Bank of America
Bank of America’s commitment to its Latina employees is second to none. As a leading diversified financial services company, Bank of America remains committed to providing the highest level of customer service while ensuring its employees’ needs are met. As an aggressive recruiter in the Hispanic community, Bank of America partners with Hispanic organizations to ensure the company’s presence at career fairs. Bank of America aims to understand the needs of its Latina employees and has created the Diversity Advisory Council to represent the voices of all of its diverse employees. The advancement of women within the company is also paramount to Bank of America, and as a result, the company has enacted the LEAD (Leadership, Education, Advancement, and Development) program for women. Bank of America’s Hispanic employee network group, HOLA (Hispanic/Latino Organization for Leadership and Advancement), has five active national chapters and provides an excellent support system for all of Bank of America’s nearly 20,000 Latina employees. Bank of America truly recognizes the value and dedication of its Latina employees and remains dedicated to their success.

Leticia Aguilar, consumer banking executive for the greater Los Angeles division, serves as a prime example of Bank of America’s commitment to employee advancement. Beginning her career with Bank of America in 1972 as a customer-service representative, Aguilar now manages the operations of more than 350 banking centers in Los Angeles County.

LATINA Style congratulates Bank of America for its continued dedication to fostering the advancement of its Latina employees.

American Express Company
At American Express Company, employees are as diversified as its financial services. American Express’ devotion to the Hispanic community is visible through its active recruitment at Hispanic conferences and career fairs, its advertisements in Hispanic media, and its philanthropic support of Hispanic organizations such as the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC). The company’s nearly 2,500 Latina employees enjoy benefits such as scholarships for their children, a generous profit-sharing program, emergency child-care services, and flexible work schedules. Additionally, American Express’ Hispanic employee network, AHORA, boasts seven local chapters nationwide, creating an internal support system and networking opportunities for Latinas.

Rosa Sabater, senior vice president of Customer Service Solutions is paving the way for American Express’ Latina workforce. She currently leads a team focused on enhancing customer service for American Express’ diverse customer base. Sabater has extensive experience within American Express, serving in a number of management roles in OPEN, the company’s small-business division. Before joining American Express, Sabater worked as a consultant in the areas of sales and marketing.

Avon Products Inc.
Avon, a top international beauty and healthcare supply company, puts its best face forward in its dedication to retaining and advancing Latina employees. Avon’s demonstrated commitment to employee empowerment, through programs such as its Leadership Edge program, provides advancement opportunities to its nearly 700 talented Hispanic women employees within all levels of the company. Avon also provides substantial continuous-education reimbursements, encouraging its employees to reach their highest potential. As a family-oriented company, Avon not only strives to create a supportive and encouraging environment for its Latina employees but also understands the demands that women face outside the office. Accordingly, Avon offers generous health-care coverage for employees and their families, child-care subsidies, onsite child-care centers, and flexible work options to ensure that employees are able to achieve their desired work-life balance.

As Avon’s group vice president of human resources for Global Operations Support, Nereyda Luna Bottoms understands the importance of developing a strong workforce capable of competing in the international market. Since joining Avon in 1998, Bottoms has worked tirelessly to expand Avon’s global sales and to create strong management teams in every geographic sales region. With over 30 years of expertise in human resources, Bottoms has helped increase Avon’s women hires and extend opportunity to diverse candidates.

Citigroup Inc.
As a leading financial-services company, Citigroup Inc. recognizes the benefits of a diversified workforce and strives to open doors for all of its employees, particularly Latinas. Citigroup demonstrates its commitment to recruiting promising Latinas through its involvement with the INROADS internship program, Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Citigroup’s nearly 10,000 Latina employees reap the rewards of a solid infrastructure built on employee networks, advancement opportunities, and generous benefits. Flexible work schedules, monetary awards, child-care subsidies, and continuous-education reimbursements comprise some of the benefits Citigroup offers its employees. The Hispanic, women’s, and working-parents networks provide support to Citigroup employees, while leadership and career counseling programs such as Strategic Project Management and Executive Negotiation Skills assist them in reaching their full potential.

One Latina who has served as a powerful role model for Latinas at Citigroup is Frances Sevilla-Sacasa, president of the Latin America market region. Sevilla-Sacasa, who joined Citigroup in 2000, has over 20 years of private-banking experience. During her tenure at Citigroup, Sevilla-Sacasa has received numerous awards for her work in banking and finance, as well as for her dedication as a Latina trailblazer. Before joining Citigroup, Sevilla-Sacasa was managing director of Deutsche Bank’s Latin America Private Banking unit and president of Bankers Trust International Private Banking Corporation.

Colgate-Palmolive Company
The Colgate-Palmolive Company aims to attract and retain a workforce as diverse as its product lines. At Colgate-Palmolive, special emphasis is put on leadership training and career counseling. Hispanic women can find Colgate-Palmolive actively recruiting at various career fairs, as well as through its involvement in Hispanic organizations such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA). The company offers its Latinas unique programs such as the Colgate Leadership Challenge and Global Leadership 2020. In addition to leadership-development opportunities, Colgate-Palmolive fosters a supportive work environment through various employee networks, including Vistas Latinas, the Hispanic Action Network, and the Colgate Women’s Network. Colgate-Palmolive recognizes the demands of balancing a career and family by offering generous health- and child-care benefits.

One Latina who contributes to Colgate’s diversified product line is Maria Elisa Carvajal, a marketing director for the company’s Asia Pacific division. Before assuming her current position, Carvajal held numerous other management positions within the company, including those of group brand manager for Fabric Care and associate marketing director for the Latin American division. Carvajal joined Colgate in 1990 and has led the way for its Latinas ever since.

Fannie Mae
Fannie Mae not only helps Americans realize their dreams of homeownership; the company also helps Latinas realize their potential as Fannie Mae employees. Fannie Mae is dedicated to recruiting qualified Latinas and utilizes over 40 diversity-focused job boards and career fairs to reach out to talented Hispanic women. Latinas occupy positions at all levels within the corporation, and through the Corporate Mentor Program, established in 1994, Latina employees are encouraged to set and achieve professional-development goals. Fannie Mae also offers a comprehensive succession planning process for the top 50 leadership positions within the company, with special recruitment efforts for women and diverse candidates. Latinas at Fannie Mae are encouraged to succeed through the support of the Hispanic Employee Networking Group and the Women’s Networking Group. Fannie Mae also offers its Latinas a comprehensive benefits package with unique programs such as a mortgage-down-payment program and a transit subsidy.

Mercy Jiménez, senior vice president of Single Family Mortgage Business at Fannie Mae’s National Business Center, is proof that commitment pays off. Having held various executive-level positions within Fannie Mae prior to her current position, Jiménez has demonstrated to all of Fannie Mae’s Latinas the opportunities that are possible within this diversified financial-services company. Overseeing the business relationship of almost 2,000 Fannie Mae lenders, Jiménez proves what a valuable resource Hispanic women can be throughout all sectors.

General Mills
Our Company of the Year in 2004, General Mills continues to go the extra mile to recruit promising Latinas and promote workforce diversity overall. General Mills’ Hispanic employees, along with the rest of its diverse workforce, may participate in the company’s Corporate Mentoring Program, which allows them to shadow senior-level management and explore various areas within the company. In order to reach their full potential, Hispanic women at General Mills are also encouraged to participate in leadership programs such as Building Great Leaders and Managing People. General Mills is also dedicated to ensuring that women are represented at the executive level and are given advancement and mentoring opportunities. Additionally, General Mills understands the importance of work-life balance and provides its Latina employees with a top-notch benefits package comprised of generous maternity leave, subsidies for child-care, and continuous education reimbursements.

Natalia Franco, vice president of marketing for Strategic Growth Channels, is a prime example of a talented Latina whose dedication to personal advancement paid off in her career. Franco embodies the spirit of personal growth held in high esteem by General Mills. She joined the Pillsbury Company in 1995 and held various management- and executive-level positions within the company before its acquisition by General Mills in 2001. Franco is truly a shining star at General Mills, and an exceptional role model for the company’s Latina employees.