Her Story
About Gabriela
Gabriela Marrero is a telecommunications and IT infrastructure professional with more than 12 years of experience leading large-scale network transformation initiatives across the United States and Latin America. Currently serving as a Senior Technical Program Manager at Cemex, she oversees enterprise-wide deployments spanning more than 1,000 sites, including WAN modernization, LAN and Wi-Fi refresh programs, SD-WAN implementation, and cloud networking optimization. Known for combining technical expertise with strategic execution, Gabriela has successfully delivered complex infrastructure projects with zero operational disruption while driving approximately 30% in deployment cost savings through innovative vendor and engineering strategies.
Originally from Venezuela, Gabriela earned her degree in Telecommunications Engineering before relocating to the United States to pursue a Master of Engineering Management at Florida International University. Her career began in network planning and solution engineering, where she developed expertise in telecommunications design, customer-focused technical solutions, and enterprise networking. During her decade-long tenure at Telefonica, she played a key role in pre-sales engineering, global solution architecture, and technical bid leadership for multinational clients. Her ability to bridge customer requirements with scalable technical solutions eventually led one of her most demanding clients, Cemex, to recruit her directly to lead infrastructure transformation projects from the customer side.
Throughout her career, Gabriela has built a reputation for resilience, adaptability, and leadership in a traditionally male-dominated industry. She is passionate about continuous learning and has expanded her expertise into cloud technologies and cybersecurity, earning certifications such as Microsoft Azure Fundamentals and CompTIA Network+. Beyond her professional accomplishments, Gabriela is committed to mentorship and empowering women pursuing careers in technology and engineering. She also volunteers with nonprofit housing initiatives and values personal growth, perseverance, and service, bringing both technical excellence and human-centered leadership to every role she undertakes.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gabriela
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, perseverance, and consistently demonstrating technical expertise in a male-dominated field. By delivering results, maintaining a strong work ethic, and proving my capabilities through performance and reliability, I have earned the respect and trust of colleagues, clients, and leadership throughout my career.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Believe in yourself. Don't let anyone else make you feel less than your worth, because no one else can determine your worth. Trust your gut, trust your feelings and work on yourself. Do not compare yourself to others. Just work on yourself and make yourself strong enough. Your own competition is you, and just focus on you.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
There's certainly some uncertainty with AI. Personally, I'm not scared of AI. I use AI, and I think it's a very useful tool. But I mean, definitely, if you don't ride the AI wave, there's a possibility that the industry might change, and some of the work that we do might get replaced with that. But all in all, I really feel that when you have your strengths really clear, you can make yourself useful anywhere, you can just reinvent yourself. So, I mean, I don't think I'm going to be left without a job, but definitely, there's gonna be a shift in the industry, and the challenge is to be able to ride that wave and adapt to what that's gonna look like, which right now, it's still a little bit unclear, so it's kind of like, you know, be prepared to adapt to wherever this could take a turn, and you just need to be prepared.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are self-belief, resilience, continuous learning, and adaptability. I believe in trusting my abilities, staying persistent through challenges, and remaining open to growth and change in every stage of life and career. Faith and trusting my instincts also play a significant role in guiding my decisions, helping me stay grounded and confident even in uncertain situations.
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