IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge: Betty Marcelino
Disclaimer: Please note that all commentary and opinions provided in this interview are those of the individual and not the organisation/company they are employed by.
How can we better choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements?
In my view, we can better embrace the idea that the definition and measurement of success or achievement differs by person. As one is not more important or meaningful than another, it is important to put aside judgment and comparison to better uplift us as a whole.
Every woman makes a very personal choice on career, family, and other priorities in their lives. At times when I don’t feel like I can relate, I work actively to understand, recognise and celebrate those achievements of others no matter how different their journeys are from mine.
What has been your biggest career achievement to date?
My biggest career accomplishment so far is finding my dream job at Anheuser-Busch. I have found an environment where I can bring my authentic self to work every day. There is a strong alignment with purpose, culture, fun and challenging opportunities to continue learning every day and the ability to work with amazing colleagues. It took years of personal and professional growth to develop my view of what is most important for me in the workplace, so I am very happy to have found the right fit.
If you could go back in time and tell your 20-year old self something what would you say?
I do attest my early career successes to hard work, but it came at a personal sacrifice of prioritizing my career above almost everything else for most of my 20’s. I worked pretty much every night and weekend from the very beginning and equated this to be the only way to commit to my career.
Looking back, I certainly could have made that commitment and still find success with a more balanced approach. I would advise my younger self to take the time to really appreciate life, nurture relationships, spend more time on exploring personal interests and hobbies. Time is something you can never get back.
What has held you back in your career to date and how did you overcome that barrier?
I always had big ambitions from the start of my career, but I made the mistake earlier on in a different organisation of not being assertive and vocal enough with my network of managers, mentors, counsellors – not only on what I wanted to accomplish but more importantly to push forward on a plan around the “how”. Particularly, I needed to be much more explicit about the type of support and sponsorship that I wanted. I thought that by putting my head down and working incredibly hard, that it would be sufficient. This created a disconnect of how close I realistically was to my career goals at the time.
This was a critical turning point for me. I sought to completely change how actively I engaged with others on where I wanted to be. I started to speak up if there was an opportunity I wanted or an area I wanted to further develop. I took a more strategic approach of articulating the actions I needed to take and the type of support I needed from my stakeholder group. I took more control over my career and am now more deliberate about asserting what I want.
What is your next adventure or goal?
On a personal note, my husband and I used to travel quite a bit B.C. (before children!) We used to make it a goal to travel to at least one or two new countries every year. Once we get past the COVID pandemic and it is safe to freely move around, we look forward to starting this tradition up again.
Who is your female inspiration? And why?
There is one woman who stands out for me at ABI. Her name is Ann Randon, who is the Global VP of Control & Tax. Why? In my view, Ann’s brand is incredibly strong within the organization. She is bold and fearless, has a reputation of being extremely smart, and brings much value to the organization. Ann is really a force to be reckoned with! In my view I see that she is very clear on what she brings to the table and leans into it.
This inspires me to continue building my own brand with a goal of being as impactful and influential as she is one day.
Click below to read the full edition of IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge: Female Leaders Across The Globe.https://indd.adobe.com/embed/bb2678fd-fafb-4e5f-b57b-bbe97612e7cf?startpage=1&allowFullscreen=true