Create Belonging: Meet Ricky Romero from Latin@

Our Create Belonging series introduces Pinclusion Group leaders and members who bring this core value to life through their day-to-day work, engagement within their ERG and involvement in the community. Meet Ricky Romero, Director of Executive Recruiting, who discusses taking on a new role as Executive Sponsor for Pinterest’s Latin@ Pinclusion Group. 

You’re a year and a half into your journey at Pinterest! Reflecting on this time, what's the most valuable lesson you've learned, and did anything surprise you about the culture or the work?

While I am nearing two years at Pinterest, this past year has been immensely rewarding. The most valuable lesson I have learned is the direct role talent plays in driving Pinterest's enduring strategy. My team was instrumental in securing key strategic leadership hires, such as Jamieson Kerns, VP, Engineering, and Chip Jessopp, VP, GM Programmatic Ads Sales to build out our Programmatic and Connected TV (“CTV”) efforts. Ultimately, Pinterest is investing in talent to fully realize its enduring strategy.

I found the Pinterest Leadership Team to be kind, approachable, and people-centric. The culture of impact, scale and collaboration really excited me because it empowers leaders to bring creative solutions to complex problems and iterate very quickly, which, in turn, enables the expansion of support for Pinterest users and advertisers. Additionally, Pinterest has a rich, mission-oriented culture, where all work closely aligns with core values and the goal to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love. This mission offers a sense of purpose that is hard to replicate elsewhere.

From left to right: Ricky Romero, Paul Jones (Pinterest Impact Partner), Jamieson Kerns (VP, Engineering), Sara Pollack (VP, Integrated Marketing), Yolo Akili Robinson (Pinterest Impact Partner)

When candidates want to dig deeper into what Pinterest is really like, where do you point them first?

I point candidates to two resources:

• First, the Life at Pinterest Blog to get to know our talent, what drew them to Pinterest, and what keeps them here.
• Second, our core values, explaining that these are not just words on a screen; we genuinely live our values in the work and impact we drive day-to-day. Our values are leveraged when recruiting talent to join Pinterest, when assessing the performance of our existing talent, and how we recognize them.

You recently embarked on an exciting new role as an Executive Sponsor for Pinterest's Latin@ Pinclusion Group. What drew you to this opportunity, and what does it mean to you personally?

It is truly a privilege and honor to serve as Co-Executive Sponsor for the Pinterest Latin@ Pinclusion Group alongside Carlos Garcia, VP of CPG Enterprise Sales. As a second generation American who identifies as Afro-Latino, born to parents who immigrated from the Dominican Republic and Ecuador, I have been drawn by the opportunity to support our Latin@ and ally community at Pinterest. This support is delivered through professional development, networking, and creating a safe space that is welcoming to all employees to exchange lived cultural experiences that shape how they show up at work and at home. Importantly, I want to help elevate the community to ensure Latin@ members are supported through mentorship, sponsorship, and ongoing career growth, which in turn can pave the way for future leadership opportunities at Pinterest and other companies.

Now as Executive Sponsor of the Latin@ PG, what are your goals for the group, and how do you hope to create a meaningful impact for the community at Pinterest?

My initial priority is to align on the goals and strategy the Latin@ PG global leads have set, while also learning about any existing obstacles. This will help Carlos and I better understand how we can contribute to support all members. Second, I would want to remove barriers by serving as an advocate and connector, bringing the community’s perspectives and priorities into conversations with senior leaders across the company and externally. This will be accomplished through speaking engagements, yearly programming, and networking events to support the PG’s mission. Furthermore, I would like to partner with the Global Leadership Team in having the Latin@ community shape Pinterest’s business strategy by providing input in efforts to ensure Pinterest is creating an experience that is truly representative of the market. 

Lastly, what would you say makes Pinterest truly special, and what do you wish more people understood about what it's like to work here?

Pinterest has an exceptional product, a clear mission, and a strong culture, all driven by highly talented people who are motivated to achieve results. As a company that has charted its own path in the social commerce space, we do not have existing playbooks to leverage from others, which has created a unique environment where one is required to build, deploy, and iterate at scale. Pinterest is an excellent career choice for those who thrive in ambiguity, embrace a growth mindset, and enjoy winning and learning from others.