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Jesse Antonio Lopez, 29
Director, Strategic Business Intelligence, HEINEKEN USA
As a natural-born leader, Jesse Antonio Lopez says it’s in his DNA to take on challenges and “build from the bottom up.” In 2015, after a solid strategy and marketing career in the consumer packaged-goods industry at leading global companies—including PepsiCo, Frito-Lay, and Mondelez International— Lopez, an MIT graduate, was recruited to lead the newly formed Strategic Business Intelligence (SBI) team at HEINEKEN USA. Within a short period of time, Lopez leads a highly effective team that guides strategy generation and implementation for one of the largest operating companies in the Heineken Group. One of the most challenging and rewarding responsibilities of his current role, Lopez says, “is to drive strategic business decisions by building strong cross-functional partnerships across the organization and translating vast amounts of data into meaningful insights and actions.” His SBI team regularly collaborates across regions (Western, Southeast, Central, and Northeast regions); brands (including Heineken, Dos Equis, Tecate, Strongbow, Amstel Light, and Newcastle); and functions (working on sales, marketing, finance, and operations). —MI
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Lia Taylor Schwartz, 29 Chief of Staff, Children’s Village
Between her full-time job as chief of staff for Children’s Village (CV) in Dobbs Ferry, volunteering with her therapy dog at local libraries, mentoring teens, running marathons, and blogging for the Huffington Post, Lia Taylor Schwartz wears many hats. In her role at CV, she is responsible for overseeing agency-wide projects and strategic initiatives for the 1,000-employee charity, which helps 10,000 children and families in the New York- Metropolitan area in obtaining education, jobs, and life skills. Thanks to her digital- and social-media skills, along with her efforts to keep CV “in the forefront of significant issues in child welfare and juvenile justice,” she was named a 2015 “40 Under 40 Rising Star” by New York Nonprofit Media. Her work for CV has brought her all over the world; last year, she traveled to Dubai and Baghdad at the invitation of the Iraqi government, to serve as a liaison to the Iraqi Children Foundation. “The stories and faces of children, families, colleagues, and neighbors are what make me want to get out of bed every morning and do my absolute best,” she says. —MI
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