Latino Business Speakers Bureau: Jose "Pepe" Estrada
story by: David Gomez
There are two mindsets whentrying something new: feeling intimidated by the unknownor feeling elated by the prospect of the new endeavor. Many people have the former mindset and avoid things that get them out of their comfort zone. Those who thrive in new adventuresare the ones who achieve great thingsand understandthe value of being open to new opportunities. Jose (Pepe) Estrada, falls within the later category.
Pepe came to the US from Peru ona Scholarship for a PhD degree in Economics from North Carolina State University. It was there that he met his wife, who is also an economist and has taught for 15 years in the Northwest Arkansas school system. He is currently the Director of Public Affairs at Walmart andmanages the company’s strategic outreach and engagement. This roleis perfect for his leadershipstylebecause he has a strong sense of how to managechange. Over the last decades and,more critically, over the last few years the US has experienceda drastic change in demographics. Companies like Walmart need leaders with Pepe’s mindset to usher in the changes happening in the US and globally.
For an economist, being asked to design, produce and implement a product packaging line may sound like an unreasonable request. When Pepe was asked to deliver on this request,he saw it as a challenge and as an opportunity to grow. He did not feel like if it was an unfair request, instead he gathered a team of professionals who helped him achieve this goal, and he delivered. Among the recommendations he gives Latinos who are pursuing leadership roles is to havean open mind andbewilling to try newthings; even if they are intimidating. The importance of his advice cannot be exemplified better than through one of the stories he shares. In the last ten years he has been working with one of Walmart vendors into adding folic acid to one of their products. As a result, on average, 40 Latino children don’t have to suffer spina bifida in the US each year. In this project, Pepe also relied on the experts to deliver on the product changes, however, he was not afraid to carry the vision forward. Mindsets haveconsequences; andPepe’s mindset gives him the opportunity to improve the lives of others.
Over the course of his career, Pepe has served on several boards for many organizations; many of them focus on serving Latinos. He also sees the opportunitiesand challenges ahead of organizations that have not adapted to the changes in demographics. He helps Latino organizations overcome their own challenges and helps them track their progress andhowthey impact their communities. In addition, hehelps organizations to strategize adapting to the new demographic changes. Latinos are quickly becoming the greatest influence forconsumer demand in the US and businesses that are not proactively engaging them will miss out on this market shareand may evengo under. Pepeadvocates that those companies should hire talent to reflect the market they are serving. To his fellow Latinos, Pepe encourages them to seize this opportunity for self-actualization. It’s a time for Latinoto speak up; it’s ok to sell ourselves to highlight our success -it’s not bragging; and we must alsoengage our careers with confidence.