Leadership and Executive Development for women of all races, cultures and backgrounds
Issue link: https://diversitywoman.epubxp.com/i/385684
We Mean Business > organizations to further the cause of women and minority business owners. She worked for the New America Alli- ance, an organization of Latino Ameri- can business leaders committed to em- powering Latinos by expanding forms of capital necessary for economic advance- ment. She also served as president of Te Marathon Club, which brings together private equity investors, middle market entrepreneurs, and senior-level corporate executives of diverse backgrounds to col- laborate on deals. By the age of 40, Carmen had created signifcant opportunities for women- and minority-owned frms with global impact –opening doors that were previously closed. Today, Ortiz-McGhee, based in Washington, DC, is the executive vice president of sales for Aon Cornerstone Innovative Solutions, a division of the global risk management and HR solu- tions frm Aon plc. One of her respon- sibilities is to source and vet certifed minority businesses specializing in Aon's core focus areas in order to develop ex- panded supplier diversity solutions for the company's clients. Diversity Woman spoke with Ortiz-Mc- Ghee about taking risks, the importance of developing strong networks, and ac- cess to opportunities for women and mi- nority business owners. DW: How have you gone about trying to network with minority- and women- owned businesses and connect them to Aon? Carmen Ortiz-McGhee: I've been blessed with a career that has put me squarely in environments that are chock-full of minority- and women-owned frms. I started my career with the U.S. His- panic Chamber of Commerce, I served as the interim executive director of New America Alliance, and then I went to Te Marathon Club. I had a brief stint By Pia Sarkar F or Carmen Ortiz-McGhee, be- ing an advocate for minority and women business owners is her pas- sion. Driving market change to foster access and opportunity for underserved communities with sustainable impact for generations to come, is her mission. But there once was a time when she wasn't even interested in business. Upon graduating from the University of Virginia, where she majored in psy- chology, Ortiz-McGhee was approached by the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce with a job opportunity. "I had wanted absolutely nothing to do with business, interestingly," she says. Nonetheless, she joined the chamber and stayed for fve years. From there, Ortiz-McGhee joined other d i v e r s i t y w o m a n . c o m Fa l l 2 0 1 4 D I V E R S I T Y W O M A N 29 The Future Is Bright Power Suit Aon's Carmen Ortiz-McGhee is bullish on the opportunities for women and minorities