She participates in educational programs directed towards the
Hispano-Latino community such as the Hispanics Inspiring Students’
Performance and Achievement (HISPA), a 501c3 non-profit organization with the
mission to mobilize Latino professionals to serve as active role models for the
youth in order to inspire them to pursue higher education and consider careers
in STEM, Conexion and HACE.
Ibanez holds a Master’s in Science degree in Cell and Molecular Biology,
and an Executive MBA with concentrations in General Management and
Ana Elena Marziano was born into a
STEM-oriented family in Caracas,
Venezuela. Her father was an
International Business. She is certified in Project Management and a Lean Six
Sigma-Green Belt. She has held positions of increasing responsibility in research
laboratories specializing in Infectious Diseases and Neuroscience and is an
author/co-author of over three scientific publications and presentations.
“You’re never going to get it right the first time around, but your first step
will take you to the next,” she shares.
Ana Elena Marziano
Corporate Purchasing Officer
engineer, her mother an economist, and her
three siblings also pursued degrees in the
subject area. With her family roots and
personal love for technical subjects, it seemed only natural that she would also
pursue a career in STEM.
Procter & Gamble
After completing her education in mechanical engineering, at only 22 years of
age, Marziano was hired by Procter & Gamble as a Department Manager for
Fabric & Home Care, where she spent many nights making laundry detergent. As
other opportunities came her way, she embraced every challenge and eventually
found her place in Purchasing. After serving that department for 20 years, she was
named Chief Purchasing Officer.
Marziano leads P&G’s global Purchasing organization which includes all of the
Company’s sourcing, procurement and RPM planning efforts. This community of
Purchasing professionals is responsible for every dollar spent across the entire
Company. This covers raw materials, packaging and capital used to manufacture our
products, as well as Contract Manufacturing, Logistics & Transportation, IT, Labor,
Media, and all other services required to market P&G’s brands and operate the
company’s business. In her role as CPO, she is responsible for developing mastery
within the organization as well as setting the vision and capabilities needed to
execute Supplier Citizenship strategies, stewardship and governance. Purchasing
delivers disproportionate value through savings and cash as well as product,
packaging, marketing and instore superiority.
Throughout her career, Marziano has worked with the best of the best, both
internally and externally, and credits P&G with valuing and developing diverse
talent, including herself. However, she also realizes the responsibility that comes with
success. She is convinced that diversity leads to better business results.
“I’m the first female and Latinx to hold
the Chief Purchasing Officer position at P&G,”
she shares. “This makes me extremely proud
and also comes with immense responsibility
to lead Equality & Inclusion inside and outside
of P&G walls.”
Her success is due, in part, to the strong principles and values that her
parents instilled in her. Her parents modeled hard work, continuous learning, and
having a purpose in life, and they challenged her to “aim high and be a better
version” of herself every day. Those values came into play in an authentic way early
in her career.
“My dream was to become a Plant Manager, and I remember someone telling
me that as a woman I could never reach this goal,” she shares. She refused to
accept that and used those words as a challenge to continue to work hard and push
herself until she reached her goal.
She uses that experience to encourage Latinas to “aim high and never, ever let
anyone put limits on you. You own your destiny, nobody else.” She also advises them
to trust their instincts and build networks and relationships for support along the way.
And last but certainly not least, she believes that we should all pay back and leave a
legacy behind. True to her values and principles, like her family and mentors helped
her succeed, she’s now helping others.
Marziano is a respected leader who role models a growth mindset and
passionately leads P&G’s Hispanic Affinity group. “Help others...and share your story,”
she says. “Help, coach, and mentor younger generations of females to become a
better version of yourself.”
LS
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32 www.latinastyle.com LATINAStyle V ol. 27, No. 4, 2021