Interview with alum Yesmith Sánchez: “Including diversity, equity and inclusion in your business strategy gives you elements for success”
Yesmith Sánchez is originally from Querétaro in Mexico where she also did her bachelor’s degree. For her, it was not evident that she would go on to do a master’s degree at all since she was already very successful by being the youngest in the senior leadership team of a transnational company.
However, her husband is a Swedish-speaking Finn and the family decided to move to Finland.
“I started at Hanken by taking some courses at the Open university. There I realised that this is what I want to do and applied to the master’s programme in international management.”
Hanken has played a big role for Sánchez both socially and professionally, but also for her general perception of Finland. As a newcomer in the country, it helped a lot that the School was quite small and it was easy to make meaningful connections.
“The authority structures at Hanken were very different from what I was used to in Mexico. For example, my professors Inkku (Björkman) and Wille (Barner-Rasmussen) invited us to call them by their nicknames. They really made us feel as if we were peers. The atmosphere was very warm, and it just felt like we were on a mission to learn more about what we were good at.”
Yesmith Sánchez got her first job in Finland through Hanken. She then worked as a project manager in an international media management company. The last years she has been working as a managing partner at Inklusiiv. She combines her knowledge and experience of business strategy and leadership with principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. According to her, companies will not succeed without the best possible people and then you have to offer them the best possible workplace.
”The Nordic countries pride themselves on their equality, providing the same opportunities and treatment to everyone. But equity is about recalibrating the systems so people from different backgrounds and with different conditions would have access to all or similar opportunities.”
For her efforts and successes in the field of DEI she was awarded the Catalyst DEI Thought Leadership Award for the Nordics in 2022.
Yesmith Sánchez has the feeling that Hanken really cares about its alumni and want them to succeed. She particularly appreciates the various alumni events that the School arranges.
“I can be really good at what I do, but there is still new knowledge being generated and I continuously need to learn more if I want to be on top of things. Through the events Hanken provides us with new knowledge in an easily accessible way.”
To current students Sánchez wants to send a strong message of self-compassion and to trust in yourself.
“Trust that you have been equipped with good knowledge and with a good network - you have been set for success! You just have to remember to also take care of yourself and allow yourself kindness.”
In her spare time Sánchez enjoys both music and poetry. She plays jarana in a Mexican folk band. Jarana is an instrument unique to the type of music that she plays, called Son Jarocho. She also spends a lot of time with her friends and values them a lot. She says that her superpower is to find the best people.
“People advise you, especially as a foreigner, that you should have a network that will help you go places. But I think that your networks should make you want to be a better person.”
Text: Marlene Günsberg
Photo: Trang Nguyen
In this article series, we interview Hanken alumni. Do you know someone you think we should interview? Or do you want to volunteer yourself? Email us with tips at alumni@hanken.fi.