Hispanic Leadership Institute Bio Book - Class VIII

CLASS VIII

Hispanic Leadership Institute

2018

Sponsored by:

HISPANIC LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE | CLASS VIII The Hispanic Leadership Institute is a skills-based leadership training program whose main goal is to develop the next generation of Hispanic leaders for the St. Louis business community. HLI consists of nine training sessions conducted once a month. Each session will focus on a particular skill set for the developing leader.

The institute will train this group of Hispanic professionals on forprofit and non-profit management skills and network development within the St. Louis business community. In addition to leadership training, participants will be encouraged to give back to the St. Louis region through community involvement.

The three essential competencies to be acquired in this class are leading an organization, leading oneself and leading others in the organization.

The participants of Class VIII are as follows: Ivan Ayala Maria Bautista Eduardo Bravo Kevin Clark Nerishka Cruz Paulina de Regil Jessica Delgadillo Katia Delgado Ignacio Escudero Diana Estrada

Anita Hansen Ilenia Hennessy Jeanette Katic Marisol Lamplot Stephanie Martinez Jaclyn Norono-Rodriquez Diana Parra Patricia Sanchez De Andrei Hayar Tomioka Humberto Vasquez

Ivan Ayala | Sysco Ivan is a committed marketing associate that works for Sysco foods. Ivan’s primary function is to work with the Hispanic market. Ivan believes that the good relationships that he has with his customer are the base of his success.

In his youth, Ivan lived in Quito, Ecuador and now he lives in O’Fallon, Missouri. It brings Ivan great pride to have a wonderful family with his wife and 3 children. Ivan has a good sense of humor and likes to compete in sports and help the community.

Ivan has a university degree in business administration with an emphasis in human resources. Ivan has a work history that includes working for some of Wall Street Fortune top100 companies. Ivan has been working in the sales field for the last 16 years and has received several promotions like multilingual team leader, training and team leader. Ivan has also received several awards such as presidents club awards and top 10 regional sales person for several years.

1

Maria Bautista | Sysco Maria Bautista is a Marketing Associate at Sysco. Her primary responsibilities consist of visiting customers and prospects to take their food order and show other value added services. Value added services include marketing and menu engineering which is one of Marias strengths. She studied Human Resources Management at Lindenwood University and worked in the H.R. field for six years.

Maria volunteers her free time at her church as well as translating for people dealing with immigration issues. She has received recognition for her sales growth in her current position where she continues to excel.

Her extracurricular interests include working out, reading and watching documentaries related to ancient pyramids.

2

Eduardo Bravo | Bayer Eduardo Bravo serves as a Financial Credit analyst within the Crop Science division at Bayer AG. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, he is responsible for leading all credit management related processes including establishment of credit lines, and risk mitigation for the $2B Global Supply, Chemistry & Canada portfolio. Eduardo started his career at Legacy Monsanto (Bayer) in 2014, where he supported the Latin American, and North America region as an International Accountant in multiple roles of increasing responsibility.

Originally from Mexico, Eduardo earned a BS in Industrial Engineering at La Salle University in Sonora, Mexico, and an MBA at Fontbonne University in St. Louis. He is currently a member of the Legacy Monsanto Latin Network leadership team where he serves as a lead of the Membership & Engagement committee.

During his spare time, Eduardo enjoys keeping active through boot camp, hiking, spinning and yoga. Also, he is a lifelong foreign language aficionado, an avid reader and a South American grilling enthusiast.

3

Kevin Clark | Express Scripts Kevin W. Clark was raised in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Midwestern State University. After completing his undergraduate studies, Kevin moved back to Honduras and worked in the financial industry for several years. In 2016, he decided to return to the United States to pursue his MBA at Lindenwood University in St. Charles.

Kevin is currently a Senior Financial Analyst at Express Scripts.

There, he is in charge of bringing valuable and actionable data through visualization and analytics to the Procurement department and several cross-functional teams. He provides insightful and user-friendly dashboards and reporting to assist the leadership team in making the best strategic decisions.

Kevin is a passionate reader of non-fiction books. He cares deeply about staying mentally and physically active, and has completed one marathon and several half-marathons. His dream is to one day complete an Ironman.

4

Nerishka Cruz | Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Nerishka Cruz-De La Rosa was born in ManatĂ­, Puerto Rico, where she lived for 17 years with her parents and two brothers. After high school, she received a volleyball scholarship offer and decided to move to New York.

She graduated from Monroe College in New Rochelle, New York with a degree in Hospitality and Management in 2015.

Upon graduation, she began working with Residence Inn

by Marriott in White Plains, New York. Nerishka started as a kitchen assistant and in less than a year, was promoted to a Front Desk Supervisor.

In January 2018, Nerishka relocated to St. Louis, Missouri where she began working as the Program Assistant for the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Part of her responsibilities are to assist the team members, plan events and grow the communication between the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the community of St. Louis, Missouri.

One of her personal goals is to have her own Puerto Rican restaurant located in St. Louis. Some extracurricular activities she likes are cooking, playing volleyball and visiting places around St. Louis and nearby states.

5

Paulina de Regil | TRC Staffing Services Paulina de Regil is a transplant to St. Louis and moved from Miami, Florida earlier this year. She comes from a bi-cultural Cuban and Mexican family and is a first-generation American. Her parents immigrated to Miami from Mexico in 1993 to begin a life filled with opportunity.

Currently, Paulina is the Recruiting Manager for TRC Staffing Services.

As such, she manages multiple functions including recruitment and orientation processes for new employee relations, regulatory compliance, training and performance management.

In 2014, Paulina graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Psychology from Anahuac Mayab University in Merida, Yucatan. This experience allowed her to reconnect with her roots and enrich her cultural background. During her time in college, she was selected for the highly competitive, ICE/OPLA Summer Internship Program.

This program allowed her the opportunity to observe hearings, research complex issues of removability, and gain insight on the adjudicatory process.

Aside from her work responsibilities, Paulina volunteers for a variety of organizations. She has dedicated time to Lotus House, a safe haven for single mothers, and has raised funds for a children’s cancer walk. Additionally, she served on the board of S.H.I.N.E. Networking, Inc. and was instrumental in the development of their first website.

Paulina currently serves as a YWCA Young Ambassador where she is able to empower young women.

When she is not working or volunteering, Paulina enjoys traveling, discovering new things and deepening her knowledge of holistic health. Paulina has become fond of St. Louis’ culinary offerings and myriad of festivals and outdoor activities.

6

Jessica Delgadillo | Bayer Jessica was born in Mexico City, Mexico. She moved to the U.S. along with her husband in 2015. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Accounting with a Specialization in Corporate Financing from the Escuela Bancaria y Comercial, S.C., which was granted in 2003.

Jessica Delgadillo is the North America Finance Analyst for Seed Applied Solutions at Bayer U.S. LLC Crop Science. In this role, she is responsible for providing support and business partnership for the BioAg-Acceleron seed treatment business by evaluating financial performance by comparing and analyzing actual results with plans and forecasts.

Jessica joined Bayer in 2000 in the Latin America North (LAN) office in Mexico City where she held various roles within the crop protection and row crop organizations, including treasury, credit and collection, customer service, marketing and product incentive distribution analyst. Her last role in LAN region was LAN Crop Protection Supply Chain Lead, where she was responsible for sales forecasting, order management, product storage and distribution strategies, and coordination with key raw material suppliers.

In April 2015, Jessica relocated to Bayer in St. Louis as the Operational Product Manager for Dicamba having responsibility for the sales and operations planning (S&OP) process, managing supply allocations, achieving monthly and quarterly shipping targets, and helping to lead new product launches within the APS, IT&O and Dicamba crop protection portfolios.

Jessica is currently serving as a lead of the Cultural Committee in the Latin Network at Bayer in St. Louis, MO. She enjoys cooking and visiting the museums and art events in St. Louis.

7

Katia Delgado | Nestlé Purina As a Senior Brand Manager for Nestlé Purina, Katia Delgado currently leads the communication efforts for the Fancy Feast & Cat Chow brands, which account for over $1.5B in annual sales. She majored in Marketing & Human Resources at the University of Puerto Rico, and then earned a Diversity Fellowship to complete her MBA at the University of Texas A&M. She started her career in her hometown, Puerto Rico, working for the Coca-Cola Company. Since joining Purina in 2010, she has led multiple large-scale projects, including significant product renovation for the Beneful dog food brand, developing the company’s first Hispanic Strategy, and serving as part of a selected team that developed the organization’s Marketing Vision.

Outside of work, she is a wife and mother of a 2 year old.

Although far away from Puerto Rico, Katia and her family like to embrace their Latin heritage by staying active in the Hispanic community and traveling back to Latin America a few times per year.

8

Ignacio Escudero | Abengoa North America Ignacio Escudero was born in Madrid, Spain, where he completed his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration & Finance and attended Law School simultaneously. After graduating from Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), Ignacio was hired by Abengoa Bioenergy in Madrid and worked there until 2012 when he was transferred to the U.S. headquarters in Chesterfield, Missouri. Ignacio started a new position in the commodities department analyzing U.S. and Europe Hedging and Trading derivatives operations.

In February 2016, when he was already a Financial Controller, Abengoa Bioenergy entered in Chapter 11. Ignacio led the liquidation of the assets and helped with the company’s reorganization into a new company; Abengoa North America, ending this process in 2017. After the reorganization, he became a Finance Project Manager for a waste to biofuel turnkey project in Nevada. At the end of September 2018, Ignacio decided to resign from his duties at Abengoa North America and seek new challenges.

Ignacio loves to travel and visit new countries, having lived in Spain, France, England and USA. Work-life balance is key for him; when not working, he likes to spend quality time with his family and continue his education. Even though most of his family is in Spain, Ignacio lives in Chesterfield with wife (Atlanta) and their two children (Carlota and Ignacio). When not with his family, he attends classes at Saint Louis University towards the completion of a MBA.

9

Diana Estrada | NestlĂŠ Purina Diana Estrada is a Senior Business Analyst for the Atlantic Region at NestlĂŠ Purina PetCare Company. She provides context and clarity to business processes and organizational initiatives by sharing and empowering others to grow in their business acumen. Diana supports her leadership group by assisting with confidential customer analysis to resolve customer specific opportunities.

Diana has been recognized for her leadership by being awarded the NestlĂŠ Five Talls in March 2018 in recognition for her Leadership, Initiative, and Analytical Expertise on 2018 New Item Launches. In April 2017, she was awarded Unsung Hero for being a valued Team Member, who builds constructive and effective relationships, driving their teams to positive outcomes without the need for accolades. In April 2016, she was awarded the Medal of Honor for being a valued Team Member who is committed to fairness, openness, & consistency.

Diana was born and raised in Eureka, Missouri and the youngest of four children. Both her parents immigrated to Los Angeles, California from Mexico and then moved to Missouri in 1973. She is the only one in her family who has received her Bachelors and Masters Degrees. She is currently residing in St. Louis with her wife and 3 children.

10

Anita Hansen | Regions Bank Anita Hansen is a valuable team member with Regions Bank.

Anita’s serves as a Relationship Team Administrator, where she is responsible for leading, developing and coaching the Commercial Support team in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Anita’s team of 8 Commercial Relationship Assistants assist in managing and growing the 527 commercial relationships within the St. Louis portfolio.

Anita, a daughter of an immigrant mother from Mexico and an immigrant father from Sweden, is the first of her family to be born in the United States. Having a diverse cultural background has allowed Anita to have a strong appreciation for diversity and inclusion that she promotes within Regions Bank. She is an active member of Regions Diversity and Inclusion committee in St. Louis and a team member within local leadership for Regions Bank.

Anita started her banking career with Regions 15 years ago while she was attending Lindenwood University. She received her Bachelors of Arts degree with a major in International Business.

Regions Bank’s culture of embracing community collaboration has allowed Anita the opportunity to serve as a mentor to students at Jennings High School and Marian Middle School. Anita has also volunteered her time to collaborate with the Regional Business Council, United Way, Junior Achievement and is also on the Young Friends board for the Arts and Education Council of Missouri.

Anita is married to Jason and a mother of two twin 5-year-old boys who help keep her active. She enjoys traveling, cooking and attending all types of music concerts with her family.

11

Ilenia Hennessy | Avadel Ilenia (Gallardo) Hennessy was born and raised in Venezuela.

She completed her undergraduate degree in Public Accounting at the University of Carabobo in Venezuela and soon after, immigrated to the U.S. in 1999. She completed her Master’s in Business Administration in Oklahoma at the University of Tulsa in 2004.

Ilenia has over fifteen years of accounting and finance experience in diverse industries, including aerospace, energy, construction and pharmaceutical companies. She has led Finance teams within the U.S., Mexico, Chile, Argentina and Colombia. She currently serves as the U.S. Controller for Avadel Pharmaceutical in Chesterfield, MO. Avadel is a branded specialty pharmaceutical company with a portfolio of products with a focus on urology and sleep medicine.

Ilenia is task-oriented and passionate about accomplishing her goals and improving and making things work more efficiently.

She and her husband, Jerry, have two girls, Mia and Ellie. They relocated to St. Louis in 2011 from Tulsa, OK. They enjoy running and Ilenia recently finished her first triathlon.

12

Jeanette Katic | Saint Cecilia School and Academy Jeanette Katic was born and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico. She was always curious to learn a different language and wanted to study abroad, so she moved to Saint Louis seventeen years ago to pursue her career. She graduated from the University of Missouri - Saint Louis with a Business Administration and Psychology degree.

Jeanette is the Business Manager at Saint Cecilia School and Academy where she has worked for the past five years. She enjoys working with families helping them understand that their child’s education is important for them to have a better future and cherish their Hispanic background. She helps find scholarships for the children, so their families can afford the education they deserve. She likes helping people and making connections with all of the different cultures, so she can learn more about them. She also worked as a linguist for five years and absolutely loved doing that.

Jeanette likes to be part of the Hispanic community because it reminds her of her family in Mexico and her culture. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, exercising, outdoor activities and cooking. She has two children and loves teaching them Spanish. She always tell them that they can always help someone in need even if it’s with words.

13

Marisol Lamplot | Dot Foods Marisol Lamplot is a Business Development Manager at Dot Foods, a global distribution company. In the Business Development manager role, Marisol manages over 30 of Dot’s supplier partner relationships and is responsible for implementing efficient supply chains, increasing sales, and managing margin. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois in Champaign, and her MBA from Washington University.

At Dot Foods, Marisol is a member of the Multi-Cultural Employee Resource Group, responsible for coordinating volunteer activities and education. She is also active on Dot’s Health and Wellness committee, and the United Way fundraising committee.

A native Chicagoan, Marisol is an avid fan of all Chicago sports, especially the Bulls and the Bears. When she’s not listening to her favorite sports podcasts, Marisol also enjoys cooking, trying new exercise routines and reading historical fiction.

14

Stephanie Martinez | Ortho Touch Therapy Stephanie “Nina� Martinez is the President of Ortho Touch Therapy, a small orthopedic massage practice based in Clayton, MO. Stephanie was raised in a suburb outside of Milwaukee, WI and moved to St. Louis fourteen years ago.

She began her practice as a solo practitioner and has expanded the business to include three additional massage therapists, a yoga instructor, and an administrative assistant. Stephanie is also a founding member of Grow Well Group, a small thinktank group comprised of local entrepreneurs. She was recently on the planning committee for the Take Back the Night fundraising event and has served on the board for a not for profit, The Sharing Shop, which benefits children in foster care and their foster families.

Stephanie also has a varied professional history in multiple fields including banking, modeling, retail, hotel hospitality, and restaurant management. Through all of her roles, she has always been in a management position, trainer, or supervisor, including a position as the Vice President for Nine10 Models, LLC. She strives to make every endeavor productive and efficient. Stephanie highly enjoys networking as a means to better serve her clients, employees, and business associates.

In her free time, she is actively involved in the local music and performing arts communities as she is married to a singer/ songwriter. She also enjoys spending time with her three teenage step children and adopted Shepherd mix, Avalon, which often includes outdoor activities like hiking and yoga.

15

Jaclyn Norono-Rodriquez | BCI Packaging Jaclyn is the National Accounts Team Manager for BCI Packaging, which is a nonprofit organization with a social mission to employ adults with disabilities. She leads a team of Account Managers who handle all customer relationships and projects from beginning to end. She is also in charge of developing sales growth for all established and existing customers.

Jaclyn was born and raised in Venezuela and came to the United States with a scholarship to go to college. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master’s in Business Administration. Throughout college and her career, she has been a part of various community associations like the Catholic Newman Center, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Hispanic Leaders Group and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. She is currently the Treasurer for the Venezuelan Association in Missouri, which is a nonprofit that raises funds for college scholarships for Hispanics in the state of Missouri.

Jaclyn is also an avid volleyball player, playing at least 3 times a week in various leagues around St Louis. Her family is in Venezuela and she visits as often as possible, but she also has great friends who have become her adopted family in the U.S. She is excited to have joined HLI and is looking forward to leadership development as she strives to be in executive management someday.

16

Diana Parra | Washington University Diana C. Parra is an Assistant Professor in the Physical Therapy & Department of Surgery at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. She is also a scholar of the Institute of Public Health.

Diana has a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from her native country of Colombia where she attended Universidad del Rosario in Bogota. Diana moved to St. Louis in 2006 to pursue her Master’s degree in Public Health, graduating in 2008. She continued her graduate studies with a PhD in Social Work at the Brown School in Washington University in St. Louis, graduating in 2013. She then completed her post-doctoral studies in Public Health Nutrition at the Universidade de Sao Paulo in Brazil.

Diana has been a tenure-track faculty member at the program in Physical Therapy since 2014. In her current role, she conducts research in public health with Hispanic populations in St. Louis, specifically in the area of physical activity and nutrition for weight loss.

Diana has been an invited faculty member and speaker in several international courses and conferences on Physical Activity throughout South America. Diana is also a yoga instructor at Kingdom house where she delivers her classes to the community in English and Spanish.

17

Patricia Sanchez De Andrei | Christner Patricia is an Associate at Christner where she works as an Architect and Planner. Christner is a collaborative design firm bringing innovation, research and insight to the practice of architecture. The markets Christner serves include healthcare, science and research, education, corporate, and cultural.

At Christner, Patricia focuses on programming, design, and construction documentation for medical, corporate and institutional markets. She works on new construction, renovation and multiphased projects, and has provided design and production services of all types.

Patricia is passionate about getting to know people and serving her community. Within the firm, she serves on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee, the Christner Green Team, and has helped with several community volunteer efforts including the Washington University in St. Louis Sustainable Land Lab and the Aim High program. Outside of work, Patricia is also a leader in the American Institute of Architects St. Louis Chapter, the Regional Business Council’s Young Professionals Network, and in her church, the Journey on Hanley Road.

Patricia is proud to be from McAllen, Texas where she grew up with her family that emigrated from Mexico. She attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas and received a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture. She later received a Master in Architecture degree from Washington University in St. Louis.

While her studies drew her to St. Louis, the thriving city and great work opportunities have kept Patricia here. She enjoys living in University City with her husband and 10-month-old son. On the weekends, she and her family enjoy walking in different parks throughout the city and attending all the wonderful festivals this region offers.

18

Hayar Tomioka | Facilitec Corporate Furnishings Hayar was born and raised in Mexico City and relocated to St. Louis in April of 2016 with her husband, Miguel, as well as their two adorable dogs, Lola and Sanson. They have found a new home in St. Louis after moving to the Midwest for Miguel’s role with Anheuser Busch, and they have since added to their great family with the birth of Mateo, their beautiful son and amazing baby.

She graduated with a degree in International Business from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, and started studying for a Master’s degree in Industrial Business at Universidad Autόnoma de Mexico. She has more than 12 years of experience in different areas of business such as logistics, sales, operations, and vendor sales service in different industries. She has worked for international companies like Eli Lilly, Polaroid, AB In-Bev and ICA Fluor.

She has a keen sense for the special relationship between marketing, sales, operations and team management, and her focus in exceeding the enterprise’s goals and delivering added value to the customers is what motivates her.

In just a few years in the St. Louis area, Hayar has contributed her time to many volunteer efforts, including time spent with Casa de Salud, World Pediatric Project, St. Cecilia School, and the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition. She was the Spot Volunteer of the month at Casa de Salud in just her second month of volunteering. She had the opportunity to work with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for a short while, and currently is the Project Coordinator at Facilitec Corporate Furnishings, a HCC member company and the best design and corporate furniture dealership in St. Louis!

Along with her time spent with Miguel and Mateo, Hayar enjoys exercising and playing sports. She recently completed her first Triathlon this year in Chicago! She loves to spend time with her family and friends, she’s a pet lover, and she has a genuine commitment to helping others. She also likes to travel, experience new places and meet new people.

19

Humberto Vasquez | Citibank Humberto Vasquez is a Risk Operations Intermediate Analyst at Citibank. This role is a part of the Quality Control team that conducts reviews for all Operational Risk Analysts that complete Periodic Reviews on clients’ accounts. His role consists of confirming all records are brought up to standard and meet all criteria that are put in place by policy and procedures, and also provide daily feedback to analysts to help them better understand process components.

In addition to his role at Citibank, Humberto is the CoChair of the Citi Hispanic/Latino Heritage Network and the Communications Chair of the Citi Professional Development Committee. He devotes his time supporting the networks within Citi and serves as a mentor in the mentoring program.

He also enjoys volunteering at many community events at Citi.

He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from University of Missouri St. Louis. Humberto has always shown an interest in assisting others and helping those in need. He has also obtained star player awards quarterly and recognitions from peers.

His parents migrated from Mexico to the United States for a better living in Chicago, IL. This is where Humberto was born and raised until High School when he moved to St. Louis.

20

Hispanic Leadership Institute Class VIII Schedule All HLI classes will be held on the 2nd Friday of the month from October 2018 – June 2019.

All sessions will begin at 9 AM and conclude at 4:30 PM.

21

s a quick reference guide to Edward Jones’ specific br nd logos.

e-

The s e on 6.

ers ad

ark when ials.

ed for nage.

Fonts

Title Sponsor

Gotham Gotham is used for all Edward Jones advertising, collateral and commu pieces. It is primarily used for body copy. For readability, it is recomme go below 9 pt. on 13 pt. Preffered disclaimer style is 7 pt. on 8 pt. book

ITC Franklin Gothic

ITC Franklin Gothic is used for tables, charts, and copy heavy documen used for our HNW category.

Session Sponsors