Latinas are grossly underrepresented in executive leadership positions in California corporations, holding only 3.8% of CEO roles despite making up 14% of the state's labor force. The report found that Latinas tend to choose non-business majors and careers that do not directly qualify them for executive roles in finance, operations, and marketing. Additionally, Latinas often struggle to balance career ambitions with family responsibilities and are less willing to sacrifice family for promotions. Despite their growing population and purchasing power, Latinas remain underutilized as leaders in corporate America.

1. MISSING:
LATINAS IN CORPORATE AMERICA
©

2. HOPE in partnership
with Sempra Energy,
sponsored a research
effort into the status of
Latinas in California
corporations
Two main issues underscored the need for the research:
 demonstrated need for women in executive positions in corporations
 the changing labor force with a fast-growing Hispanic population.
Latinas currently represent 14% of the labor force in the US.

3. “Missing: Latinas in Executive Leadership in California’s
Corporations 2009” Report
:
1) What percentage of executive leadership • Latinas are grossly underrepresented in
positions do Latinas in California hold? executive leadership (C-level) in California.
• Latinas choose education majors and career
2) Are Latinas qualified to assume executive paths that do not place them as the most
leadership positions? qualified to lead core business functions such
as finance, operations, marketing and legal.
• Latinas, while aspiring to get promotions, often
3) What factors contribute to Latinas being
struggle with personal sacrifices that
promoted to executive positions?
accompany executive positions and the
majority is unwilling to sacrifice family for career
advancement.

4. The Reality…..
Percent of California CEO's by Gender
3.8%
Men
Women
96.2%
Latinas not represented
in pie chart
Yet…..Latinas in California represent 14% of the labor force
or approximately 2 Million people.
Source: US Census and Department Of Labor

5. What Is The Business Case for Advancing Latinas in
Corporate America?
FOR OUR COMMUNITY:
 Economic Parity
 Long-lasting impact
 Greater wealth creation and distribution
 Ability to direct corporate resources
FOR BUSINESS:
 Tap into a growing workforce
 Speed up globalization efforts
 Provide cultural insight into growing consumer
demographic
©

6. One version of the Golden
Rule….
In business, she who makes
the gold,
makes the rules.
©

7. Reality Expanded- National Numbers
POPULATION:
Women are 51% of the population
More than half (31%) are women of color
Of that, Latinas make up 14% of the population
(17million)- larger than any other ethnic group and right
behind white women at 20%.
LABOR FORCE:
8.7M Latinas work in the US (5.7%)
Only 3.6 % are working in management/professional
positions.
Change of 116% in 10 years
Projection for 2016- 11M working Latinas (6.8%)
In 2016, 1 person out of 6 will be Hispanic in the US.
©

8. More Reality….The Corporate Numbers
Corporate Board Seats:
0.78 % Latinas hold Corporate Board seats (Women
of color hold 3.1% Corporate Board seats)
Corporate Officers: (board elected/ appointed)
Women of color account for 1.7% of all “corporate officers”
in Fortune 500 companies (even though women of color
account for over 50% of people working in the US) vs.
women overall make up 16.4% of corporate officers.
Almost 30% of Fortune 500 companies have ZERO
women officers
Source: Catalyst.org
©

9. CEO Positions in Corporate America
Fortune 1-500 CEOs:
3% are women (15 women- none Latinas)
97% are men
85% are white males.
Fortune 501-1000 CEOs:
15 women- none Latinas Source: Catalyst.org
2% Growth in women CEOs since 20 years ago
©

10. The Latino “Wallet Power” in the United States
$951 Billion in 2008 ( growth of 350%- 3 X larger )
California responsible for $249 billion (26%)
$1.4 Trillion in 2013
Largest purchasing power than any other group
Source- Selig Center-The Multicultural Economy, 2008

11. Advancing Latinas in Corporate America

12. Common Challenges
Lack of
Sponsor/Mentors
No role models No access to
& stereotypes informal networks
Struggle with
Lack of visibility career and family
©

13. Additional Issues For Latinas In
Higher Levels Of Management
Professional
Lack of role
Image and
clarity
Demeanor
Publicity Isolation
Increased
work-life
balance
stress
©

14. Another funny- just because…….

15. Strategies for Corporate Latinas
 Get a mentor  Understand normative
communication rules
 Get a sponsor
 Professional image and
 Perform above expectations demeanor
 Look for and accept highly  Seek line positions ( P&L
visible projects even if it related) and retrain if necessary
involves volunteering
 Choose your company wisely-
 Excellence in communication Working Mother Magazine list
skills- language issues
 Develop cross-department
 Connect to informal networks relationships
©

16. CONCLUSION
Developing Latinas to occupy executive leadership roles in corporate
America is vital to business if companies:
 want to tap into the growing Latino market with the largest
purchasing power
 are serious about successfully navigating the global marketplace
 will need to fill jobs in the next decades from the largest and fastest
growing demographic group in the US.
©

17. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION
Speaker • Career Coach • Diversity Strategist
www.wilkatoppins.com 713-621-8588 askthecorporatelatina.com