CATEGORIES
Inclusion and Impact | People We Admire | Women EmpowermentOverview:
- Cari M Dominguez’s childhood experiences as an immigrant shaped her resilience and work ethic.
- Her leadership journey spans corporate governance, diversity advocacy, and breaking barriers in boardrooms.
- Despite progress, challenges in gender and racial inclusion persist, fueling her commitment to equity.
- She believes in lifelong learning, mentorship, and pushing forward to create systemic change.
1. What was your childhood like, and how did it shape who you are today?
My life’s journey has not been a straight line. It’s been a lot of ups and downs, twists and turns. I came to the United States when I was 12 years old from Havana, Cuba. My dad was an accountant in Cuba. He worked for an American company there. And when Castro took over, he was put under house arrest because they thought he would not be sympathetic to the communist regime.
So my mom, myself, and my two much younger sisters—who were four and five at the time—moved to the United States. My older brother, who was of military age, and my father were not allowed to leave with us. My brother left a year later, but it took my dad almost six years to join us.
As a 12-year-old in the States, I did not speak the language or know the culture. Everything was different—the music, the food. I remember seeing peanut butter for the first time and thinking, “What is this? I like rice and beans, not peanut butter for lunch!”
I was the oldest of my three sisters, so I was Daddy’s little girl, and being separated from him was incredibly hard. As soon as I was able to get a job, I did. I got a work permit at 14 and worked at a college in the housekeeping department, dusting pianos after school.
Many years later, when I received my second presidential appointment as Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is the highest civil rights employment agency in the Nation, students from that same music department where I dusted pianos came to perform at my swearing-in. It was such a full-circle moment. They later asked me to be their commencement speaker.
My mother always told us to work hard, get a good education, help others, and give back. She and my father sacrificed so much so we could have greater opportunities. And, of course, we were never able to return to Cuba. I have now lived here much longer than I ever did there.
2. What does inclusion mean to you, and how has progress been in boardrooms?
Inclusion, to me, means creating a culture where everyone feels valued and respected for their views and contributions, regardless of their personal characteristics. Racial disparities and bias became a major national crisis for us after the George Floyd incident, where the United States openly witnessed the murder of a black man by police, triggered by discriminatory and biased treatment. As a result of this tragedy, the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) established the Center for Inclusive Governance. With 24,000 members, NACD is the leading voice for governance education, providing resources, training, and guidance to directors wanting to stay current on trends and issues that come to the boardroom. I had the privilege of serving on NACD’s national board for nine years and continue to be a faculty advisor.
NACD’s Center for Inclusive Governance provides relevant resources, thought leadership, and support to board members who are interested in advancing a culture of inclusive practices in the boardroom and at all levels of employment. The Center is made up of highly accomplished advisory council members coming from diverse areas of expertise and leadership. I was asked by NACD’s CEO, Peter Gleason, to chair the Center when it was established three years ago and recently passed the baton to my successor.
3. What does leadership mean to you, and how has your perspective on it evolved?
There are as many definitions of leadership as there are leaders. All of us are leaders regardless of the level where we operate.
For me, leadership has always been about envisioning an opportunity. Whatever position I held—whether it was an entry-level government job or when I rose to senior executive service—I asked myself: “Do we have an opportunity to make things more efficient, more effective, and more fulfilling for the people working on this initiative?” Leadership means identifying that opportunity, inspiring belief, rallying support, and ultimately delivering results.
You are not leading, if you look behind and no one is following. That’s why inspiring belief and rallying support are crucial. However, at the end of the day, leadership is about delivering results. A leader must bring real, measurable improvements that align with the organization’s objectives and mission.
As I developed my leadership approach, I discovered three ingredients that made my career more fulfilling. I call them ‘Three Cs’—competence, character, and confidence.
Competence is about continuously improving your skills and learning throughout your career. Doing your very best at whatever job you are doing, and better than the last one. Lifelong learning builds credibility. But competence alone is not enough.
Character is equally important. When I worked as an executive search consultant, I encountered many people who were financially successful but deeply unfulfilled because their work did not align with their values. You must know yourself, understand what is important to you, and ensure your work aligns with your purpose.
Confidence is often the hardest to develop. In many cases, I was the first woman or first Hispanic in the room, surrounded by people who didn’t have an accent and talked like me. I was self-conscious of my personal differences. But being the first in anything carries extra responsibilities. You want to open a path for others like you. So, I leaned in, observed, adapted, and contributed without sacrificing my values. or hiding from my differences. I used them as an asset, providing a different perspective which enriched our dialogue. Confidence grows when you know you have something valuable to offer and when you are willing to assert yourself while remaining a team player.
So to me, leadership is a combination of these elements—envisioning opportunities, inspiring belief, rallying support, delivering results, while embracing the Three Cs of competence, character, and confidence.
4. Who has been your greatest mentor, and what did you learn from them?
Most of my mentors have been men because there weren’t many women at the top. We bonded in different ways.
One of my mentors was the head of HR at Bank of America. Moving from the public to the private sector was a huge change for me. He prepared me for my first board meeting, telling me to focus on the CEO, Sam Armacost. He said, “When Sam nods, everyone around the table will nod. Keep your eyes on Sam.” But I was very new to the company, and when I walked into the boardroom, I realized I had never seen Sam before, not even his picture! I had to break protocol, go around shaking hands, and introduce myself until I found him. That experience taught me to be adaptable. Sometimes, you have to break the rules and take calculated risks to make things work in your favor.
My most impactful mentor was Elizabeth Dole. She recruited me from Bank of America to work at the Labor Department and has been a friend and mentor ever since. She lived through many of the same struggles I did, which made her guidance invaluable. She understood the barriers women faced and shared advice that helped me navigate my career.
She once shared a story about being denied entry into a men’s club to deliver a speech, even though she was there as a government official. The security guard told her that no women were allowed. She explained that she was Elizabeth Dole and was there as an invited guest to speak. The guard responded, “Lady, you could be Queen Elizabeth, and you still can’t go up there.” I think that experience underscored the deeply ingrained gender biases that existed in leadership. Her ability to break through those barriers and rise to leadership positions—whether as Senator, CEO of the Red Cross, or Secretary of Labor—served as an inspiring example. of what is possible when attitudinal barriers are removed.
Elizabeth Dole taught me that leadership isn’t just about being competent; it’s about persistence and knowing how to influence change. She encouraged me to build relationships and never let biases dictate my worth. Even when doors are closed, there’s always a way forward.
Her mentorship showed me that we don’t rise alone, we lift others as we climb. That has been a guiding principle in my career. I try to pass on the same lessons by mentoring young women to help them break their own barriers and achieve their goals.
5. Does it ever frustrate you that we are still having the same conversations about gender and diversity in leadership?
It really is frustrating.
We’ve made some progress, women now make up 33% of board seats and are more visible in executive roles than ever before, but we still have a ways to go. It hasn’t been easy. Women had to fight for the right to vote going back to the early 1900’s! Laws had to be passed to eliminate job listings based on gender. Job postings were divided into ‘jobs for men’ and ‘jobs for women.’ Regardless of education or credentials, women were placed in administrative roles while men took operational positions that had growth potential and could lead to C-suite jobs. It has been a long-standing culture of gender prejudice and attitudinal bias.
That’s why I created the Department of Labor’s Glass Ceiling Initiative. We studied the issues that were creating barriers to access and advancement, provided guidance, and pushed for systemic change. Glass ceiling speaks to the phenomenon that you can see the top of your organization but you can’t get there because of invisible barriers such as attitudinal bias or prejudice. So you keep bumping your head against this ceiling. That was my job, to remove them. I’m encouraged to see the private sector recognize the business case for diversity and inclusion and introduce programs and practices to level the playing field and make the workplace more open and inclusive. Diversity isn’t just about fairness; it also makes business sense. Women drive most consumer purchasing decisions, and companies that embrace inclusivity see better performance, higher morale, and lower turnover.
Still, I share the frustration that progress has been slow. I’m grateful for the steps forward, but we have to keep pushing. It requires an entire ecosystem of support.
What gives me hope is the confidence shown by younger generations to address social issues. Gen Z has grown up in a more diverse world. Building on the foundations laid by previous generations, they are socially and environmentally more conscious and committed to open and fair competition. Equal opportunity laws, social media, technology as the great equalizer, and willingness to engage in open dialogue have brought us closer to a more equitable world. Gen Z gives me hope! I believe that young leaders today will continue pushing for progress.
6. Given your expertise in workforce issues, have you ever personally faced discrimination or resistance simply because you were a woman in a position of power? If so, how did you navigate those challenges?
Yes, I have experienced that. Just as I talked about the Three C’s of leadership, I have to talk about the Three A’s. They relate to personal characteristics—ancestry, appearance, and accent. In my case, the accent was a huge barrier.
I’ve had people say to me, “Well, you sort of look like us, but when you open your mouth, you don’t sound like us. You’re different.” Or they would comment on my last name, saying, “You don’t look Hispanic. You could pass for one of us.”
Yes, I have been in situations where I felt that my accent or my last name created a bias in their attitude towards me. People questioned whether I could truly represent them or be trusted in leadership roles.
I can recall instances where my gender was the reason I didn’t get a position—I would have been the first woman in that role and considered a risk. Another time, as a working mom who had just given birth to my first son, I faced assumptions that I wouldn’t be serious enough for a leadership position. The concern was, “She’ll need time off for the baby,” as if that somehow diminished my capabilities.
So no, the playing field wasn’t always level. But those experiences fueled my drive for change. They also gave me credibility when advocating for others because I had lived those challenges firsthand. I knew that bias wasn’t just about what was on a resume—it was also about perception.
For example, when I worked in recruitment, I once met with a retiring CFO who said, “We need somebody like me.” His image of the next CFO was already formed—he envisioned a male, someone who looked like him.
I navigated that carefully and suggested, “Would you mind if I showed you different profiles? Maybe we could broaden the talent pool and reimagine the role?” And that’s how you start breaking down barriers—by opening doors to new possibilities.
Yes, I have lived through discrimination and exclusion. Whether it was because of my accent, ancestry, or status as a working mother. I have seen firsthand how biases operate. But those challenges made me more determined to ensure that doors remain open for those who come after me.
7. What advice would you give to women and underrepresented professionals entering the workforce?
My advice remains the same as what I’ve followed myself—you have to know yourself. You must determine where and in what sector you can be most effective. Are you okay working in the cosmetics industry just because you’re a woman or like the products? If your reasoning is simply ‘because I’m a woman,’ that alone won’t get you far.
Instead, ask yourself, “Where can I contribute meaningfully? Do I want to work in a nonprofit? Is my strength in marketing, human resources, operations, or project management?” Whatever the field, alignment matters.
Talent is important, but motivation is just as crucial. You can be highly talented, but if you’re not motivated, it’s useless. You need to feel driven by the work you’re doing.
Another piece of advice I have, and one I’ve used myself, is this: We tend to stay within our own small networks. It’s important to build connections beyond our immediate circles. If we only engage with those who look like us or share our background, we miss out on opportunities.
For example, I’m a founding member of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. It’s a great network, but when people look for corporate board candidates, they may not be exclusively drawing from that group. They may reach out to the broader organization, like NACD. Getting known in both circles is helpful to one’s career goals.
The same applies to other professional groups—whether it’s the Women’s Bar Association or any industry-specific group, it’s great to be part of those, but to access real broader opportunities and contacts, you must expand beyond them.
Another valuable element is visibility and exposure. People in positions of influence want to see you take on leadership roles, write articles, serve on panels—get noticed not just by people like you but by. the broadest network of influence makers possible.
So my advice to anyone entering the workforce is this: network across boundaries. Don’t just stay in the comfort zone of people who share your background and experiences. Build relationships outside your immediate group to maximize opportunities.
8. What are your most important values and how have they contributed to the progression of your career?
I believe that honesty, integrity, and ethics are crucial. I’ve always asked myself: “What puts meaning in my life? What’s important to me? And how can I contribute in a way that fulfills me and helps others feel fulfilled?”
One example that tested my values was when I was invited to join the board of a family-owned oil company with serious environmental issues. They wanted me as a conduit to resolve their regulatory problems because of my government expertise. I knew this was a good opportunity. But I asked myself: “Is this really the role I want to play? Does it affect my honesty and my integrity?”
I had to decide whether this was the right way to start my board career. Ultimately, I chose to walk away because it wasn’t a good fit. Values define our journey, and making decisions aligned with them is essential.
9. What’s one thing personal or professional that you still dream of doing and haven’t had the chance to yet?
I just retired from my last corporate board and have now decided to treat myself to something different. I’m polishing my creative writing skills and hope to write a fun novel about women serving on boards, their struggles to rise to the top, and the significant contributions they make once they reach it. It’s an exciting, new period of my life!
I also spend a lot of time mentoring, particularly young women, and some young men as well. I just finished mentoring one who needed to negotiate a salary. She was being recruited by another company, and they weren’t giving her much of a salary increase, so we worked on that.
I enjoy talking to young people and sharing my experiences and insights to help them. I’m also spending more time with family, traveling and visiting new places. I have two sons, the younger one just got married, and the older one is a mid-level executive in IT. Ironically, it is sometimes harder to pass career advice to those closest to you, particularly if it is coming from your mom…too close for comfort as they say! But they are great listeners and take my guidance “under advisement”.
10. Beyond work, what hobbies and interests do you pursue to recharge and unwind?
My husband is a runner. About 15 years ago, we started running all over the country, doing 5K’s. We’ve completed races in all 50 states, and are now doing races around the world—Switzerland, France, Spain, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Canada, Croatia, and on and on. Running keeps us active and fit.
I also love reading, particularly biographies. I enjoy learning about historical figures and great leaders, like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Colin Powell. Lately, I’ve been reading more fiction than nonfiction due to my creative writing course.
Most importantly, I prioritize family and love being accessible to them. I host Thanksgiving, and we call it ‘Cari-oke’ because we do a lot of dancing and singing. Great bonding and fun times to make more family memories. I recommend it for mental wellness too!
Conclusion:
Cari M Dominguez’s pursuit of equality in corporate governance highlights resilience, leadership, and the power of breaking barriers. From her beginnings as an immigrant child in the U.S. to her leadership in workforce diversity, she has continuously pushed for systemic change. Her belief in education, hard work, and inclusivity serves as an inspiration for future leaders.
