Would you like to get business advice from a super successful, global leader at a Fortune 500 company? Who wouldn’t! Naturally, then, I was thrilled when Fernando Hernandez, Global Leader, Supplier Diversity at Coca-Cola, agreed to appear on ATR’s podcast Parent. Boss. Leader.
Fernando has had an interesting career, to say the least! He’s been an entrepreneur and a marketing guru, and he’s worked with some of the largest, most influential companies—including AT&T, Microsoft, and now Coca-Cola—on supplier diversity, sustainability, and DE&I.
I am truly grateful for Fernando’s candor in our insightful conversation on a range of topics, including:
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Artificial Intelligence in the workplace (he’s bullish on how “agentic AI” will be especially valuable to small businesses)
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The importance of understanding how DE&I and sustainability can align with Sales and Business Development to create value and revenue (his AT&T story is legendary!)
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How to help your child find and lean into their passion (always interested in hearing other views on parenting 😊)
I encourage you, as always, to listen to our full discussion, but here I want to specifically share his excellent advice for diverse and/or small business owners—although I think we can all learn from Fernando!
Hire for Passion
I asked Fernando about his approach to hiring and building top-tier teams. “What qualities or attributes do you look for when hiring team members?” His answer was enlightening:
“I look for people that are passionate. Intelligence is kind of a given—95% of corporate America is intelligent—but are they passionate about the mission? I can pretty much solve for anything else.”
I absolutely agree! Soft skills like emotional intelligence, adaptability, even passion, patience, and empathy are highly desired and often a better predictor of success in a role. As Fernando points out, skills and experience can be “solved,” nurtured, and improved—it is much harder to teach passion.
Embrace Technology
Among other things, Fernando has a master’s in technology and is truly passionate about the important role it will continue to play in business, especially for smaller businesses.
He told me:
“The future is about what we call agentic AI—having agents like Siri, Cortana, or Alexa doing work on your behalf in an even more expeditious way than today. An RFP that might otherwise take days, or even weeks, could be done on the fly.”
Fernando gave other examples, like crowdfunding, which can be an easier and more accessible funding source for many women- and minority-owned businesses—especially in developing countries globally. He also mentioned the Diverse Yellow Pages, a Coca-Cola–sponsored platform that makes it easy to find and patronize diverse businesses. Different technologies, doing different things—all of which can hugely benefit the small business owner.
I’m amazed by the potential of AI, but even its current uses are impressive! We’re already using tools that help our recruiters be more efficient and effective in sourcing candidates. Those efficiencies allow them to spend more time on the intensive, personal parts of the process that benefit from human interaction—candidate communications, client interactions, interviews, and assessments.
Fernando doesn’t see AI taking our jobs so much as improving our ability to do them.
“Artificial intelligence is not the same as actual intelligence. EQ, empathy, an understanding of the human condition—they all matter.”
I agree, and we are not alone in thinking that way. Embrace technology! It will help keep your company competitive and successful now and in the future.
Be Honest
Lastly, I asked Fernando this critical question:
“What advice would you give to diverse suppliers aiming to work with a company like Coca-Cola to help them stand out and really create a mutually beneficial partnership?”
Fernando explained that the most important thing a company should do is:
“Know thyself, from a corporate perspective. Really understand the dynamics of not only your own company but also the company that you’re targeting. Be brutally honest about whether there’s an alignment with your product or service and your target’s business and goals.”
Fernando said that once you have this perspective on your business, your go-to-market strategy will be clearer. There is nothing inherently right or wrong with targeting by size, industry, or geography—there is only right and wrong in the context of your business and products, the reality of your company. A local market approach may be best for one, while another will choose only IT or startup companies.
I love this advice and believe that it helps explain ATR’s success in staffing for over 35 years. We specialize in finding highly qualified, especially skilled professionals, prioritizing IT and engineering in the Technology, Medical Device, Pharma, and Financial Services industries. We know our industries inside and out, which makes us a more valuable partner to both our clients and our candidates. We are large enough to deliver “big firm” results but pride ourselves on delivering boutique levels of care. Hearing Fernando recommend a strategy based on knowing who you are really is music to our ears!
There is so much more…
Again, please listen to the whole episode! During our discussion, Fernando repeatedly discussed his personal commitment to helping others and his true belief in fostering improvement and supporting our fellow humans in every way possible. His positivity is truly inspiring and, I hope, contagious!
I’ll leave you with this last quote:
“True diversity for me is everyone. Don’t look to divide—look to unify, look to help everyone.”