Valentina Perez

I attribute my success to being consistent and persistent. Those two things have carried me through everything. I was raised in a different country, I came here not knowing the language, but I always dreamed of something and always knew where I wanted to go. It was not an easy path, but I always persisted, and I was always chasing it. I kept going through college, and after college, I was given opportunities to be at an agency, then another agency, and now with Delta. When I look back, I see that being persistent in what you want and being consistent at work, keeping that quality of work no matter what, is what got me here. I never really got out of my path. I wanted something, I was chasing it, and it was accomplished. Twenty-two years ago, I was a young girl with just a suitcase, and now, 22 years later, I'm stable and part of a global brand. I feel like being very consistent and never giving up on what I wanted has made all the difference.

The best career advice I've ever received was to always stay curious. My mentor at my previous job, when I was working at the agency prior to Delta where I was there for 5 years, would always tell me to stay curious. More than my manager, he was my mentor, and he would always say: stay curious, always want to know more, always ask questions, always learn more. So curiosity, I would say, has been the best advice someone has given me. The other piece of advice that has really stuck with me is being able to adapt. I feel like in the world of marketing and digital, there's constant change, so you have to be able to adapt to what's coming.

I would give the same advice I was given: stay curious. Always be curious, always want to learn more. Be open to change and be open to adapt. Have the ability to adapt and welcome change, because the world is always changing. The way we present brands, the way we work, our economies, everything can change at any moment, so we need to be able to adapt to the world that we're living in today. We need to have that curiosity to continue always learning. The marketing and digital world is constantly evolving, so if you can stay curious and adaptable, you'll be able to navigate whatever comes your way.

I would say the biggest opportunities in my field right now are in AI and Agile methodologies. Those are two areas that are really growing. If you know AI, and if you know Agile, I feel like those two things are important to have, they're good to have. I feel like they are always going to be needed, at least if you want to be a project manager. Having the Agile knowledge is a plus, it's a must, I would say, at least if you want to be a project manager in technology or in marketing. And now AI, absolutely, that's where there's a lot of room and a lot of opportunities. Not just women, but everybody should be taking a look at that. I am right now considering doing some project management AI certificates, so I'm looking into that. We keep getting offered AI courses and information and stuff like that, so AI is a big thing. If everybody can get on that and learn how to use it at work, please do.

My family is one of my most important values. When it comes to my professional life, I value always giving the best, always being responsible, and always staying professional. I focus a lot on my work ethic and I always try to give the extra mile. I always try to just give the best in everything I do. Those values of responsibility, professionalism, and going above and beyond are what guide me in my work, while family remains at the center of my personal life.