AT&T Inc.
Company of the Year

AT&T Inc. has demonstrated a remarkable and consistent strength in the area of diversity by recognizing the value and advantage of having a culturally diverse workforce. Resource groups such as HACEMOS and the Hispanic Employee Association of AT&T offer professional development and mentoring by senior leadership. AT&T Inc. recognizes America’s changing demographics and invests in its youth by providing educational scholarships throughout the country. An annual National Scholarship Foundation Fundraiser, coordinating the National High Technology Day, which connects thousands of students from across the country encourages, motivates and inspires students to continue on to higher education.

Diverse recruitment efforts are proven by Latina representation throughout the company’s pipeline where Latina talent is nurtured and developed. LATINA Style applauds AT&T Inc. for identifying diversity as an asset and necessity for success in the marketplace.

As senior vice president and assistant general counsel, Patricia Diaz Dennis is responsible for AT&T Corporate Litigation, Procurement, Corporate Real Estate and Environmental and Corporate Compliance. She is a member of the California, Texas and District of Columbia bars and is admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court. In addition to thriving in the telecom realm, Diaz Dennis has also flourished in public service having the experience of three political appointments, most recently as Secretary of State for Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs. She has been recognized for her ongoing commitment to volunteerism and philanthropy and continues to be a leader not only within AT&T Inc. but also within her community.

www.att.com

Bank of America Corporation

Celebrating diversity in day-to-day operations is a strong component of Bank of America’s success in the financial market. Bank of America implements diversity initiatives throughout the company to nurture stronger teams and better serve its customers. Active recruitment of talented Latinas through diverse organizations such as the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting and the National Association of Hispanic MBAs has maintained Bank of America as a leader among diversified financial services companies. Internally, Bank of America supports a number of associate affinity groups, such as the Hispanic/Latino Organization for Leadership and Advancement (HOLA). HOLA’s mission is to maximize the contributions and enhance the professional development of Latino associates at Bank of America. Furthermore, Bank of America supports diverse communities through philanthropic giving, providing support to organizations such as the National Council of La Raza, the Raza Development Fund, Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Hispanics in Philanthropy, the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders and the National Hispanic Cultural Center Foundation.

As president of U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management, Frances Aldrich Sevilla-Sacasa serves clients with more than $3 million in investable assets. Prior to joining Bank of America, Sevilla-Sacasa held executive positions in Latin America and Europe and most recently served as president and chief executive officer of U.S. Trust Corporation before its merge with Bank of America in July 2007. Throughout her 30 years of experience in financial services, Sevilla-Sacasa has been the recipient of numerous awards for her leadership and commitment in wealth management. She is also pro-active in her community and serves on several philanthropic boards such as the Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Inc., Miami City Ballet, Foreign Policy Association and the Thunderbird School of Global Management, her alma mater.

www.bankofamerica.com

Citigroup Inc.

Citigroup’s diversity strategy focuses on four major components: employees, clients, suppliers and communities. Out of 42 employee networks that collaborate on common interests such as career development options, seven are initiated and led by Hispanics. Citigroup partners with the National Association of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) to attract Latina talent and supports Hispanic organizations such as the National Council of La Raza, the East Los Angeles Community Union and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Through these organizations, Citigroup provided 82 scholarships in 2007 totaling over $230,000. Affiliations with the National Minority Supplier Development Council, the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, the National Hispanic Business Group and the Latino Business Association and participation in tradeshows ensure that diverse suppliers have equal opportunity to do business with Citigroup. The success of these efforts resulted in over $1 billion in diverse firms last year.
Citigroup’s most senior official with responsibility for Global Workforce Diversity, including the Equal Opportunities function is Ana Duarte McCarthy, chief diversity officer. With over 14 years of experience in diversity management, Duarte McCarthy is responsible for the development and integration of Citigroup’s workforce diversity strategy for attracting diverse talent, workforce development, fostering an inclusive work environment and ensuring management accountability. She has been with Citigroup since 1995 and has been recently recognized by NSHMBA as the Ultimate Hispanic Executive and received the Out & Equal Workplace Advocates’ Champion Award for her support and advocacy of workplace equality for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community.

www.citi.com

Fannie Mae

Fannie Mae provides the means for many Americans to reach the dream of owning their own home by providing capital and stability to the American housing market. Fannie Mae is an organization centered on the philosophy of inclusion as it seeks to lower the cost of owning a home in all communities under all circumstances. This philosophy of inclusion is reflected internally in its effort to employ minorities, specifically Latinas. Its Hispanic Employee Resource Group encourages the development of leadership skills amongst the Latino community within the company. They realize the strength of a diverse leadership team translates into a business that better serves the needs of the community it serves. Fannie Mae has worked hard to create a pipeline of young Latino talent through various recruitment programs.

Linda Madrid is Fannie Mae’s senior vice president and deputy general counsel of Single-Family Guaranty Business (SFGB). Before joining Fannie Mae in 2006, Madrid served as managing director, general counsel and corporate secretary at CarrAmerica Realty Corporation since 1998. Her current responsibilities include managing Fannie Mae’s legal department’s provision of legal services to the SFGB and overseeing 50 lawyers, paralegals and business analysts located in the District of Columbia, California, Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Georgia.

www.fanniemae.com

Macy's, Inc.

Charitable contributions, employment initiatives, volunteerism and the creation of economic partnerships are atop Macy’s efforts to employ and connect to increasingly diverse communities. Macy’s takes advantage of relationships with local business and trade organizations such as the National Minority Supplier Development Council, Women’s Business Enterprise National Council and the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce to advertise contract opportunities and source them. Several of Macy’s philanthropic engagements are with the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF), the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women Movement and Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. Through HSF, Macy’s extends scholarships and internships to increase awareness among Hispanic students about the many varied careers available in retail. Macy’s Inc. workforce initiatives include talent acquisition and succession management, diversity learning through workshops, computer-based training and events sponsored by Diversity Councils and Employee Resource Groups. At Macy’s, Inc. you can find Latinas at all levels of management. Whether they sit on the Board of Directors, at senior executive levels or as a sales associate, Latinas’ input is valued and counted on to stimulate the workplace, stores and merchandise.

Laurene Gandolfo, a native of Cuba and MBA graduate of New York University, is the senior vice president of Macy’s Merchandising Group. Gandolfo began her retail career at Levi Strauss and has also worked for Bloomingdale’s. Her experience includes: senior assistant buyer for Men’s Designer, buyer in Men’s, Group manager in Ready to Wear, Divisional Merchandise manager of Intimate Apparel Hosiery and Socks and vice president of Home Textiles, Food/Candy and Christmas merchandise.

www.macysinc.com

Marriott International, Inc.

Over 20 years ago, Marriott was the first lodging company to establish a diversity program. Presently this program encompasses efforts to maintain a diverse customer base and workforce, a minority procurement program and community outreach. In 2007, a record $475 million procurement was spent on women and minority-owned businesses. Of that, over $35 million was allocated to Latina-owned firms. Also in 2007, Marriott was honored as “Corporation of the Year” for their ongoing support of the Hispanic College Fund. Marriott developed Sed de Saber TM, an electronic program geared to help Spanish-speaking associates and their families learn English on their own time. They are an active supporter of both the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the National Hispanic Corporate Council. The company’s close partnerships with Hispanic-serving institutions assist in the recruitment of talented Latinas that make up over 15 percent of Marriott’s total employees. Marriott also provides generous time off for maternity and adoption leave.

Barbara Prince Wilcox has worked her way to being the highest-ranking Latina at Marriott throughout her 24 years with the company. Prince Wilcox began her thriving career as an hourly associate and has held numerous positions at Marriott Vacation Club and various restaurant divisions of Marriott. Currently serving as regional vice president of human resources of the International Lodging division at Marriott International, Prince Wilcox is responsible for the human resources activity in Marriott-managed hotels in the Caribbean and Latin America region. She completed her undergraduate and graduate studies at the University of Maryland, all while maintaining a full-time position at Marriott. She is a member of the National Association of Professional Women as well as the Society for Human Resources Management.

www.marriott.com

McDonald’s USA

McDonald’s USA understands and values the benefit of doing business with employing and servicing diverse communities. With the largest number of minority and female franchisees in the quick service industry, McDonald’s holds its vision to leverage the unique talents, strengths and assets of diversity around the globe. Moreover, McDonald’s provides continuous diversity education to create awareness and build skills to manage an inclusive and diverse workforce. McDonald’s sustains community relationships by partnering with the National Council of La Raza, National Association of Latino Elected Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund and Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR). While recognizing the importance of investing in youth, McDonald’s provides college internships such as an accelerated intern program designed to recruit future operations’ leaders and offers continuous education reimbursements.
Ofelia Melendrez-Kumpf began her career at McDonald's Corporation after graduating from college in 1992. She started as an intern in the Los Angeles Region Internship program, which attracts women to the field of operations. Since then, she has held a variety of positions, from restaurant manager to training consultant and international field service manager for the Latin America Group. Through her involvement in McDonald’s Hispanic Employee Network, Melendrez-Kumpf has raised funds for the RMHC®/HACER® Scholarship Program. As vice president of “Quality, Service and Cleanliness” (QSC) for the Greater Southwest region she leads franchisees and operations and is responsible for team development and training for 720 restaurants, whose annual sales top $1.4 billion. Her region has been recognized for its accomplishments in the area of service, which continues to be a catalyst of the company’s continued sales and customer growth.

www.macdonalds.com

Morgan Stanley

In addition to ranking among our top 12 companies, Morgan Stanley is the most improved company of the 2008 LATINA Style 50. Morgan Stanley offers interactive diversity training to facilitate positive dialogue on issues such as diversity and cross cultural awareness. Several of Morgan Stanley’s exceptional benefits include payment of more than three-quarters of its employees’ premium for personal and family coverage as well as flexible schedules for working parents such as parental leave, adoption assistance and emergency backup child and elder care. It is evident that Morgan Stanley continuously seeks to improve and offer routes to success. Mentoring programs that match senior employees with junior employees provide valuable guidance and seminars like "On Leadership — From Feedback to FeedForward: Coaching for Leaders" that are key for professional growth.

Jacqueline L. Rosa, a native of Spanish Harlem and the Bronx joined Morgan Stanley in 1999 and is currently the executive director of Global Diversity and Work-Life Initiatives. In this capacity, Rosa is vastly involved with Employee Networking Groups and has restructured its Supplier Diversity Program. She has revamped the firm’s Work-Life initiatives by establishing programs such as College Coach and onsite Lamaze classes. Additionally, Rosa created the Morgan Stanley Diversity High School Internship Program which grants paid internships to minority high school students to familiarize them with the financial services industry. Rosa’s past experience includes negotiating gaming contracts for governments overseas as marketing manager for Creative Games International (CGI), an affiliate of GTECH – a global gaming company. She holds a degree in communications and journalism from Fordham University in New York City.

www.morganstanley.com

New York Life Insurance Company

Diversity employed at and served by New York Life is viewed as one of the company’s biggest strengths. Capitalizing on this strength by anticipating the needs of a diverse marketplace and preparing individuals representative of it has been a key component to the vast success of this mutual insurance company. New York Life supports over 30 Hispanic organizations, including the National Hispanic Business Association and the Hispanic Alliance for Career Advancement and participates with 25 Hispanic-serving events such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs Annual Career Expo and Latin Pro Job Fairs to assist with recruiting talented Latinas. Internally, the Latino Connection, headed by two of New York Life’s Hispanic executives, promotes information-sharing and building fellowship among colleages to build relationships among various departments that lead to positive guidance and mentoring.

Lisa Baltazar is the international vice president and deputy general counsel of New York Life International. Baltazar’s duties include advising management on transactions and agreements, corporate governance and regulatory matters, and helping New York Life’s International General Counsel by providing oversight support to subsidiaries and affiliates in Asia and Latin America. She is engaged in New York Life Foundation-sponsored National Hispanic Scholarship Fund outreach programs and is on The Latino Connection’s leadership team. Baltazar graduated magna cum laude from Stony Brook University in 1992, holds a master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and received her J.D. from Columbia Law School in 1998.
www.newyorklife.com

PepsiCo., Inc.

PepsiCo strives to reflect the unique experiences and perspectives of its diverse consumer markets. For the leader in convenient foods and beverages, it is important to build an inclusive work environment to promote the best creativity and innovation. PepsiCo recognizes the ever-growing Hispanic population and does its best to recruit and retain top Latino talent. Adelante, PepsiCo’s Hispanic professional organization, contributes to the expansion of opportunities of its associates. The company’s fast-track program identifies high-potential Latinas during the annual people-planning process, and senior leaders ensure that there is a rich development plan in place for them. PepsiCo leverages its membership with the National Minority Supplier Development Council and the Women’s Enterprise National Council to share its contracting opportunities, and in 2007 the allocation to Latina businesses exceeded $50 million.

Marie Quintana is vice president of multicultural sales development, leading the sales activation of PepsiCo’s ethnic programs. This position entails leading customer team strategy for PepsiCo’s multicultural markets, developing strategies to enhance consumer loyalty, strengthening community partnerships with PepsiCo’s customers and supporting local grassroots initiatives. Prior to joining PepsiCo in 1998, Quintana held leadership positions within IBM and Perot Systems and established a consulting firm that did business with industry-leading companies. For Quintana, a native of Cuba, commitment to family and community are equally important as work. She serves as a committee chair for the Network of Executive Women and holds a bachelor’s degree from Louisiana State University and master’s degree from Tulane University.

www.pepsico.com

Prudential Financial, Inc.

Prudential Financial, Inc. offers a variety of products and services including mutual funds, annuities, real estate brokerage franchises and relocation services in addition to including Prudential Insurance Company of America, one of the largest life insurance companies in the U.S. Latinas at Prudential are highly supported by a range of networks that encourage personal and professional development such as the Hispanic Heritage Network (HHN). Latinas presently hold 70 percent of HHN’s guidance board. In addition to HHN, Prudential Latinas currently hold leadership positions within and are supported by Women in Finance (an internal network and development group), Women of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting) and WOMEN Unlimited Inc. Also, Prudential is a member of the National Hispanic Business Group and the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and actively participates with the Financial Services Roundtable – a peer group of NMSDC members who promote supplier diversity within the financial services industry. These brief highlights demonstrate Prudential’s determination to hold fast to its strategy of integration of diversity into its policies and practices.
Grace Torres, a graduate of New York University with a bachelor of science in accounting and management, joined Prudential in 1994 as vice president of Mutual Fund Administration for Prudential Investments and treasurer of the Prudential Mutual Funds unit. In this capacity Torres directs mutual fund administration for all mutual funds managed and/or administered by Prudential.

www.prudential.com 

The Procter & Gamble Company

The Procter & Gamble Company prides itself on providing high-quality branded products worldwide. This consumer goods manufacturer recognizes the diversity of its consumers and embraces the importance of employing such diversity within the company. The Procter & Gamble Company views its companywide diversity as a competitive advantage and leverages the insight of its employees to better understand consumer behavior. The Procter & Gamble Company makes a conscious effort to improve retention levels of Latino professionals for the company in the U.S. Its continued support of the Latino community is apparent in the many programs it champions through initiatives, community partnerships and volunteerism. This stellar company has a strong presence in educational programs for the Latino community, exemplified in its partnership with INROADS, Society of Hispanic MBAs, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and Mexican American Engineering Society, among others. It has donated over $1.8 million to the Hispanic Scholarship Fund in the past 31 years and established 28 young readers programs nationwide in the last six years.

Melanie P. Healey is the Group president, Global Feminine and Healthcare GBU at The Procter & Gamble Company. Healey’s diverse background affords her a better understanding of consumer needs as she develops and markets high quality products for The Procter & Gamble Company. She held various positions in her native country, Brazil, where she started her career as the brand manager of Phebo Soap for The Procter & Gamble Company, moving on to its Headquarters in July 2001. She earned a degree in business administration from the University of Richmond. It was at Richmond that she discovered her interest in marketing and consumer products. Healey is an example to all Latinas to embrace their interest and follow it to success.

www.pg.com

Magda Yrizarry
Vice President of Workplace Culture for Diversity & Compliance in Corporate Human Resources