The Perseverance of a Leader
Hard work, integrity and grit are some of the many values that define Latino Leader and Entrepreneur Juan Meija. His persistence in “el mundo de la vida” propelled him to have much success in life. Mr. Meija’s mission was simple: work hard and always push yourself to want more.
“When you’re 52 years old and you experience the kind of personal tragedy I did, your whole life perspective kind of changes.”
Ignacio’s Familia Support
Alvarez connects his ability to overcome personal struggles, to his family connection and his upbringing as a child. For the Latino CEO nothing in life came easy, but having a positive support system made all the difference in his life.
“My life story is kind of interesting because my wife was also a lawyer and she was the general counselor for Banco Popular,” Alvarez said “She passed away with cancer in 2010 and at that point the then CEO and chairman approached about my job."
Personal Struggles to Personal Success
After the passing of his wife, Alvarez was able to grow and develop as a CEO for Banco Popular. He prides himself for being able to get to authoritative status with the bank and is pleased with the opportunity he was presented with.
“One was 52 years old and I had the chance to do something different with a little bit more purpose in the sense that Banco Popular was a special organization with a special role in society especially in Puerto Rico.”
Alvarez is very skilled in using his intangibles as a leader within the company and leads with a sense of unity and connection. If there is one thing he knows, it's that there is no “I” in team. His motto is simple: no matter your social status within the company, everyone can contribute in some way.
“As a leader I think you have to show empathy with your workers and employees and with your top leaders you have to require a sense of transparency,” Alvarez said. “When we get around the table, let's open up, let's discuss openly."
“I want open and thoughtful discussions, but once you get out of that room and we agree on something, then we’ve got to execute it and act as a team," Alvarez expressed.
The growth of Banco Popular
While teamwork is one thing Alvarez commits himself to, he also understands there are some challenges he must fight individually. Looking into the future, he is trying to find ways he can expand the bank and truly stand out compared to other big-name bank corporations.
“My sense of leadership is I listen to people, I try to get their input, but at the end of the day you know I make a decision and move forward,” Alvarez said. “I think we live through difficult economic times especially in Puerto Rico and the difference between us and others is we take those difficult times as opportunities that arise, we’re willingly to make the strategic decision to go forward because we believe in the future.”
“The difficult thing we need to do is continue to try and show people why a bank like ours makes difference to the communities we serve, why everyone doesn't need to bank with one of the big six banks in the United States.”
One thing that allows Banco Popular to stand against other companies is their sense of resilience and will to fight through difficult situations. As a Latino, Alvarez takes this heart and connects his role as leader to his roots within the Hispanic Community.
“One of the great things about the Hispanic culture that other cultures can learn from is that in these difficult and tragic family moments, families really do come together, and everyone pinches in,” Alvarez said.”