PODER (General Counsel Talent Pipeline Initiative)

PODER: General Counsel Talent Pipeline Initiative

Funder: Hispanic National Bar Association (HNBA) and HNBA VIA (Vision in Action) Fund

Purpose: Cultivates and positions HNBA members for prominent General Counsel roles by increasing their gravitas, leadership competencies, and overall readiness.

Mission: To increase the number of HNBA members occupying senior positions within corporate legal departments by developing a pipeline of legal talent and assisting with their collective advancement.

Goals:

Initial goal: Increase the number of HNBA members in General Counsel roles in Fortune 500 companies to a minimum of 20 by 2025

As of 2025, PODER is advancing and promoting senior in-house HNBA members to GC roles in Fortune 500 and 1000 companies

Target Audience:

Senior in-house counsel

HNBA members seeking advancement to General Counsel positions

Those facing unique challenges such as implicit bias and lack of sustained exposure to traditional career-building networks

Program Features:

GC Ready Track: Core leadership accelerator designed to advance seasoned in-house counsel toward the General Counsel seat

Recruiter introductions

Dynamic speaker programming

Mentorship and support framework

Coaching to enhance gravitas, board engagement, and leadership skills

Training for top-tier GC and senior executive positions

Program History:

Launched in March 2018

First initiative that specifically cultivates HNBA members for General Counsel roles

Participants have secured significant internal promotions, transitioned to new roles with esteemed organizations, and received prestigious board appointments

PODER Class of 2026 (8 members):

Alexis Mendoza, Chief Compliance Officer and Deputy CLO, Nokia

Anthony Justman, Principal & Shareholder, Justman Law Group, P.C.

Elida Moran, Director, Legal Affairs, T-Mobile

Ivelisse Clausell, Managing Attorney, Tech Compliance & Digital Responsibility, Dun & Bradstreet

Kristy Docabo, Vice President and Corporate Counsel; Head of Legal (Mexico and Latin America), PGIM

Maria Ayerbe, VP, Deputy General Counsel, Americas, Commercial and Global Real Estate, The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Ruth Mendez, VP-Legal, Jiffy Lube International, Inc. and Head of Legal, Shell Mexico

Santiago Alaniz, Chief Legal Officer, Fortrex Solutions

Geographic Scope: National

Leadership:

Julia A. López, Partner at Reed Smith (HNBA Board Member)

Angel Gomez, Facilitator

Jose Ramon Gonzalez, Steering Committee Chair, Chief Legal Officer and Corporate Secretary for Equitable Holdings

Rosevelie Márquez Morales, Chief Inclusion Officer, Hogan Lovells (National President of HNBA)

Contact: VIA@hnba.com