5 Companies Managed by Latinx Women
24 March, 2023
Link to the royalty-free image by Kelly Sikkema
What is the fastest-growing segment of the business world in the US? If you guessed businesses owned by Latinx women, give yourself a pat on the back. You are correct. Furthermore, there are many companies, although owned by groups or individuals of different backgrounds, that are run by Latinx women. These range from small businesses and start-ups to large multinationals.
Our list is not at all comprehensive. (We’ve only selected 5 to highlight.) But it should give you an idea of the diversity of companies and sectors of activity where Latinx women are playing a pivotal role in the country’s business and economic landscape. In addition to strengthening the national economy, the Latinx women in this short article are also helping to reduce the global gender pay gap and present a positive role model for business-minded women the world over.
It’s worth pointing out that the vast majority of Latnx women who run large companies are also the owners of said companies. According to the Latino Board Monitor Report, Latinx women account for less than 1% of executive board seats at Fortune 500 companies. It seems that in 2023, entrepreneurship is the best way to promote diversity and inclusion at the head of large companies.
Our list is not a hierarchy, rather the five companies we’ve chosen to highlight are presented in alphabetical order. Let’s take a look!
1 – Accenture
A Fortune Global 500 company headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, Accenture recorded revenues of over 61 billion dollars in 2022. (That’s a billion with a B.) They are one of the largest (if not THE largest) IT consulting firms in the world, providing cloud services, business process outsourcing, and managed operations.
Priscila de Pinho Hawthorne started as a Contract Manager at Accenture back in 2005. She is now a Managing Director and Senior Account Lead specializing in the chemicals and natural resources industry.
In addition to managing Accenture, Priscila de Pinho Hawthorne mentors minority entrepreneurs and sponsors Accenture’s Hispanic American Employee Resource Group. She is a key reason why Accenture leads the charge on diversity and inclusion.
2 – Con Todo Press
The first quarter of the 21st century is shaping out to be rich in opportunities and success for Latinx women authors. Some notable examples of this include the 2021 August Derleth Award winner Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin’s poetry collection, Chicana on Fire, among other must-read books by Latin American women.
To continue with this momentum, it’s important to cultivate a love of books in young readers. And on this front, Con Todo Press is leading the charge. Founded by Latina journalist Naibe Reynoso, Con Todos Press publishes “bilingual children’s books that celebrate Latino culture.”
3 – JPMorgan Chase & Co.
Headquartered in New York City, JPMorgan Chase & Co. is not only the United States’ largest bank but, in terms of assets, is the 5th largest bank in the world (with over 3.6 trillion dollars US in assets).
JPMorgan Chase & Co. places diversity as an imperative. They consider their diverse and global workforce to be a competitive advantage. And a significant way they aim to foster diversity and inclusion is through transparency, making JPMorgan Employee Information Reports easily accessible online.
Marisol Rubecindo, an alumnus of Brooklyn Law School, started at JPMorgan Chase in 2009 as Executive Director and Assistant General Counsel. In 2020, Marisol Rubecindo was promoted to Managing Director/Legal Chief of Staff. Her impressive resume also includes Attorney-Advisor for the U.S. Securities Exchange Commission.
4 – Muchacha Coffee Victoria
Link to the royalty-free image taken from the Wearemuchacha Facebook profile
While not operating on the same scale as some of the other companies on this list, we decided we had to include Muchacha because this company was created by founder and CEO Diana Hoyos as an ecosystem to support women-owned businesses throughout the entire coffee-making process from the farmers on up.
Prior to founding Muchacha, Diana Hoyos was the Director of Sales and Marketing at Supermercados La Vaquita and Segurvial Colombia. She has since taken her business acumen and put it to the service of Latinx women in Central and South America and the Caribean with her initiative to boost women-owned companies throughout the coffee supply chain.
5 – PepsiCo
Headquartered in Harrison, New York, PepsiCo is a multinational food, snack, and beverage corporation. Perhaps most famous for their beverage products, such as Pepsi, 7 Up, and Mountain Dew, they also own a variety of well-known snacks, such as Doritos, Cheetos, and Ruffles, as well as the Starbucks ready-to-drink beverages. PepsiCo also acquired the Quaker Oats Company back in 2001, which brought to the company such food brands as Life cereals, Cap ‘n Crunch, and Rice-A-Roni.
The 23 brands PepsiCo owns combine for over a billion dollars in annual sales. (And that’s just for the US alone!) PepsiCo products are consumed in over 200 countries and generate a net revenue of around $80 billion annually.
Grace Puma is Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at PepsiCo, where she heads global operations and global procurement, among a host of other important responsibilities. Prior to 2010 (when she joined PepsiCo), Grace Puma was Chief Procurement Officer at United Airlines. And prior to that, she worked in strategic procurement at Motorola and Gillette. She frequently figures at the top of Fortune’s lists of most powerful Latinas in business and was recognized by Latina Style magazine as “Executive of the Year.”
We hope this short list has brought some inspiration to your day. The companies on this list are at the forefront of promoting diversity and inclusion, notably throughout the Latinx community. You can explore jobs in these companies through Lensa, a popular AI-powered jobs portal serving recruiters and job seekers in the US.
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