The Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) is proud to bring you its list of the 50 Most Powerful Latinas in corporate America.
The 50 Most Powerful Latinas are executives running Coins2Day 500 companies, large private firms, and a few impressive entrepreneurs leading global companies. The four-criteria used were: the size and importance of the woman’s business in the global economy, the health and direction of the business, the arc of the woman’s career—résumé and runway ahead—and their social and cultural influence.
The list, compiled by ALPFA, prioritizes women leading large public companies with significant operating roles, rather than C-level staff roles. Next, it prioritizes women operating large private firms and entrepreneurs who have successfully scaled their businesses into the middle market. Finally, it includes a small number of Latinas, who although retired, exercise leadership roles on Coins2Day 500 boards.
The accomplishments of these influential Latinas stand on their own, and are even more significant given the traditional roadblocks that exist for women, especially Latinas. These women serve as role models and an inspiration to the next generation of women.
1. Geisha Williams
CEO and President, PG&E Corporation
On March 1st, GeishaWilliams became the first Latina to lead a Coins2Day 500 company. She has come a long way from the day she fled Cuba with her parents in 1967 at five years of age.
Today she leads a team responsible for providing safe, reliable, and affordable power to 16 million people in northern and central California.
During her tenure at PG&E, she oversaw the company’s move to bring nearly 30% of its energy from renewable sources. The power company has also become a leader in renewables integration, grid modernization and smart grid technologies under her stewardship, while also achieving the best electric reliability in company history.
2. Maria Moats
U.S. Assurance Leader, PwC
Maria Moats is the U.S. Assurance Leader of PwC, where she serves as a member of the U.S. Leadership Team and the Global Assurance Executive Leadership Team.
With extensive experience with retail, consumer, and industrial product clients, she previously served as PwC’s Regional Assurance Leader for the East Region, overseeing operations from Boston to Florida. She was also the Chief Diversity Officer from 2011 to 2016, where she led the strategy and execution of the firm’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
3. Gabriela (Gabby) Franco Parcella
Chairman, President and CEO, Mellon Capital (BNY Mellon Corp.)
Gabriela Franco Parcella is the Chairman, President and CEO of Mellon Capital, where she provides strategic leadership to all areas of the firm, and chairs the Board of Directors. With 22 years of financial services, legal, operations, risk, and regulatory experience, she has been a key contributor to Mellon Capital’s international expansion.
Parcella is the founder of the San Francisco Region Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) and is a Trustee and Chair of the Schools of the Sacred Heart San Francisco Board. She is also a life member of ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America). She received her JD from Stanford Law School, and her MPA from the University of Texas at Austin.
4. Grace Puma
SVP, Chief Supply Officer, PepsiCo
Puma leads three areas that support all PepsiCo businesses In the global procurement role, she manages nearly $25 billion of spend across all lines of the business. She also oversees manufacturing operations in 11 countries and across the global supply chain. Finally, Puma establishes the global strategy on next generation capabilities.
She is credited for doubling the year-over-year productivity delivery rate post-transformation for five consecutive years, and delivering over $2.8 billion in productivity over five years. Prior to joining PepsiCo, she has held leadership positions at United Airlines, Kraft Foods, Motorola and Gillette, and has served on the boards of Marietta Corporation, Institute for Supply Management and LifeLink Corporation.
5. Adriana Cisneros
CEO, Cisneros
Adriana Cisneros de Griffin leads a third-generation family-owned business focused on media, interactive, and real estate. She is also the President of the Fundación Cisneros, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving education in the region.
Cisneros is also the co-chair of Endeavor Miami, the Director and Executive Committee Member of the Board of the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, a Trustee of the Paley Center for Media, and a board member of MoMA PS1 and MoMA’s Latin American acquisitions committee.
She holds a BA from Columbia University, a Master’s Degree in journalism from New York University, and is a graduate of Harvard Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.
6. Sonia Dulá
Vice Chairman, Latin America Bank of America
Sonia Dulá has run all three divisions of Bank of America’s Latin America business: Corporate, Investment Bank, and Wealth Management. Working with Mexico’s Ministry of Communications, Dula recently closed a multi-billion-dollar deal to bring mobile connectivity to more than 90% of Mexico’s population.
Prior to joining BofA, Dulá has held senior posts at Pemex, the Mexican national oil company, as well as Goldman Sachs. As CEO of Grupo Latino de Radio she operated over 500 radio stations in Latin America and the U.S. Reaching over 75% of the U.S. Hispanic population. Born in Mexico and raised in Brazil, Dulá speaks five languages fluently and graduated Phi Beta Kappa, Magna Cum Laude in Economics from Harvard University, and received her MBA from Stanford University.
7. Ofelia Melendrez
U.S. VP and General Manager, Southern California Region McDonald’s USA
Ofelia Melendrez-Kumpf is accountable for the management of a $2.1 billion business unit, including more than 800 McDonald’s restaurants.
Joining McDonald’s more than 20 years ago as a manager trainee, she advanced quickly through all phases of restaurant management and supervision, in both the U.S. And Latin America. In 2010 she was the recipient of the company’s most prestigious award for her inclusive leadership practices, and has been recognized by the Women’s Business Leadership Network and the Hispanic Operators Association, as well as Latina Style Magazine. She holds a Bachelor in Science in Business Management from the University of Phoenix.
8. Myrna Soto
SVP & Global Chief Information Security Officer, Comcast
Myrna Soto oversees the security of all information and technology assets for Comcast. She also specializes in technology risk management & strategy, business/technology integration, and vendor management & strategic sourcing.
In addition to her role at Comcast, she is also on the board of directors for CMS Energy & Consumers Energy and Spirit Airlines, and the Hispanic IT Executive Council where she is Vice President. She received a Masters Certification in project management from George Washington University, and an MS and MBA from Nova Southeastern University.
9. Gisel Ruiz
EVP and COO, Sam’s Club
Gisel Ruiz oversees operations for over 650 Sam’s Clubs in the United States and Puerto Rico.
She began her career at Walmart 24 years ago, as a management trainee and has climbed to key roles within the company, including EVP for the International People Division at Walmart, and Walmart U.S. COO.
Ruiz has been honored by Latina Style as Latina Executive of the Year in 2010, and by Coins2Day magazine as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2012, 2013, and 2014. She holds a Bachelor of Science in marketing from Santa Clara University, where she also completed the Retail Management Institute program.
10. Aleida Rios
VP of Operations, BP Gulf of Mexico
Aleida Rios is responsible for the safe, reliable and compliant operations on BP’s four offshore platforms in the deepwater gulf, which produce 250,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day.
She received a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Texas A&M University and began her 25-year career at BP as an intern in the oil fields of West Texas. Rios has held a variety of leadership posts in operations and engineering, including vice president of operations for BP’s North American onshore business. Today, she oversees a team of over 1,000 and manages a $1 billion operating budget.
11. Maria Martinez
President, Global Customer Success & Latin America, Salesforce
With more than 30 years of experience in transforming businesses and customer success, Maria Martinez is the President of Global Customer Success at Salesforce Latin America, and the GM of the company’s Latin and Central America business.
Prior to joining Salesforce, she managed Microsoft’s global services business, where she outperformed revenue targets and increased Microsoft’s customer satisfaction rating. She was also the President and CEO of Embrace Networks, and held senior roles at Motorola and AT&T.
Martinez holds a Master’s Degree in computer engineering from Ohio State University and a BS in electrical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico.
12. Cynthia Hudson
SVP, General Manager of CNN en Español and Hispanic Strategy CNN
Cynthia Hudson leads 200 employees, stringers, and correspondents around the globe, overseeing all original Spanish-language content for CNN worldwide, including television feeds for Latin America, Mexico and US Hispanic markets reaching almost 40 million households. She launched CNNE’s digital business which now has a monthly average of 25 million unique users. Her digital accolades include: #1 Spanish news Twitter account, top 6 Twitter account in the world in any language, the world’s #1 Spanish language Facebook page, and # 1 Google Plus page.
Hudson began her career as a news producer and reporter at Univision, and has held numerous creative and executive positions at United International Holdings, SBS, Mega TV and Cosmopolitan TV. She has won eight regional Emmy Awards and was named as one of People en Español‘s most powerful women.
13. Priscilla Almodovar
Managing Director and Head of Community Development Banking, JP Morgan Chase
In 2016, her team financed the construction and rehabilitation of 14,000 affordable housing units for low-income families and seniors in over 90 US cities. She is also invested in various economic development projects that support charter schools, healthcare clinics, and food grocers.
Almodovar was also the CEO of New York State’s housing finance agencies and a corporate partner at White & Case LLP. She is a graduate of Columbia Law School.
14. Yasmine Winkler
Regional CEO, Community and State Central Region, UnitedHealth
As CEO of Central Region United Healthcare Community & State, Yasmine Winkler serves nearly six million Medicaid members in 24 states. Under her leadership, UnitedHealthcare has launched numerous products including myHealthcare Cost Estimator, myClaims Manager with Bill Pay, and the Health4Me mobile app.
Prior to joining United Healthcare, Winkler has held positions with BlueCross/BlueShield of Illinois, Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Her B.A. Degree is in English and Environmental Studies from Northeastern Illinois University, followed by an M.S. In Health Care Delivery Science from the Tuck School of Business and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College.
15. Francis Hondal
EVP, Credit and Loyalty Solutions Mastercard
Francis Hondal brings 25 years of experience in consumer marketing, finance and management to her role at Mastercard.
Prior to joining the company, she launched a business development and marketing service firm after an 18-year career at American Express, where she was Regional VP and General Manager for the International Consumer Card Services Division in Latin America and Canada.
Hondal is a first generation Cuban-American with a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and International Business and an MBA from Florida International University. She is also a member of the College of Business’ Dean’s Council and was inducted into the College of Business Administration Hall of Fame in 2015, where she received the Global Leadership Award.
16. Alice Rodriguez
EVP Regional Director, Consumer Banking & Wealth Management, Texas Metro, J.P. Morgan Chase
Alice Rodriguez is the Consumer Banking executive responsible for Banking & Wealth Management in the greater Texas metro markets of Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, San Antonio, and Austin. She manages a business encompassing 520 branches, 5700 employees, and $79 billion in total deposits and investments.
Rodriguez has 30 years of banking experience with JPMorgan Chase and its predecessors. She holds a BBA in Management from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. As part of her commitment to leadership and her community, Rodriguez has served on numerous boards and has been recognized with several awards and honors, including being named Corporate Elite by Hispanic Business Magazine, featured twice in Working Mother magazine, and selected as a 2017 University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley distinguished alumni. She also serves of the Board of Directors of U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
17. Gina Orozco-Mejia
VP, Gas Operations SoCalGas
Gina Orozco-Mejia oversees all gas distribution operations for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E).
Since joining SoCalGas as an engineering intern in 1990, Orozco-Mejia has held a variety of increasingly responsible roles in engineering, field services, gas system operations, environmental, international development, and operations staff. She previously served as director of labor relations and was responsible for working with the unions that represent approximately 5,000 SoCalGas employees.
Orozco-Mejia has a master’s degree in business administration from Claremont Graduate University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California State University, Los Angeles. She is also an alumna of the Southern California Leadership Network and Leadership California.
18. Maria Fernanda Mejia
SVP, Kellogg and President, Kellogg Latin America Kellogg
Maria Fernanda Mejia is SVP, Kellogg Company, and President, Kellogg Latin America since November 2011.
Prior to joining Kellogg, Mejia previously held a variety of global marketing and management roles at the Colgate-Palmolive Company, including Corporate VP and General Manager, Global Personal Care and Corporate Fragrance Development, Corporate VP of Marketing and Innovation for Europe/South Pacific, and President and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive Spain.
Mejia is currently a non-Executive Director on the Board of International Consolidated Airlines Group, and has been a member of the Board of the Council of the Americas since October 2014. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University.
19. Miriam Hernandez-Kakol
Advisory principal and U.S. Service Line Leader of KPMG’s Customer and Operations business, Global Lead Partner, KPMG
Miriam Hernandez-Kakol is the U.S. Service Line Leader for KPMG’s Customer & Operations business, which is focused on delivering industry-specific solutions to address the front-and middle-office challenges of Coins2Day 500 clients. She oversees a team of more than 1,000 partners and professionals, and leads a critical growth area for KPMG. She is also KPMG’s Global Lead Partner for one of KPMG’s premier global clients.
Committed to diversity and the advancement of women and girls, Ms. Hernandez-Kakol is a member of KPMG’s Women’s Advisory Board and has served on the leadership team for KPMG’s Network of Women. She actively serves on the National Academy Foundation’s STEM committee and the New Jersey Junior Achievement Board.
20. Bernadette Aulestia
EVP, Global Distribution, HBO
Bernadette Aulestia oversees $5 billion in annual revenue and distribution of the HBO’s networks and platforms worldwide. Internationally, she is responsible for the operations of HBO branded networks in 67 countries. Domestically, she leads distributions for the premium networks HBO and Cinemax, whether it be through cable, satellite, and telco companies or in the critical lodging business.
Aulestia oversees HBO’s Affiliate Marketing group, which is responsible for the acquisition and retention of subscribers across all distributor partners. She also heads digital distribution efforts, including streaming products HBO GO, MAX GO, the newly launched HBO NOW, and HBO Home Entertainment.
She holds a BA in Economics from Brown University.
21. Nina Vaca
President and CEO, Pinnacle Group
Under Nina Vaca’s leadership, Pinnacle Group has been providing innovative IT workforce solutions for nearly 20 years. The company’s revenue has quadrupled since 2010 and exceeded $1 billion dollars in gross revenue in 2015.
Through her success with Pinnacle, Vaca has been recognized as an NBC innovator, Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernest & Young, and Most Intriguing Entrepreneur by Goldman Sachs.
As a White House appointed PAGE Ambassador, she has traveled to five continents to share her story and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs. She is a member of the board of Cinemark USA, Inc., Comerica Bank and Kohl’s Corporation. Vaca has a BA from Texas State University-San Marcos and a Doctorate from Northwood University.
22. Maria Elena Lagomasino
CEO and Managing Partner, WE family offices
A native of Cuba, Maria Elena Lagomasino is a founding partner of WE Family offices, a completely independent global advisory firm offering family office solutions to ultra high net worth families.
Prior to WE, Lagomasino was the Chairman & CEO private banking at JPMorgan Chase and Vice President, South America Private Banking at Citi Bank. In 2012, she was listed in the Top 25 Women in Finance by American Banker.
She received her MBA from Fordham University, an MS from Columbia University, and a BA from Manhattanville College.
23. Maria Sastre
President and COO, Signature Flight Support
Maria Sastre has been leading successful acquisitions and integrations for Signature Flight Support since joining in 2010.
Prior to her role at Signature Flight Support, she served Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises as VP and United Airlines as VP of Worldwide Customer Satisfaction. She is also an experienced public and private corporate board director and has served on the boards of Darden Restaurants, Publix Supermarkets, Laidlaw International and various non-profit organizations in Miami.
Born in Havana, Cuba, Sastre holds an Associate’s Degree in Accounting from Miami Dade College, a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from New York Institute of Technology.
24. Kim Rivera
Chief Legal Officer and General Counsel, HP Inc.
Kim M. Rivera is the Chief Legal Officer & General Counsel for HP Inc., where she manages the worldwide legal department, overseeing all aspects of legal, government affairs, compliance, and ethics. She has more than 20 years of experience advising Coins2Day 500 companies on significant corporate transactions, governance matters, securities, compliance, risk management, audit, and litigation matters.
Previously, she served as the Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for DaVita Healthcare Partners, a Global Coins2Day 250 healthcare services companies. She was also the Chief Compliance Officer and Head of International Legal Services at The Clorox Company.
Rivera has a BA Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies from Duke University and a JD from Harvard Law School.
25. Dorene Dominguez
Chairman, President and CEO, Vanir Group of Companies
As Chairman and CEO of Vanir Group of Companies, Inc. And its subsidiaries, a group that is a nationally recognized leader in program, project and construction management and real estate development, Dorene Dominguez oversees 17 offices throughout the United States and more than 360 executives, architects, engineers, construction managers, developers, and contractors.
In addition, Dominguez serves on the board of CIT Bank and is the founder of The Dominquez Dream, which empowers children in underserved communities to achieve in literacy and S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math).
Dominguez is also a minority owner of the NBA Sacramento Kings. She graduated from the University of Notre Dame with a BS in Finance.
26. Yvonne Garcia
Global Head of Client Solutions and PMO, State Street Corporation
Yvonne Garcia leads a global team that develops solutions for Coins2Day 100 companies.
Prior to joining State Street, she was the Director of Marketing and Distribution Strategy at Liberty Mutual, where she developed and integrated their Hispanic Marketing initiative. She also served as VP for Mass Affluent Marketing for Bank of America, and their China Construction Bank Strategic Assistance Program.
With an MBA from Boston University and a BA from SUNY Albany, Garcia also serves as the Chairwoman for the largest Latino Professional Organization in the country, ALPFA, and has tripled its membership to a record high of 72,000 members.
27. Rosa M. Ramos-Kwok
Managing Director of Consumer and Shared Services Operations Technology, Bank of America
Beginning her career as a Morgan Stanley trainee, Rosa M. Ramos-Kwok quickly rose through the ranks to managing director. Following her more than 25 year tenure at Morgan Stanley, she joined Bank of America as the Global Wholesale Bank Chief Technology Officer.
Today, she is the Managing Director of Consumer & Shared Services Operations Technology and co-leads the company’s Global Technology & Operations Hispanic-Latino Advisory Council, as well as the Diversity and Inclusion Forum.
Ramos-Kwok is a graduate of New York University and is a Senior Leadership Council member of the New York Chapter of the Association of Latino Professionals for America.
28. Claudia Puig
SVP and General Manager of Local Media, Univision Communications Inc.
Claudia Puig oversees Univision Communications’ radio and television stations in South Florida with responsibility for local sales, content, digital, operations, and community relations.
With more than 20 years of experience in U.S. Hispanic media, Puig served as VP and General Manager of Spanish Broadcasting Systems prior to joining Univision, where she directed all aspects of sales, marketing, promotions, and business development on the local and national level.
She received her degree in International Business and Marketing from Florida International University where she serves as Chairwomen of the Board of Trustees.
29. Carolina Jannicelli
Managing Director, JPMorgan Chase
Carolina Jannicelli is a Market Manager at J.P. Morgan, advising and serving clients in the New York area.
She began her career working in Mergers & Acquisitions and Debt Capital Markets, and became the Global Head of Analyst and Associate Acquisition and Development, leading the effort to build a global pipeline of emerging advisor talent.
With a passion for banking and art history, Jannicelli’s thesis, “The Chase Manhattan Bank: A Legacy of Art in the Workplace,” chronicles the history of the J.P. Morgan Chase corporate art collection. She is trilingual in Spanish, English, and Portuguese, and received her Bachelor’s degree from Babson College and her Master’s in the History of Art and Design at the Pratt Institute.
30. Yanela C. Frias
SVP and Head of Prudential Retirement’s Structured Settlements, Prudential Financial
Yanela Frias she oversees Prudential’s strategy, growth, and operations for its Structured Settlements business.
She joined the company in 1997 and has held a number of executive positions including CFO of Prudential Annuities, VP of Finance (Individual Life Insurance), and Managing Director & Asset Treasurer, Capital Markets and Corporate Finance.
In 2011, Frias was listed in Treasury & Risk magazine’s annual “40 Under Forty” rankings. She earned an MBA and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Rutgers University.
31. Ileana Musa
Managing Director Global Client Segment & Strategy Executive, Bank of America
Ileana Musa focuses on working with Bank of America’s international financial advisors with goal-based wealth management experience for high-net worth clients.
Prior to this role, she was Managing Director, Head of International Credit & Banking at BofA and has held numerous regional and divisional assignments in Wealth Management and Brokerage at the bank.
In addition to her role at Bank of America, Musa is the chair of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA). She received her BBA degree in finance from the University of Miami and an MBA from Florida International University.
32. Betty Uribe
EVP, California Bank & Trust
Dr. Betty Uribe is responsible for a $3.5 billion line of business covering retail and business banking. Under her leadership, CB&T has been named “Best Bank in Orange County” for the past three years.
Uribe has lectured around the world and recently published the best-selling book #Values: The Secret to Top-Level Performance in Business & Life.
She has an MBA in Finance and Strategy from Pepperdine University and a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership with honors. She also serves on the school’s board of directors in addition to the University of Southern California and Next Step Asia, Hong Kong.
33. Carmen Nava
SVP, Premium Care, AT&T
Carmen Nava leads AT&T’s efforts to care for customers with more complex needs. She also serves on the Corporate Advisory Board of the University of Southern California’s (USC) Latino Alumni Association and on the University of the Incarnate Word’s Board of Trustees.
Nava has been recognized as one of the Top 5 Latina Executives of the year by LATINA Style magazine in 2013, and one of the Top 100 Influential and Notable Hispanics by the Hispanic Professionals in the Information Technology Industry (HITEC) in 2016.
She is a graduate of the University of Southern California School of Business.
34. Laurene Gandolfo
EVP, Home Private Brands, Macy’s
Laurene Gandolfo is a member of Macy’s Merchandising Group’s Executive Team and she leads cross-channel growth strategy for private brands.
Her previous positions include SVP, Private Brand Home Business at Macy’s and a 15-plus year tenure as VP, Textiles, Private & Domestic Branded Market at Bloomingdale’s. She holds an MBA from New York University, Stern School of Business and a Bachelor’s from Brandeis University.
35. Belinda Pestana
Partner and Regional Business Tax Services Leader, EY
As a Partner and Regional Business Tax Services Leader at EY, Belinda Pestana works with leadership on strategy for tax advisory and planning, and is the Global Tax Account Leader on one of the firm’s largest clients, managing $50 million plus of tax revenue.
A daughter to Cuban immigrants, Pestana is involved in various firm initiatives focused on diversity and is currently the Diversity & Inclusion Champion for the NY Banking and Capital Market Group. She is also a founder of Sound of Gol, a nonprofit dedicated to the development of youth through soccer. She attended St. Peters College and Villanova University, and received her BS in Accounting.
36. Beatriz Perez
Chief Sustainability Officer, SVP Global Partnerships, Assets, Innovation, Licensing and Retail, Coca Cola
Beatriz Perez leads the Coca-Cola Company’s efforts to accelerate new growth, create new connections with consumers, and embed sustainability into operations with a focus on water stewardship, women’s economic empowerment, and the environment.
Prior to her current position, Perez was CMO for Coca-Cola North America, where she developed partnerships with American Idol, NASCAR, the NBA, The Oscars and well-known public figures, including Ryan Seacrest and LeBron James.
Perez is a strong advocate for community service and serves on the corporate board for Primerica. She is a member of the American Advertisement Hall of Achievement and the Sports Business Journal’s Hall of Fame.
37. Christine Montenegro McGrath
VP Global Sustainability, Well-being, Government, and Public Affairs, Mondelēz International
Christine Montenegro McGrath is responsible for leading Mondelēz International’s The Call For Well-being, a global platform that supports the company’s growth strategy to protect the well-being of the planet.
In her prior position at Kraft Foods, Inc., she oversaw Kraft’s Latino Center of Excellence where she led campaigns to increase the company’s investment in the Latino market and partner with brands to create impactful marketing programs.
McGrath earned a BS in Accounting and Philosophy from Boston College and a Masters in Marketing from J.L. Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University.
38. Elisa Garcia
Chief Legal Officer, Macy’s
Elisa Garcia is an accomplished corporate executive and attorney and a member of Macy’s Executive Committee. With more than 25 years of experience advising management and boards of directors on legal, business, and government relations matters, she has held general counsel and senior executive positions with Office Depot, Domino’s Pizza, Philip Morris International and GAF Corp, and began her legal career with Willkie Farr & Gallagher in New York City.
A native of New York City, Garcia is a frequent speaker on legal education panels and an advocate of value-based legal billing. She serves on the Board and the Executive Committee of the Association of Corporate Counsel and the Board of the American Arbitration Association.
39. Gloria Santona
Former EVP, General Counsel and Secretary, McDonald’s
Gloria Santona recently retired from McDonald’s Corporation, the world’s leading global food service retailer with more than 36,000 restaurants in 120 companies. She joined McDonald’s as an attorney and held a number of management positions in the legal department where she developed the company’s strategic direction, growth priorities, and the creation of the company’s human capital management programs.
Santona received a BS from Michigan State University and a JD, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School. She is a trustee of Rush University Medical Center and Vice Chairman of its Audit Committee, and also serves on the Board of Directors of the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
40. Ana Pinczuk
Senior Vice President, HPE Pointnext Services
Ana Pinczuk brings more than 30+years of experience in engineering, sales and IT to her role at HPE.
Prior to joining the company, Pinczuk was EVP and Chief Product Officer at Veritas, where she was responsible for numerous departments. Earlier, she spent 15 years at Cisco and held a number of senior roles, including SVP of Sales, Services COO and Transformation leader—where she led the transformation of Cisco’s Global Technical Center.
She holds a BS and a Master of Engineering from Cornell University. She received an MTM from University of Pennsylvania, The Wharton School, and a Master of Software Management from Carnegie Mellon University.
41. Jacqueline Hernandez
CMO, Hispanic Enterprises & Content NBCUniversal (Comcast)
As CMO, Hispanic Enterprises & Content NBCUniversal, Jacqueline Hernandez has leveraged her multi-platform brand building/business acumen to engage a new generation of consumers, growing the U.S. Hispanic audience and securing double-digit increases in mainstream multicultural audiences. Prior to joining NBC, she was COO at Telemundo Media, Publisher at People en Español, and Publisher at Teen People.
Hernandez was listed in The Hollywood Reporter’s Top 25 Latinos in Entertainment 2014 and Advertising Age’s 100 Most Influential Women in Advertising in 2012. She has an MBA from Baruch College, an MA & BA from Tufts University, and earned a Kellogg Executive Education Corporate Governance Effectiveness in the Boardroom certificate in 2016.
42. Monica McManus
VP of Applications and CIO, Enterprise Operations, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Monica McManus is responsible for Lockheed Martin’s Enterprise Business Services software applications portfolio with a primary focus on strategic efforts in digitization, analytics and automation. The applications she oversees support the corporation’s critical business operations and more than 97,000 employees around the world.
She has more than 30 years of experience in business, program and engineering leadership and is actively involved in many community activities, with a passion for STEM education.
She is currently a member of the board of directors for the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity and co-chair of the Lockheed Martin Hispanic Organization for Leadership and Awareness Leadership Council. She was recognized as one of the Hispanic IT Executive Council 100 in 2016 and 2017.
McManus is a graduate of the College of William and Mary with a BS with Honors in Computer Science, and she received a MS in Computer Science from Virginia Tech in 1987.
43. Deirdre Connelly
Former President, North American Pharmaceuticals GlaxoSmithKline
Deirdre Connelly began her career in the pharmaceutical industry as a sales representative with Eli Lilly in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where she was born and raised. After more than 20 years at Eli Lily, she rose to become president of their U.S. Operations. Ms. Connelly next became the President North America Pharmaceuticals for GlaxoSmithKline until her retirement in 2015. She was recognized by Coins2Day as one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in business from 2006 to 2014.
Connelly serves on the boards of two Coins2Day 200 companies: Macy’s and Lincoln National. Connelly holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Business Management and Marketing from Lycoming College and graduated from Harvard University’s Advanced Management Program.
44. Grace Lieblein
Former VP of Global Quality, General Motors
Grace Lieblein retired as VP Global Quality, General Motors in 2015 after a career that spanned 37 years, and was the chief engineer for the award-winning Buick Enclave. During her tenure, she was the highest-ranking Latina in the auto industry and the first woman to be named as President and Managing Director of GM Mexico.
Lieblein is a director on the board of Honeywell and has served on the boards of Southwest Airlines, the Karmanos Cancer institute, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in Mexico. She received the Michigan Women’s Foundation 2015 Women of Achievement and Courage award, and was named 2014 Engineer of the Year by Great Minds in STEM, and Coins2Day’s 10 Most Powerful Women in Automotive in 2013.
45. Monica Lozano
Former CEO of La Opinión and ImpreMedia
Monica Lozano has led diversified media organizations for 30 years and is the former Chairman and CEO, US Hispanic Media, Inc. She began her career in 1985 with the country’s leading Spanish-language newspaper, La Opinión. She transformed the newspaper into a multimedia content company and was named Chairman and CEO of ImpreMedia in 2010.
Lozano joined the Aspen Institute in 2016 and has served on the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company, Target Corp., Bank of America, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the University of Southern California as a trustee. She was appointed to the Council on Jobs and Competitiveness and the Economic Recovery Advisory Board by President Obama. She holds numerous awards and honorary degrees, and was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
46. Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri
Chief Diversity Officer and Global Head of Talent, Goldman Sachs
Anilu Vazquez-Ubarri is responsible for evolving and driving Goldman Sachs’ recruitment, leadership, talent and diversity strategies as well as ensuring the firm’s diversity priorities are integrated across all talent initiatives. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, she was an attorney at Shearman & Sterling LLP and founded the firm’s women’s network (WISER) and served on its diversity committee.
Vazquez-Ubarri currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Fordham Law Alumni Association. She is also on the Board of the Latino Justice PRLDEF. She earned a JD from Fordham University School of Law in 2002 and an AB, cum laude, in History and Latin American Studies from Princeton University in 1998.
47. Carly Sanchez
EVP, Head of Talent Acquisition, Strategy & Delivery, Wells Fargo
Carly Sanchez oversees the strategy and execution of all enterprise recruiting delivery teams at Wells Fargo. Prior to joining the bank, she held senior talent acquisition positions at SunTrust and AIG.
In 2011, Sanchez was named as a Top Executive in Diversity by Black Enterprise and was listed in the 100 Most Influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business magazine. She is a board member of the Institute for Corporate Productivity and represents Wells Fargo on a national business initiative with the White House and the Rockefeller Foundation to drive inclusive hiring practices. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard University and a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Tufts University.
48. Roxanne Martinez
SVP and Chief Talent Officer and SVP Talent Acquisition, Liberty Mutual Insurance
Roxanne Martinez is SVP, Talent and Enterprise Services and Chief Talent Officer – Global/US Consumer Markets at Liberty Mutual Insurance, and was recently appointed SVP of Liberty Mutual’s Talent Acquisition organization.
Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Martinez was the Associate Director of North American Human Resources Shared Services Operations for Serono, a global biotechnology firm. She also served as a management consultant with American Management Systems (AMS), an international management consultancy.
Martinez received a BA in Politics from Brandeis University and a JD from the University of Denver College of Law. She currently sits on the board of directors and coaches for Brookline Soccer Club, serves on boards of advisors to Northeastern University, Bentley University and ALPFA.
49. Nellie Borrero
Managing Director Global D&I, Accenture
Nellie Borrero joined Accenture in 1986 and works to raise awareness and understanding of the importance of embracing diversity. Under her leadership, the company developed career progression initiatives for women in Japan, India, and Africa, an onboarding program for Latin Americans in Spain, and annual worldwide programs to celebrate International Women’s Day. She has also worked to expand Accenture’s recruitment in the Latino community by partnering with several organizations such as ALPFA.
Borrero holds a BA, Business Administration and Management from Herbert H. Lehman College, and an Associate of Arts, Business Administration and Management from Laguardia Community College.
50. Deborah Rosado Shaw
SVP Chief Global Diversity and Engagement Officer, PepsiCo
Deborah Rosado Shaw is the SVP, Chief Global Diversity and Engagement Officer for PepsiCo, a global food and beverage company with net revenues of more than $63 billion. She provides leadership to 260,000 associates to drive innovation and achieve the company’s business imperatives. Prior to joining PepsiCo, she founded the Rosado Shaw Group, a leadership development company, and Umbrellas Plus, LLC, multi-million dollar merchandising company.
Shaw serves on the National Women’s Business Council, a non-partisan council that advises the president, Congress and the SBA on economic issues of importance to women. She also is the only Hispanic member of the World Bank Group Diversity Council, advising on matters relating to diversity and inclusion. She is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University.
Correction: This list originally stated Francis Hondal was VP, Credit and Loyalty Solutions Mastercard. Her title is EVP.
