One way Haskell team members strive for excellence is through the pursuit of advanced education. Haskell is dedicated to supporting its team members’ educational and career goals, as well as the work-life balance required to make those achievements possible.
Those who have been with the company for at least one year are eligible for tuition reimbursement for programs and continuing education that increase their expertise in a field of value to the company. In Haskell’s Latin America Region, where the workforce tends to be younger, Perla Moreno and Karlo Garduno were among the first in Haskell’s Latin American region to earn their master’s degrees.
“They didn't wait for someone to tell them, ‘Look, you need to do this in order to progress your career,’” International Group President Luis Jimenez said. “They really took the initiative of saying, ‘I would like to do this. This is what I'm interested in. Do you think there is value in the company for doing this?’”
Moreno joined Haskell in 2019 as a marketing specialist during expansion in its Mexico City office. She spearheads marketing and sales initiatives to support accelerating growth in Latin American markets, with emphasis on Mexico, Ecuador and Colombia.
Subsequently, she has joined the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) marketing team to identify prospects, secure new sales leads and develop marketing materials that demonstrate Haskell’s qualifications.
“I felt attracted to work at Haskell for the different benefits they offer to the employees — like courses in Haskell University, the Tuition Program, and their values,” Moreno said. “I felt that Haskell has an important human side that really cares about their employees and their families.”
This year, Moreno completed her master’s degree in Finance from EGADE Business School’s Mexico City Campus. Finance has interested Moreno since her undergraduate years, and she considers it “the language of business.”
“Haskell supported me in all the process — from the recommendation letter to the reimbursement,” she said.
Upon receiving her degree, Moreno shared her learnings with her supervisor, Shannon O’Neil, CPG Director of Marketing. They discussed how Moreno’s degree could apply to her role and growth at Haskell.
“This accomplishment required a lot of sacrifice,” Moreno said. “I took the classes when I was tired after work. I canceled birthdays or trips because I had to study or do homework. I got up early or went to bed late to be able to fulfill all the obligations. But in the end, I can say that it was worth it. I learned a lot, and I believe that the knowledge will help me grow in my professional career and personally, as well.”
She is eager to add more strategic functions in her role that help Haskell reach new clients.
“I would like my experience taking advantage of the Haskell Tuition Program to serve as an example to other people and that they be encouraged to see that it is possible to combine a master's degree with work,” she said.
Likewise, Karlo Garduno pursued a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from EGADE Business School to grow within the Haskell organization and keep pace with business expansion.
His goal was to understand the business from a senior management perspective and develop his leadership skills, teamwork, creativity, persuasion, problem-solving and network of contacts.
“During the MBA, I began using these skills to achieve professional growth that I had visualized,” he said.
Garduno joined Haskell in 2016 as a Project Manager with a passion for advancing and developing families, communities and partnerships. Garduno aligned with Haskell’s Core Values of Team, Excellence, Service and Trust. He said he relies on them to guide each project he oversees with his team members.
Garduno is now a Senior Project Manager and hopes to continue his professional advancement — ideally into a decision-making position one day. He said he felt encouraged and supported while pursuing his degree by various teammates, including Luis Jimenez, International Group President; Guillermo Carrillo, Latin America Region Director of Operations; and Marycarmen Lopez, Latin America Human Resources Manager.
He hopes his advanced education will continue to positively influence his engagement with the team and Haskell’s business.
“I feel blessed and relieved to finish such an important milestone in my life,” he said. “It was a challenge. I learned to be disciplined and to negotiate my time between my family, school and work — all this in the middle of the pandemic. I am very grateful to my family because without their patience, this would not have been possible.”
Jimenez, the group president, expressed similar appreciation for the up-and-coming young members of his team.
“We hired them very young, both of them,” he said. “We have a very young workforce internationally. Continuing education is very important. The future of the company is in their hands. Karlo and Perla are a good example of that.”
