The Latino Corporate Directors Association will endure a leadership transition for the first time in seven years.

It was announced yesterday that Esther Aguilera has decided to step down as President & CEO of the organization after serving nearly 7 years at the helm.

In a statement released by LCDA Board Chair Elizabeth Oliver-Farrow, she thanked Aguilera for her valuable contributions to the organization.  

“Under Esther’s leadership, LCDA has achieved remarkable milestones, including creating the first and largest network of Latinos in the boardroom and C-suite,” said Oliver-Farrow.

“During her tenure, Esther accelerated the conversation of Latino inclusion in America’s boardrooms, forged many new strategic partnerships with Fortune 500 organizations, and oversaw LCDA’s rapid expansion to become the premier resource for Latino talent primed for the boardroom, all of which have been crucial to strengthening the foundation and positioning of the organization for its next phase of growth,” she added. 

As the LCDA takes steps toward conducting a nationwide search for its next leader, the Board has appointed Ozzie Gromada Meza to serve as acting President & CEO.

He originally joined the LCDA in January 2020 as the organization's director of membership and research. A year later, he was promoted to associate vice president of member and talent services before taking on his most recent role as the LCDA’s vice president of member and talent services in January 2022. 

“Over the last three years, he has built LCDA’s demand and talent services capabilities influencing the board talent pipeline of hundreds of prominent organizations,” said Oliver-Farrow.

“Ozzie Gromada Meza’s experience as a member of the LCDA senior leadership team and leading critical operational aspects of the organization will serve LCDA well as acting President and CEO. Ozzie is well positioned to continue to expand LCDA’s impact in increasing representation of Latinos in corporate boardrooms,” she added.

In his nearly 20-year corporate career, Gromada Meza has developed his expertise in boutique and Fortune 50 organizations. Prior to joining LCDA, he was an intelligence lead at JamesDruryPartners, a leading board advisory services firm, where he focused on aligning C-level executives with Board of Director opportunities. 

Earlier in his career, he supported the executive recruiting team and spearheaded the build-out of the first talent intelligence team at Allstate Insurance. 

The work of the LCDA aligns with much of the work Gromada Meza has done in prior roles.

“We are delighted that Ozzie has agreed to take on the acting President and CEO role as we search for a successor. He brings a diverse perspective and great passion for the mission,” said Oliver-Farrow. 

In her departing words, Aguilera shared that she knows “LCDA is in great hands and poised for the next person to take it further.”

Gromada Meza will be the leader tasked with keeping the organization going while its Board searches for its next permanent President & CEO.