and favoritism are taken out of it. It comes down to who is the best person for the job because we all understand the onerousness of the fiduciary responsibility we owe to the shareholders. I encourage qualified Hispanic lead-ers to take the risk and extend beyond their comfort zone. It’s an extraordinary experience to be sitting with some of the most talented business leaders in our country and bring value to a company that you share with the team, which makes it even stronger. Once you’re there, it’s self-perpetuating: You’ll get other people reaching out to you to be considered for other boards. It’s a market of its own.

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Insights into the Corporate Governance EcosystemFor nearly 30 years Enrique “Rick” Hernandez Jr., has been chairman, president and CEO of Inter-Con Security Systems Inc., one of the largest and most respected security system providers with over 25,000 employees in North America, South America, Europe and Africa. He is among the most prominent and powerful public company directors, serving of the boards of iconic national and global companies including Nordstrom Inc., Wells Fargo & Company, Chevron Corporation and McDonald’s Corporation. Hernandez is uniquely positioned to provide insights into the corporate governance ecosystem — including board composition, board candidate recruitment, board diversity and advice for professionals who aspire to board service.

Enrique “Rick” Hernandez Jr.:

Referring to board composition, Hernandez has likened its formation to that of a symphony orches-tra. “There are several instruments that are required to make the best music, and you need the right number and diversity of instruments to accomplish that,” he says. “If the board is made up of people with identical backgrounds or business experiences, you’re going to have a single-faceted perspective on the issues confront-ing the company.”

Hernandez recounts that when he joined the board of fashion retail giant Nordstrom in 1997, there were few women directors, although a critical mass of the company’s customers and employees are women. When Hernandez became chair-man of the board in 2006, he was determined to ensure pres-ence of strong, qualified female board members. The results were remarkable: “… We were talking about an issue, and as usual, the veterans on the board spoke first,” he explains. “At some point, one of the new women members spoke up, and it was astounding how different the perspective was on that issue. It made sense, and it resonated with everyone else.” Ultimately, the matter was resolved by following the guid-ance of that female board member, illustrating Hernandez’s viewpoint that in order to evolve, boards must be reflective of their constituencies.

Regarding board candidate recruitment, first and foremost, major company boards are looking for candidates with certain skill sets and experience. Consideration for board service starts with significant career success. “This could be president of the university, CEO of a company. When you achieve that stature, you’ve earned the right to be considered,” he says. From a pool of potential candidates with significant career success, boards will look for specific types of experience depending on what is-sues they may be facing or where they may need a director with a particular strength. Hernandez points to Nordstrom’s current focus on the e-commerce segment of its business.

Hernandez says that finding the right skill sets and back-ground in an ethnically diverse candidate is like a “triple-win” in terms of that director’s ability to add value to the board and to the company.

Diverse directors have unique opportunities to add value in the boardroom, whether it is leadership experience, industry experience or professional experience such as legal knowledge, like Hernandez brought to the table on his first board. “Oftentimes, I would be able to assess the situation from a legal standpoint, which created some stature for me within the board, and I was involved in a number of acquisi-tion and merger matters,” he says. His background in building and running a successful business also worked in his favor, as he was able to speak to market and regulation issues based on his own unique frame of reference.

Optimally, there should be a strong alignment among a company’s industry, its operating environment, its strategy and its board composition. If there are gaps in alignment amid these elements, the gaps must be addressed. Hernandez is proud of the boards on which he has served and calls them models for other boards.

“I think we’ve achieved a lot of things that people talk about in terms of a breadth of representation — viewpoints, experiences, geography, gender, ethnicity,” he says. Hernandez notes that it is easier for consumer-based companies to achieve a culture of diversity because must they must have a closer, deeper understanding of their constituents. As an example, Hernandez suggests that non-retail medical device manufactur-ers do not have the same direct, obvious connection to actual product users as the manufacturers of food products.

For those professionals who are preparing and position-ing themselves for board service, Hernandez’s advice is simple: “Be excellent at what you do and engage.” As a young professional, Hernandez did not aspire to board service; how-ever, opportunities to serve on boards came about over time through the reputation he built as a business leader, through visibility from community service and through personal rela-tionships he formed with influential leaders.

For those companies that are dealing directly with the consumer, it is an imperative to be connected to the consumer,” he says. “The consumer is smarter these days, and if they see a company that’s not inclusive of them, they’re going to be less inclined to purchase there.

We’re looking for people that can contribute to our strategy in that segment and help us be the winners of that segment. ”

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Latino Leaders 2014

Board List

Latino Leaders 2014

Board List

Latino Leaders 2014

Board List

ARCILIA ACOSTA

FERNANDO AGUIRRE

HUMBERTO ALFONSO

DONNA ALVARADO

JOSEPH ALVARADO

LINDA ALVARADO

AIDAAIDA ALVAREZ

GIANNELLA ALVAREZ

JOSÉ ALVAREZ

RAUL "RALPH" ALVAREZ

LUIS ARANGUREN-TRELLEZ

ANTONIO ARENAS

DAN ARVIZU

PEDROPEDRO ASPE

XAVIER AVILA

ORLANDO AYALA

MARIO BAEZA

ABELARDO BRU

ANNA CABLIK

ANGEL CABRERA

ROELROEL CAMPOS

CLAUDE CANIZARES

CARLOS CARDOSO

RICHARD CARMONA

RICHARD CARRION

GILBERT CASELLAS

KIMBERLY CASIANO

THOMASTHOMAS CASTRO

MICHAEL CAVE

JUAN CENTO

FRANKLIN CHANG DIAZ

JAIME CHICO-PARDO

MICHAEL CHU

EUGENIO CLARIOND REYES-RETANA

ARMANDOARMANDO CODINA

CRISTÓBAL CONDE

DEIRDRE CONNELLY

JUAN JOSE SUAREZ COPPLE

FRANCE CÓRDOVA

JUAN ERNESTO DE BEDOUT

RALPH DE LA VEGA

NELSONNELSON DIAZ

PAUL DIAZ

PATRICIA DIAZ DENNIS

CARI DOMINGUEZ

MICHAEL DOMINGUEZ

RUBEN ESCOBEDO

OSCAR FANJUL

MANUELMANUEL FERNANDEZ

CARLOS FERNANDEZ GONZALEZ

FRANCISCO JAVIER FERNÁNDEZ-CARBAJAL

JUAN FIGUEREO

JOHN FIGUEROA

JUAN GALLARDO

CHARLES GARCIA

FABIANFABIAN GARCIA

HECTOR GARCIA-MOLINA

ANDRÉS GLUSKI

EVERARDO GOYANES

LINDA GRIEGO

CARLOS GUTIERREZ

CHARLES HERINGTON

ROBERTROBERT HERNANDEZ

ROLAND HERNANDEZ

WILLIAM HERNANDEZ

SALLY HERNANDEZ-PIÑERO

ENRIQUE HERNANDEZ JR.

ALBERTO IBARGÜEN

ENERGY FUTURE HOLDINGS

AETNA

EASTMAN CHEMICAL

CSX CORRECTION CORPORATION OF AMERICA

SPECTRA ENERGY COMMERCIAL METALS

3M PITNEy BOWES

WALMART UNION BANKWALMART UNION BANK

DOMTAR

TJX

ELI LILLY LOWE'S

INGREDION

SPECTRUM GROUP INTERNATIONAL

STATE FARM INSURANCE CO

THE McGRAW-HILL COMPANIESTHE McGRAW-HILL COMPANIES

LAND O LAKES

CENTENE

AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICALS

KIMBERLY-CLARK KRAFT

BB&T CORPORATION

PETSMART

WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC.WELLCARE HEALTH PLANS, INC.

L-3 COMMUNICATIONS

STANLEY BLACK & DECKER

THE CLOROX COMPANY

VERIZON COMMUNICATIONS

PRUDENTIAL

FORD MOTOR COMPANY

TIME WARNER CABLETIME WARNER CABLE

HARLEY DAVIDSON

ASSURANT

CUMMINS

AT&T HONEYWELL

SEALED AIR

JOHNSON CONTROLS

AMERICAN AIRLINES THE HOME DEPOTAMERICAN AIRLINES THE HOME DEPOT

MASS MUTUAL

MACY'S

JACOB'S ENGINEERING

EDISON INTERNATIONAL SAIC

VF

NEW YORK LIFE INSURANCE

EXELONEXELON

DAVITA KINDRED HEALTHCARE

MASSACHUSETTS MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE

MANPOWER

CDW

VALERO ENERGY

MARSH & McLENNAN

SYSCOSYSCO

EMERSON ELECTRIC

VISA

PVH

RELIANCE STEEL & ALUMINUM CO

CATERPILLAR

WINN-DIXIE STORES

KIMBERLY-CLARKKIMBERLY-CLARK

ORACLE

AES CLIFFS NATURAL RESOURCES

PLAINS ALL AMERICAN PIPELINE

AECOM TECHNOLOGIES CBS

TIME WARNER CABLE

NII HOLDINGS

EASTMAN CHEMICALEASTMAN CHEMICAL

MGM RESORTS INTERNATIONAL U.S. BANCORP

EASTMAN KODAK

CONSOLIDATED EDISON

CHEVRON McDONALD'S NORDSTROM

AMERICAN AIRLINES PEPSICO

ANTHONY IBARGÜEN

JOSEPH JIMENEZ

MERCEDES JOHNSON

MARIA ELENA LAGOMASINO

GRACE LIEBLEIN

JANIECE LONGORIA

NANCYNANCY LOPEZ KNIGHT

MONICA LOZANO

JOSE MARIA AZNAR

SARA MARTINEZ TUCKER

ROMAN MARTINEZ, IV

ROBERTO MENDOZA

EDUARDO MESTRE

CARLOSCARLOS MIGOYA

J. MARIO MOLINA

JOHN MOLINA

JORGE MONTOYA

ANGEL MORALES

ALBERT MORENO

GEORGE MUÑOZ

OSCAROSCAR MUÑOZ

ELSA MURANO

HECTOR NEVARES-LA COSTA

LUIS NIETO

LUIS NOGALES

HILDA OCHOA-BRILLEMBOURG

ARMANDO OLIVERA

ROSENDOROSENDO PARRA

GEORGE PAZ

FEDERICO PEÑA

ANTONIO PEREZ

EDITH PEREZ

WILLIAM PEREZ

IGNACIO PEREZ LIZAUR

RAMIRORAMIRO PERU

J. PAUL RAINES

ROGELIO REBOLLEDO

CARLOS REPRESAS

JOSÉ OCTAVIO REYES LAGUNES

RICHARD RIVERA

JOSUE ROBLES JR.

CARLOSCARLOS RODRIGUEZ

EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ

RAMON RODRIGUEZ

RITA RODRIGUEZ

FRANCISCO ROS PERÁN

FRANCESCA RUIZ DE LUZURIAGA

CARLOS SALADRIGAS

KEN KEN SALAZAR

ENRIQUE SALEM

ROBERT S ANCHEZ

GLORIA SANTONA

MARIA SASTRE

ALEJANDRO SILVA

MARCO ANTONIO SLIM DOMIT

CARLOSCARLOS SL IM HELÚ

JAVIER TERUEL

MARTA TIENDA

SOLOMON TRUJILLO

ANTONIO URCELAY

ÁLVARO URIBE

NINA VACA

RAULRAUL VASQUEZ

DANIEL VILLANUEVA

JOSE VILLARREAL

ANTHONY VINCIQUERRA

NATICA VON ALTHANN

LORENZO ZAMBRANO

ALBERT ZAPANTA

ERNESTOERNESTO ZEDILLO

Names Names BoardsBoardsINSIGHT ENTERPRISES

COLGATE-PALMOLIVE

MICRON TECHNOLOGY

AVON PRODUCTS COCA-COLA

HONEYWELL INTERNATIONAL

CENTERPOINT ENERGY

J.M. SMUCKERJ.M. SMUCKER

BANK OF AMERICA WALT DISNEY COMPANY

NEWS CORP

AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER XEROX SPRINT

ALLIANT TECHSYSTEMS CIGNA BARCARDI LIMITED

MANPOWER WESTERN UNION

AVIS BUDGET GROUP COMCAST

AUTONATIONAUTONATION

MOLINA HEALTHCARE

MOLINA HEALTHCARE

GAP KROGER

HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS

XCEL ENERGY

ALTRIA GROUP ANIXTER MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL

UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGSUNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS

HORMEL FOODS

DEAN FOODS

AUTOZONE RYDER SYSTEMS

EDISON INTERNATIONAL

GENERAL MILLS THE McGRAW-HILL COMPANIES

FLUOR

NII HOLDINGS PG&E CORPORATIONNII HOLDINGS PG&E CORPORATION

EXPRESS SCRIPTS HONEYWELL

WELLS FARGO

EASTMAN KODAK

CON-WAY INC.

JOHNSON & JOHNSON WHIRLPOOL

NEWELL RUBBERMAID

WELLPOINTWELLPOINT

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS GAMESTOP

KELLOGG THE CLOROX COMPANY

MERCK

MASTERCARD

WINN-DIXIE STORES

DTE ENERGY USAA

AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSINGAUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING

ONEOK

REPUBLIC SERVICES ALICO

PVH

QUALCOMM

OFFICEMAX

ADVANCE AUTO PARTS DUKE ENERGY

TARGETTARGET

AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESSING

RYDER SYSTEMS TEXAS INSTRUMENTS

AON

DARDEN RESTAURANTS PUBLIX SUPERMARKETS

WALGREEN

BLACKROCK

PHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONALPHILIP MORRIS INTERNATIONAL

JC PENNEY STARBUCKS

TIAA-CREF

WESTERN UNION

TOYS 'R' US

NEWS CORP

KOHL'S COMERICA BANK

STAPLESSTAPLES

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES TELEMUNDO

UNION PACIFIC

DIRECTV

PPL

IBM

TYSON FOODS

ALCOA CITIGROUP PROCTOR & GAMBLEALCOA CITIGROUP PROCTOR & GAMBLE

INFLUENTIAL BOARD MEMBERS OF 2014

All directors must make tough decisions. It goes with the job. They understand that in certain situations, difficult and timely decisions must be made in the best interests of the organizations they serve - decisions that require a firmness, authority, and finality that will not please everyone. Extraordinary leaders don’t hesitate in such situations. They also know when not to act unilaterally but instead foster collaborative

decision making.Our 2014 highlighted directors are ones with foresight and adaptability, who do not rule from a manual but rather customize a culture that is specific to each corporation, its mission and the personality of its work force. The very best leaders are sources of positive energy, communicate clearly, concisely and motivate everyone to give their

best all the time. We have taken a look at the new trends in leadership, eyeing the shift in thinking that is necessary to nurture Corporate America in the modern age. These six leaders have gone the extra mile to take the corporations they serve to new heights through skillful command with a dynamic, collaborative approach. Congratulations to our six

featured influential directors of the year. Lead on.


Story by Mariana GutierrezContributed photos

lat inoleaders.com

MARIA ELENA LAGOMASINOA respected leader, Maria Elena was named Hispanic Business Woman of the Year by Hispanic Business magazine in 2007. She is the chief executive officer and founding partner of WE Family Offices. Previously she was CEO of Gens ring Family Offices, a multi-family office that was originally estab-lished in 1989 as Asset Management Advisors (AMA). Maria Elena is a recognized leader in the wealth man-agement industry who has also served as chairwoman and Chief Executive Officer of JPMorgan Private Bank, an institution with more than $300 billion in client as-sets under supervision. Her career in banking began in 1977 at Citibank. She serves on the boards of the Coca Cola Company and Avon Products, where her global perspective and international marketing experience have proven significant assets as both corporations continue to implement global growth strategies.

ABELARDO BRUAbelard Bru is retired and capped a 28-year career with PepsiCo joining the company in 1976 and ultimately serving as president and CEO of Frito-Lay North America. Beginning his career with PepsiCo as a maintenance manager and rising up through the ranks with significant experience in operations, sales and marketing, he embodies the American success story. His excellent record of leadership is grounded in careful strategic thinking and his strong experience in corporate governance was gained through business experience. He has been a director of Kraft Foods Group Inc. since October 1, 2012, an outside director of Kimberly-Clark Corporation since September 1, 2005 and director of Direct TV since May 2013. He is also director of the Education is Freedom Foundation and previously served on the SC Johnson and Office Depot boards. Bru’s leadership experience in consumer products and international markets, along with his marketing, sales and operations expertise is deemed invaluable to the global growth strategies of the companies for which he serves as board member.

JOSÉ OCTAVIO REYES LAGUNES Reyes is the former vice chairman of the Coca-Cola Export Corporation, a position in which he served from January 2013 until his retirement in March 2014. He was president, Latin America Group at the Coca-Cola Company, from December 2002 to December 2012. Mr. Reyes began his career at the Coca-Cola Company in 1980 at Coca-Cola de México as Manager of Strategic Planning, becoming president of Coca-Cola de México in 1996. In September 2002, Reyes was named president of the North Latin America Division at Coca-Cola, comprising Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining Coca-Cola, Reyes spent five years with Grupo IRSA, a Monsanto Company joint venture. Reyes currently serves as a director of MasterCard, Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. and as a director and member of the Nomination Committee and Social Responsibility Committee of Coca-Cola HBC AG. He has also been a member of the board of directors of Comex Paints since 2006 and is a member of the board of directors of Papalote Children’s Museum in Mexico City. His global perspective and strategic planning have been recognized as key assets for his duties as director.

DEIRDRE CONNELLYDeirdre Connelly is president of North America Pharmaceuti-cals at GlaxoSmithKline and a member of the Harvard University Public Health Policy Council. From June 2005 through January 2009, Con-nelly served as President - U.S. Operations of Eli Lilly and Company where she launched her career in 2001 as a leader for Women’s Health Business. Connelly was recognized as the 2010 Woman of the Year by the Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association and was also recognized for three consecutive years by Fortune maga-zine as one of the 50 most powerful women in business. Connelly is a respected leader in health care whose in-tense commitment to the patient has long driven her to foster innovation within the pharmaceutical industry. She was elected to the Macy’s Inc. Board of Directors in 2008. Described as “An accomplished business executive with deep insight into building strong organizations and marketing to defined customer segments,” her valuable input has been key as Macy’s intensifies their focus on Hispanic customers, and executes a strategy for tailoring merchandise assortments to the local customer .

GEORGE MUÑOZMuñoz has been a principal in the Washington, D.C.-based investment banking firm Mu-ñoz Investment Banking Group, LLC since 2001. He has also been a partner in the Chicago-based law firm Tobin, Petkus & Muñoz LLC (now Tobin & Muñoz) since 2002. He served as president and CEO of Over-seas Private Investment Corporation from 1997 to January 2001. Muñoz was chief financial officer and assistant secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department from 1993 until 1997. Muñoz is a certified public ac-countant and an attorney. He is a director of Marriott, Altria Group Inc. and Anixter International, Inc. He also serves on the board of trustees of the National Geographic Society. His extensive knowledge in the fields of finance and accounting, investment banking, legal and corporate governance and audit oversight experience gained from his successful career and membership on the boards and audit committees of other public companies, make him an extremely valu-able asset to the boards he currently advises.

ENRIQUE HERNANDEZ JR.Enrique Hernandez Jr. has been chairman of the board, chief executive officer and president of Inter-Con Secu-rity Systems Inc., a global provider of physical and facil-ity security services to local, state, federal and foreign governments; utilities and major corporations since 1986. He is now a director of McDonald’s Corporation, Nordstrom Inc., Wells Fargo & Company and Chevron Corporation. Hernandez brings to these boards exten-sive board and senior executive experience in interna-tional business as a result of his nearly 29-year career with Inter-Con Security Systems, Inc., and as a director of several large public companies in various industries. He has significant financial expertise gained as a former member of the boards and audit committees of Great Western Financial Corporation from 1993 to 1997 and Washington Mutual Inc. from 1997 to 2002. Hernandez also provides expertise in international security from his role leading Inter-Con Security Systems, as well as expertise in communications and community affairs from his role as co-founder of Interspan Communica-tions, a television broadcasting company serving Span-ish-language audiences.

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Story by Pablo Schneider and Kristin SchneiderContributed photos


Over the past six years, as special editor of the annual boards edition, I have had the honor of featuring many examples of amazing Hispanic leaders as strong board candidates. A cross-section of candidates featured who serve on corporate boards includes:

Strong Board Candidates

•Arcilia Acosta, Chairman and CEO, CARCON Industries.Director, Energy Future Holdings, Director, Vision Bank

•Ralph de la Vega, President & CEO, AT&T Mobility. Director, New York Life

•Irene Esteves, Director, TW Telecom

•Janiece Longoria, Partner, Ogden, Gibson, Broocks, Longoria & Hall, LLP. Director, CenterPoint Energy

•Mike Montelongo, SVP and CAO, Sodexo. Director, UniTek Global Services

•Paul Raines, CEO, GameStop. Director, Advance Auto Parts

•Darren Rebelez, EVP and COO, 7-Eleven. Director, Torchmark

•Nina Vaca, Chairman and CEO, Pinnacle Inc. and Provade. Director, Comerica. Director, Kohl’s

What can we learn from these eight individuals about how they came to serve on corporate boards? Perhaps we canreverse-engineer their journeys a bit to learn how they did it. While each person is unique, there are some com-mon threads among these eight impressive leaders. Each person is outstanding in his or her chosen field. Ralph de la Vega, Irene Esteves, Mike Montelongo, Paul Raines and Darren Rebelez all have impressive careers in corporate America. All of them have extensive experience in leader-ship at the senior executive level. Aricilia Acosta, Janiece Longoria and Nina Vaca each have impressive careers as business owners and professionals. Each of the eight individuals already had a strong track record of years of nonprofit, private and/or governmental board experience prior to being elected to corporate boards. Each of these

corporate directors had excellent preparation and position-ing for board service. They became known to influential individuals who recommend board candidates. Personal relationships and word of mouth have been vital to their advancement into senior leadership roles and into the corporate board room.

What are corporate boards looking for in candidates today? According to the 2013-14 National Association of Corporate Directors – Public Company Governance Survey, the top attributes and experiences that corporate boards are looking for include the following, in order of importance:

1.Financial Expertise2.Specific Industry Experience3.Leadership Experience4.International/Global Experience5.Diversity6.Strategy Development7.Corporate Governance8.Technological Expertise9.Information Technology10.Marketing11.Risk Assessment12.Government Experience13.Medical/Scientific Expertise14.Legal Expertise15.Human Resources

Here are current examples of six strong board candi-dates. Each one of these individuals in outstanding in their chosen field, has a good track record of board service, is well prepared and positioned and has significant social capital in the form of relationships with influential leaders. I wouldn’t be surprised if these individuals are tapped to serve on major nonprofit, private, governmental and public boards – wheth-er in the short-, mid- or long run.

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Xavier GutierrezChief Investment Officer, The Meruelo GroupPresident and Chief Investment Officer, Meruelo Investment Partners

Most important attributes and experiences: Financial expertise,

specific industry experience, leadership experience, diversity, strategy development, corporate governance and legal expertise

As a seasoned financial and investment expert, Xavier Guti-errez has extensive experience in investment management, finance, business development, law and institutional capital markets. He is the chief investment officer of Meruelo Group as well as the president and chief investment officer of its in-vestment affiliate, Meruelo Investment Partners. He oversees investments and acquisitions, deal origination, underwriting, execution and capital sourcing. Gutierrez also plays an inte-gral role in the strategic management of the Meruelo Group’s 29 affiliated companies across 10 primary industries. His prior positions include principle and managing director with Phoenix Realty Group and financial analyst at the investment bank Lehman Brothers. Gutierrez also has significant board experience, including current positions on Sizmek (NASDAQ: SZMK), Commercial Bank of California, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Artemis Real Estate Partners. Gutierrez has a Bachelor of Arts in government, cum laude, from Harvard University and a juris doctorate from Stanford Law School.

Hernan LopezPresident and CEOFOX International Channels

Most important attributes and experiences: specific industry expe-rience, leadership experience, inter-national/global experience, diversity and strategy development

Hernan Lopez serves as the president and CEO of FOX In-ternational Channels, an international multichannel television organization that serves 1.6 billion subscribers worldwide with brands such as Fox, National Geographic Channel and Star Movies. A strong leader in the entertainment industry, Lopez has been credited with Fox’s turnaround and expansion plans as well as the expansion of Fox’s offerings to include chan-nels such as Fox Sports Brazil and MundoFox. He previously served as the chief operating officer of Fox, and prior to Fox, he worked for Argentinean media companies such as Canal 9 and Cablevision. Lopez serves on the boards of National Geographic Channels International, GLAAD and as chairman of Eredivisie Media and Marketing. He is highly acclaimed, named among the CableFax 100 Cable Top Power Players in the U.S. every year since 2011.

Maritza Gomez MontielRetired U.S. Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Vice ChairmanDeloitte

Most important attributes and experiences: financial expertise, specific industry experience, leader-

ship experience, diversity, strategy development, corporate governance and risk assessment

A strong leader with more than 35 years of experience in professional services, Maritza Gomez has a proved track record across numerous industries as a financial and audit expert. As Deloitte’s U.S. deputy CEO and vice chairman, Gomez was responsible for strategic work and initiatives on behalf of the U.S. CEO. She is the creator of Deloitte’s Government Relations strategy, builder of the Enterprise Risk Management function, and leader of the transformation of the Federal Government Services practice. Her extensive board service includes seats on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative, Deloitte USA LLP and Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. Gomez’ passion and ex-perience have been recognized through numerous awards and speeches such as the Business Women’s Leadership Tribute Award and the Washingtonian’s 100 Most Powerful Women list. She has a bachelor’s degree in business administration in accounting from the University of Miami and is a certified pro-fessional accountant in both Washington, D.C. and in Florida.

Rick RamirezSenior Vice President of Tar-geted MarketingWarner Bros. Pictures

Most important attributes and experiences: specific industry experience, leadership experience, international/global experience,

diversity, strategy development, marketing and legal expertise

Rick Ramirez is a seasoned marketing executive with over 20 years of experience in media, entertainment, strat-egy, digital customer engagement and corporate law. As senior vice president of Targeted Marketing of the Warner Bros. Pictures Worldwide Marketing Department, Ramirez is responsible for overseeing the specialized marketing efforts directed towards Hispanic, African American, Asian American and other targeted audiences. At Warner Bros. Pictures, he has marketed over 85 movies including major hits such as the “Harry Potter” movies, “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Gravity.” Previously, Ramirez held a senior executive role at Fox Entertainment Group, where he led the strategy and developed best practices for Fox’s multicultural marketing, executing across all Fox brands. He also served in a senior leadership role at Phil Roman Entertainment, where he over-

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saw business affairs and managed domestic and international co-productions deals. He has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a juris doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin. He practiced corporate law prior to working in media and entertainment.

Gina SanchezChairwoman and FounderChantico Global

Most important attributes and experiences: financial expertise, specific industry experience, leader-ship experience, international/global experience, strategy development

and risk assessment

Gina Sanchez brings her expertise to the table as the chairwoman and founder of Chantico Global LLC, an organiza-tion specializing in customized asset allocations solutions for diverse clients with $58 billion is assets globally. She also is a contributor and guest host for CNBC and a regular on the daily financial show “Talking Numbers.” Before founding Chantico Global as a spin-off of Roubini Global Economics in 2013, Sanchez held a variety of positions in asset allocation and finance including managing director at Ford Foundation and institutional asset manager at the California Endowment. Her achievements have been recognized with awards such as the Institutional Investor’s 2009 Foundations and Endow-ments Rising Stars Award. Sanchez has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard and a master’s degree in interna-tional policy studies from Stanford.

Betty UribeExecutive Vice President, Per-sonal and Business BankingCalifornia Bank & Trust

Most important attributes and experiences: financial expertise, spe-cific industry experience, leadership

experience, diversity and strategy development

Betty Uribe has more than 25 years of experience in the financial services industry. As executive vice president of personal and business banking at California Bank & Trust, she is responsible for the majority of the California branches and multiple business lending teams for a bank with over 100 branches and over $10 billion in assets. Uribe formerly held executive positions at both Wells Fargo and Comerica, where she built her expertise in marketing, risk assessment, retail banking and strategic planning. Her belief in the importance of community involvement is shown through her extensive

nonprofit board service and community leadership. She has been recognized as one of the Most Prominent Latinas in L.A. by Univision and as one of Hispanic Business Magazine’s Top 25 Corporate Elite. She also has been featured as a top financial services expert on a number of television and radio shows. Uribe has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Diego State University, an executive MBA in finance and strategy from Pepperdine and a doctorate in organizational leadership from Pepperdine. Uribe received the University’s American Spirit Award for her outstanding professional achievements and dedicated public service.

Each of the eight individuals already had a strong track record of years of nonprofit, private and/or governmental board experience prior to being elected to corporate boards. Each of these corporate directors had excellent preparation and positioning for board service. They became known to influential individuals who recommend board candidates.

Story by Carlos AnchondoContributed photos

“To this day, I get on an airplane, and my mood changes,” says Ferri. “Just being in the cabin is something that I really enjoy.”

A native of Montevideo, Uruguay, Ferri entered the aviation industry from the bottom, starting as a customer service agent for Pan American World Airways at a time when airline jobs were not easy to come by in the region. While Ferri has certainly come a long way from scheduling reservations, he says that beginning at the bottom rung of the ladder has given him some valuable insight over the years.

“Starting from the bottom allowed me to understand the industry from the ground up,” says Ferri. “Today, I still think back to my days of ticketing, to customers at the desk, to working on the ramp – those experiences are what gives you that 360 degree view of how the business works.”

In his role as vice president, Ferri not only oversees Delta’s commercial activities in the region but also supervises Delta’s alliances with Aeromexico, Aerolineas Argentinas, the partner-ship with GOL in Brazil and the joint venture agreement with Air France-KLM in Mexico, according to Delta.

This January, Ferri celebrates his four-year anniversary at Delta. Part of what drew him to the airline, Ferri says, is the “DNA of the company,” the culture that truly makes the company a unique place to work.

“The culture here is what makes Delta special,”

Nicolas Ferri loves takeoffs. The adrenaline, the rush - it never tires him.Ferri, Delta Airlines’ vice president for Latin America and the Caribbean, says flying is something that he has loved from an early age, when he used to play with toy airplanes rather than toy cars.

In full flight with Nicolas Ferri


says Ferri. “From Day One, you really feel it – in the hallways, in how people treat each other. It’s the values that we all share: honesty, integrity, a mutual respect.”

Ferri says that the “value-centric” atmosphere of the company is felt throughout, and he claims that it is impossible to create and operate a business with the magnitude of Delta without focusing on a shared set of core values. “It starts from within,” adds Ferri. “It’s what I like to call our secret salsa.”

Admittedly, Ferri says that the Latin American and Caribbean division is at a different stage than the remainder of Delta’s counterparts. Ferri calls this stage “foundational” and says that while his branch is

in a building phase, that value-centric Delta spirit still persists so that the needs of the customer are compre-hensively understood and addressed. Ferri cites a focus to transform the product and the service his division offers to be most in tune with the expectations of the Latin American customer.

An initiative that Ferri is particularly proud of is an internal one called Somos Delta, which translates to “We are Delta.” Developed in 2012, this growing initia-tive analyzes every element of the Delta travel experi-ence but through the Latin American perspective. Ferri says that the goal of this project is to retain the flavor of Latin America while remaining a strong and proud United States charter.

For Ferri, it’s the little things and attention to detail that make the difference.

“It is having a magazine with a section written in Spanish, with food served that is specific to the region, with making sure the flight attendants speak the language,” says Ferri. “It is going directly to the customer and getting involved in the community.”

Listening to Ferri, his passion for flight and for Delta is palpable. Ferri describes a simple yet admi-rable goal for his division: “to simply be the best.”

“The overarching goal that we all share and rally behind is to be the best U.S. carrier offering service be-tween the U.S. and Latin America and the Caribbean,”’ says Ferri. “This guides us in everything that we do. It’s not about being the biggest, but the best.”

This dedication to delivering a quality prod-uct is a result of the work ethic instilled in Ferri as a young boy back in Uruguay. While Ferri said that there were no “end-zone celebrations” in his household, from an early age he learned simple yet valuable tenets: always telling the truth and treating others as you would like to be treated. These precepts continue to guide him in the work he does today.

For Ferri, the key to happiness in the workplace is finding something that you are passionate about and working hard. “Someone once told me,” Ferri says, recalling a tough period at work, “‘that when you start having fun at work, A) you will know it, and B) your outlook will change.’ I think that the rest follows.” .

“The culture here is what makes Delta special,” says Ferri. “From Day One, you really feel it – in the hallways, in how people treat each other. It’s the values that we all share: honesty, integrity, a mutual respect.”

After An hour of mingling, the awards ceremony began.Jorge Ferraez, the publisher of Latino Leaders Magazine,

greeted the audience with opening remarks, welcoming ev-eryone to the 6th annual Maestro Awards in Chicago.

He also thanked the individuals and organizations that had opened their arms for Latino Leaders and made this event possible: El Valor, Southwest, Northwestern Mu-tual, St. Augustine College and Shore Consulting.

“The awards ceremony is to celebrate mae-stros – those that have mastered their craft and rep-resent leadership at its finest,” Ferraez said.

“We are storytellers of success,” Ferraez remarked. “And Chicago has been vital in providing stories of success.”

New Editor-in-Chief Esther Perez introduced the maestros, saying, “Tonight we celebrate voices – voices that have risen above the rest, that have struck a chord within society. Tonight, we have the great privilege of celebrating these four individuals, our maestros.”

Presented with the support from:

Entrepreneurship: Juan Gabriel Moreno

Community Service: Olga Camargo

Scientific and Medical Excellence: Juan Alzate

Leadership: Juan Andrade Jr.


events Maestro

chicagoJune 11, 2014InterContinental Hotel

On the evening of June 11, 2014, the InterContinental Hotel on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile welcomed a multitude of members in the Chicago Latino community. A delighted din continued throughout the night as people sipped on wine and chatted with friends old and new. Attendees commented that they “loved networking with other members of the community” and “the chance to meet new people.” Other attendees mentioned that the event was “inspirational” and one they had looked forward to attending.

By Christina ZamBonPhotos by aJ Kane

chicagoMaestro

Olga CamargoAIF, Managing Partner of TOROSOMaestro of Community Service, presented by El ValorManaging Partner of TOROSO Investment Group, Olga Camargo has devoted her career to showing others the pathway to success. As the daughter of immigrants and entrepreneurs, she watched the struggles her mother experienced running a bridal shop. Inspired by her mom’s words: “You’ve got to establish relationships first. The business will follow,” she puts relationships at the forefront of everything she does. She always knew that she wanted to use her degree in business to do something to contribute to her community and has become an expert in helping Latinos understand, navigate, and succeed financially.She says that the hardest part of her career was to understand and

pinpoint what it was she wanted to do. “How am I going to define that?” she asked herself. Then, after that, it was about finding the path that would eventually carry it out. Thanks to many people in the finan-cial industry vouching for her and supporting her, she found her way.

Camargo speaks with Jorge Ferraez in an interview.

From left to right,Juan Gabriel

Moreno,Olga Camargo, Juan Alzate and

Juan Andrade Jr.were honored as

Latino Leaders Magazine’s 2014

Chicago Maestros.

Juan Gabriel MorenoAIA, President of JGMA Maestro for Entrepreneurship, presented by Northwestern MutualBorn in Bogotá, Colombia, Juan Gabriel Moreno’s parents moved to Los Angeles when he was very young to pur-sue the American Dream. After his parents split, his father moved back to Colombia, but his mother knew there was more opportunity in this country. Though it wasn’t easy as a single mother, she was determined to make it work. Her dedication and work ethic has inspired his own career.“You have to have a lot of support; you have to

have a lot of people who believe in you.”In 2010, Moreno founded his own firm, JGMA,

and has since then acquired over 22 awards.“I was tired of complaining about wanting things to

change but never actually doing anything about it.”

62 • June 2013

Dr. Juan AlzateMD, Neurosurgeon, American Center for Spine and Neurosurgery Maestro for Scientific and Medical Excellence, presented by St. Augustine CollegeAnother native of Colombia, Dr. Juan Alzate was born and raised in Cali, Colombia. He grew up in a close-knit family and through that experience learned the importance of human connection. He put himself through school and graduated with honors. At age 30, he moved to the States and “had to redo [his] training all over again.” His move paid off: His career has brought him from New York City to Berlin and now Chicago. He is regarded as a groundbreaking neurosurgeon and has had a remarkable career in the fields of medicine and research. Known as “the neurosurgeon with the heart of gold,” Alzate says, “I cry five times a week, minimum.” His goal is to change one life at a time.

Juan Gabriel Moreno Dr. Juan Alzate

Camargo, second from right, with family and friends

Andrade, wearing his trademark cowboy hat, with family

Maestro

chicago


Dr. Juan Andrade Jr.President of United States Hispanic Leadership Institute Maestro of Leadership, presented by SouthwestPresident of United States Hispanic Leadership Institute, Dr. Juan Andrade Jr. is one of the most decorated Latinos in U.S. history. With five degrees and five honorary doctorates, his story began humbly in South Texas. Hailing from Brown-wood, he picked cotton and tended to weeds to pay his way through college. His involvement in the farm workers’ move-ment prompted him to become a “voice for the voiceless”.“I was in the right place at the right time, as a baby boomer. A

lot was happening. So I came into a generation of dreamers. We dared to dream that we could empower our communities.”He says his parents inspired him – raised by good, hardwork-

ing parents who him how to work. He founded the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute because there was nothing of its kind that helped Latinos develop as leaders. “We have the right to give our community the right to choose what they want to do.”

“Latinos need that assurance that they can do it, that they can become leaders. What can we do to give them the self confidence that they can succeed?” An-drade states. “You can become whatever you want to become! You only fail when you quit trying.”The night ended with a winemaker’s toast. The wine in-

dustry in Napa, California, is an industry dominated by Latinos – because they are the ones picking the grapes. Some have gone on to start wineries and create their own product. Ceja Vineyards and Delgadillo Cellars are two of these Latino-owned wineries… and they’ve done well. In just 5 years, they achieved the highest awards a wine critic can give. Ignacio Delgadillo Jr., vinter, led the toast. Ferraez ended the nights with these comments, the

very purpose of these events: “We need to advance our community and create more leaders for the future.”

Dr. Juan Andrade Jr.

Maestro medals

Our awardees

Jorge Ferraez

www.twitter.com/JFerraez_Latino

is Drinking What Jorge Ferraez

Yes, I have to confess that I’m 50 this year, and although is hard to believe it, I don’t have any regret. However, to avoid depression, after analyzing many options I decided to do many little celebrations instead of throwing a huge party. Because of my enthusiasm for wine, I decided to search for wine from my own vintage: 1964.

Although it was not easy at all due to the weakness of the 64 vintage in many regions, the first one was found in a shop in Dallas; a chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1964. I walked out of the shop with a bottle wrapped like if it was a baby, but with the warning that it might not be good. Still, I took it to one of my wine friend’s dinners expecting no more than an old, oxidized wine. We opened the bottle as if we were performing surgery, and after looking at the cork and taking some sips and smells, our surprise was huge. The wine was beautiful – with mocha and red ripe fruit and some prune, coffee and wood at the end.

The second one was found in one of my favorite wine shops in L.A. – a Rioja faustino I Gran Reserva 1964. When I eyed it, I immediately asked the clerk who told me that the wine was on hold for a customer. “We had a couple of these bottles last night here at a wine tasting and the wine is fantastic.”

I continued browsing, and after answering some calls, the clerk came to me and said: “If you still want it, I can sell it to you. The customer doesn’t want it anymore.” And with a wide smile on my face, I walked out of the shop with my second found treasure. That one was opened with some other friends at a tasting, and the wine was absolutely fantastic: delicate, plum, berries and nutty, silky and deep still evolving with toasted coffee bean notes at the end.

The third one was shared with me on the birthday party of one of my best friends, a delicious and also hard-to-find Paul Jaboulet aine hermitage “La chapelle” 1964, delicious, with almost pale red shines and raisin, herbal, toasted coffee notes. After these three great wine experiences, with 5 more months to go before my 51st birthday, I still want to find a fine Port from the 64 vintage (any recommendations?). But perhaps the most enjoyable aspect are the actual experiences with friends in discovering these wines. That’s what counts

opus one 2010(a present from a good friend visiting us)

Region: Napa Valleyvarietal: Bordeaux-style blendPrice: $210aromas: Green pepper, red fruit, leatherflavors: Mocha, red currant, chocolateImpression: Very Bordeaux!structure: Balanced and roundDrink with: A delicate steak-based dishWhy I loved this wine? An elegant and impressive Napa wineMy Rating: 96 pts.

Celebrating 50!

vina Quebrada de Macul “Domus aurea” 2003(this came from the cellar on a sunday barbecue with friends)

Region: Maipo Valley, Chilevarietal: Cabernet SauvignonPrice: $58aromas: Plum, chocolate and spiceflavors: Red ripe fruit, currant and coffeeImpression: Big and maturestructure: Deep, round, layeredDrink with: Some grilled steaksWhy I loved this wine? Elegant, silky and yet bold.My Rating: 93 pts.

trivento Malbec Golden Reserve 2012(tasted at winery in Mendoza, argentina)

Region: Lujan de Cuyo, Mendozavarietal: MalbecPrice: $22aromas: Red and black fruit, peppery flavors: Cherry, vanilla, forest berriesImpression: sweet tanninsstructure: balanced, bigDrink with: Some asado de tira with chimichurri sauce!Why I loved this wine? Round, easy to drink and still succulentMy Rating: 90 pts.


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gadillo said. “That stuck with me,” he added. “I wanted to be able to give back to others and help others, too.”

Delgadillo graduated with a business administration de-gree and went to work as a consultant. The job was okay, but something was missing. About seven years ago, a good friend suggested he consider financial services. It was a great fit. “This [job] was something I could do where I could really impact people’s lives and still take care of my family as a father and husband,” Delgadillo said.

Today, as a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual, he works with clients in the Hispanic community, which he believes has been underserved when it comes to financial planning. “There are not as many advisors who work with Hispanic clients in general, and I have seen people who just didn’t know what to do as far as financial planning.” Delgadillo believes that in many cases, people in the Hispanic community just haven’t been exposed to it. He certainly wasn’t when he was growing up.

“I have clients who had not taken care of retirement or protected their family’s financial needs, and I got to see them go from a path that would have led them to work-ing past retirement to a place where they are on track and financially secure. They’re doing it, and that’s rewarding.”

Delgadillo is also very involved in his community. Through work with the United Way, he has been able to support Hispanic professionals and help college students advance their careers. He’s the co-chairman of Northwestern Mutual’s diversity and inclusion committee. In August, Delgadillo was named board president of the Hispanic Professionals of Greater Milwaukee.

“It’s been incredibly important to me to give back, and it’s one of the important reasons I choose to do what I do.

“I love the story of how my grandfather immigrated and worked in tanneries to support his family,” he said. “My grandmother raised eight children and worked at night as a cleaning lady, and they raised kids that went on to become carpenters, captains in the sheriff department and fire-fighters and professors and directors of corporations.

“ThaT’s The american dream.”Delgadillo began to realize the importance of strong re-lationships and giving back when he attended Marquette University in Milwaukee. “The focus was not just education but how to live in a community and how to give back,” Del-

“No one gets anywhere without the help of others,” Delgadillo said.

Delgadillo learned about hard work as he grew up in a blue-collar family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Delgadillo’s father was a Mexican immigrant who came from a poor but determined family. His mother was American born and came from a blue-collar family.

“My father’s family initially struggled to get acclimated to the United States, to find work and to get over language barriers,” said Delgadillo. “My mother’s family never wanted for anything, but they weren’t living a lavish lifestyle either.

Part of it is the opportunities I’ve been provided with and recognizing that there are other people who helped me. It’s my responsibility to do the same,” he said.

“I think for me and my career, it’s been rewarding to be able to work with people in various parts of the Hispanic community,” he said. “We didn’t all have families that could teach us things about finance or about networking in a business setting. That has been a real motivator for me, to give back the things that I’ve been able to learn.”

It’s something he and his wife, Sarah, intend to pass onto their sons: Sam, 11, Logan, 9, and Dylan, 7.

“It’s really important to me to talk to them, to teach them and to show them,” he said. “It’s important for them to understand that being involved in the community is so im-portant. We all benefit from everybody having success.

“Life just isn’t that meaningful to us if we can ben-efit but it’s at the cost of somebody else. Why not share it to help someone else take another step in their life?”

“The focus was not just education but how to live in a community and how to give back,” Delgadillo said. “That stuck with me.”

Photos by Nico GrassetStory by Amanda Casanova Northwestern Mutual’s Jamie Delgadillo

takes inspiration from the examples set by his selfless parents.

“Life just isn’t that meaningful to us if we can benefit but it’s at the cost of somebody else. Why not share it to help someone else take another step in their life?”

Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI and its subsidiaries.

hArD Work,

stroNg relatioNships aNd giviNg baCk

of

the iMportaNCe

latino leaders magazine | september 2014

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