Thriving on challenge: Ralph De La Vega: for Ralph De La Vega, COO of Cingular Wireless, life is a series of "inflection points". To hear him tell it, these are life-changing events, when everything appears to be in upheaval, but also moments of great opportunity to learn and transform one-self into a wiser and more experienced person

Latino Leaders: The National Magazine of the Successful American Latino, June-July, 2006 by Rick Laezman

With characteristic aplomb, he dove into the situation head first and within two years, the "company was growing again."

All of this ultimately led him to his current assignment as the Chief Operating Officer of Cingular Wireless. After arriving there in 2004, he became involved in one of the most impressive corporate mergers in the nation's history, when Cingular acquired AT&T Wireless in October of the same year.

Perhaps somewhat understatedly, De La Vega remarks, "no one had ever done something of this size. I knew I was facing another inflection point."

Once again undaunted, he rose to the challenge and defied his critics. "They all said we were too focused on the merger to succeed," he bristles. "But one year later, we have grown by eight million customers." As further proof of its success, the company rose from a Fortune 150-size company to a Fortune 50-size enterprise, with revenues in excess of $33 billion.

Reflecting on all of these challenges collectively, the corporate executive is compelled again to expound on his personal philosophy of leadership. A leader, he says, "must focus and develop a framework that allows people to win. If the leader can convince people that they can do more than they thought was possible then that is a home run."

Expanding on the theme, he responds to critics of yet another move that he will be involved with. Sometime this year, the Cingular brand will most likely be phased out in favor of the AT&T brand name, as a result of some additional ownership changes executed by the parent companies since the 2004 acquisition.

Says De La Vega of the pending name change, "Brand is only a part of a company's success. What makes a company are its people. Brand helps, but it's only a part."

While he has clearly mastered the art of corporate success as it applies to his own endeavors, Ralph also has dedicated a fair amount of his time to helping others follow on a similar path. He is extremely active with the volunteer Junior Achievement program in his home state of Georgia and with the Boy Scouts of America.

He speaks passionately about the classroom lecture program that he started for Junior Achievement. The program, which entails taking volunteer professionals into a classroom where they speak about their experiences in the business world, has caught on, and by De La Vega's count, has reached over 3,000 students. He reports that Junior Achievement wants to launch the program worldwide.

"It's humbling to go into the inner city high schools," he says, "and see what these kids are up against."

According to him, more professionals are volunteering and even some of the students have told him how much the experience has impacted them. Ralph tells the story of one young woman who wrote him a letter several years after she heard one of the speakers in her classroom. "She got into college and was so grateful, she volunteered for the program." He adds, "if we can touch just one person, it's a success."

De La Vega also remarks favorably on the future for America's young Latino community. "I continue to be amazed," he says. "In the past, there were not enough leaders. Now, leaders are breaking through walls and ceilings. There are Hispanic entrepreneurs. We are in the arts and music, administration and business."