In a new edition of Charlas de Impacto, Perla Lara, Editor in Chief of Impacto, spoke with Mayra Hernández Bergman, a Mexican executive who has lived in the Philadelphia area for more than two decades, about the challenges of building a professional career far from her country of origin, the role of Latina women in leadership spaces, and the importance of defending diversity in times of uncertainty.
Originally from Monterrey, Nuevo León, Hernández Bergman emphasized that she grew up in a city deeply shaped by commerce, industry, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Monterrey, she explained, taught her from an early age the value of hard work, ambition, and the ability to seek out new opportunities.
“Monterrey is a very progressive, industrial city, closely connected to the United States. I grew up in an environment where it felt natural to think about studying or working in another country,” she shared.
Her career began in Mexico, working for Gamesa. Later, a professional opportunity arose in Toronto, Canada, an experience that completely transformed her worldview. In that multicultural city, she learned English, encountered other cultures, and discovered what it meant to be an immigrant.
It was also there that she met the person who would later become her husband, originally from the Philadelphia area. That is how she arrived in this region, without imagining it would eventually become her home.
“I never thought Philadelphia would be my city, but I ended up falling in love with it. Today, I feel a very strong connection to this community,” she said.
Starting over in another country
However, settling in the United States was not easy. Mayra recounted that one of the most difficult experiences was realizing that everything she had achieved in Mexico seemed to lose its value on the other side of the border.
Despite having worked for large companies and possessing international experience, she had to start almost from scratch.
“It was very tough to arrive and hear that my experience didn’t count because I hadn’t studied here or because I hadn’t learned English in this country. I had to go back to school, earn a master’s degree in business, and accept smaller roles to rebuild my career,” she recalled.
In addition to professional barriers, she faced the weight of being a woman, an immigrant, and Latina in spaces where few people shared her background.
“Being a woman, having an accent, and coming from another country plays a big role. Many times, you feel like you have to prove yourself twice as much,” she said.
During the conversation, she reflected on how even her last name may have influenced the opportunities she received. After getting married, she adopted the last name Bergman, and over time, she began to wonder whether things might have been different had she applied for certain jobs using only her Mexican last names.
“I’ve always wondered what would have happened if I had applied to certain jobs with both of my Mexican last names. I’ll never know, but I do believe people often react differently depending on the name they see,” she noted.
The opportunity that changed her career
Her first major opportunity in the U.S. corporate world came at General Electric, where she found a leader willing to bet on diversity.
Tom Beckman, the executive who interviewed her, understood the value of building teams with people from different countries, languages, and experiences.
“He saw something in me beyond my accent or my background. He believed diversity made a company stronger, and thanks to that opportunity, I was able to re-enter the corporate world,” she said.
From there, her career continued to grow. She became the first Latina to hold a vice-presidential position within a company with more than a hundred years of history. Later, she assumed leadership roles at PECO, where she also became the first Latina woman to hold an executive position in the company’s history.
For Mayra, success was not based solely on talent or preparation, but also on the ability to ask for more, seek opportunities, and not wait to be chosen.
“Many Latina women are hardworking, responsible, and very capable, but we struggle to ask. We were taught to wait, to be discreet, to work quietly. I learned that you also have to raise your hand and say: I want more responsibility, I want to grow,” she said.
Living between two cultures
Another central topic of the interview was identity. Mayra spoke about what it means to live between two cultures and how, over time, she stopped thinking she had to choose between being Mexican or American.
“My children have a Mexican mother and an American father. They are both at the same time. Sometimes we think we have to choose a single identity, but that’s not true. We can be a blend of everything that we are,” she shared.
In that sense, she believes younger generations will grow up with a much more global identity, shaped by technology, social media, and the coexistence of different cultures.
Defending diversity in the face of fear
Mayra also addressed the current political climate and the rise of anti-immigrant rhetoric in the United States and other parts of the world. In the face of that reality, she emphasized the importance of not losing hope or allowing fear to define the narrative.
She stressed that immigrants have contributed significantly to the economic, cultural, and social development of cities like Philadelphia, and that it is crucial to continue telling those stories.
“We have to use our platforms to change the narrative. Immigrants do not come to take away. We come to contribute, to work, to build, and to multiply,” she said.
A new Beginning as an entrepreneur
After several years at PECO and holding responsibilities in Washington, Delaware, and New Jersey, Mayra decided to take a new step: leaving the corporate world to start her own business.
She currently leads a firm specializing in strategic communications and crisis management, advising companies, organizations, and professionals navigating difficult moments who need to protect their reputations.
“I realized that what I enjoyed most was solving complex problems. I like challenges, finding solutions, and helping people navigate difficult situations,” she explained.
At the end of the conversation, Mayra shared a message especially for the Latino community and for those facing fear, discrimination, or uncertainty today. She urged people not to be paralyzed by narratives of hate and to remember that diversity remains a strength.
“We have to keep telling our stories, supporting others, and believing in the value of who we are. We’re not here to take anything away from anyone. We’re here to build a better future,” she concluded.