Diana Velarde

Interview

What is your current role, and did you change roles once you completed your MBA?

I’m currently a Director of Deals at PwC Mexico. Joining the Merger and Acquisition (M&A) field was a major shift in my career that happened after completing my MBA. Before the Business School, I had never worked in finance or business-related roles – my background was in consulting, but it had been focused solely on technology and software development.

After graduating, I joined PwC in 2014 as a Senior Associate. It was a pivotal move. The director who hired me saw potential in the combination of my tech experience and the business lens I had developed through the MBA. She was looking to start offering Information Technology due diligence services in Mexico, and I was able to contribute to building that capability.

Since then, I’ve built my entire post-MBA career at this firm. Over time, I’ve had the opportunity to grow within the organisation – first to Manager, then Senior Manager, and now Director. Each step has allowed me to take on more leadership and help shape our services in meaningful ways.

What impact is your MBA having on your current role?

The MBA had a transformative impact on my career. Before the MBA my work was focused on technology and software development. But I had a growing desire to pivot, to connect technology more directly with business strategy, and to better understand the “why” behind decisions, not just the “how.” The MBA gave me the tools, language, and confidence to make that shift.

After graduating, I transitioned into M&A, initially working on technology-focused projects. Since then, I’ve developed professionally across a wide range of services that go beyond tech, spanning financial, operational, and strategic aspects of business. The MBA gave me the foundation to understand companies holistically and bring that perspective into my work.

Moreover, when you work in the M&A space, it is essential to have a 'Deals Mindset': a way of approaching everything through the lens of value, risk, and opportunity. I’m convinced that my MBA experience helped me adopt that mindset early on, which has made a lasting difference in how I work and grow within the firm.

Every day I apply the strategic thinking, financial analysis, and problem-solving frameworks I gained during the programme. I work closely with executives in complex transactions, and the MBA prepared me not only technically but also gave me the confidence to contribute meaningfully and lead with purpose.

Did the MBA strengthen or equip you with any additional skills which you have utilised in leadership?

It might sound like a cliché, but one of the most impactful aspects of my MBA experience was working with classmates from across three continents. The cultural diversity of our cohort made for a truly rich learning environment, not just in terms of perspectives, but in the different working styles, communication norms, and expectations we all brought to the table.

That experience taught me how to lead across differences, how to listen more actively, adapt my own style, and find common ground in teams with very different dynamics. It also helped me recognise the importance of accessibility and adaptation in collaboration. During the MBA, I learned that accessibility and individual adjustments are not only rights, they are essential for people to fully participate, flourish, and ultimately lead.

These insights have carried through into my professional life, where I’ve had the opportunity to lead and collaborate with teams in different countries and at multiple levels of seniority. Working with people from diverse backgrounds and nationalities has helped me apply those lessons from the MBA in real-world leadership contexts, making space for diverse voices, navigating complexity, and building trust across difference.

Beyond the corporate setting, as someone engaged in activism and committed to social justice and human rights, the MBA helped me strengthen the skills I now use to collaborate with diverse teams and communities. It gave me the tools not just to work across difference, but to value it, to understand how inclusion happens in practice and how leadership can be exercised in a way that is empathetic, adaptable, and equity driven.

For those who have yet to connect with you, tell us about your work within diversity and inclusion, and how you came to found “Trazando lo Invisible” (Tracing the Invisible). 

I’m deeply committed to advancing diversity and inclusion, particularly through the lens of disability and gender. One of the most meaningful projects I’ve co-founded is Trazando lo Invisible (“Tracing the Invisible”), which I started in 2020 alongside a friend who, like me, lives with a rare disease and an invisible disability.

The idea was born after we joined the Women’s March in Mexico City that year. We tried to stay with a small contingent of women with disabilities but kept falling behind, unable to keep up visually, and also feeling unseen. Even within the disability community, our experiences as women with invisible disabilities weren’t fully recognised. That moment made us realise how crucial it was to create a platform to inform, raise awareness, and make our realities more visible.

Trazando lo Invisible began as a social media initiative, mostly on Facebook. Since then, we’ve developed collaborations with organisations such as Mexicanas con Discapacidad (Mexican Women with Disabilities, where I am also one the leaders) and Objetivo Diagnóstico (Diagnosis Goal) in Spain. We’re also allies of the Federación Mexicana de Enfermedades Raras (Rare Diseases Mexican Federation) and active participants in the global community through rarediseases.org. We’ve participated in and organised both virtual and in-person events, including at SXSW (South by SouthWest) in Austin in 2022, with specialists and community members, and continue to share content that reflects the diverse ways people live with rare diseases and invisible disabilities.

Although we haven’t grown as fast as we would like, our goal is to eventually formalise Trazando lo Invisible as a nonprofit organisation and expand our reach, so we can continue supporting more people and giving voice to those whose stories often go unheard.

Mexicanas con Discapacidad (Mexican Women with Disabilities), is a national network that brings together over 500 women with disabilities across the country. This collective was created to address the lack of visibility and representation of women with disabilities in feminist and public policy spaces in Mexico. We work through peer leadership, capacity-building, and advocacy to amplify our voices and push for systemic change.

Since its creation, we launched a state-level ambassadors programme, coordinated national awareness campaigns, and led joint initiatives with feminist and human rights organisations. What makes Mexicanas con Discapacidad so meaningful to me is that it’s both a platform for political advocacy and a strong community of mutual support.

Culture and values are particularly important to you. As a leader, how have you built and maintained an inclusive workplace? 

For me, inclusion isn’t just a value, it’s a practice that should shape how we all lead every day. At PwC Mexico, I co-lead the Inclusion Network of Disabilities, where we focus on raising awareness about disability-related challenges, creating spaces for connection and peer support, and organising volunteer efforts with organisations working in the disability space. One of our key goals is to help build and amplify diverse voices, ensuring that representation is not only present but empowered.

One example of this work is organising activities to commemorate Mexico’s National Day of Women with Disabilities, helping bring visibility to the intersection of gender and disability in the workplace. I’ve also been involved in organising and participating in the Scopeathon at PwC Mexico—a pro-bono initiative where teams provide consulting support to nonprofits working on gender and disability inclusion. It’s been a powerful way to connect our professional skills with social impact.

From 2020 to 2022, I served as Director of PwC Mexico’s Diversity & Inclusion Staff Council. In that role, I helped push forward relevant conversations around gender and disability and worked to bring these issues to the table at a strategic level. Our focus was on promoting inclusive leadership and fostering deeper cultural awareness within the firm.

In addition, I’m one of the leaders behind the Deals Women Network, an initiative created by women in our practice to foster connection and development for women working in the Deals area. It has become a platform for internal networking and building community among peers in a high-performance environment.

Building an inclusive workplace also means investing in people. I’ve mentored women at various career stages and actively speak at events to encourage more women to join the firm. As a woman with a disability, I strive to bring an intersectional perspective to everything I do, whether it’s advocating for accessibility or talking of narratives around disability.

Inclusivity isn’t a one-time effort; it’s something you nurture through daily actions, intentional leadership, and a willingness to keep learning from others.

As a leader, how do you ensure that you continue to grow and develop professionally? 

I believe in continuous learning, and I regularly seek out formal training and professional development opportunities. Whether it’s through structured programmes, certifications, or workshops, staying current is essential to evolving in a fast-paced field like M&A.

But beyond formal learning, I believe that real leadership growth comes from experience, reflection, and connection. Taking on new challenges, such as working with complex stakeholders, navigating rapidly changing sectors like fintech, or adapting to shifting client needs. These challenges have pushed me to grow in real time. In fact, that’s one of the things I enjoy most about my work: no two projects are ever the same. I’m constantly learning, and each engagement challenges me to stretch my knowledge, sharpen my soft skills, and deepen my leadership.

I also grow through others. While I haven’t taken part in a formal reverse mentoring programme, I’ve learned a great deal from the people I manage, both through direct feedback and by observing how they approach problems, bring new perspectives, or respond to today’s challenges. These moments have helped me reflect, adapt, and become a more inclusive and responsive leader.

Finally, much of my development has come from being part of communities committed to social change. My involvement in both disability and gender advocacy constantly pushes me to rethink what leadership means and how it can be a tool for creating space and opportunity for others.

How would you describe your leadership style, and how has it evolved over the course of your career?

Over time, I’ve come to embrace a leadership style that is deeply rooted in empathy, inclusion, and active listening. Earlier in my career, I leaned more toward a technical and task-oriented approach, focused on performance, quality, and problem-solving. While those foundations remain, my understanding of leadership has evolved significantly.

A big part of that evolution came through my involvement in activism and in PwC’s D&I initiatives. But it also came from a personal journey: finding safe spaces where I could share my own story and begin to speak openly about my identity as a woman with a disability—not just in life, but in the workplace. Naming the challenges I’ve faced, not only as a person with a disability but also as a consultant and a leader. This has helped me lead with more authenticity and a deeper sense of responsibility for the spaces I help shape.

At some point, I also came to realise that being in a leadership position, having had access to a university education, and later a postgraduate degree from a business school abroad, placed me in a unique position of privilege. In Mexico, only 3% of women with disabilities complete higher education. My experience is not representative of the average, and that awareness has deeply influenced how I view leadership. For me, it means using that privilege with intention, advocating for others, making room for more voices, and building teams where people can grow, feel safe, and be seen.

That’s why I believe representation is so important. These educational and systemic barriers have historically excluded women with disabilities from spaces where key decisions are made. I’ve felt deeply honoured that PwC Mexico has recognised this and supported my visibility by nominating me to global rankings by INvolve. Since 2021, I’ve been selected as a ‘Role Model’ for my work in both disability and gender inclusion. These recognitions remind me that representation matters—and that leadership can be a platform to challenge what has long been invisible.

Today, I try to lead not just with purpose, but with perspective, seeing leadership as both a responsibility and an opportunity to contribute to more equitable and inclusive spaces.

What advice would you give to somebody thinking about studying an MBA at Newcastle?

My biggest advice would be to come with an open mind and a willingness to be transformed. An MBA is not just about learning technical or business skills—it’s also about challenging your assumptions, stepping outside your comfort zone, and discovering the kind of leader you want to become.

I remember one assignment in particular where I played it safe. I chose a topic I already knew well from my previous experience, thinking it would be easier. I did put in the effort, but the result was just decent. In contrast, the assignments I feared the most—those I found difficult or unfamiliar, were the ones where I truly grew. They pushed me, forced me to think differently, and often led to the strongest outcomes. That’s when I understood that growth rarely comes from what we already know.

Beyond the classroom, the MBA at Newcastle University Business School opened doors to powerful and formative experiences. I was selected to join the MBA Sustainability Challenge, where I worked with four classmates on a real-world case for Procter & Gamble. Competing with teams from other universities, we stepped into a completely new topic for me, sustainability, and ended up winning the award for the most innovative idea. I also had the chance to attend a study trip to Tongji University in Shanghai, expanding my global perspective even further.

But perhaps most importantly, I found in Newcastle and in the Business School a space where I felt safe and supported as a person with a disability—something I hadn’t fully realised the importance of until I experienced it. Getting there wasn’t easy, and once I arrived, I faced unique challenges, like adjusting to the Geordie accent, which can be tough for many, and especially so for someone with a hearing impairment like mine. Still, I was met with understanding, encouragement, and the space to grow. While I started out feeling unsure and a bit shy, over time I found the confidence to fully engage, thrive academically, build strong friendships, and even receive the award for ‘MBA Best Student of the Year’.