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Robert Rodriguez, PhD
President at Dr. Robert Rodriguez Advisors LLC
Robert Rodriguez, PhD, is the President of DRR Advisors LLC, a diversity consulting firm, and co-author of "Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career Success".123 He specializes in Latino talent management and employee resource group initiatives, with over 250 corporations seeking his expertise.2 Hispanic Business magazine recognized him as one of the Top 100 Most Influential Latinos in Corporate America, and he was selected as one of the Business Leaders of Color by ChicagoUnited in 2017.2 In 2018, Latino Leaders magazine presented him with the Maestro Award for his commitment to the Latino community.2 His LinkedIn username is drrrodriguez.34
Rodriguez has held leadership roles at Fortune 500 firms, including Target, 3M Company, Amoco, and The Washington Post.2 He currently teaches Latino leadership courses at DePaul University, the University of Southern California (USC), Stanford University, and Harvard University.2 He is a past board chairman for the Hispanic Alliance for Career Enhancement (HACE) and a board trustee for the National Museum of Mexican Art.2 He serves on the Chicago Advisory Council for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund.2 Rodriguez presented at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in 2020 and is scheduled to speak there again in 2024.1
Rodriguez is the author of "Latino Talent: Effective Strategies to Recruit, Retain and Develop Hispanic Professionals".12 He co-authored "Auténtico: The Definitive Guide to Latino Career Success" with Andres Tapia.23 The book seeks "to understand the impact on Latinos and Latinas of the external forces of conscious and unconscious biases and of the internal forces of whether to assimilate or double down on their cultural identities in their quest to get ahead".56 Rodriguez and Tapia address the "5 percent Shame," the low percentage of Latino and Latina corporate executives.5
Highlights
I’ve said it once, and I will say it again: while we Latino men may think we are kings, it is our Latina queens who conquer.
In recognition of Women’s History Month and all the contributions women make to contemporary society, here is a special shout-out to Latina authors. Congratulations!
I make it a point to purchase books by Latinas as a show of support from a fellow author. Check out my personal collection of non-fiction books by Latinas. My collection grows monthly, and I’m buying a few more this week. I love reading their stories and insights.
Do yourself a favor and buy one of these books. If you don’t already have one, that is a big mistake—huge.
Julissa Arce Jackie Camacho-Ruiz Arlene Davila Juana Bordas Maria Hinojosa Nely Galan Francia Guzman Claudia Alarco Alarco Dr. Yasmin Davidds Mariela Dabbah (she/her/ella) Daisy Auger-Dominguez (she/her/ella) Ana Dutra Nellie Borrero Claudia Gonzalez Romo Edelman Jennie Lopez M. Isabel Valdés Alejandra Campoverdi Myriam Del Angel
When Latino ERG leaders are confident in what they bring to the table, they don’t have to chase or beg anyone to notice their greatness.
That’s why last week I brought together Latino ERG leaders from 25 different companies in Silicon Valley together via my Consortium of Latino Employee Organizations (CLEO) group to connect, share best practices, and learn how to elevate the impact of their Latino ERGs.
I spoke about Latino Identity in the Workplace and what Latino ERGs can do to help their members be unapologetically proud of their Hispanic heritage. My friend, Eduardo Arabu, MSPPM, CDMP of the The National Hispanic Corporate Council (NHCC) spoke about ideas for HHM.
Thanks to Pierre Higueros Andréa Schiller and M. Cristina Pullen of LatinoForce, the Latino ERG at Salesforce, for hosting us and sharing their approach to ERG Excellence.
Thanks to the Latino ERG from these companies for supporting CLEO: Allstate, Autodesk, Blue Shield of California, Cisco, Cookies, Cushman & Wakefield, DocuSign, Equinix, Gap Inc., Genentech, Golden State Warriors, HUB International, Levi Strauss, Instacart, PG&E, Pinterest, Robert Half, SF 49ers, Stanford Health Care, Strava, Synopsys, Tesla, Clorox, TikTok, Uber, Visa and VMWare.
Contact me or you’d like to learn more about CLEO.
Lori Castillo Martinez Luis Madrigal Jolisa Espinoza Noel Claudio, PMP, CSM Callie Gauld Edgar Alonzo, MBA Maria Lackner Monica Morales-Anderson MCR, LEED AP Marisela Gonzáles Ginestra Suny Batres Damaris Velazquez
