Helena Valdez

Meet Helena Valdez -  A Mentor, Coach, Mom, Wife, Problem Solver and Techie! With over 30 years of high-level sales across Fortune 500 companies, Helena actively shares her faith in the workplace and beyond. Hear how she evangelizes, and learn about some of the fun ways she stays active!

Learn more about Helena here in our CWP Q&A! 

Helena Valdez

CWP Q&A
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Name: Helena Valdez

What do you do for work? 
I have been in high tech sales for 30 years selling software and services to the Fortune 500. My resume includes roles at Symantec, SAS, IBM, Teradata & Google Cloud. Most recently I was leading the Google business unit for Eviden a global systems integrator. My responsibilities included managing 6 salespeople and 2 partner development managers and driving $178M in revenue. 

What is your favorite part of work? 
I love mentoring and coaching people and believe that it is my responsibility to recruit and train the next generation of women in tech. I thrive on originating and chasing a deal to closure. In a selling role there is never time for boredom and each opportunity comes with a unique set of challenges. No two deals are a like.  To me it is exciting, complex, and rewarding. I feel blessed to have had such an amazing career.

Favorite way to Evangelize? 
I think it is important to find a parish family and get involved. My home parish is Our Lady of Sorrows (OLS) in Westmoreland and I love our small diverse inner city parish. I have participated in many ministries over my adult life and am currently involved in the following:

• Teaching (RE) First Holy Communion candidates at OLS
• At St. Vincent De Paul I help people get their rent and utilities paid
• Work at the food pantry at OLS 
• Serve meals to homeless at Blanchet House
• Last year I was blessed with sponsoring a woman in RCIA at OLS
• My husband and I are working to reinstate Friday night Bingo as a way to bring our community together and do a little fund raising
• Helping Sister Margaret with her bonsai trees that she sells. We generated over $600 at the OLS winter bazaar last month.

Favorite Saint? 
St. Helena was the mother of Constantine the great and in 342 went on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to get closer to Christ.  On her journey she discovered multiple relics including the cross upon which Jesus was crucified, 3 nails and the manger where Jesus was born. She is responsible for building "The Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem" and is the patron saint of difficult marriages, divorced people, converts, and archaeologists. Her feast day is May 21st and August 18th.
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Favorite Hobbies: My husband and I golf and recently started playing Pickelball at Holy Family parish in Eastmoreland. My favorite hobby is paper crafting. And I love a good book. Just picked up "The Fourth Quarter of Your Life: Embracing what Matters Most" by Matthew Kelly.