Introducing Sabrina Bernal, a mentor at Women@Metyis. W@M has launched a global mentoring programme that strives to grow Metyis as a place where women can thrive in an environment and culture of support and enablement.
This programme aims to invest in tomorrow’s by building a culture of mentorship and female support network. We want to propel women to accelerate professionally and empower them to take control over their careers. To achieve this, we provide a platform where they can discuss challenges and overcome obstacles together.
Meet Sabrina, Strategy & Execution Manager in Barcelona
Can you tell us about your journey at Metyis, from the moment you joined?
I joined Metyis as a Senior Consultant in June of 2019 out of the Barcelona office. Born and raised in Colombia, I moved to Spain to internationalise my career with an MBA from ESADE. I knew I wanted to continue my career in consulting after working seven years in management consulting, however, I was looking for a challenge. Metyis was attractive to me for its strategic and innovative business model. My journey at Metyis has encouraged me to learn and grow at a rapid pace. After six months in the firm, I was promoted to Manager for the Strategy and Implementation business line.
My expertise is in the financial service industry. With the innovative focus at Metyis, these projects have exposed me to sectors such as mobility and the integration and interaction with FinTech and Neo banking. As these projects drive the evolution of the traditional banking industry, they also challenge and expand my knowledge of other businesses such as e-commerce and data analytics, Metyis business lines.
This constant challenge and expansion of knowledge wouldn’t be possible without the people at Metyis. The management team can identify and continue challenging team members. Two of my projects: entail expanding a banks revenue streams outside of financial products and executing the merger of two banks in Andorra. The people on every project I’ve worked on both challenge me and enhance the project's outcome. The last two years at Metyis have accelerated my career more than I could have expected.
Beyond my role, I’m an active member of the diversity committee at Metyis. This affinity group allows me to play an active role in forming an inclusive and welcoming work environment while championing gender equality. I’m proud to work at a company that prioritises diversity and inclusion, and encourages employees to be active components of change.
How do you think Metyis has helped you develop your career as a woman?
From the first day, I felt supported by my leaders and peers. They challenged me to move forward in my career and as a female role model in the office, supporting my initiatives within the team. One such initiative focused on recruiting competitive female talent and positioning Metyis on social media to attract recent graduates. I got promoted to manager after six months thanks to the trust and sponsorship of my boss, a fantastic director in the Madrid office who believed I was ready for new responsibilities and to confront the evolving challenges of the role.
It is very important to be part of a company that cares about its employees and recognises we all have different goals and motivations in life. I’m very passionate about gender equality, I have been working in consulting and financial services all my life, two very manly industries, and I’m aware of the disparity between women and men in leadership positions. During my MBA, I partnered with a friend to develop a project for Volkswagen Spain to assess their gender gap, find the root causes and suggest a roadmap to close the gap and increase the number of women in leading positions. As a member of the equality and inclusion committee at Metyis, I helped define the roadmap of initiatives for the next three years, setting the goals we want to achieve and leading some of them.
Metyis participates in recruitment forums from many universities, including ESADE, where I’m very active in helping MBA candidates in their job search. I have participated in recruitment fairs, coffee chats, and one-on-one calls by sharing my experience at Metyis and as a woman in this industry.
What would you tell young women who are just starting at Metyis? What would you like them to know?
Stop hesitating and go for it! From personal experience and observing other highly talented women, we overthink and constantly underestimate our talent and capabilities. So, my advice would be to go for the new challenge, ask the question you have, share your opinions, and keep growing because at Metyis you will always find people to guide and support you.
Seek for and create a support system around you. It doesn’t have to be from your same project or even office. It’s essential to get to know people and identify those you empathise with, admire, or just want to get to know better. We, as women, are all different and will find support from other people and in different ways. Extremely talented and good people surround you so take advantage of this opportunity! Get to know them and allow them to know you. See you in the “office”!
As a mentor at Women@Metyis Mentoring Programme, what do you think is the most important to help mentees excel in their professional careers?
A mentor is someone who listens, shares experiences and helps to define an action plan. Most of the time just listening is enough. I tried to create a bond with my mentees so that they can reach out to me any time they needed someone to talk to. It doesn’t matter if it’s just about life in general or a specific situation in the office. The mentorship programme connects people from different offices, backgrounds, nationalities, and ages to share conversations and gain refreshing perspectives beyond those of our closest professional network, granting an objective point of view along with a platform to exciting stories and experiences.
How do you think an environment and culture of support and enablement can help women thrive?
The right environment and culture are crucial to enabling anybody to succeed as a professional, not just a woman, but in most cases, it is harder for a woman than for a man to find them. At Metyis and in my previous company, I have seen the positive impact of encouraging women. I have had leaders, women and men, that have inspired me to grow through coaching, constant feedback and challenging me to step out of my comfort zone.
Having communities or someone else to talk to (who has a similar experience) also helps employees support one another and build their confidence.