Colombian Born Latina Shines As Mentor and Walmart Sales Exec

by Phyllis Cambria

Meet Gloria Lucia Diaz-Daniels, 2017 Hispanic Woman of Distinction, Divisional Senior Manager Sales, Walmart Stores, Inc., Health & Wellness Division

 

 

“Challenges are what makes life interesting, and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.

As a Latina minority for the Fortune 1 company, I have learned to be resilient and learned from those challenges in order to pursue and ultimately acquire my personal and career dreams”​

If Walmart isn’t the first place you think of when you think health and wellness, then Gloria Diaz-Daniels wants to change and challenge that.

When Gloria joined the company in 2006, she was not satisfied that Walmart was already the world’s largest retailer. As the Division Senior Manager of Sales for the Southeast, Puerto Rico and Gulf Shore Regions, she wanted to establish Walmart as number one in health and wellness as well.

With the tireless mindset she has shown throughout her almost three decades in the healthcare industry, Gloria helped to develop Walmart’s $4 generic prescription program. 

Gloria Lucia Diaz-DanielsShe was instrumental in the groundbreaking, first on-site pharmacy, clinic and micro-store at the Delta Airline corporate office in Atlanta, Georgia; beat out Walgreens to create an on-site pharmacy at Gulfstream Aerospace, a division of General Dynamics and has been selling and supporting the company’s health and medical-related goods and services to universities, government agencies and corporations throughout her assigned region.

Gloria has responsibility for $500M book of existing business

Another aspect of her duties includes being a Council member for the Walmart Foundation at state level and has distributed $82.1 million in cash and in-kind donations Walmart has contributed to communities and non-profits throughout Florida.

Prior to coming to Walmart, Gloria had an equally-impressive career with Option Care Enterprises as their Senior Regional Sales Director for their Specialty & Infusion Pharmacy, was the Senior Network Director of contracting at United Healthcare of Florida, Inc. and was the Manager of Physician Contracting and Network Development for HIP Health Plan of Florida, Inc.

At each of these companies she worked with staff to improve customer satisfaction, acquired new accounts, met or exceeded sales goals, negotiated contracts and worked with physicians, marketing and support staff to implement company objectives.

This Colombian-born Latina tackled her education with the same over-achieving fervor as she did her career aspirations.

Gloria holds two Associates degrees from Broward College, a Bachelor’s degree in Health Care Administration from the University of Phoenix, a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Miami and two post-graduate degrees in Global Management and Health Care Administration and Global Finance.

And, just for good measure, she is also a paralegal!

As part of Gloria’s community efforts she mentors women and girls at several organizations, she belongs to the Network of Executive Women, Walmart Hispanic Latino Associate Resource Group, Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting. 

She is also a board member for the Fellowship for Christian Athletes, is a member of the National Society of Hispanic MBA’s, works with the Walmart Women of Health & Wellness on projects that impact millions in 11 states, is on the AARP Florida Hispanic Women’s Advisory Council and participates in about a dozen other community and professional organizations.

For her efforts, she was the recipient of the Dale Carnegie Outstanding Performance Award and the Human Relations Championship Award.

She also received the Strategic Excellence Award, Merchandising Excellence Awards in Bentonville, Arkansas.

Gloria has been married for almost five years to business owner, Rodney Daniels. They are the happy parents of Anthony Cardona and Andrea Lucia Cardona.

When not traveling the world or just spending time her family in their Port St. Lucie home, Gloria finds relaxation designing and creating jewelry and hunting for vintage or antique pieces.

2017 Hispanic Women of Distinction honorees

2017 Hispanic Women of Distinction honorees

At PACE Center for Girls, girl-centered culture celebrates the power and potential of girls. With 19 non-residential centers throughout Florida, they provide a safe environment where middle and high school aged girls can thrive.

The balanced emphasis on academics and social services is combined with a program model to produce an experience that is nationally recognized as one of the most effective programs for helping at-risk girls realize brighter and more productive futures.  

The Jessica June Children’s Cancer Foundation (JJCCF) is a nonprofit public charity founded in 2004 by Sandra Muvdi shortly after the loss of her only child to cancer. Its mission is to provide emergency financial assistance for children fighting cancer to ensure access to basic human necessities. The Foundation also advocates for and raises awareness of childhood cancer.

Presented by Latina Style Magazine, the nation’s leading publication for Latina entrepreneursin partnership with Bank of America and AARP, the highly-promoted celebration brings to the forefront the contributions of Hispanic women from South Florida.  Co-sponsors include Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, Walmart, Latin Business Today and La Poderosa Radio.  What the women have in common and is a major part of the judging process, is their American entrepreneurship intertwined with their values and traditions.

“This year was truly a difficult decision for our judges. With more than 50 nominations submitted, selecting 12 became a week-long effort to cast votes for the “crème de la crème” stated, Elaine Vasquez, founder and producer of the annual event.  Nominations were solicited from past honorees and community leaders in south Florida. 

“We are delighted to continue our long-time partnership with Hispanic Women of Distinction and provide insight and support to the entrepreneurs and community leaders who are making a difference, “said Robert Bard, CEO and Publisher of Latina Style Magazine.  

The 2017 Hispanic Women of Distinction are:

GLORIA L.  DIAZ-DANIELS –Div Sales Mgr Sales-Pharmacy Walmart – Palm Beach

ADRIANA FAZZANO FICANO – Chief of Staff, Broward College – Broward County

BLANCA GUERRA -Broward County Schools-Curriculum Sup/Dual Languages –Dade Cuban Latina Excels at Education and Preserving Heritage Languages  

KARINA GOMEZ-HERRERA – Pres. CEO Karnna Fashion & Company – Broward:  Outstanding Venezuelan Latina Excels as a “Hispanic Fashion Advisor”

Dr IVERIS LUZ MARTINEZ- Assoc Prof. Herbert Werthein College/Medicine FIU-Dade Cuban-American Latina Is a Premier Healthcare Anthropologist 

LORENA MASTRARRIGO -Assistant Public Defender, Broward County – Broward  Argentinian-American Latina Attorney Helping Hispanic Community

CHRISTINA PEREZ McDOWELL – Founder, Solutions by CPM, LLC – Dade

JACQUELINE NUNEZ – Co-owner, SOMA Medical Centers PA – Palm Beach

Dr. JACQUELINE PENA – Dean Academic Affairs – Miami Dade College –  Dade

MICHELLE MARTINEZ-REYES- CMO, Greenspoon Marder Law Firm – Broward  Latina Cuban-American Chief Marketing Officer Is Growing Brands

MARIELLE SOLOGUREN – Vice President. Pierson Grant Public Relations – Broward Latina of Ancestry Cuban-Peruvian Making Waves in PR

RACHEL TOURGEMAN –Community Relations Dir.- Florida National University-Dade Panamanian-American Latina Community Relations Professional Advocates for Victims

LATINA PIONEER of the YEAR:  

DAISY EXPOSITO-ULLA – Chairman, CEO of d exposito & Partnersa visionary creative leader in cross-cultural brand building for more than 30 years, Daisy has been recognized by numerous organizations and named as one of the most influential Latinas in the United States. 

Daisy joins past Latina Pioneers: Columba Bush, Ileana Ros Lehtinen, Maria San Juan, Caridad Asensio, Joyce Kaufman, Nelly Rubio, Aida Levitan, Maria Elena Torano, Helen Aguirre Ferre, Marielea Villamil and Millie Herrera.

Tickets to the luncheon are $95 per person.  Table sponsorships are $1500.  The luncheon includes a social hour with complimentary “mojitos”, a business expo, raffles, Latin entertainment, as well as a runway fashion show presented by the Las Olas fashion designer, Zola Keller. 

For more information visit www.hispanicwomenofdistinction.comwww.wedoevents.net or by calling (954) 709-1622.  Follow us on Facebook and Instagram. 

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