Let's start with the numbers because they're hard to ignore.
Latin America is one of the world's fastest-growing media markets, with total media revenue on pace to reach $65 billion in 2026, a 10.7% year-on-year jump that's outpacing the U.S. Digital ad spend alone is projected to hit $50.1 billion in LATAM markets this year, according to Omdia and Research and Markets. The broader Hispanic and Latine community represents millions of dollars in economic output, over-indexes on streaming and content consumption and influences the platforms with which companies like DV partner. That's certainly not a footnote in the global story of the industry.
At DV, this growth is led, day to day, by people who understand these markets from the inside. DV's LATAM business, led by Armando Rodriguez, spans teams in São Paulo, Mexico City and Florida.
"LATAM isn't one market," Armando said. "Brazil is fundamentally different from Mexico, which is different from Argentina, Colombia or Chile. You can't treat language as a proxy for culture."
As AI, streaming, retail media and new platforms splinter the landscape, Armando sees opportunity for companies that can bring clarity. He's equally clear that leadership must flex across borders: "What motivates someone in Brazil may not be the same thing that motivates someone in Mexico or the U.S. But the basics are the same everywhere: be honest with people, listen, do what you say you're going to do and give people room to do their jobs."
Technology will keep changing how people are reached across the region. For Armando, what doesn't change is what lasts: trust, cultural understanding and knowing a market well enough to read what people actually need.
On the product side, Alex Valle shows how legacy shapes code and roadmaps as much as strategy. As Chief Product Officer, Alex, the son of Ecuadorean parents from Guayaquil, leads more than 200 people across product, analytics and integrations, and co-sponsors VivaVerify with Rose Velez-Smith. His guiding values, trust, respect and adaptability, come from his parents and grandmother and shape how his teams build products for users worldwide.
"All of DV's products go through a rigorous localization process that makes them understandable and usable by users and customers all over the world," Alex said.
For DV's EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer, and its most senior Latina leader, Rose Velez-Smith, business and people go hand in hand.
"Talent is an enabler of business success, so culture and business strategy cannot be separated," explained Rose.
For Rose, culture is not a slogan; it's reflected in what teams prioritize, reward and whether people feel able to contribute ideas. "Culture shapes how people make decisions, work through challenges and treat one another, particularly when no one is watching," she said. "It is reflected in what we prioritize, what we reward and whether people feel able to contribute their ideas and perspectives."
Her philosophy is rooted in her Puerto Rican heritage and her family's emphasis on hard work, perseverance, family and creating opportunities for those who follow. "I understand that I did not arrive at this point on my own," Rose said. That responsibility, to open doors, speak candidly and help others see their potential, is, she said, "not separate from my leadership."
It's also why Rose co-sponsors VivaVerify, DV's Hispanic and Latine employee community, with Chief Product Officer Alex Valle. Since its founding in 2024, VivaVerify has reinforced for her that belonging should not be limited to a heritage month, but reflected in how DV leads and operates year-round.
"Markets shift, strategies evolve and organizations transform, but my core principles do not," Rose said of leading through change. "Understand the business, be honest about what is happening, treat people fairly and focus on what will move the organization forward."
Three roles, three countries of origin, one common thread. Armando's cross-border career, Alex's Ecuadorean upbringing and Rose's Puerto Rican legacy all point to the same idea: DV's investment in Hispanic and Latine talent is not a collection of separate stories. They're stitched into the same rich cultural tapestry, with each leader carrying a legacy that goes beyond the office door.