Since making Philadelphia her home over 20 years ago, Tiffany Tavarez has become a familiar face and valuable presence in the community.

Her comfort and commitment to going into diverse communities and making positive impacts is a direct result of her personal upbringing. 

“I've attended a different school for almost every grade growing up,” said Tavarez in an interview with AL DÍA. 

While some may look at the difficulties of that, Tavarez found great worth in those situations. 

“I am very adaptable and resilient to change in ways that people oftentimes don't necessarily realize how much of a value that is as a professional in the workplace,” she added.  

Her adaptability has paid huge dividends. 

Navigating a Series of Firsts

As she advanced throughout her life, Tavarez has often been the one in her family to achieve a number of firsts.

It’s something she describes as making her feel “very blessed and honored.”

Beyond that, the distinctions are what she tells many of her mentees ends up becoming the beginning of a multitude of firsts. 

Tavarez was the first in her family to attend college, access regular health insurance, open a retirement account, and purchase a home. However, out of her multitude of firsts, one in particular stands out the most — being the first in her family to have a career rather than a job. 

“It's a privilege to have a career where I get to actually curate the set of professional experiences that I want to actually participate in and influence, versus ‘I need to take something because I just need a roof over my head, and I need to survive,’” said Tavarez. 

“People right now who have a job, you talk to them about passion in the workplace or being prideful in your job… they may look at you like you're crazy. And rightfully so because they don't have the luxury of being able to infuse necessarily what they want to do with what they have to do,” she added. “And luckily, I'm in a position where I get to do both.”

New Role with Wells Fargo 

In February 2022, Tavarez was promoted to the role of senior vice president of Technology Diverse Segments, Representation & Inclusion at Wells Fargo.

In the role, she helps lead Wells Fargo’s Technology Diversity Equity & Inclusion Council and evolve the company’s strategic approach toward global workforce outcomes as it pertains to the specific areas of representation, mobility and inclusion. She also manages high-impact, multi-channel communications strategy plan for internal and external TDSRI outcomes and brand awareness.

“When you think about a workforce, not just the workforce of now but the workforce of the future, you want to actually be inclusive of the people who live and work in our communities,” said Tavarez. 

She added that she is proud of the fact that Wells Fargo recognizes so many different segments of the communities, from Latinos, women, people with disabilities, LGBTQ+ individuals, veterans, African Americans and everyone in between.

“It’s just really beautiful to see how global our view of inclusion is,” noted Tavarez. “And that's something that I'm working to make sure that everyone has at the helm every day.”

Her role also ensures that those diverse segments of individuals receive a fair platform in which their voices are heard and stories are told in a real and authentic fashion. 

When it comes to the work she has done throughout her career, Tavarez has been consistent in her commitment.

“It's always been really important to me to be inclusive because I have personally experienced — especially growing up — what it's like to not be included, and it's an awful feeling,” she said. “And as much I can do to deter someone else from experiencing that, I would like to do my part and know at least I tried.”