These experiences taught Murray the importance of resourcefulness,
creativity, independence, and the value of hard work.
“(My family) would say: “Echenle ganas. Work hard.” I had that in my head and
that is how I approach things,” she says.
It’s paid off. Today, Murray is Senior Counsel of Privacy at Hyundai Motor
America. She founded and leads the Privacy Office within Hyundai’s Law
Department. She provides counsel regarding privacy and data protection laws.
She established the Privacy Office at Hyundai in 2015, implemented the
automotive Consumer Privacy Protection Principles for Vehicle Technologies and
Services, and spread awareness about privacy standards in the industry such that
all staff understand what privacy is, why it matters and that it makes business sense
if customers trust them with their confidential information.
“Privacy is ensuring that we are being good stewards and protecting
personal information of different stakeholders that provide that information to us,”
Murray explains.
When she graduated law school and told a veteran lawyer she wanted to
become in-house counsel within five years, they chuckled and told her it was nearly
impossible to go from law school directly to in-house counsel.
“I thought to myself” ‘Well, I’ve beaten the odds before,” she says. That’s
exactly what she did.
Yasmin Siu
Senior Group Manager, Purchasing
Hyundai Motor America
When Yasmin Siu was 13 years old, her father passed away, and her mother, faced
with raising six children on her own, sent Siu and one of her sisters to stay with an
older cousin in the United States.
The Peruvian was quickly forced to adapt to a new culture and language when
she started attending junior high and everyone spoke English. The reason for her
mother’s difficult decision was for Siu and her sister to attend college, attain
professional jobs, and one day, bring their mother to the United States. They did just
that and Siu’s mother lived with her for many years before passing away.
“Before her passing, this experience I had overcome to just be here without
my mom and my siblings, the loss of my dad, it’s what made me who I am today,”
Siu explains. “I’m very independent and strong-willed and I am so grateful for the
opportunities I’ve been given in life.”
Today, she is Senior Group Manager in Purchasing at Hyundai Motor
America. In this role, Siu handles procurement within the purchasing department
at Hyundai and assists all divisions within the company in purchasing goods
and services for the best value, quality and terms to accomplish their goals in
accordance with Hyundai’s purchasing policies and procedures.
“As senior group manager, my role is to focus on teamwork, transparency
and mutual respect,” Siu says. “I believe in continuing to work together as a team
and maintaining customer service and collaboration with our internal business unit
to remain completely aligned and integrated in order to achieve collective goals.”
Pilar O'Hara
Project Chief - Body Mechatronics, Stellantis - North America
Joining an industry that is traditionally male-dominated can be challenging but
Pilar O’Hara says women shouldn’t be intimidated. Instead, they should rise up
to the challenge by standing out and excelling at their craft.
“A masculine environment can pose a great challenge to excel but in these
times there are greater opportunities for diversity and inclusion,” she says. “If you
want to stand out, you can achieve it, but you can’t be afraid just because you
are in a room with 20 guys.”
Her perseverance and grit carried her through the early days of her career
and that is why she is now Body Mechatronics Project Chief in the Product
Development organization at Stellantis - North America.
In this role, O’Hara is responsible for the overall execution of Body
Mechatronics component design, release and associated program management.
She is responsible for coordinating feasibility, sourcing, and tooling
activities in all regions, to ensure designs are within design protocol while
meeting financial, functional and quality requirements.
Born and raised in Toluca, Mexico, O’Hara, who is also part Lebanese, says
her multi-cultural roots instilled in her an understanding and appreciation
for diversity in cultures, language and ethnicity.
20 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle V ol. 27, No. 1, 2021
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