Latin Women in the Boardroom: Interview with Maria Ferres and Aline Mazzocchi

Diversity within the boardroom has become an increasingly important subject for businesses globally. According to the Hampton-Alexander Review/FTSE 350, currently only 34% of the boardrooms are represented by women in the UK, and just a fraction of that is encompassed by Latinx women.

As Latinx women, coming across these statistics might make us aware that if being part of a boardroom is part of our career plan, we might face more challenges and barriers due to our cultural background. However, this is not to say it is impossible. In this interview with Maria Ferres, Head of Global Operations at The Mix London, and Aline Mazzocchi, Senior Account Manager at Hogarth Worldwide, they talk about her experience, and include professional tips on how it is possible to get to that goal.

Be Adaptable 

Adaptability is an attribute that a lot of us already have, as it naturally comes with the experience of migrating.

“I have always been very adaptable, so very quickly I identified the kind of things that helped me fit in culturally,” says Maria Ferres, Head of Global Operations at The Mix London, who moved abroad with her parents at the age of five from Uruguay to Brazil. “Regardless of how close those countries are geographically, there was also a huge culture shift.” She emphasises that the true factor of assimilation is focusing on internal adaptability to our surroundings, as well as learning to match the background and cultural context behind us.

Maria had the opportunity to visit different countries around the world, including England. Moreover, she was also able to learn English before she decided to move to London in 2016. She believes that the experience of visiting different places, and the fact that she learned the language before moving to the UK also helped her to adapt well, as it gave her the confidence to start her career in the UK and to apply for new job opportunities. 

Being content in the knowledge that you are continuing on the right path and that you can adapt internally as needed will result in the fruition of your latter goals: “I didn’t have specific aspirations in terms of salary, industry, the scale of corporation, job title, etc. My only focus was to change careers, which was enough of a challenge, so [I] decided that everything else would come with time.” 

Language and Culture

We all know that the language barrier affects our confidence and can make us feel that we are unworthy of roles requiring intellectual thought - this, of course, is not the case. With this in mind, even if we are equipped with a more advanced understanding of English, the setting can sometimes shift our experience. The common tongue and culture can oftentimes be the key to understanding our new environment. “Even when you are fluent, sometimes you have to think about how to build that sentence to get your point across in a way that is understood clearly, as there is a cultural side that is embedded in the language that it is difficult to learn before moving abroad,” Maria adds.

Colloquialisms, dialect, and cultural references usually take a long time for a foreigner to understand in their entirety, longer still to confidently start using them. For Brazilian Aline Mazzocchi, Senior Account Manager at Hogarth Worldwide, the fact that we don’t understand all expressions in any given language can be used in our favour: “It is a strength”, she explains, “it demonstrates that you have a different cultural experience and that you are open to learning new things. Don’t be afraid to ask, it shows you are keen to learn and to adapt.”

The Perks of being Latin American

There are also advantages to  being Latin American, and they should be explored and  embraced when taking professional steps abroad.

Ferres proudly shares her experience of being a Latina in a company based in London: “The fact that we come with experience of handling life in more challenging environments also makes us very resourceful and creative. Our warmth is also felt by people, and this is appreciated. I’m not sure people would describe me as nurturing in Brazil, for instance, but this is how I’m seen here (I am constantly getting this feedback!) which I find very interesting.” This highlights once more the importance of utilising our adaptability, but also  the importance of retaining our own culture and experience. A blend, or the best of both worlds, if you will.

Mazzocchi also shares this perspective: "Creativity, empathy and a bit of fun can be very useful not only for Christmas parties but also in corporate meetings". Applying values of her Brazilian culture highlights a natural empathy that may not be as commonly seen by her team and the board members, which has allowed her to integrate easily.

Yes, it is possible!

What then is the main takeaway from these collective experiences? I believe Ferres explains this more succinctly than any words of my own: "Embrace your roots and your culture but be aware of the impact that some attitudes that are common in our culture can cause on people from different cultures. Simply put, be adaptable. Being aware of what makes us different and of the universal traits that can be applied broadly make for a conscientious combination that is sure to bridge the cultural gap. Of course, these things take time, but we all have the ability to adapt and combine cultures.

Finally, experiences such as Maria’s and Aline’s demonstrate that despite the statistics, it is possible to access the boardroom, and be extremely successful in this process. We hope that the experience of these two Latin women  in the UK inspire you to chase your goals in your professional career. Yes, it is possible!