Ana Maria Hernandez Rodriguez

I attribute my success to being curious and always learning. I never take things as they are settled - I always ask why things are happening and look for ways to improve processes and what the company is doing. Even when I was in Colombia at my previous job, I was always trying to find different ways for the company to grow through different tools and processes. Even though they couldn't always apply what I learned there, I was learning by myself, not because it was part of my job, but because I wanted to. All those things I learned that I couldn't apply in that job, I've been able to apply in my current role, and it's made me grow in my career. Sometimes you feel like you're giving too much to a company that doesn't value you, but everything you give is for yourself - it's what you do, the best of you. All these things are going to be attributed back to you at some point. So I always give the best of myself and try to learn, try to get knowledge from people and from what's happening in the industry.

The best career advice I've received is to always give 120%, not just 100%, and to do whatever you do with passion and love. Sometimes you have to forget about the money and do things because you want to learn and you want to grow. You have to stay curious and always be looking for knowledge. Even if you're in a situation where you feel like you're giving too much and the company doesn't value you, remember that everything you're giving is for yourself. All the effort and learning will come back to you at some point. So always give the best of yourself, try to learn from people and what's happening in the industry, and keep that curiosity alive.

You always have to try to be involved and gain knowledge so you can provide better arguments and show what you can do. Show confidence in yourself - that's something you really need, even though it's sometimes hard. You're entering an industry where a lot of people have been there for 10 or 20 years, so you have to gain a lot of knowledge and confidence. When you're with them at events or in meetings, they need to see that you have interest and curiosity to learn, that you have knowledge to share, and that they can count on you. You need to show that you're an incredible professional and that what you do is your passion. In the food industry, and especially in the cocoa industry, a lot of people are passionate about chocolate. When you have this passion and you show it to them, it's honestly very nice and they value it. They value that you can help improve all the processes.

Right now there are so many changes happening because of AI, regulations, and the political situation. These are challenges that you have to try to be on top of and manage your role in the best way possible. But the opportunities come through all the information that we now have access to. I feel like we are close to being able to develop things like apps without being a developer. That's a big opportunity - if you are curious and you want to ask why things are happening, or if you have an idea and want to develop it, this is your moment. You have a lot of tools around you that can help you grow. With access to all these types of tools, we can take this as an improvement for ourselves and for our professional careers.

Integrity and honesty are the first values that come to mind. I feel like you always have to be honest with your word and be honest with yourself. You need to have your boundaries - you need boundaries in your work because so many things can happen, and you always have to show that you're honest and loyal. I have a feeling of belonging to my company, but I also have my boundaries clear.