Building Diversity
Nellie Borrero, Managing Director, Global Inclusion & Diversity at Accenture
Nellie Borrero’s mission is to create an environment within Accenture where all can grow and develop their skills.
Latino Leaders: You were the first leader to implement diversity strategy at Accenture, which gaps did you identify and how did you go about addressing it?
Nellie Borrero: From the beginning, my goal has been to make Accenture a more diverse and inclusive workplace. It starts by ensuring the right programs and policies are in place to help hire more women and underrepresented minorities into our company, but it cannot be successful without providing an empowering environment where they can thrive. But large-scale change is never easy. It would not be enough for me to just believe in this goal, I had to show up, act and bring my passion to influence leadership and shift corporate culture. I’ve been quite relentless in my efforts and it has paid off! I made it a point to attend forums and meetings with leaders, so I could engage them in conversation around establishing a diversity agenda. Today, I am proud to say that with the support of many of our leaders, I have taken this agenda global! We have evolved our focus further than women and ethnicity to include LGBTQ+, Persons with Disabilities and more. I feel incredibly proud of the progress we have made, while recognizing that we still have so much more to do.
LL: What was given to you in terms of advice or mentorship that pushed you to where you are today?
NB: Throughout my career, I’ve had so many mentors and sponsors whose advice has been instrumental to helping me achieve my goals. One piece of wisdom which I hold particularly close is to “set and respect your own boundaries in order to effectively integrate your personal and professional life—if you don’t respect your own boundaries, don’t expect others to do so.” This was a game changer for me. I had to learn to say “no.” Until I heard that, I would say “YES” to every ask of me—in turn, sacrificing my personal life and mental well-being. Learning how to manage and integrate your personal and professional responsibilities is critically important. Today, when I begin to feel unbalanced, I pause and ask myself: ‘are you respecting your boundaries?’ This has enabled me to reach my professional goals without compromising my own health and personal relationships.
LL: What steps do we need to take to continue to address gender equality and ensure women are given opportunities in corporate America?
NB: One of the biggest steps companies and individuals can do to advance gender equality and to help ensure that women are given equal opportunity is to promote networking. Networking is a two-way street – it provides a forum for senior and junior women to learn from each other. I’d like to see junior women feel comfortable to reach out to senior women – to receive coaching and mentorship and to learn from them. For senior women, I’d like them to not only support their peers, but to spend time identifying who they can sponsor and help to rise, to effectively increase the number of women in their ranks.
LL: What role do you see Latinas playing for your corporation’s future? How important is this segment for your industry?
NB: Latinas and Latinx understand the power of relationships—it is so embedded in our culture. There is an advantage to how naturally relationship building and relationship maintaining comes to the Latinx community. Today, the scope of the marketplace is growing, and I see this as an especially critical and valuable skill. Our savvy and depth of understanding in this area can benefit Accenture and our clients globally.
LL: As a diversity leader, what do you consider your mission to be?
NB: My mission is to ensure that Accenture and my clients are committed to creating an inclusive environment where every individual has an opportunity to reach their goals. Simply said, everyone deserves the right to feel like they belong no matter what; that is my mandate!.