Tackling Life And Career With No Fear: Angelica Garcia, Acento

von Dasha Ovsyannikova
On behalf of AdForum, we hope you are staying safe during this unprecedented time and its challenges.
Although our world is dominated by virus, we have made a decision to publish interviews we conducted earlier this month. These interviews are virus-unrelated, so we hope they provide some inspiration, relief and rejuvenation! We are in this together and because of this, we are upholding our commitment to our clients, to publish news and insights. 
Check out adforum.com to stay connected in our industry.
Above all, be safe. 

Angelica Garcia
VP, Strategy & Insights Acento
 


How would you describe the overall culture at your agency / company?

Open, inclusive and family like.

 

In your opinion, what do you see as the biggest change in the advertising industry since women have begun to break the glass ceiling? 

More and more women are joining the executive ranks of agencies, tackling life and career with no fear – showing that it can be done, in spite of any lingering doubts. We show the world that if the way things work now is not optimal, we have the vision to change everything. Everyone can believe in their abilities regardless of gender or ethnicity.

 

Do you think that women still face challenges in our industry, and if so, what are they? 

Of course, women are still judged for the way we live, by who we are, how much we work (or not.) We should not have to make a choice between family and work. We can do everything, have a life and a successful career. As a woman and a minority, there are still instances in which you are not sure if you are in the room for your merits or because of who you represent.

Another issue plaguing this industry is ageism.  We don’t value experience as much as we should; we focus too much on innovation and disruption. We can have both, balance the learnings from the past while looking at how to evolve and thrive for the future.

 

How should we tackle an issue such as equal opportunity? 

We need to stop hiring people that look like ourselves.  That’s why some agencies all look the same, because they are not hiring for equal opportunity or diversity, but rather what they are comfortable with. If we want to evolve and thrive in the future, we need to start looking more like the world looks around us.

 

How did you find your way into the marketing communications industry and what professional achievement are you most proud of?

I studied marketing and have always had a passion for advertising. I am a firm believer that advertising works and have always been curious about human behavior. From a very young age, I wanted to work in advertising. Professionally, I am most proud of all the relationships I’ve developed and of the people that I have been able to teach and learn from. One singular professional achievement cannot encapsulate how much I have learned and how I still enjoy working in this industry. The fast evolution of the industry keeps you on your toes, learning everyday.

 

Who inspires you the most, either inside the industry or outside? Why?

From the beginning of my career, I have been blessed to work with strong women leaders like Aurora Landin, one of the few heads of an agency in Mexico in the late 80s, to Norma Orci, who always supported me and taught me to stay true and believe in myself. Their examples have carried me to today.