Ana Cervantes, Central America Interim Director, Honduras

Years with AD

Motivated

Personality

Diversity

Goal

What attracted you to your chosen work? What skills did you develop early that are still useful today?
I'm really passionate about making things happen. I've always felt that through my career as an industrial engineer, I can make a meaningful impact in any business or company. Some of the important skills that I picked up early in my career were business acumen, negotiation and persuasion and leadership.

How have you grown in your career at Avery Dennison?
I’ve been able to grow my career by demonstrating persistence and resilience, while being open to feedback and learning from others. It has also been important to focus on people and look for creative ways to resolve problems, including developing automated tools that can help complete the work faster.

What's the biggest stretch opportunity you've taken on?
I was offered a managerial position very early in my career. At that time, I had only been working for Avery Dennison for one a half years. I considered myself very young at that moment. Initially, I had some fear when I accepted the position, but I was able to prove that you can make things happen through work hard and passion.

What role has mentorship played in your career?
I have received coaching through various people across my career. My first leader played a very important role in mentoring me. I've also had the opportunity to be part of external coaching programs that without doubt have given me the needed support to take on new opportunities.

What’s the best career decision you’ve ever made?
I received a job offer from a different company a few years ago. The salary they offered me was higher than what I was getting at Avery Dennison, but the position was not very appealing to me. I decided to stay in my position at Avery Dennison, and since then I’ve been given amazing learning and growth opportunities. So far, I can say that was the best career decision I’ve made. Today, I have the role that I worked hard for. Career decisions take into account several important factors, not just the economics.

As you think about the next steps in your career, what are the most important actions you plan to take?
I plan to keep increasing the potential sponsors for my professional growth, continuously checking my executive presence (addressing gaps), and looking for opportunities to work on cross-functional projects.

What do you enjoy most about your work?
I enjoy the positive impact I can have on people around me! I love to empower women to keep pursuing their dreams. Being able to use my career as an example is definitely a boost! For me, it’s all about achieving results through driving people.

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