Iliana Perez, Hill and Knowlton: Even for the loneliest sport, you need a solid team

The 4th edition of e4m PR and Corp Comm Women Achievers Summit had its keynote session addressed by Iliana Perez, Managing Director METIA, Hill and Knowlton. Her short but effusive speech began with her first expressing gratitude at her place in the world today as well as where she had come from.

“I was born in Mexico City as part of a very hardworking family, a family that was founded on amazing values but with very little formal education. I was the first in my family with a bachelor's degree. I was the first one to work for a corporation. And forget about being a TV presenter, and becoming a consultant for a number of CEOs or even Prime Ministers. That was not even in our dreams. We still cannot believe it.”

And while acknowledging her accomplishments in being the first in her family to achieve many firsts, she also noted “But there is one very important thing for which I was not the first one. My grandma, my mom and other women in my life, in my family were strong and determined. They were at the steering wheel of their lives, in their own time and possibilities. They drove themselves to achieve their goals. Whether they were having a little restaurant, being a doula, a tailor, or like my mom, graduating from university when she was 45 years old, to become a renowned psychologist with two master's degrees.”

“From them, I learned that I can take control. I can be at the steering wheel, but being at the steering wheel is not always easy, right? It's not always fun. The road is not always a lovely Formula One racetrack, but has bumps and potholes and it also means a lot of responsibility, commitment, and a very clear destination. But we must pick a place to go,” added Perez.

She then went on to speak about the road she had taken and the journeys and destinations it had taken her past and to. “Since I was 11 years old, I had decided that I would study communications. I knew so clearly I wanted to speak, I wanted to write, I wanted to create. I wanted to do so much with communications. But just as I applied to universities, my grandpa who I loved so much told me that I should be an engineer to make him proud. I wanted to listen to him. God knows how much I hesitated. But my mom reminded me that I was at the steering wheel and I had the power to take my life in any direction I wanted. She said, ‘Do what will make you happy. Take your life and make it shine. That's all I want from you.’ And what a relief that was. I can't imagine myself being a petrochemical or other kind of engineer. So I made my case. I went to university and pursued journalism and communications. I even graduated with honours. My car was on the communications racetrack. But then I had to learn that even for the loneliest sport, you need a solid team.”

Perez went on to speak about the importance of teamwork even as everyone is on their own journey, their own racetrack, and to their own destinations. She spoke about being willing to lend a hand and be the road support to colleagues who might need it, as well as the importance of asking for help when it is needed, be they professional or personal challenges.

“It is great to celebrate others, to clap at our team's achievements and cheer each other on during company or industry awards. This seems very natural and it is essential for the team and is essential for the people that we work with. But hey, we want to be ourselves as well. Let's celebrate our own achievements. Let's recognize what we have learned and let's be kind to ourselves as women and even as men,” she said.

“Today, I would like to invite you to reflect on your achievements and share two or three of those with your fellow attendees. Whether you are a man or a woman it is important for us to recognize ourselves and really celebrate each other. And remember, your car is on the racetrack. You are at the steering wheel and I hope you believe it as well because that has helped me to go through so many different circumstances and many stages in my career. You are at the steering wheel, and it is your decision. Where do you want to drive today?”