Cid Wilson of HACR:Cannes Lions Brought Latino Inclusion Into Corporate Power Circles

Hispanic and Latino inclusion in corporate leadership positions remains an unresolved challenge in the United States. From Cannes Lions 2026, Cid Wilson, president & CEO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR), spoke with PRODU about why representation in decision-making positions must be addressed with greater intentionality by companies.

Founded in 1986 in Washington, D.C., by a coalition of Hispanic and Latino organizations, HACR works to promote the inclusion of Latinos, Hispanics and historically underrepresented communities in Corporate America, focusing on four areas: employment, procurement, philanthropy and governance.

“We are the leading nonprofit organization in the United States advancing Hispanic and Latino inclusion in Corporate America,” Wilson said. He has served as president & CEO since 2014.

For the executive, the main challenge lies in closing the gap between the demographic weight of the Latino community in the U.S. and its actual presence within corporations. Although Hispanics and Latinos account for more than 20% of the U.S. population, their representation in senior corporate positions remains limited.

“We are underrepresented at every level, and even more so when you look at the C-suite and corporate boards,” he said.

Wilson noted that there are currently around 15 or 16 Latino men serving as CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, while there are no Latina CEOs among those companies. On corporate boards, he added, only 6% of seats are held by Latinos, while the figure drops to approximately 1% for Latinas.

For HACR, this gap is not the result of a lack of talent, but rather a lack of sponsorship, visibility and access to growth opportunities. That is why Wilson emphasized that companies need to build genuine pipelines toward positions of greater power.

“This disparity is not happening because there is a lack of qualified candidates, but because there is a lack of sponsorship. That’s why we talk about DEI squared: diversity, equity, inclusion and intentionality. Companies need to recognize that, in order to close this gap, they have to build pipelines that make greater representation visible,” he explained.

HACR’s presence at Cannes Lions 2026 is part of that same agenda. For Wilson, the festival brings together a high concentration of Chief Marketing Officers, one of the most influential positions within companies and an important part of the succession pipeline toward future CEO roles.

“What brings us to Cannes Lions is that there is a high concentration of Chief Marketing Officers here. They are among the five positions of power in Corporate America, alongside Chief Operating Officers, Chief Financial Officers, Chief Technology Officers and General Counsels. All of those positions have a history of becoming future CEOs,” he said.

For Wilson, the lack of representation in the executive succession pipeline also affects the diversity of corporate boards. That is why HACR works directly with CEOs, corporate leaders and senior executives to promote best practices, open conversations and advance greater Latino representation in decision-making positions.

“We travel across the United States and around the world to take advantage of every opportunity to interact with CEOs. We use those platforms to advance our mission and generate conversations about inclusion in Corporate America,” he said.

In addition to its own programs, including HACR Empowered, Direction for Growth and Excellence and the HACR Symposium, the organization participates in high-level business forums to bring the inclusion conversation to the places where corporate priorities are defined.

Wilson, who describes himself as the first Afro-Latino CEO of a national Hispanic organization in U.S. history, said his personal experience also shapes the way he leads this agenda.

“I understand the experience of being Latino, being Black and being underrepresented. That’s why it’s important for us to be at Cannes Lions to continue our advocacy work,” he concluded.