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Marta Ronquillo Newhart
Geisha Williams
A Lack of Latina Leadership Demands Immediate Action from Corporate America - How Can We Support This Fast-Growing Demographic?

In a recent USA TODAY article by Jessica Guynn and Jayme Fraser, they explore a troubling trend in Corporate America - the lack of Latina CEOs. Today, we share pieces from their article examining why so few Latinas rise to leadership positions. You can read the full story here.

"Hispanic and Latina women make up just 1.6% of senior executives in the nation’s largest companies", according to a USA TODAY analysis of the S&P 100. This statistic is troubling and illustrates how far Latinas lag behind other major demographic groups. Much of this appears to stem from perceived stereotypes and misconceptions towards Latinas. In various USA TODAY interview, Latinas commented on how they have been viewed as caretakers, cleaners, or aides, often times being passed up for promotions despite high levels of experience and education.

In 2017, Geisha Williams took over PG&E, making her the first Latina CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Since then, only one other has followed, a fact that frustrates Williams. “There are an incredible number of supremely qualified and capable women. It’s not a question of there aren’t people available to serve in these positions,” Williams said.

To put this into perspective, companies such as Apple, Costco and Netflix have no Latinas in senior leadership. In fact, USA TODAY found that out of the 92 companies in the S&P 100, 18 had absolutely no Latinas or Hispanic women in senior executive positions. PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble and Visa were the companies who most closely aligned with the demographic representation of Latinas in the U.S. workforce.

The United States uses the terms Hispanic and Latino to refer to two groups that are not necessarily the same, but often are lumped together in studies. Hispanic refers to people of Spanish-speaking heritage. Latino refers to people from Latin America. These groups combined span a broad spectrum - two-thirds of whom were born in the U.S.

USA TODAY shared stories of various Latinas to provide a greater insight as to what life is like as one of the few Latinas at the table.

  • Marta Ronquillo Newhart, a corporate executive and independent board member, shared a story of a time that a chief human resources officer asked where she was from and proceeded to be relieved that she did not appear like her Mexican-American roots. “For many years in corporations, you heard the term ‘fit in.’ 'Oh, he fits in.' Well, what does that sound and look like? Oftentimes, it probably didn’t look like me,” said Newhart, a veteran communications executive who worked at Boeing and Westinghouse. “But because of what I gained and what I achieved in corporations, I did fit in. Corporations without Latinas at the table are missing a valuable perspective." See Marta in the 2020 Inclusive Leader Awards Ceremony

  • Elisa Garcia became a corporate lawyer. She went from working as a regional counsel for Philip Morris International in Latin America, to serving as Domino's Pizz's first general counsel, and is now Macy's chief legal officer. Coming from a background void of law role models and connections, Garcia understands the importance in representation. “You have got to see people who look like you to know you can do it," she said. "Having these role models basically tells Latino lawyers and Latino executives that si se puede, yes, you can do this.”

  • Carla Piñeyro Sublett, the former chief marketing officer at IBM, shared a story of being admonished for being too ambitious when she asked for a promotion. After consulting with her male colleagues, she realized they had all asked for promotions and raises, never once being criticized. She then resigned from this role. "I realized with that sort of mentality, I wasn't going to continue to be challenged and continue to grow," said Piñeyro Sublett.

By 2029, Latinas are projected to be 9.3% of the U.S. labor force. It is time that companies and leadership teams recognize the gaping hole in executive teams and begin supporting one of the fastest-growing demographics in the U.S. However, as more and more Latinas attend college and graduate school, the numbers of Latina managers and professionals are still not budging.

"In addition, most Latina and Hispanic women in the nation's largest companies are trapped in lower-paying jobs, particularly in the financial, retail, and grocery sectors. They are 7.3% of the U.S. workforce but 14.4% of service workers and 14.1% of administrative assistants, a USA TODAY analysis found. Not only that, Latinas are underpaid at all levels. On average, they earn 55 cents for every dollar earned by non-Latino white men, even in the same job. That disparity extends to professional occupations and executive roles."

GlobalMindED is committed to increasing voices, representation and diverse leadership in all sectors. We are proud to be partnered with other organizations aligned to this same goal. Be sure to join us in this work by supporting our Strong Summer Start Program, attending the 2023 GlobalMindED Conference, or joining any of our Equity Events.
June 2022 Conference Summary in Photos and Videos
We had an inspiring conference in June after two years of virtual gatherings due to COVID. If you missed that, you can still be a part of the experience through the photos from the 2022 GlobalMindED conference, as well as seeing the complete program for connections and inspiration.



Video remarks:
Honoring the 2022 Inclusive Leader Award Winners. Please see their stories:
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