LATINA STYLE Inc.

My partners know it can be a dangerous thing to give me the last word on anything. But since you asked, here’s my punto final on the subjects of diversity and leadership development.

I was asked to write this column because I am the highest-ranking Latina at Deloitte, which has been honored as LATINA Style’s “Company of the Year.” I’ve been the highest-ranking Latina at Deloitte for a long time: When I was admitted as a partner in 1984, there were two other women in my class, giving Deloitte a grand total of five female partners.

Deloitte has become a much more diverse organization since I first walked through its doors in 1974. In 2009, we reached a milestone by topping 1,000 women partners, principals and directors – our leadership levels. And the percentage of Latinas at that level – and in our leadership pipeline – has steadily increased over the years.

For us, Diversity and Inclusion is a strategic imperative on two fronts – clients and people. Our clients and future clients — the decision makers in the C-suite and senior management of Fortune 500 companies — are increasingly more diverse and expect diverse teams when they select a professional services firm. Diverse teams generate better and more innovative ideas. That’s one of the main reasons our clients hire us as their professional service provider: because of our innovative ideas, as well as our ability to add, and — where appropriate — help them protect value.

For our people, Diversity means that we are all packaged very differently. Whether it is based on our ethnicity, gender, geography, abilities or disabilities, we all bring something unique and different to the table. We have an environment where the appreciation, recognition and the promotion of our individual differences is valued. For many years now, Deloitte has succeeded in bringing in a diverse group of people at the entry level. But we will not rest – no matter how many wonderful honors our Diversity and Inclusion program garners. We continue to focus strategically on ensuring that each person we hire has a legitimate chance to grow and deepen her or his talents and build a successful career. If you are smart and willing to work hard, we will help you gain the necessary knowledge and competencies to enable you to realize your full potential. That’s why I’ve been spending a significant amount of time over the last few years building our first formal leadership development and succession planning programs.

While my career at Deloitte has been very fulfilling, it has also been challenging — especially in those early years when it was difficult to imagine someone with my background reaching the top at Deloitte. Yet somehow that gave me the courage to remain focused and be relentless in the pursuit of my dreams. I’d seen what my parents had to give up when the revolution forced them to flee Cuba — giving up everything — with the hope that my brother, sister and I would have a better life.

I felt obliged to do whatever I could to make a better life for myself and my family. Whatever your own motivation, I invite you to dream and dream BIG, to believe in yourself, and to be tenacious. In today’s difficult business environment, our organizations need all the strong leaders they can find. And Latinas need to be ready to meet the challenge. Celebrate your cultural differences and remain true to who you are and what you are. I am very proud of my heritage. It defines who and what I am about. Diversity is what makes you unique and stronger — and that is my Punto Final!

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