Partner Article

From tech consultant to M&A director

Newcastle University Business School MBA alumna becomes a driving force in PwC Mexico’s merger and acquisition leadership, while advocating for diversity and disability rights across Latin America. 

When Diana Velarde began her MBA at Newcastle University Business School, she had never worked in finance. Today, she’s a Director of Deals at PwC Mexico, with a remarkable post-MBA career defined not only by professional success in mergers and acquisitions, but also by her trailblazing work in diversity, disability inclusion, and social justice.

“Before my MBA, my career was entirely in technology and software development,” she explained. “I felt a growing desire to connect tech to business strategy, to understand the ‘why’ behind decisions. The MBA gave me the language, tools, and confidence to make that shift.”

After graduating in 2014, Diana joined PwC Mexico as a Senior Associate. The firm saw the unique value in her combination of technical expertise and newly honed business acumen—an asset that helped establish PwC Mexico’s Information Technology due diligence services. Since then, she has risen steadily through the ranks, taking on increasingly strategic leadership roles.

But Diana’s story goes far beyond traditional career milestones.

A leadership journey rooted in empathy and equity

“My leadership style has evolved from being performance-focused to being driven by empathy, authenticity and inclusion,” Diana reflects. As both a leader in PwC and a woman living with an invisible disability, she has long understood the importance of representation and creating safe, supportive environments—both within and beyond the workplace.

Diana served as Director of PwC Mexico’s Diversity and Inclusion Staff Council from 2020 to 2022. Diana co-leads the firm’s Disability Inclusion Network, and helped create the Deals Women Network to foster community among women in a high-performance environment. Through these initiatives, she has brought visibility to the intersection of gender, disability, and leadership.

“Inclusivity isn’t a one-time initiative—it’s something you practice every day through intentional leadership, building trust, and staying open to learning,” Diana says.

Tracing the invisible: amplifying voices often unheard

In 2020, Diana co-founded Trazando lo Invisible ("Tracing the Invisible"), a social impact initiative raising awareness of rare diseases and invisible disabilities. The idea emerged during a women’s march in Mexico City, where she and a friend—both living with rare conditions—felt unseen even within the disability movement.

What began as a modest social media platform has grown into a network of collaborations with advocacy groups in Mexico and Spain, international alliances, and even appearances at SXSW in Austin. The long-term vision? To formalise the project as a nonprofit and scale its impact.

Diana is also a leader in Mexicanas con Discapacidad, a nationwide collective of over 500 women advocating for disability rights and feminist policy reform. “It’s a political platform, but also a community of mutual support. That’s what makes it powerful,” she says.

The transformational power of the MBA

The MBA was more than a stepping stone, it was a turning point. It helped Diana build not just technical capabilities in finance and strategy, but also the confidence to lead across cultures and sectors.

The programme’s global exposure—including a study trip to Tongji University in Shanghai and a sustainability challenge with Procter & Gamble—broadened Diana’s perspective and helped her step into unfamiliar terrain. Diana reflected: “The assignments I feared the most ended up being the most rewarding. That’s when I truly grew, I arrived unsure and shy, and I left with a global network, new skills, and an award for MBA Best Student of the Year. These insights have carried through into my professional life, where I’ve had the opportunity to lead and collaborate with teams in different countries and at multiple levels of seniority.”

Advice for future MBA students

Diana’s message to future MBA candidates is clear: she urges students to embrace challenges and step outside their comfort zone—both in and beyond the classroom.

“Come with an open mind. Let yourself be transformed.

Your MBA will teach you frameworks and finance,” she says. “But more importantly, it can teach you who you are, and the kind of leader you want to become.”

Find out more about how the Newcastle University MBA can elevate your organisation and your career.

Visit our website or get in touch with our team.
 

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Newcastle University Business School .