Vivian Sanchez shares her reflection on the Hispanic Heritage Month

Can you share a little background about your Latinx heritage?

My name is Vivian Sanchez, and I was born in Honduras (Central America) to Nicaraguan parents who had to exile in the 1980’s due to a revolution and political instability in Nicaragua. Years later, our family was able to return to Nicaragua where I lived through my middle and high school years before coming to the US to study Engineering at Texas A&M University. I am very proud of my Latinx heritage which has instilled in me strong family and community values as well as my Catholic faith. As a mom of two U.S. born children, one of my main goals is to educate them to embrace and maintain the connection to our Latinx roots as well as teach them the importance of diversity in cultures and inclusion.

Why is Latinx Heritage Month important?

The Latinx/Hispanic population is the largest minority group in the US, representing approximately 19% of the total US population. Therefore, I believe it’s extremely important to celebrate Latinx Month to raise awareness and recognize the history, culture, and contributions of Latinx/Hispanic people. The Latinx/Hispanic community continues to grow, with more immigrants coming to the US every year in search of jobs opportunities, safety, and a better life. Although Latinx individuals work in a wide range of jobs and contribute significantly to the US economy, our community still remains underrepresented in many areas of the private and public sectors. Acknowledging and celebrating Latinx Heritage, is one way to advocate for the advancement of Latinx/Hispanic communities.

What do you think about this year’s LHM theme?

I believe this year’s LHM theme of “Driving Prosperity, Power and Progress” is on point considering the positive impact and trajectory that the Latinx community has had over the last years. As our community continues to grow, contributing significantly to the economy and society, it is a driving force gaining more visibility, and access to better opportunities than before. While there is still much more to be done to close inequality gaps, we have come a long way and should continue to push forward to close these gaps and support our community.

How do colleagues who are not Latinx help raise awareness and advocate for their Latinx colleagues beyond Hispanic Heritage Month?

I believe the first step is to learn more about the Latinx/Hispanic communities, their achievements, and challenges. Standard Chartered has great employee resources groups (ERGs), including ONE Network, which connects colleagues from different nationalities and backgrounds including Latinx/Hispanic. Engaging with these networks and participating in events throughout the year is a great way to show our support for our Latinx colleagues. In addition, I think it’s important to increase representation by hiring more Latinx individuals as well as providing mentorship and support for the advancement and promotion of Latinx colleagues into senior management roles.

How has being Hispanic/LatinX shaped your professional life?

Being Hispanic/Latinx has allowed me to grow with strong core values of family, gratitude, resilience, and the desire to give back. From living through economic and political challenges in my country, which have prevented the younger generations to have access to their freedom and education, to witnessing the sacrifices that my parents have had to make in their lives to provide me and my brother with the best opportunities, I have learned to have deep gratitude and to be disciplined and work hard. I am very grateful to be part of such a diverse and energetic group. I have seen so many intelligent and hardworking Latinx friends miss out on the opportunities that I have been afforded, and I carry this with me every day, knowing that I am one of the fortunate people who get the opportunity to play amongst the world’s best, as a small ambassador for those less fortunate than me.

How will you or how are you influencing a culture that supports the development of Latinx / Hispanic talent in your everyday work at SC?

The most important and authentic thing I can do is be myself. The bank offers a rich network of diverse backgrounds, and I am looking forward to connecting with more colleagues and participating in events that promote our Latinx community and foster its advancement. I have been enriched and inspired by the stories of so many talented colleagues and one way I can contribute is by also sharing my story, and that of others like me. Standard Chartered has done a great job of creating a safe place to be myself and I hope that my message and experience is inspiring to other Latinx colleagues who are beginning their career.

What are some resources provided by SC that have helped you navigate your career? What resources aren’t available for Latinx that you’d like to be?

The people. Above everything else, it is great to work somewhere that gives us all access to talented and friendly people who want to mentor us. I have to give a shout out to our Houston team for always being supportive to me, particularly over the last few months when I have transitioned to a new role in Client Management. I have learned so much from them over the last few years, and greatly appreciate their guidance and mentorship. There are multiple resources we can leverage at the bank, but I believe the human capital is the most valuable by far. Moving forward, it would be great to keep seeing the bank invest in our talented LatAm teams and continue to give them opportunities to come to the US or abroad to continue their growth.

What advice do you have for other Hispanic/ Latinx colleagues who want to progress in their career?

I believe there is no replacing hard work and perseverance, independent of our backgrounds, to progress in our careers. I also think it’s important to establish meaningful connections with those around us including our People Leaders, colleagues and teammates. Having open communication, reaching out for advice and feedback is very important and can help us identify opportunities and potential that sometimes we may not see for ourselves.

Working in a diverse organization such as Standard Chartered means there are many different viewpoints/ ideas. What are some of the positives from working in a diverse organization? What are some challenges and how do we overcome them?

The obvious positive is access to a wealth of amazing people with so much to share. Growing up in Nicaragua I grew up amongst a homogenous group of people, so coming to Standard Chartered and being able to call people from different continents and countries my colleagues and friends has been an amazing experience. We are a small team in Houston of 15 represented by nearly 12 countries, and I always feel fortunate to learn so much from them and get to know a little bit more about who they are and what their personal and professional experiences have been. The challenge will always be that we must have the humility to recognize that we are different and that we should respect those differences. As long as we engage with respect and a sincere desire to understand each other, I believe that we will continue to grow as individuals and as one high performing team.