Accelerating Latina Leadership in Corporate Board Rooms

by Ralph de la Vega

Ralph de la Vega is the former vice-chairman of AT&T Inc. He is the author of the best-selling book “Obstacles Welcome: Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life.” He is also a LinkedIn Influencer, posting regularly on leadership and innovation.

BY 2050, 24% of the population is projected to be Latino (US Census). That is approximately a quarter of the Nation. Even so, the participation of Hispanics in decision-making positions continues to be dismally low, and even more so if we focus on female talent. According to the Alliance for Board Diversity and Deloitte, participation of Latinas on corporate board of directors hovers at only 1%.

Much work remains to be done to include the leadership of Hispanic women at the board level. I am convinced that there is enough female talent. We need to continue to provide visibility to qualified Latino and Latina leaders to stand out prominently. The leadership of Jorge Ferraez in spotlighting our business leaders on the pages of this very magazine for years has brought forth incredible stories of women who are and will be great corporate directors by contributing with their point of view, gender and ethnic diversity to the decision-making.

But how do we accelerate the increase in participation? It is not the idea to wait 10 more years to grow by 1%.

THE MOST RECENT LCDA 2021 RESEARCH REPORTED 34 APPOINTMENTS OF LATINAS TO ALL PUBLIC COMPANY BOARDS IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR - PROGRESS IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT NOT YET A TREND.

It’s incumbent upon all of us to support female talent and advancement in the business world, and across sectors of society. So what can we do right now?

First, engage with entities like the Latino Corporate Directors Association providing a prominent platform for qualified talent. You can join even when you are not currently a corporate director and access training to be an effective member of the board.

Second, join a local community or national non-profit board to serve, prepare and network with the main leaders in the local communities in which they live and also to get noticed.

Finally, Board Prospects offers alternatives both for those who wish to be directors as well as for companies that wish to recruit. Stakeholders come together to establish networking, trends, corporate governance best practices, and then have opportunities to be hired on highly paid boards of directors.

The vision of Hispanic women has personally inspired me in the development of my career and in my life - from my mother, to my grandmother, my wife and my sister, all strong women who have had a great influence on me.

Hispanic women should be present at the board tables today. A diverse nation requires diverse leadership.