Mercedes Urrea Pica

I think I'm a dedicated person, and I'm results-driven. I work well in a fast-paced environment, and I'm good at troubleshooting. I'm ambitious in my work, and I like to get things done. Throughout my career, I've been willing to be stretched beyond my comfort zone, which has led to significant growth opportunities. For example, I started managing one site and was eventually stretched to manage 6 sites across Mexico and the U.S. That was a challenge, but it was a good learning opportunity. I've also had leaders who gave me a lot of exposure, putting me in direct contact with the president of the company and the vice president of global operations, which helped me develop my skills and expand my capabilities.

The best career advice I received came from leaders who told me that I could do more in other areas outside of HR. They recommended that I explore other opportunities within manufacturing because I have abilities beyond just the HR function. My boss, who was the vice president, encouraged me to be more focused on the business and to work directly with the leaders. He wanted me to be in contact with the president of the company and the vice president of global operations. This advice pushed me outside of my comfort zone and gave me tremendous exposure. They saw more in me than I initially saw in myself, and that encouragement to stretch beyond my defined role has been invaluable to my career growth.

I would tell young women entering the HR field to learn as much as they can from the function to be strategic. It's important to work closely with the business leaders, and the key to success is being able to influence. That's critical in order to be able to implement changes and make an impact on the function. Don't just focus on the tactical, administrative side of HR. Instead, focus on understanding the business strategy and aligning the HR function to support it. The ability to influence leaders and drive strategic initiatives is what will set you apart and allow you to make a real difference.

One of the biggest opportunities in the field right now is AI and all the new trends that are coming out. It's always an opportunity to learn new things and new ways of working. Another major opportunity and challenge is working with the new generations. If you work with people, you have to be able to be flexible and work with different types of personalities and ages. This whole aging thing means you have people from different backgrounds and from different ages, so you need to be able to deal with that effectively. The multigenerational workforce requires adaptability and an understanding of how to engage and manage people across different life stages and perspectives.

Work ethics is obviously very important to me. Integrity is a key part of work ethics for me, and I believe in walking the talk. Being professional and maintaining that consistency between what you say and what you do is essential. These values guide both my professional approach and my personal life.