Lynette Aguilar’s Upbringing Inspires Service at AT&T

While a decades-long career at AT&T wasn’t always in the plans for Aguilar, her tenure has given her the opportunity to be a servant leader, bridge digital divides, and more

Lynette Aguilar, Vice President & General Manager, AT&T

BY NOAH JOHNSON, HISPANIC EXECUTIVE

Lynette Aguilar’s upbringing is intertwined with her nineteen-year corporate journey at tech giant AT&T. Today, as the vice president and general manager of a $4.5 billion portfolio impacting the North Texas market, she continues to draw lessons from being a second generation Mexican American, the daughter of parents who were the first to graduate from college, and the granddaughter of a U.S. Army veteran.

“Growing up, I always had a passion for serving others instilled in me by my parents, so I made it a point to not only focus my career but also my personal commitments to making positive impacts in my community,” Aguilar says. “And that’s one of the main reasons I’ve been with AT&T for this long—because of our community-focused initiatives that are all about connecting people.”

Today, Aguilar is responsible serving a population of approximately 16 million, leading nearly 300 retail locations and a team of over one thousand employees across North Texas and New Mexico. She also leads the cross-functional shared services organizations, which perform a variety of tasks, such as build and maintain AT&T’s wireless and fiber networks, install and repair customer products, and manage overall end-to-end customer and employee experience.

“My grandparents left Mexico in search of education and careers. For me to go back there and provide really meaningful work and wages for so many people was a full circle moment. And we continue to work hard to make sure our employees have good benefits, pay, and an inclusive workplace with a strong culture.”

Lynette Aguilar

Just last month, the company announced a continued commitment of $5 billion to help bridge the digital divide for underserved communities. Aguilar is leading a team that supports AT&T Connected Learning Centers in local nonprofits that provide free resources for students and families, including high-speed internet, computers, tutoring, and mentoring. Aguilar and her colleagues also collaborate with nonprofits to provide free computers and digital resources to low-income families. Additionally, her team volunteers to teach digital literacy classes in English and Spanish to people of all ages.

Looking back as early as 2006, as a rising leader in the company, AT&T’s leadership development program presented Aguilar with the perfect foundation of transferable skills to expand her reach in customer service, leading teams, and growing the business. Fast forward to today, she says those career mobility experiences in strategy, planning, call center management, financial analysis, and others, provided her with perspective on how to best mentor, empower, and lift others up throughout their journeys.

Aguilar also credits the work ethic and determination of her family for where she is today. Every scope of work under Aguilar’s purview through her different operations, marketing, analytics, and customer experience roles, in addition to the extracurricular opportunities, have an underlying theme of empowering others. She runs call centers in Mexico with 3,400 employees. She has a vested professional involvement with Hispanic Technology Executive Council (HITEC) and Ignite Mindshift. Plus, she volunteers with both her daughter’s Girl Scout troops and the National Charity League.

“My grandparents left Mexico in search of education and careers,” the leader says. “For me to go back there and provide really meaningful work and wages for so many people was a full circle moment. And we continue to work hard to make sure our employees have good benefits, pay, and an inclusive workplace with a strong culture.”

When it comes to leadership style, Aguilar characterizes herself as assertive, empathetic, and a collaborative people-leader. Placing emphasis on mentoring and advocating for her colleagues while ensuring an empowerment environment. However, she admits to initial cultural struggles. “I remember when I was the most junior at a table, I hesitated using my voice and claiming my space. I was more comfortable leading from behind-the-scenes person,” Aguilar says.

“Growing up, I always had a passion for serving others instilled in me by my parents, so I made it a point to not only focus my career but also my personal commitments to making positive impacts in my community. And that’s one of the main reasons I’ve been with AT&T for this long—because of our community-focused initiatives that are all about connecting people.”

Lynette Aguilar

Thanks to her diverse background and the support of those who believed in her, Aguilar recognized the value she brought to the table: an ability to inspire others and bring the best out of them and empathy, an aptitude for forming meaningful relationships. In her current role, she uses these traits to foster a culture of integrity and inclusivity, where individuals look out for one another.

“When you have a culture of trust, you can give really candid feedback that pushes others to grow with respect,” she says. “For instance, as a mother of two, I can sympathize and relate with other working moms, allowing for more sincere conversations and advice that stems from my own experiences. When I see someone has potential, I try to pull it out of them just like others did for me with challenging assignments.”

Aguilar also focuses on giving exposure to people who aren’t the loudest in the room. “I speak their names at different tables and in conversations. I introduce them to people. I post about them on my LinkedIn and use my platform for others,” Aguilar says. “And I make sure I’m exposing these individuals and their work to leaders across the business.”

Her advice for young people? Define success for themselves as they set goals and map out their aspirations. Aguilar emphasizes the importance of remembering one’s roots and where they come from, too. “Dream big! What are your dreams versus what others are expecting of you?” she asks. “Give yourself grace to adjust as life changes and as you experience things. An important part of that is continuous learning and challenging self-limiting beliefs.”

Aguilar’s Professional Affiliations

Hispanic Technology Executive Council (HITEC): Aguilar is an AT&T executive sponsor for the council, serving as an Emerging Executive fellow. What’s more? She contributes to the council’s Board Readiness Program, provided by KPGM’s Board Leadership Center—of which she is a graduate and now mentor. Additionally, Aguilar has been named, in 2020 and 2023, as one of the one hundred most influential Hispanic executives in technology by HITEC.

Aguilar also serves on St. Mary’s University Executive Advisory Council for the Greehey School of Business.

Hispanicexecutive.com