I am a native of Brazil, born to a Chilean mother and an English father. I was the first in my family to attend college, and arrived in the United States for the first time just five days before beginning classes as a freshman at the University of Richmond. I started my career in Brazil working with S.C. Johnson, and then went on to work for Procter & Gamble in Caracas, Venezuela, and Mexico City, Mexico.
Although raised in a Latin culture, my appearance and accent are very English. This mismatch in how I am perceived and who I really am has had a profound effect on how I view diversity. Repeatedly throughout my career, people have met me for the first time and made assumptions about me that are not always true. It has taught me never to assume who people are because of how they look or sound. It has encouraged me to take time to really get to know the people I work with, and understand their backgrounds and experiences.
I actively look for connections that enable me to seek common ground and connect with people of a different background, race, religion, or lifestyle. I also strive to understand the different perspectives and experiences, as well as the unique strengths, of our people in order to make better business decisions and better organizational choices. In a global role, which includes employees from many different cultures, our team’s mission is to improve the lives of consumers in many different parts of the world.