McDonald’s Corporation
Company of the Year
 

The McDonald’s Corporation prides itself on a workforce as diverse as the billions of customers it serves worldwide every day. While McDonald’s leads the way in developing new and innovative services to better serve its customers, it demonstrates that same commitment to recruiting and retaining diverse employees. McDonald’s is an aggressive recruiter in the Latino community and has developed a campaign designed specifically to recruit Latinas. Once hired, McDonald’s supports each of its Latina employees through a myriad of programs. In a company-wide initiative to better meet the needs of its Latina employees, McDonald’s surveyed 125 of its highest-ranking Latinas to determine their issues of importance, and reconvened for a follow-up symposium with company leadership. McDonald’s is a true champion of the work-life balance, offering Latinas a highly competitive benefits package, as well as encouraging their participation in the innumerable philanthropic efforts they undertake.
Serving as corporate general counsel since 2001, Gloria Santona joined McDonald’s as an attorney 29 years ago. Her responsibilities include overseeing 133 lawyers worldwide, as well as enacting and monitoring all aspects of legal compliance and policy for the corporation. She also provides advice on matters of corporate governance to the Board of Directors.
LATINA Style proudly congratulates McDonald’s Corporation for its ongoing commitment to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of Latinas.

www.mcdonalds.com

AT & T

As a leading telecommunications corporation, AT&T understands the importance of retaining a diverse workforce to secure their position on the forefront of the ever-changing telecommunications market. AT&T actively pursues talented Latinas through its involvement in nationwide collegiate and job fair recruitment, as well as through Hispanic media outlets. The company also ensures the success of its Latina employees by developing their talent through AT&T’s Leadership Development Program, a fast track program for employees with exceptional leadership potential. AT&T also supports its Latina employees through corporate mentoring programs, leadership programs, and HISPA (Hispanic Association of AT&T Employees), its Hispanic employee association. Understanding the demands on Latinas both in and out of the office is a priority for AT&T, and they offer benefits including reimbursements for childcare costs, scholarship opportunities for employee’s children, and competitive health care coverage.
AT&T West president of consumer markets, Carmen Nava, is one Latina who has leads by example for other Latinas. Over 5,000 employees report to Nava, who is responsible for the consumer markets in California and Nevada, serving over 8 million customers with telephone, internet, and video communication services.

www.att.com  

Bank of America

With almost 20,000 Latina employees nationwide, Bank of America remains a highly respected employer and supporter of talented Latinas. With numerous active chapters of HOLA, Bank of America’s Hispanic/Latino Association for Leadership and Advancement, the affinity group serves as a powerful vehicle for Latina employees to express their needs to the Bank’s senior officials, while simultaneously promoting interfacing between all Hispanic employees. Bank of America also offers a number of leadership and career training services, including Next Generation Leader Forum, the Accelerated Development Program, and Leadership Excellence. To attract Latina talent, Bank of America aggressively recruits at career fairs and partners with national Hispanic organizations, including The Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), and the National Women MBA Association.
As Bank of America’s president of the Greater Los Angeles Market and national director, West Regional Program Executive, Corporate Philanthropy, Leticia Aguilar manages programs to increase the bank’s market share, oversees all aspects of customer and business-related services, and serves as a civic leader for guiding charitable giving. She is true example of Bank of America’s commitment to advancing Latinas, as she began her career as a customer service representative over 30 years ago.

www.bankofamerica.com

Citigroup

Citigroup not only excels at providing diversified financial-services to its customers, but also in providing a workplace that fosters the growth of its 11,000 Latina employees. At Citigroup, recruiting diverse candidates remains a high priority, and they express their commitment to reaching Latinas through their support of and participation in multiple national programs such as Management Leadership for Tomorrow and INROADS, providing opportunities for Latina and diverse candidates. Citigroup works to continuously develop new programs aimed at promoting diverse candidates and women throughout all levels of the organization, as exemplified by The Citigroup Women’s Initiative, launched in 2005. The Initiative is corporate-wide and its goal is to attract and develop top talent and encourage the promotion of women. In addition to many advancement opportunities, Citigroup works to retain their employees by offering a competitive benefits package including child care subsidies, flexible work schedules, and competitive health care.
Citigroup’s commitment to seeking out accomplished Latinas is demonstrated by the addition of Marisa Lago, global head of compliance, to the company in 2001. She was sought out to help create Citigroup’s Global Workforce Development. Prior to joining Citigroup, Lago served as the Director of International Affairs at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

www.citigroup.com

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae’s commitment to the American homebuyer sets it apart, as does its commitment to recruiting, retaining, and advancing promising Latina employees. Fannie Mae offers a number of support systems for Latina employees, including the Hispanic Employee Network Group, the Women’s Employee Network Group, the Peer Mentoring Program, and Executive Coaching. Its efforts to recruit Latinas are matched by few, as a branch of its talent-recruiting center is dedicated exclusively to recruiting Hispanics. Additionally, the company posts job openings on more than 40 Hispanic and Women’s job boards, and has a presence at career fairs of many national Hispanic organizations. Not only does Fannie Mae want to attract talented Latinas, it wants to keep them as well. The company offers a highly competitive benefits package with a focus on services for the working mother, including childcare subsidies, reimbursements for business travel, and flexible work opportunities.
For 10 years, Mercy Jiménez, senior vice president of Single Family Mortgage Business has served as a shining example of dedication as she has moved through the ranks to oversee nearly 2,000 of Fannie Mae’s lenders. Prior to her current role, Jiménez served as vice president for senior products and vice president for corporate development.

www.fanniemae.com

General Mills

General Mills offers customers an array of products to promote healthy growth, and it offers a myriad of equally varied programs to help cultivate its Latina employees. General Mills’ recipe for success starts with an aggressive recruitment campaign through their participation in career fairs with organizations such as the National Society for Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) and the Hispanic Association of Career Enhancement (HACE), and targeted advertising in both Hispanic- and female-focused publications and websites. Once incorporated into the recipe, General Mills ensures the retention and advancement of Latinas through an impressive benefits package and numerous opportunities for professional and personal growth. General Mills’ benefits have a strong focus on the working mother, offering childcare subsidies, flexible work schedules, and continuous education reimbursements.
Natalia Franco, vice president of marketing for Strategic Growth Channels, is one Latina who has taken advantage of the many opportunities for success General Mills offers its Latina employees. Franco has been with General Mills and its subsidiaries for over a decade, and is a true example of a talented Latina moving through the ranks, creating her own recipe for success.

www.generalmills.com

IBM

In the ever-evolving business of technology, there remain a few constants. One of these – the notion that diverse minds bring about great change and advancement – is a value that IBM fully embraces. To ensure that its Latina employees develop professionally and become strong contributors to great change, IBM provides an infrastructure of support through affinity groups, mentoring programs, and leadership development opportunities. IBM offers four distinct Hispanic affinity groups: the Hispanic Diversity Group with over 15 active chapters, the Multicultural Women’s Network, La Red MBA (Hispanic MBA Group), and La Red Familiar (Hispanic women of IBM). These groups aim to provide opportunities for Latinas to network, mentor, coach, share information, and recruit other talented Latinas to join the ranks at IBM. There are also over 10 distinct mentoring, leadership, and professional development programs at IBM, all with a focus on diverse women. Additionally, IBM offers flexible work options, and contributes generously to scholarships for employee’s children.
Patt Cronin, vice president of transformation for global technology services, knows first hand the potential for success through the many programs IBM offers its Latina employees. As an IBM Hispanic executive taskforce member, she leads the way in coaching Hispanic employees to be positioned for executive positions, as well as serving as an executive sponsor of La Red Familiar. Cronin joined IBM over 20 years ago, and continues to serve as a strong reminder of the potential for success fostered by IBM’s commitment to diversity.

www.ibm.com

New York Life Insurance Company

New York Life Insurance Company not only understands the importance of helping its customers protect their assets and financial well-being, but also knows that to provide excellent services to their diverse customers, they must reflect that diversity within their workforce. For that reason, throughout the past year, New York Life has created a number of programs and taskforces to ensure diversity throughout their ranks. The company recently announced the naming of a chief diversity officer and an executive diversity council, both charged with developing and implementing diversity and inclusion programs to further support the recruitment and retention efforts that were already in place. Additionally, New York Life created the Women’s Markets Division to expand the opportunities for women within the company. These programs support the already existent Hispanic Marketing Unit and strong presence at Hispanic career fairs, aimed at recruiting talented Latinas. Once hired, New York Life offers its Latinas flexible work schedules and competitive benefits, including on-site childcare at some of its locations.
For over five years, Rafaela Herrera has served New York Life Insurance Company as its corporate vice president of compliance. In this capacity, she is responsible for ensuring that all marketing and advertising that New York Life produces is in compliance with strict industry and company standards. Herrera’s extensive experience in corporate compliance reinforces her expertise in the field, and she serves as a powerful role model for all Latinas.

www.newyorklife.com

PepsiCo, Inc.

PepsiCo, Inc., a leading food and beverage company, knows that to stay poised on the forefront of their competitive market, they must constantly draw in consumers with fresh and new products. PepsiCo also recognizes the creativity and talent Latinas bring to the company and views them as a valuable asset in helping achieve its goal of maintaining its position as an industry leader. To ensure that talented Latinas join PepsiCo, the company engages in aggressive recruiting through its presence at national Hispanic conferences, and through partnerships with organizations such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA), the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). Once employed, PepsiCo aims to promote the professional and personal growth of its Latinas through a variety of programs and support systems. One such program, entitled Power Pairs, is a leadership training program designed to help diverse women build more authentic relationships with their supervisors. Adelante, PepsiCo’s Hispanic affinity group, and the Women of Color Multicultural Alliance are also integral in helping to create a support system and promote personal growth among PepsiCo’s Latina employees.
Marie Quintana, vice president, Ethnic Sales Development, is one of PepsiCo’s talented Latinas dedicated to the company’s success. In this capacity, Quintana is responsible for promoting the ethnic sales agenda. Quintana has also held other positions within the company including Vice President of the following divisions: IT Capability, IT Strategy, and Techonology.

www.pepsico.com

Prudential Financial

Prudential Financial is a diversified financial services company that truly values its Latina employees. To ensure that Latinas join the company, Prudential partners with national Hispanic organizations such as the Association of Professional Hispanic Accountants, Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA), and the National Council of La Raza (NCLR). Prudential also has an established relationships with programs such as INROADS, to ensure Latinas learn about the possibilities for growth at Prudential. Prudential’s Hispanic Heritage Network is a key component of the support system offered by the company to its Latina employees. Recently celebrating its 10th anniversary, the Hispanic Heritage Network is well respected within the company and the communities it serves. Prudential has also championed the work-life balance, and understands the many roles Latinas play in their homes and communities. They offer a competitive benefits package, including childcare subsidies, alternative work policies, and excellent health benefits.
For over a decade, Prudential’s vice president of Mutual Fund Investments, Grace Torres, has been a leading example to all Latinas within the company. She is responsible for the management of all mutual funds administered by Prudential. She began her career in the financial services industry over 20 years ago, and continues to be a role model for all Latinas.

www.prudential.com

Southern California Edison

Southern California Edison’s commitment to its Latina employees is matched by few, particularly in the male-dominated industry of utilities. With Latinas constituting nearly one third of their entire female workforce, Southern California Edison truly values the contributions talented Latinas bring to the company. Southern California Edison actively recruits Hispanic women through Hispanic print media, diversity websites, and consumer advertisements. To ensure Latinas are reaching their potential within the company, Southern California Edison offers a variety of mentoring and leadership training programs such as the Cross Training Leadership Program, and the Frontline Leadership Program. Southern California Edison also offers a unique fast track program called the Executive Leadership Potential program, aimed at building and maintaining a diverse pool of leaders. The program also offers valuable feedback, executive coaching, and group learning sessions.
Veronica Gutierrez is proof of Southern California Edison’s commitment to its Latina talent. She began her tenure with the company nearly a decade ago as a public affairs manager, and was appointed to her current position, director of Regulatory Compliance, over two years ago. She serves as an excellent reminder of the potential for success for all Latinas throughout Southern California Edison.

www.sce.com

Verizon Communications

As a leading telecommunications provider, Verizon Communications values the diversity throughout its workforce. In order to better fulfill the needs of its diverse consumer base, Verizon works to reflect that diversity throughout its ranks. Verizon is an active recruiter in the Hispanic community and partners with organizations such as the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), INROADS, and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU). Once employed, Verizon offers its Latinas a number of opportunities for professional and personal growth, while understanding the importance of the work-life balance. The Hispanic Professional Development Workshop and the Women’s Professional Development Workshop both offer Latinas leadership training and career development opportunities. Latina employees also enjoy many benefits including flexible work options, generous continuous education reimbursements, highly competitive health benefits, and childcare subsidies.
With over three decades of experience in telecommunications, Puerto Rico Telephone’s CEO Cristina Lambert is responsible for all aspects of service of this subsidiary of Verizon. Lambert is a shining example of the commitment Verizon makes to all of its nearly 5,000 Latina employees.

www.verizon.com

Teresa Ridge
Senior Vice President and Regional Manager, Greater San Diego