Andy is involved in efforts to help Latinos thrive at Meta.
What is your background?
I was born and raised in Queens, specifically Queens Village. My mom is from Argentina and my dad is from Puerto Rico. They’re both the first ones to come over to the US. Today, I live in Oakland, California with my wife and two kids. My wife’s family is Indian American. Her parents were also the first to come to the US, so there’s a lot of diversity in my family.
Where did you go to school?
For my bachelor’s degree, I studied economics and Latin American studies at Columbia University, and a couple of years later I got my MBA at the University of California, Berkeley.
How did you come to work at Meta?
I networked with friends from graduate school who were already at Meta and started working at the company in late 2014. My first role at Meta was as a client solutions manager (CSM). I’ve stayed for as long as I have because it’s a great place to work. I’ve continued to learn and have fun.
What is your role today at Meta?
I’m an industry director in our Global Business Group (GBG) sales team on our e-commerce business, specifically working on marketplaces such as Drizly, eBay, and Etsy. I have a team of nine that I support. My role focuses on helping set strategy and removing blockers for my team, accounts and the broader e-commerce space.
Describe your leadership style.
It’s a blend of servant leadership and leading from the front. I believe in helping people grow in their careers and teaching them how to be successful in their roles. I take the time to understand their motivations and goals, and I work to align both to power their career trajectories. I also believe in leading by example. This means showing people how to manage a difficult problem and helping them out when I know they are stretched thin.
What activities and initiatives are you involved in at Meta?
I’ve been involved in our Latino ERG and I’m working to spearhead a subgroup to more actively support Latinos who are in sales to provide them with more mentorship and connections.
For some time, I was also on the leadership team for Meta’s Elevate program, which has a lot of different components. One component is mentorship circles where we match Hispanic and Black-owned businesses with volunteers across sales organizations to help them grow their businesses.
Also, we have mentorship programs on a regular cadence and I’m always looking to be part of those.
How has Meta supported your career journey?
Two great examples come to mind.
First, my second role at Meta was as a CSM lead. Basically, while I was still in the CSM role, I became a subject matter expert and was able to add that on to my existing job to help my department peers. I thought there was enough work there to make that type of role an official one, and so I worked with my colleagues to make it happen and make sure this type of job was funded. Eventually, the role did get funded, and I was able to officially change my title. It’s proof of what kind of company Meta is and the level of autonomy and encouragement employees receive.
More recently, Meta is aiming to increase the number of employees from underrepresented backgrounds at the director level and higher. I was identified, along with other folks across the company, as high-performing talent who could be put on the path to become a more senior leader and was invited to be part of a pilot program. The six-month pilot program helped me step into a director role. Even after the program ended, I’ve had access to director-level training.
Both of these examples speak to the kind of company Meta is and its values.
What do you love about your current role?
As an easy example, the CSM role I mentioned, is a great entry point into the company. The skills you gain in that role are transferable into many different areas within the company. For example, a CSM can pick up skills that will allow them to step into client partnership, product, and other roles within the company. Where you end up depends a lot upon your own goals.
Over the years, I have helped both my direct reports, as well as other colleagues I’ve formally and informally mentored, pick the career move that will help make them the most successful. That’s a huge part of my role and something that gives me energy.
What is your perspective on the future of e-commerce?
I don’t think anybody will debate that e-commerce is changing rapidly. Many trends will impact the landscape, such as privacy and changing consumer expectations. Plus, there are a lot of new players coming into the space.
It’s also an interesting time for digital advertising. Within the digital ecosystem, the aforementioned consumer expectations and privacy trends are impacting policy and legislation – all these factors have changed how products are developed. We’ve been impacted by this at Meta but we’re also leading the way and helping to define the next era of digital advertising.
It’s all very exciting, and while we don’t have a crystal ball to tell us exactly what’s going to occur in the future, all of these trends will definitely continue to impact what e-commerce looks like in the future.
