Monica L. Martinez

The Senior Vice President of Texas/Arizona Corporate Contributions and National Hispanic Business Development shares her views on true leadership.

story BY: ERIC T. BACA

PHOTO BY: KELLY WILLIAMS

In a corporate environment where executives are increasingly expected to maintain the bottom-line while simultaneously inspiring up-and-coming leaders, being static and rigid can lead to a quick exit from the corporate ranks.

No one has ever accused Martínez of standing still. She doesn’t give them the chance.

She’s kinetic energy personified: always moving, always improving, always adapting to the challenges that come from being one of the leading young corporate executives in the country today.

This year marks her 10-year anniversary with Comerica Bank, the financial institution that calls Dallas, Texas home and headquarters. A decade in, there’s no signs of letting up. She’s moving — strategically and deliberately — forward and making sure others are coming with her.

“My leadership journey is constantly evolving,” Martínez said. “I strive to be the best at my job and constantly reevaluating what my best is and tweak it along the way. I try to flex my leadership style to the individuals with whom I am working. This allows me to leverage team strengths and helps focus on collaborative-shared visions. “I believe the way we manage and collaborate with others are always strengths we can improve.”

Martínez is a rarity in today’s get-in-and-get-out corporate culture. Her decade-long tenure is twice the national average, but make no mistake, she’s right at home.

Above the average is where she’s spent her entire corporate journey, which includes working with some of the world’s biggest and most respected leaders and companies in the world.

It’s the challenges — she calls them opportunities — that keep her focused and interested.

As Senior Vice President of Texas/Arizona Corporate Contributions and National Hispanic Business Development, Martínez is charged with ensuring that the bank’s philanthropic efforts and diversity initiatives are well positioned and well established where Comerica does business.

And Martínez plays an integral role on the business development side as well, fostering relationships and directing outreach to potential corporate and personal banking customers. These efforts, under her guidance, have directly improved the bank’s overall profile, both as a financial and community partner. More than that, her leadership has the bank among the most respected in terms of its diversity and philanthropic strategies.

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