Her Story
About Graciela
Graciela Pestano, MBA, is a bilingual finance and business leader with a strong foundation in accounting, corporate finance, and advanced data analytics. She holds a Master of Business Administration in Finance and has built her career around a highly analytical, detail-oriented approach to solving complex business challenges. Known for her ability to understand processes end-to-end, she focuses on identifying inefficiencies, strengthening controls, and implementing improvements that reduce risk and enhance long-term operational performance. Her strengths lie in translating financial and operational data into clear insights that support better decision-making across the organization.
In her current role in commercial pricing within aerospace at Honeywell Aerospace Technologies, Graciela plays a key role in supporting strategic business pursuits and complex negotiations across global aviation customers. She works closely with cross-functional teams including sales, finance, contracts, legal, and senior leadership to evaluate opportunities and develop pricing strategies that are both competitive and financially sound. Her work directly supports high-impact deals with major airline and logistics customers such as American Airlines and FedEx, where precision, accuracy, and strategic thinking are critical. She is responsible for building financial models, analyzing cost structures, and ensuring pricing recommendations align with both market dynamics and business objectives.
Beyond her technical expertise, Graciela is highly valued for her collaborative mindset and ability to work effectively across diverse functions and global teams. She thrives in environments where she can continuously learn from others while contributing her own financial and analytical perspective. Throughout her career, she has expanded beyond traditional finance roles, applying her skills in procurement, sourcing, and operational transformation, which has strengthened her adaptability and business acumen. She is especially motivated by opportunities to engage more directly with customers and stakeholders, where her communication skills, relationship-building strengths, and business insight allow her to contribute meaningfully to commercial discussions and long-term partnership development.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Graciela
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to being authentic and being brave. I always look for a professional approach and try to be a better person. I also try to be an inspiration to others. I believe in being in harmony between your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. I've learned that there's no perfect day or perfect timing for something. No matter that you have fear, just do it, because it's not going to be never at the perfect circumstances. You need to be brave, be authentic, and be congruent. I apply this every time in my life, no matter if it's at work, in my family, or with my friends. I think people sometimes have fear and say 'I'm not ready, it's not the correct time,' but I say no, do it anyway because maybe you will regret later to not do that.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received is that there's no perfect day or perfect timing for something. No matter that you have fear, just do it, because it's not going to be never at the perfect circumstances and all the stuff. You need to be brave, and be authentic, and be congruent. I also learned that you need to be in harmony between your thoughts, your feelings, and your actions. I apply this in my personal courses and every time in my life, no matter if it's at work, in my family, or with my friends. What I notice is that people sometimes have fear and think 'I'm not ready, it's not the correct time,' but I say no, do it anyway because maybe you will regret later to not do that.
03What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The most important values to me are being positive, being in balance, and focusing on mind, body, and soul. I'm a mom of two boys, a mother, and also a colleague, and I know that with work and different responsibilities, sometimes you can be stressful. That's why I focus on everything around mind, body, and soul, attending conferences and workshops to be a better woman, better mom, and better colleague. This helps me a lot to be in balance and to be very positive. My colleagues are always asking me 'how are you so positive?' even when I'm going through different difficulties. I think that it's something that you need to select. I select that I want to react in a positive way because sometimes it's hard, but it's something that you can select, and you can select to be in a good mood, positive, and trying to be happy. I also like to read, I like to travel, I like to be outside in nature. I enjoy really being in nature and spending time with family and friends.
Join Influential Women and start making an impact. Register now.