The performance specialist

Maite Fuentes
CEO, Development Systems

“Although hard work, customer satisfaction, commitment and results should be the only determining factors, women – and especially young women – have it much tougher when pushing for influence and respect in both co-gender and male-dominated work environments.

“During the first years of my business career (+15 years ago) I thought that my accomplishments and credentials were going to speak for themselves despite having reluctance to voice them, but I had to make a conscious effort to present myself credibly to look older and be recognised as a capable professional.

“To demonstrate that my career for me was very important, I used to work 14 hours a day instead of self-promoting myself to avoid competitive colleagues stepping on my toes. Now that I have the market, customers’ and colleagues’ professional respect, I feel more confidence and I´ve learnt how to balance my personal and professional life better.

“I didn’t have a mentor in a formal way but I have had several in an informal manner during my career; all of them were men – excellent sales professionals. Essentially, what I had was job shadowing, I was asked to shadow senior sales directors to appreciate and get a better idea of what it was going to take to build my career and to experience first-hand what it is to be a leader.”

Maite Fuentes is CEO of an international business performance improvement company. She holds a PhD in Management from IESE Business School, plus an MBA and a Bachelor’s Degree in Law.