To cap off Hispanic Heritage Month, we’re highlighting Byline Bank’s Latinx Employee Resource Group (ERG). Through sponsorships, professional development, and volunteer events within the Hispanic/Latinx communities, the group promotes cultural awareness, recommends solutions to issues affecting Latinx employees, and helps its members find opportunities for personal and professional growth.
In a Q&A with Christina Napoles, Strategic Initiatives Director at Byline Bank, she discusses her nine-plus years leading the bank’s Project Management Office and how groups like the Latinx ERG help support a work culture of authenticity and diversity.
Christina Napoles, Strategic Initiatives Director
In discussing lessons learned from her Hispanic heritage, Christina says, “Honor what our parents and grandparents did to create opportunities for us and treasure that gift. We should appreciate the work ethic, faith and yes-you-can (si se puede) attitude instilled in us by their courageous decision to come to this country to write their own story.”
Q: What does Hispanic Heritage Month mean to you?
It is a wonderful way to celebrate where we came from as Hispanic Americans. I think everyone has a story, and this is a way of remembering where we are from, where our ancestors are from and acknowledging that it contributed to who we are today.
Q: In what ways have you been able to bring your culture into your work environment at Byline Bank?
I tell my daughters we are hybrids. We have a little bit of our Mexican culture, a little bit of American culture, and combine it. Being bicultural is a blessing and a strength. It gives us a unique perspective, so that should be leveraged when you come to work every day. Offering up a different viewpoint, or a different consideration when we are making decisions at work, or just thinking of something that might not occur to other coworkers. I think it is a strength to be able to acknowledge the different perspectives at the table and be aware it is not one way or the highway.
Q: How has your Hispanic heritage influenced your professional journey?
I think initially—and you will hear this a lot, it is a repeated theme—young professionals that are Latino, they feel they can’t be their true, authentic self. They have their work persona, and then their social or home persona. Over the course of my career, I realize more and more that who I am is perfectly acceptable to bring to work every day. So this is what I would tell anybody: Be your authentic self. And it’s OK, you can talk about the foods you like, you can talk about the music you like. They may be different than your coworkers’ taste in music or food, but that’s what makes us great, right? The whole melting pot concept of the workforce.
I am typically a very reserved individual; I am a little on the quieter side. I think culturally we learn to be reverent to people of authority above us. It took me a while to figure out it’s OK to speak up and voice my opinion, even if it’s not ultimately the consensus. You don’t have to be the loudest in the room. You can still get your point across and speak your mind and have influence, even if it’s in a quiet way.
Q: Does Byline Bank have any initiatives that support Hispanic employees or celebrate Hispanic culture?
The Latinx ERG obviously comes to mind. They have done a fab job at raising awareness, and that is one of the things I appreciate the most. They schedule all sorts of fun activities, which are a good way for people to meet different employees at the bank. I also love when they post on Byline’s intranet different articles to raise awareness. That’s probably touching on the essence of what we are trying to do with the ERGs, to bridge that divide. People always fear what they don’t know or think is strange, and once you start learning about different cultures, you come to find you probably have more in common than different.
Q: Have you faced any unique challenges in your career as a Hispanic professional? If so, how have you overcome them?
Being a female in banking and working my way up as a manager, and then not always being the loudest in the room, was a challenge for me. I felt like I had thoughts, I had ideas, I had experience to back up my thoughts and recommendations, but I sometimes found it difficult to speak up.
At Byline, it has been very easy to jump in and be a part of the discussion. Byline has a lot of senior managers that are females, which is a tremendous role model to other female employees. I never once felt any sort of different treatment or disparity. It is very obvious I am Hispanic, especially once I talk, and I have never once felt that has been a disadvantage. Byline does a fabulous job of making everyone feel welcome and making everyone feel equal.
Q: What advice would you give someone from a diverse background looking to grow professionally?
Be your authentic self. There is nobody like you, so consider it an advantage. You don’t have to fit the mold that you think is the norm, or historically has been the norm, especially in banking and the business world. If you arm yourself with experience and knowledge, what you bring to the table is just as valuable as anybody else.
