Q&A with Goldman Sachs Hispanic/Latinx Network Regional Sponsor Ricardo Mora
In this Q&A, we catch up with Ricardo Mora, regional sponsor of the Goldman Sachs Hispanic/Latinx Network in the Americas who shares a bit about his background and career path, goals for the Network and how we are recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month at the firm.
Tell us a little about yourself, your career path, and interests?
In the 1950’s my parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico and I was born and raised in Gilroy, a small city in Northern California. In the 5th grade I attended a class field trip to the University of California, Berkeley, fell in love with it and eventually applied for admission where I earned an undergraduate degree in both Economics and Sociology.
In my senior year I was awarded the Sloan Fellowship for graduate studies and moved on to attend Columbia’s School of International Affairs. I focused on international banking and finance which led me to explore emerging markets, which was a very young field at the time. It was an exciting time to enter the market – in the early 1990’s all of Latin America, with the exception of Colombia and Chile, had fallen into a sovereign default. USSR debt had just begun to trade, and in Asia, Indonesia and the Philippines were in default. I have appreciated the experience of helping grow what was then a new industry.
I have worked in emerging markets for 30 years across three firms - Chemical Bank from 1991 to1995, Deutsche Bank from 1995 to 2008 and Goldman Sachs from 2008 to present. I have been married since 1995 to my wife Kelli and we have three children. Outside of family and work, I run marathons and most recently took up golf.
For those unfamiliar with the Hispanic/Latinx Network, how would you describe the role of this network and how has it helped our people?
The Hispanic/Latinx Network’s (HLN) mission is to connect, retain and develop the firm’s Hispanic/Latinx professionals.
It’s a large network with over 5,000 members, a steering committee, talent advisors, an advisory board, speakers and supporters focused on recruiting, retaining, providing professional development opportunities and generally raising the awareness of the Hispanic/Latinx culture in the firm.
How has the Hispanic/Latinx Network at Goldman Sachs and the Hispanic/Latinx community more broadly shaped your own lived experiences and worldview?
The firm has the mission to ensure equality in the work place. We want to remain the most desired employer in finance and having travelled throughout the emerging markets, I can tell you first-hand about the convening power of our brand. As the Hispanic/Latinx Network’s regional sponsor, it’s important to me that our people feel like they work in an environment where one can succeed irrespective of background or gender. Ultimately, I want to help attract, and more importantly, retain our best talent.
How is the firm recognizing Hispanic Heritage Month?
Throughout the month we will be celebrating with events that are intended to create connection, community and educational moments.
We’ll be hosting accomplished Hispanic/Latinx leaders across industries to share their experiences and welcoming external professionals to discuss Hispanic/Latinx identity. The month’s events will be a true celebration of all things Hispanic heritage.
The official theme this year is “Esperanza: A Celebration of Hispanic Heritage and Hope” and we have an incredible agenda of events planned.
Looking beyond Hispanic Heritage Month, what are some key objectives of the Hispanic/Latinx Network in 2021?
The 2021 strategy of the Network continues focused on four objectives:
- Partner with recruiting and other internal inclusion networks to attract and retain Hispanic/Latinx professionals
- Provide professional development opportunities by organizing workshops on career development, internal mobility and continued education
- Increase communication and engagement within the Network, divisional networks and external organizations
- Educate and raise awareness of Hispanic/Latinx culture
What has been the best, or most impactful, part of being involved with the Network?
In the last few years we have seen the firm’s Hispanic/Latinx community energized by the Network. Working with the leaders of the group from all the divisions at the firm - including those based in Latin America - we have created a number of sub groups under the HLN umbrella focused on both personal and professional development. We have also connected with our clients who share our passion through the Network – for example our session with the Uber team last Fall.