Today we’d like to introduce you to Gisela Mendoza.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Gisela. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Who as a little girl didn’t want to be a princess or to be enchanted by the magic of Disney? And what if on top of that, you’re a sports fan? I would have never imagined that I would’ve ended up working in such a place, but I am! And that’s the dream that I’m living every day.
I was born and raised in Guayaquil, Ecuador. I arrived at Miami in 2000, and in 2002 I had the opportunity of interviewing for an entry-level role at Disney and ESPN Media Networks. My first position was as a Client Service Representative, in charge of executing Pan-regional media campaigns.
From day one in ESPN, I’ve been learning non-stop. I was very fortunate because from the beginning I’ve been part of great teams, who’ve helped me to learn not only the fundamentals of my role but also to acquire a solid understanding of the media market (my background was more financial so it was key to have the support of the team!).
Less than a year after I started, a TV Planner position opened, and I was given the role. I felt very blessed as I had been in the company for a short time only. But I strongly believe that you always have to work hard, so that when the opportunity arrives, you are prepared to take it. I have always been persistent, fiery, and a bit of a perfectionist! And I believe that these are traits that have helped me to position myself at the level that I wanted. I also keep learning and getting involved in every aspect of the business. I never say no to anything new, and I embrace challenges.
Meanwhile, the market continued to grow and evolve, as we needed to serve sports fans in several regions, and with different tastes for sports. So, new challenges and opportunities presented themselves to me. A need for a new operational team to work with the local offices in Latin America emerged, with the mission to unify concepts and coordinate campaigns across the region. It was scary because it was a new position and I had to literally build-up a new role, Operational Manager. But I loved it!!!
Working with different countries can be challenging; the culture, processes, requirements of the business, the language (even if it is Spanish, sometimes the terms are different) However, I have always been good connecting with people. And I believe that this has been one of my biggest strengths throughout my career.
My responsibility as the International Operational Leader continued to grow and in 2015, I was promoted to Director of Global Business Operations. I started overseeing teams in Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and Miami, and also got a new challenge: to standardize systems and processes within the International Regions. Whoever has embarked on implementing new systems and changing work-flows would appreciate how hard this can be! The human being, by nature, is not open to change. We get used to doing things in a certain manner and it’s scary to accept and adapt to new ways. Leading this change has been one of the biggest challenges of my career, but also one of my biggest accomplishments.
Today, I am the Senior Director of Global Business Operations, and my team has grown from 6 people to 49. And one thing that I’m very sure of, is that I couldn’t be where I am today in my career without the support of my team and of my current boss, Molly West, VP Global Business Operations. A lesson that I’ve learned throughout these years is how important it is to love what you do and to be a good person. Developing deep connections with people has been the key to everything that I’ve done. To always help and care about people, to be proactive, honest and invest time in coaching and developing your team, always keeping in mind that if you care, they’ll care too. They believe in me and that drives me to work harder every day.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I believe that we grow through the struggles and that if everything would’ve been smooth, I wouldn’t be who I am today, both as a person and as a professional.
One of the biggest challenges and at the same time, a great blessing, has been working with local offices all over the world. I am based in Miami but work daily with Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, London, Australia, and New Zealand. It has been very exciting to learn about their cultures, markets, and businesses. However, to standardize processes when there are so many differences means continuously re-thinking the systems, which is complex. But I count with amazing teams supporting me and that makes everything NOT easy but possible.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about DISNEY AND ESPN MEDIA NETWORKS – what should we know?
I am Senior Director of Global Business Operations and work as the Operational Business consultant for the International Regions. I oversee the Ad Operations teams for ESPN International, and I’m also the head of Finance for the Miami office.
I am proud of the company for constantly evolving and be an innovative leader in the industry. As ESPN we are recognized as the pioneers of the sports media industry and as Disney, we are highly recognized by the quality of our products and service.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I am known for being a passionate, positive, innovative and effective leader managing change. One of my biggest strengths is to consistently build strong relationships, developing connections that help me to successfully drive projects to completion. Also, I’m very honest and care about people, not only my team, EVERYONE!!!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 305-460-2151
- Email: gisela.mendoza@espn.com
- Other: http://linkedin.com/in/gisela-mendoza-74808b13
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