International Women's Day: Paola Ordoñez

I’ve always been inspired by world history and geography. Those were my favorite areas of study in school, and my knowledge of various global cultures, their origins, the way they see the world, and even their cuisines has been an important factor when it comes to working in sales.

Even though I’m Director of Business Development for FCM’s Latin American market now, my professional career started in a completely different industry. I started working for an oil company in my home country of Colombia, but then I took a chance on a new and exciting opportunity – I joined the Disney College Program at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida! This was my first time working outside of Colombia, and the cultural immersion, education, and on-the-job experiences I received helped me expand on my existing love global cultures. I would encourage any women entering the corporate workforce to take a chance on new opportunities, and to travel outside of your comfort zone. This helps you build important skills for the workplace.

I returned to Colombia after the program ended, and I started working at a Spanish hotel chain. Soon after, I finally made the transition to corporate travel operations and took a job in OTA, specializing in the Central and South American markets. I honestly have learned so much from these vastly different jobs – from the importance of service, to understanding industry nuances (especially with oil and gas) and working with global markets that I wasn’t necessarily familiar with.

But I wanted to work for a company that sought to do things differently and challenge their employees to find solutions for customers beyond the obvious. I took another leap and moved to Mexico City in 2017, which is when I found FCM. My first impression of FCM was that they were open to change, and had the desire to not only adapt to market shifts, but to go even further and offer something different. It has been inspiring and an honor to evolve and grow with FCM over the years. FCM truly invests in its people.

My greatest achievement during my time at FCM was achieving business optimization consistency. My love and understanding of global cultures also prepared me to identify the nuances of each market and communicate with them in a way that resonated. When it comes to my career at FCM, I believe the sky is the limit. Every day I am presented with new opportunities, and I believe it’s the perfect place for women to grow their careers.

My top piece of advice for women who aspire to enter the corporate world is to invest in your global knowledge. You never know who you will meet, and who you will eventually get to work with!