Buried in the marks of memories are questions one often wonders – what is it that made me who I am today? The world we live in is an amalgamation of cultures, languages, people, and their experiences. Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of this intricate web of relationships – to acknowledge and honor where we come from and how it shapes us.
Meet Everth Hernandez – one such wonderer who sees every challenge as an opportunity to learn something new. Born and raised in Mexico, he currently works in the role of a Country Manager for Aruba. For a successful professional in a high-ranking position, almost all of Everth’s recollections of life lessons and motivations tie back to the smallest joys of life – learning to find a silver lining and enjoying every challenge you face.
A part of his Hispanic identity that has consistently influenced him has been the “big ties” with family and friends and the attachment it brings to cities, places, and people. He starts describing his experiences by explaining how Mexico is not just a beautiful place with white sand beaches – it’s a culmination of the innumerable cultures, traditions, and food that reside within it.
The makings of a future leader
Hernandez grew up with two working parents who emphasized a dual education – don’t just get good grades and education, also learn something outside of school. What resulted was not just a competitive tennis player, but a professional who always went above and beyond to learn new skills and break the confines of a domain. His education was sped up by two years and he graduated at the age of 22. Since then, he has held multiple positions and conquered many challenges.
His parents were the source of his work ethic and hardworking nature – based on his reflections, however, that’s where it ends. His parents retired from the same company they had worked in for 30-40 years. Everth chose to navigate through his career path in his own way. When he looks back at some of his decisions, he sees how some of them could have been mistakes but that they “played up well in the end”.
From networking engineer to country manager
Straight out of college, he started as a networking engineer at Hewlett Packard. He went on to work in a small venture with some friends, went back to networking as a cost sales engineer, and eventually worked for HP again in 2010. By 2015, as a networking professional, he started working for HP’s newly acquired company Aruba, helping set up the business’ growth and success. When the country manager for Mexico quit his role, Everth was asked if he would fill his shoes. He recalls his decision to take up the role and reveals what seems to be a motto for all his decisions – that he saw this as an opportunity to learn a new skill and grow, remarking how he’s “all for new skills”. His belief in upskilling and growth helps us understand the establishment of this leader – one who chooses to learn every day from his own decisions and experiences.
“I just want to challenge myself. I don’t mind if I make mistakes in my career…in the end, they played out well.”
When he moved to the US, which was one of the biggest challenges of his life as a young adult, he reveals how the lowered salary weighed against the experience of living in a different country. While he was confident he could move back home if he wanted, Hernandez spent a year persevering through learning what he jokingly calls “basic adult stuff” that he had to do for himself.
What Motivates the Motivator
Drawing inspiration from two people – Keerti Melkote (Founder, Aruba) and Bobby Johnson (Founder, Foundry Networks) – we see a similarity in what motivates this positivity-embracing leader. A clarity of vision and great leadership skills, coupled with a drive to achieve the goals they set out for their companies is what really moved Everth.
“In a country with limitations, from a business, personal and professional point of view, you learn that you gotta do more with less resources…you’re going to play on a different ground with different rules…”
The picture becomes clearer to us when we see how he talks about growing up in a Latin American country, often with resource limitations. His first instinct is to explain how his career was shaped by his approach of “doing more with less”. Acknowledging the inequity of funding, support of resources, he proves his resolution to make the best of the support he has. Seeing the positive impact of such a limitation, he notices how it has made his leadership style more appreciative of all the support he gets.
Everth’s advice to young Latinx professionals encapsulates Great Learning’s goals:
“Invest in yourself…be patient. Things will work out if you put enough passion and time into what you’re doing.”
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