Jesse Melendez has been with Advantage Solutions for 10 years. His current role is national operations manager for the Hispanic Syndicated Team, which he helped to create. A proud second-generation American, his parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico.
As Advantage and its HOLA employee resource group celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month and the theme of “Poder together” — empowerment through unity — we are shining the spotlight on team members of Hispanic and Latine backgrounds and sharing some of their stories. Here, Melendez details the strong values he learned from his family, how he’s passing them on and why it’s important for companies like Advantage to promote diversity and inclusion — internally and externally.
Tell us about your family and where you’re from.
My parents are from Mexico. They were born in a region called Zamora, Michoacán. I was born in Gary, Indiana, and moved to Southern California in the early 1980s.
What are you especially proud of from your Mexican heritage?
Our values. My dad and mom showed us that coming to the States was about making a better life for the family. Plus, they worked hard to give our family name and our culture a better name than many people typically associate with stereotypes of Hispanic or Latine people.
What would you say to people who buy in to negative stereotypes?
I want people to know that we’re not bad people. I’m an American. We’ve owned our home for 22 years. We pay our taxes. We try to integrate within the community. We shop locally whether it’s in a Hispanic store or non-Hispanic store. I want people to know that we’re just like everyone else.
What family traditions do you enjoy?
During the pandemic, I invested in a flattop grill, and I started looking for different things to cook on it. I got really good at making tacos, something I never really did before. I bought all the utensils, and I got my wife into it, too. She’s in charge of the salsa, and I’m in charge of the meat. I have to make sure it’s perfect! We developed what I call “Melendez Tacos” and we often make them on the weekends. Those are the kind of traditions that I hope to pass on to my family.
How important is it for a company like Advantage Solutions to support diverse employees?
It’s huge. Ten years ago, my supervisor and I started the Hispanic Syndicated Team. We recognized the need for this in market, started the team here in Southern California with four reps, and we have expanded the team to Texas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Miami and Chicago. All the team members are Latine or Spanish-speaking and help us help our brands cater to multiple cultures. We teach management at the store level to aid what brands do in retail, and we communicate with predominately Spanish-speaking retailers to ensure that they sell our brands as well as help them with merchandising and displays.
For example, a few years ago, we represented a nutrition company that makes electrolyte products for infants and children. A lot of the Hispanic community didn’t know, including store managers, that this was a protein source for children and would refuse to carry the SKU. We helped to educate them. But if we hadn’t communicated that message in Spanish, they wouldn’t have ordered those items for the stores. We’ve been pushing the needle for the past 10 years within the industry, the community and within the brands that we represent.
Anything else you’d like to leave us with as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month?
I’d love for people not to assume, and to know that we’re here to contribute. The fact that Advantage — a company that I love working for — acknowledges and celebrates this month, that’s key for me. Plus, the Hispanic Syndicated team that we’ve been building and will continue to build is a great acknowledgment. I’m very proud of that.