Supporting Latinos
CARIN MAVROSAKIS- GENERAL MANAGER | COMPENSATION, TALENT DEVELOPMENT, TRAINING AND LEARNING TOYOTA MOTOR NORTH AMERICA, U.S.A., INC.
Q&A
Q Latino Leaders: Could you share some important facts about your background, family origin and education?
A Carin Mavrosakis: My father was 100% Danish, and my mother was 100% Hispanic. From the time I was born, both my parents worked full-time, which left me to be raised by my Mexican grandmother. She was born in Aguascalientes, Mexico and migrated to the U.S. to live in East Los Angeles. She was a single moth- er who worked as a seamstress and raised five kids. I graduated from Cal State University, Long Beach, California and I am fluent in Spanish.
Q Latino Leaders: What made you pick your college studies and majors?
A CM: I knew I wanted to go to college; however, I had no idea what I wanted to study. I sat down with my dad to complete my college application, and looking at the list of studies, I decided to become an elementary school teacher. But after much discussion with my dad, I chose to study Human Resources, one of many decisions he helped me make.
Q Latino Leaders What have been constant values and skills you have worked with during your professional career?
A CM: Honesty and authenticity are two very important values for me. Being a human resources professional, both these values are critical to my career and have served me well in leading my teams and consulting to and with the business. A skill I am most proud of is leading others, whether directly or indirectly. I very much enjoy watching others grow. Nothing excites me more than to see a team member learn a new skill, achieve an accomplishment, or deliver on a project. On the flip side, I also enjoy coaching and helping to develop their progress as they grow and succeed.
Q Latino Leaders How did the opportunity to work for Toyota arise?
A CM: My husband and I had just had our first child, and we had decided that I was going to be a stay-at-home mom. I remained in touch with my work colleagues, and well before I knew it, I was networking and received an introduction to someone who worked at Toyota. Two interviews later I had an offer of employment.
Q Latino Leaders Can you share facts about your role and position at Toyota?
A CM: As Director, I have the honor of leading the Compensation, Talent Development and Training and Learning teams for Toyota North America.
Q Latino Leaders What do you think we can do to pro- mote more Latino(a) professionals in corporations like Toyota?
A CM: There are many things we can do and actions we can take to help support Latinos:
• Be a mentor. Actively advise or coach a less experienced or less-advanced team member to provide expertise and professional knowledge that helps them develop their role as they navigate forward within the organization.
• Be a sponsor. Actively advocate for, support, and open doors for others. Invest with the intention to appropriately support sponsee.
• Encourage Latino colleagues to join a Business Partnering Group (BPG).
• Look for opportunities to provide experience, exposure, and education. For example, help others experience our Toyota brand and volunteer for one of our community events. Exposure: help make introductions to others in the organization. Education: encourage curiosity and asking questions to promote understanding.