Glorimar Negrón: Being a Latina Woman in a Male-Dominated Industry

Glorimar Negrón, originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and of Puerto Rican descent, began working as a contract manager in the US media conglomerate Viacom in 2008. Today, 15 years later, not only does she manage the Business and Legal Affairs of the company, but she has also become its Vice President.

The main task in her job is negotiating, drafting, and managing all media platform production-related agreements, such as development, production, and co-production services. She is the executive producer, writer, director, and more, for various in-house original and third-party produced scripted and documentary programming in all stages of development and production. They call her the “closer” because when a client needs to close a deal, everyone knows she is the one to call.

She also provides risk assessment and guidance on daily production matters, as well as liaising with creative, talent, and production executives on structuring agreements and deal terms. Glorimar was part of our campaign Mujeres in Charge and shared with our team from challenges in her industry to how she balances motherhood. 

What are some of the biggest challenges that you face in your career?

One of the biggest challenges that we face is that a lot of people assume that we are all lawyers and I’m not. I negotiate like a lawyer, and I function like a lawyer, but I’m not a lawyer. So it is hard when you are not respected for what you do, and you don’t acquit with what they are expecting you to have. You have to fight to be respected, heard and understood.

On top of that, what does it mean to be a woman in the industry?

This is a very male-dominated industry, from the very top and going down. It is mostly men making decisions, not only about the content and the shows that we produce but also about the people that are in positions of power. So as a woman, and especially a woman of color, it is even harder. In my 15-year-old career, I’ve seen that negotiations can get very intense. So if you have a man, many times negotiating against another man, they will insert themselves in a way that is accepted. But if I insert myself, I am considered emotional. So it is hard to balance and be respected while trying to appease this industry.

You recently became a mom. How do you manage to balance your career and motherhood?

I do my best. I am not as successful as I would like to be, because in order to reach the level where I have been for the past 15 years, I dedicated my life to my career. When I inserted my daughter just 16 months ago, I didn’t know what balance was, it was all just business. So now I’m finding the time to still be that powerhouse while also being the best mom and best example for my daughter. I would never want her to think that once you become a mom, you can’t continue on your path. It is a daily challenge that I try to manage because, at the end of the day, I want her to learn about my work, but I also want to be the best mom that I can be.

What are some things that you wish would be different in your industry?

Pay, straight up pay. I have been fighting for equal pay for my whole career, and I’m still not there. It is discouraging that my male counterpart, oftentimes with less experience than I have, can come in and make significantly more money than I do. A lot of that has to do with agenda because, again, we are in a male-dominated industry. When a man asks for a raise it’s like “of course.” But when a woman does, the answer is “you gotta jump through 12 different hurdles, stand on one leg, while you are touching your toe,” and it’s still “no.”

What would you say to women who are balancing career and motherhood?

Be kind to yourself. Because it’s hard and you can feel really discouraged. You are trying to be the best at all of your tasks in your career while trying to be the best mom. And sometimes there is too much pressure on moms, and women in general, because you have to be “x, y, or z,” and if you are not, you are a bad mother or a bad employee. So, moms, give yourself grace, and applaud yourselves, because being a mom is the hardest job that I have ever had. It is definitely the most fulfilling but, nonetheless, it is hard. So be kind to yourselves and celebrate each day, because actually getting through the day is an accomplishment.

Glorimar said it best. She is a powerhouse, a woman, a mother, a Latina, and the Vice President of one the biggest companies in the world. That is why she is a “Mujer in Charge.”

I’m a “Mujer in Charge” because I don’t allow the world to tell me I can’t dictate. Yes, I can.