EPISODE 71
The Power of "We": Leadership, Identity, and Making Sport Accessible to All with Adriana Peon
What happens when a young girl in Mexico City refuses to accept that soccer “isn’t for girls”?
For Adriana Peon, that early challenge became the foundation for a lifetime of leadership. Today, as CEO of Decathlon Americas, Adriana oversees markets across the United States, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia — but the fire that drives her began long before the boardroom. It began on the field, asking a simple question: Why not me?
Raised between Mexico and the United States, Adriana learned early that identity is fluid. In Mexico, her Latina identity blended into the majority; in Silicon Valley, it became one of her most defining characteristics. Navigating those different environments shaped her perspective on power, representation, and the danger of reducing the Latino experience to a single narrative. For Adriana, leadership isn’t about fitting into existing structures — it’s about expanding the space so others can belong.
In this conversation with host Pedro Antonio Guerrero, Adriana shares lessons from scaling global businesses at companies like Meta, PayPal, and McKinsey, and what it truly takes to lead a brand across cultures and continents. From democratizing access to sports to shifting from a mindset of scarcity to one of abundance, she reflects on the importance of curiosity, resilience, and empathy — especially in moments when you feel like the only one in the room.
Ultimately, Adriana reminds us that the story of the Latino majority isn’t written in the language of “I.” It’s written in the language of we — community, shared identity, and a collective belief that opportunity should be accessible to everyone.
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ABOUT OUR GUEST
Adriana Peon is the leader at the helm of Decathlon’s operations across the Americas, overseeing markets in Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Colombia, Chile, Brazil and franchise territories. Her leadership is marked by a deep commitment to bring people of the Americas together through sport to make wellbeing accessible for all and is a fierce advocate for inclusion.
Adriana’s career is a testament to her strategic acumen and ability to lead complex, transformational initiatives. At Meta, she led the global partnership with Amazon and led the digital transformation for various sectors, including eCommerce, retail, and financial services in Mexico. Her interim role as Facebook Mexico’s Country Director showcased her capacity to guide large-scale operations and navigate high-stakes environments.
Before Meta, Adriana brought her strategic insights to PayPal, where she crafted and executed the commercial strategy for the SMB segment in Spanish-speaking Latin America. Her experience at McKinsey & Co. in San Francisco further solidified her expertise in marketing and sales practices, and her early career at PepsiCo demonstrated her capability in leading business process transformations.
Adriana hold an MBA from Stanford University and both a BA and MA in Psychology from NYU, where she graduated with honors. Her blend of executive leadership, strategic thinking, and dedication to social impact makes her a standout figure in the global business landscape.
