In honor of National Hispanic Heritage month, we’re spotlighting five inspiring Hispanic heroes in the technology industry. We think it’s important to recognize the following leaders and their impact on the world of technology and their efforts to serve as an example for people in their community.
1. Maria Teresa Arnal – Stripe
Maria, from Venezuela, is the head of the Latin American division of Stripe and has held positions at both Google and Microsoft. Prior to those three positions, she worked at Boston Consulting Group. She was also named as one of the 50 most influential people in technology in Latin America by the Hispanic Executive Technology Council.
In addition to being a business leader in the technology space, Maria is an advocate for digital transformation. She helped found the Academic Council of the Instituto Superior para el Desarrollo de Internet (ISDI). This group promotes digital transformation in cities like Madrid, Barcelona and Mexico City, as well as education in the world of technology.
Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-teresa-arnal-880117/
2. Alvaro Celis – Microsoft
Alvaro, also from Venezuela, started his career in technology at the early age of 15 studying computer science in Venezuela. Straight out of school he landed a job with Microsoft and has continued his career at the corporation for 29 years. During that time, he has held management roles and positioned himself as an industry leader.
For Alvaro, his mission within the technology industry is to help leverage advancements to support the transformation of all types of companies. He focuses on helping companies up-level by aligning strategies and capabilities in unique ways. On a philanthropic front, he is also a member of the Hispanic IT Executive Council where he develops the next group of Hispanic leaders in technology.
Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alcelis/
3. Maria Ferreras – Netflix
Maria is from Spain where she attended college at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. Along with her experiences at Netflix and previously Google, Maria has a long list of career success within the technology space. At Netflix and Google, she held a variety of leadership positions all focused around partnerships and business development.
Outside of her day-to-day work, Maria is\a strong advocate for the education and advancement of women in technology. She is also an avid supporter of Miriam Gonzalez Durantez who is the founder of Inspiring Girls International.
Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maria-ferreras-549292/
4. Victor Delgado – Google
Victor is a classic story of working your way from the bottom to the top. As a young Latino growing up in the Los Angeles area, he began as a phone salesman in the telecommunications industry and advanced to jobs at T-Mobile, Verizon, Samsung and then Google where he currently works. His current position with the technology giant involves global B2B alliances focused on mobile capabilities.
Victor was also instrumental in Samsung’s recent release and presentation of their Galaxy Z Fold 2 folding phone that was released in 2020. His passion for driving growth in emerging markets for Samsung has shaped him into an excellent leader and professional role model in technology.
Linkedin profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/victordelgado28/
5. Diana Trujillo – NASA
Diana, perhaps the biggest star of this group, showcases an amazing story of triumph and success. She moved from Columbia to the United States at the age of 17 not fluent in English and without much in the way of money. From there she worked her way through college by cleaning houses.
Now, Diana is working for NASA as the flight director for the Mars 2020 mission. She even anchored NASA’s first ever Spanish broadcast of a planetary landing. Diana has also held positions within NASA at the Goddard Space Flight Center. She is an inspiring example of perseverance leading to success.
Wikipedia profile: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana_Trujillo
Follow in the Footsteps of Difference Makers
These stories represent how anything is possible with focus, vision and determination. The individuals featured above were able to overcome many barriers and learning about their accomplishments may have you asking, “why not me?”. Here at OutstandingStar, we encourage you to consider these stories as inspiration to start yours.
