Fifteen years ago, Luz Maria Perez moved to a new city with her young daughter and without family support or child care network, which posed daily challenges such as working up to 10-hour days. But these difficulties did not stop her, Perez said. She continued to study and train, always taking her daughter with her.
"My experience inspired other women around me to continue developing professionally, showing that it is possible to balance the roles of mother and professional. I managed to get the company to adopt a more flexible policy regarding the presence of children in the office, creating a more inclusive and understanding environment for working parents," she said. "This personal and professional success has not only marked my career but has also had a positive impact on my work environment, promoting a cultural change towards flexibility and support for working families."
With more than 20 years of experience in the plastics and automotive industries, Perez has developed a solid track record in various areas of human resources, including talent attraction, labor relations, personnel development, training and coaching.
As the development, learning and training manager for KI Industries Inc., Perez implements programs that enhance human talent and contribute to organizational growth, leads organizational development initiatives and succession plans, designs technical training and soft skills development programs, coordinates specialized training, and continuously evaluates staff training needs to ensure compliance with business objectives.
She considers her greatest professional achievement to be improving working conditions, especially with work flexibility, among women with children. This reduced turnover from 70 percent to 0 percent within three months. This has been sustained, and the company has been a reference for other companies in the industrial park where they are located in Mexico.
"My interest in the plastics industry has developed throughout my career in KI Industries due to several key factors that make it an attractive and challenging sector, [including] continuous innovation, economic impact and relevance, sustainability and environmental challenges, professional development, [and] work and growth opportunities for women in my country," she said.
Her current work challenges include helping employees balance work and personal responsibilities, keeping employees motivated in a competitive labor market, and integrating advanced e-learning technologies and digital training tools into existing programs.
"My ability to overcome the challenges of being a mother and continue advancing in my professional career is an achievement of which I am deeply proud," Perez said. "This personal and professional success has not only marked my career, but has also had a positive impact on my work environment, promoting a cultural change towards flexibility and support for working families."