Believe in yourself and never stop learning!

Hi everyone,

My name is Diana Berstein and I´m Customer Service & Operations VP in Latam.

Being a woman at work shouldn't be an obstacle. However, because of different cultural issues and roles, it has been more difficult for women to adopt leadership positions.

This has nothing to do with skills, abilities, or aspirations, but rather with different contexts that have led us as a society.

Several companies and people are focused on changing this, and this is because having diverse and inclusive companies, which reflect society and all voices, creates a stronger culture that embraces everyone.

MetLife is a tremendous example, with a huge focus on DEI, and all of us who work here should be proud of this.

MetLife is a company that allows people to develop professionally, provides opportunities and it is up to each one to seek for a career path that fulfills their aspirations.

Specifically, MetLife provides many development tools for women. There are courses, programs, coaching, sponsorships, etc. I have had the privilege of being part in these programs through different roles, which have also helped my personal development. These tools are investments that MetLife is making to help more women to grow and develop in their careers.

I'll tell you a little bit of my personal story...

I have more than 20 years of professional career experience and have held about 17 of them in leadership positions. I have been responsible for a diverse group of teams in various areas, even leading a large team of mainly men many years ago that had never had a woman in a leadership position. At first, I thought it would be very challenging, but it was really a very rewarding experience, with great learnings.

At MetLife I´ve also had great career opportunities. I´ve had the opportunity to lead different teams in different roles and with different countries, continuously learning and developing. I think that it's up to everyone to make the most of every opportunity that lies ahead!

Throughout my career my leaders have been very important, and I have learned something from each one of them that I have then replicated with my own team. They have all been (and are) very important in inspiring and motivating when it comes to career development, which is something I also try to do with my team.

The different teams and peers I’ve worked with over the years have also made an impact on me… Getting to know different people, different perspectives, interacting and learning from them has been very inspiring when it come to my development.

Being a woman and developing your career doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice other things. In my case, my family, and my personal life are extremely important and you should never have to choose one or the other. Each one of us must define how to equilibrate and manage our time and energy to give the best of us in every role. It´s possible!

I think the most important thing I would say to recent women leaders and those who aspire to be leaders is that they must believe in themselves, believe in their abilities, take opportunities, take challenges, ask for help when needed and additionally, look, listen, and learn from other people... You never stop learning!