Hispanic Executive has officially released its highly anticipated September 2026 Executives to Watch list, shining a bright spotlight on the visionary Latino leaders who are actively moving their industries forward. Published during Hispanic Heritage Month, this year’s roster honors nine exceptional Hispanic and Latino executives whose groundbreaking work spans technology, legal affairs, human resources, food and beverage, supply chain management, marketing, and beyond.
Spanning geographic powerhouses from Silicon Valley to South Florida, and working within environments ranging from corporate legal departments to bustling restaurant kitchens, these leaders share a steadfast commitment to delivering measurable business results while simultaneously opening doors for the next generation of professionals. They are the strategists, builders, and problem-solvers redefining what modern leadership looks like on a global scale.
The publication continues to invite industry professionals to connect promising leaders with its expanding network, maintaining its mission to amplify influential voices within the corporate landscape. The nine distinguished executives recognized in the September 2026 list bring diverse backgrounds, deep expertise, and remarkable personal journeys to their respective fields.
Mariana Bedolla: Scaling Human Capital Strategy at PepsiCo
Mariana Bedolla, Vice President of the People Function for North America at PepsiCo, has spent more than twenty-five years proving that human resources is fundamentally a business discipline. Educated at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México—where she earned degrees in human resources management and accounting—and later at Cornell University, Bedolla spent more than two decades building her career at Xerox. During her tenure there, she held roles of increasing responsibility, leading human resources operations across Latin America and eventually serving as the vice president of human resources for software services and commercial operations. In those roles, she drove comprehensive HR transformation and cultivated a high-performance culture on a global scale.
Bedolla officially joined PepsiCo in 2019 as the vice president of human resources for PepsiCo Beverages Canada before transitioning to her current role leading the people function for North America. Throughout her distinguished career, she has completed a headquarters expatriate assignment, led diverse teams across highly matrixed organizations, and built profound expertise in compensation, global mobility, performance management, HR policy, and shared services. Her core professional strength lies in her ability to partner directly with C-level leaders, translating complex human capital strategies into tangible and measurable business outcomes.
Juan Carlos Cardona: Advancing Cultural Fluency in Disney Marketing
Juan Carlos Cardona, Director of Marketing and Strategy for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, has spent the better part of fifteen years ensuring that Hispanic families see themselves authentically reflected in the Walt Disney World story. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Cardona earned his business administration degree at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. He initially began his professional journey in pharmaceutical marketing before relocating to New York to pursue a master’s degree in integrated marketing at New York University. He subsequently spent more than six years in the advertising sector, leading multicultural campaigns for major household clients such as Verizon and Macy’s—an invaluable experience that he credits with transforming him into a sharper client partner and a more nimble marketer.
At The Walt Disney Company, Cardona has worked extensively across the Hispanic market, niche audiences, and Latin America, where he successfully led consumer marketing for Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland, and Walt Disney World. In his current capacity, he directs marketing strategy for the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida, runDisney, the company’s water parks, and multicultural audiences. Notably, he helped build Pura Magia, a dedicated Hispanic brand platform that now profoundly shapes everything from creative concepts and media placements to sales partnerships and cast member interactions. His overarching advice to fellow marketing professionals is to abandon the outdated notion of labeling themselves as multicultural specialists, arguing instead that true cultural fluency is simply what modern marketing requires to succeed.
Juan Chipoco: Expanding Peruvian Cuisine and Community Support
Juan Chipoco, Founder and Owner of the CVI.CHE 105 Restaurant Group, has played a pivotal role in putting Peruvian cuisine firmly on the national map, one ceviche at a time. Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Chipoco developed his flagship brand, CVI.CHE 105, into a defining, culturally vibrant force within South Florida’s competitive culinary scene. Today, he successfully operates seven CVI.CHE 105 locations alongside two Pollos y Jarras restaurants in Miami, with two additional CVI.CHE 105 locations currently in development—including an upcoming opening in Atlanta later this year and another planned for Puerto Rico in 2027.
His culinary achievements and cultural advocacy have garnered significant accolades, including a Special Congressional Recognition in 2025 honoring his contributions to the culinary industry and the promotion of Peruvian cuisine throughout the United States. Furthermore, he has been recognized among Ronald McDonald House Charities’ 12 Good Men and has received the prestigious Marca Perú distinction for representing his home country with exceptional excellence. Beyond the kitchen, Chipoco leads the Juan Chipoco Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting children and vulnerable communities in both South Florida and Peru through targeted initiatives focusing on food insecurity, healthcare access, mentorship, and education. His compelling journey as an immigrant and entrepreneur has established him as a powerful model of perseverance and cultural pride.
Phil Fernandes: Navigating Global HR and High-Volume Talent Acquisition at AT&T
Phil Fernandes, Associate Director of Talent Acquisition at AT&T, took a life-changing detour early in his professional life when he traveled to Australia for six months to improve his English and ultimately stayed for five years. Born and raised in Brazil, where he earned a psychology degree in 2010, that initial international experience sparked the launch of his human resources career, which began at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Following his eventual move to the United States, Fernandes transitioned into corporate talent acquisition. His early U.S. experience included agency-side recruitment for Microsoft across Latin America and North America, followed by corporate roles at PepsiCo, TikTok, and H-E-B, all while earning a graduate certificate in industrial and organizational psychology.
Currently based in Dallas, Fernandes leads high-volume call center hiring for AT&T across the country—an immense operation that accounts for roughly 80 percent of the telecommunications giant’s total hiring volume. Having lived and worked across three distinct countries, Fernandes learned to adapt rapidly to new environments and industries. He credits the guidance of a key mentor at PepsiCo and the unwavering support of his wife for accelerating his professional progression. His straightforward philosophy for career growth centers on personal accountability: own your career, willingly tackle the difficult problems that others try to avoid, and remain deeply intentional about the effort you invest.
Silvia Fernandes: Directing Legal Strategy and Operations at ARCTRUST
Silvia Fernandes, Chief Legal and Operating Officer at the ARCTRUST Group of Companies, is dedicated to ensuring her professional journey serves to open doors for the next generation of legal and business leaders. Fernandes initiated her legal career as a law clerk in the general counsel’s office at Ernst & Young before spending several years as an attorney at Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, where she concentrated her practice on commercial real estate financing and complex transactions. She joined ARCTRUST in 2016 as associate general counsel, advanced to general counsel in 2020, and today serves in the dual executive capacity of chief legal and operating officer. In this role, she oversees legal strategy, rigorous regulatory compliance, and day-to-day operations across the firm’s diverse real estate investment platforms and affiliated private REITs.
Her academic credentials include a law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law, a Master of Laws in taxation from New York University School of Law, and a bachelor’s degree earned summa cum laude from Ramapo College of New Jersey. She is admitted to practice law in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and before the Supreme Court of the United States. Outside of her corporate responsibilities, Fernandes actively contributes to the legal community by serving on the executive board of the New Jersey Women Lawyers Association, consistently bringing her deep passion for mentorship to all aspects of her professional life.
Rochelle Gonzalez: Shaping Live Music Contracts and Public Policy in Los Angeles
Rochelle Gonzalez, Senior Counsel in the corporate legal department of Live Nation Entertainment, helps make the magic of live music possible through meticulous legal oversight. As senior counsel for the world’s leading live entertainment company, Gonzalez is responsible for reviewing, drafting, and negotiating a wide array of commercial agreements for Live Nation and its corporate affiliates. Her specialized expertise centers heavily on technology and artificial intelligence agreements executed on both a national and global scale. She joined Live Nation in 2018 after previously serving as contracts manager at the University of Southern California, and she holds her law degree from Chapman University School of Law.
For Gonzalez, dedication to the live entertainment industry is deeply personal as well as professional, creating unforgettable concert memories shared with her own family. Alongside her corporate legal career, public service has remained a steadfast pillar of her professional life. Since 2017, she has served on the Los Angeles County Business License Commission, where she currently holds the position of vice president representing the Fourth Supervisorial District. In this civic capacity, she helps adjudicate decisions regarding the granting or denial of business licenses in unincorporated areas of the county, taking decisive action on critical matters impacting the health, safety, and overall welfare of local residents.
Dominik Holasek: Driving IT Financial Transparency at Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Dominik Holasek, Director of IT Financial Operations at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), has built an impressive career at the critical intersection of data and finance, successfully transforming complex technology spending into actionable strategic insights. Born in the Czech Republic, Holasek graduated from a Spanish high school before earning a master’s degree at Colorado State University, seamlessly applying his trilingual capabilities throughout his professional journey. He forged his analytical foundation through early financial analyst roles at TIBCO Software and subsequent finance leadership positions at UserZoom, prior to directing IT financial operations at Juniper Networks, an organization now part of Hewlett Packard Enterprise.
In his current role at HPE, Holasek oversees IT financial operations, drawing sophisticated financial conclusions that directly assist in shaping the enterprise’s broader technology strategy. As a Certified Technology Business Management Executive, he is an active and vocal participant in the TBM Council community, where he helps lead peer forums focused on IT cost transparency and financial planning. His industry contributions have also been highlighted through the council’s member spotlight. Beyond his corporate duties, Holasek gives back to the community by volunteering his time and expertise to assist Latino small business leaders with foundational budgeting and financial planning.
Alejandra Ospina Rodriguez: Building Cold Chain Logistics Networks at Maersk
Alejandra Ospina Rodriguez, Regional Head of Cold Chain Logistics for North America at Maersk, has constructed a successful career out of building essential operations entirely from scratch. Raised in Colombia, she studied environmental and industrial engineering at Universidad de los Andes, completed an internship with Procter & Gamble in Panama, and joined Maersk eleven years ago through the company’s competitive international graduate program. Early roles based in Panama and Peru placed her directly in front of senior stakeholders from the outset, providing her with hands-on, comprehensive experience spanning sales, procurement, and P&L ownership, alongside a macro-level perspective on how international teams establish corporate strategy.
Approximately five years ago, Rodriguez relocated to the United States, where she has been tasked with launching entirely new corporate functions, assembling high-performing teams, and managing complex operations across warehouse logistics, e-commerce, and vendor management in close collaboration with international colleagues in China and Europe. Today, as the Regional Head of Cold Chain Logistics for North America, she oversees cold chain logistics across the region, focusing strategically on strengthening vital commercial connections between Latin American agricultural growers and North American consumer markets. On the personal front, she and her Brazilian husband are raising children who speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese, carrying their rich family heritages across three different countries.
Guillermo Porcaro: Scaling Enterprise AI and IT Operations at Medallia
Guillermo Porcaro, Vice President of IT Operations and Engineering for Enterprise AI at Medallia, has spent nearly eleven years at the company making a successful transition from individual technical contributor to corporate executive. A native of Argentina who earned a systems degree from Universidad Kennedy, Porcaro built his early technical foundation working in engineering and IT roles for prominent multinational organizations including EY, Chevron, Philip Morris International, and IBM. Following his arrival at Medallia, he steadily advanced within the organization, serving as the Argentina site leader while successfully leading major office build-outs in global technology hubs such as Sydney, London, New York, and Tel Aviv.
In his current executive leadership role, Porcaro directs Medallia’s global IT operations and engineering teams, managing multiple directors who oversee everything from internal employee collaboration tools to comprehensive infrastructure access. Under his leadership, his team has spearheaded initiatives to replace costly paid software licenses with proprietary artificial intelligence tools built entirely in-house—a strategic shift that has already generated over $400,000 in direct cost savings, with even greater reductions projected for the coming fiscal year. Furthermore, his relocation to Silicon Valley naturally transformed him into a passionate advocate for Latin American technical talent. By intentionally opening vendor engagements and development operations in Mexico and Argentina, he demonstrated how optimal time zone alignment, profound technical expertise, and exceptional professional commitment consistently deliver superior business results, reinforcing his belief that the corporate sector is only beginning to recognize the immense value of investing in the region.
