Growing up in Paterson, New Jersey, and traveling back and forth to Puerto Rico as a child, Leonor became curious about journalism when she was 13. After graduating from Rutgers University in New Jersey, Leonor pursued a career in journalism with a relentless passion for success. She had zero connections in the industry and was determined to chart her own path. And she certainly succeeded. After years of a fruitful journalism career, she leaned into her superpower- connecting people. Following an 18-year career at the legacy media network, NBC News, she is now the head of recruitment at the media start-up URL media.
Q. What is your favorite part about being Latina?
A. The shared experience and shared language that cuts across geographic regions in Latin America. I love connecting with first-generation Latinas over shared experiences and how we collectively overcome barriers.
Q. What is your superpower?
A. Connecting people. It’s a part of our culture that feels very intuitive to me, and I do it for a living, which is fun. I’ve realized it’s something so innate that comes from our culture. I enjoy making introductions and helping people create meaningful relationships.
Q. Tell us about a time when you were underestimated.
A. In 2012, I left Dateline NBC for a new leadership role at Telemundo network news. It was a huge leap for me, having never worked in Spanish television. Many people underestimated my ability to bring order to chaos. I was initially overwhelmed, but I found my footing and succeeded. That was shocking to some who thought I would leave Telemundo because it wasn’t as comfortable – from a resource standpoint – as NBC News. But I persevered. That’s how I tackle most challenges and new experiences. I don’t back down. I’m in it to win it.
Q. Tell us about your background.
A. My parents are Puerto Rican, and we spent many of my formative years moving back and forth between New Jersey and the island. We settled in Paterson, New Jersey, when I was almost seven. Paterson is a richly diverse community of Latinos, Black, and Middle Eastern people. I came from a working-class family and the neighborhood we were growing up in was pretty tough. My family and close circle of high school friends pushed me to dream beyond the environment I was growing up in. When I was 13, I became curious about journalism but didn’t know anything about it. Then, I met a high school journalism teacher who mentored me and who I’m in touch with to this day.
Q. Tell us about the roles you’ve held as a media executive, you were the first in many of them.
A. The first one was at Telemundo network news, leading the news coverage in the New York City region. At the time, the company needed a leader to help define and shape coverage of the New York metro area while leveraging the vast resources available through the relationship with NBC News. As a TV producer and journalist, I “grew up” at NBC and cared about Telemundo because my parents had grown up watching it. As the Northeast Bureau Chief at Telemundo, my job was to build a bridge between the two networks.
Once I created effective systems and processes that set up the teams for success, it was time to return to NBC and try something different. I took on the director of news partnerships, which wasn’t a new role, but my directive was to bring it into the digital era. I was the first to take on building a strategy for sharing digital content with our affiliates and owned and operated stations.
They tapped me as the first director of news diversity and inclusion. I took the job with great gusto. Internally, I helped shape and define what that role would look like, including how our news division would see and recognize the experiences of our employees of color and underrepresented groups and how we would show up at external events like conferences. I understand the collective power we have as people of color and underrepresented groups, and I approach my work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, trying to understand the universal themes while respecting and understanding that each group has unique experiences.
Q. You now hold a role at a media startup, tell us about that jump.
A. I moved with my family to the Bay Area during the height of the pandemic, and as the world began to open up again after the lockdown, it was clear it would be challenging to keep a New York-centric role while living on the West Coast. I resigned from NBC News in the summer of 2021. My friend Mitra Kalita had recently launched URL media. She had me help design newsletters and other editorial products. That evolved into recruiting. I later became the head of the newly created recruitment division. At URL Media, our expertise cuts across media and tech. We work with clients who want to intentionally hire differently and reform their talent acquisition and retention strategies.
Q. What advice do you give Latinas in the media industry- and beyond- who want to take on leadership positions?
A. Leadership is hard; you have to want it. You have to enjoy managing people. That can be challenging because you’re on the front lines, absorbing many of the challenges employees face and trying to help them succeed in their roles. As journalists, we spend plenty of time “doing.” But as a leader, you have to take a step back from the actual doing and do a lot of coaching. My advice is to be curious and talk to people in your close circle about your leadership skills. This should be a diverse group of people who can give you critical feedback about what your leadership style is or isn’t. I’d also say do your homework, ask questions, and lead with curiosity and empathy.
Q. Who is another Latina we should feature on Informada?
A. My amazing friend Susie Jaramillo. She is the CEO of Encantos Media, the children’s media company that she founded, and she’s an incredible artist and advocate for Latinos.