As leader of two key departments at the Courtyard by Marriott León at The Poliforum – Engineering and Loss Prevention – Lupita Aguilera never says no to a challenge.

When she applied to university in Leon, Lupita was one of just two female students in the electronic engineering program. There are very few females in the engineering field in Mexico, but Lupita would not let that deter her in her studies because of her passion for learning new skills and finding innovative solutions to problems.

Lupita has been at the Courtyard León since its opening in 2013. She first joined the hotel as an Engineering Assistant and has been promoted to multiple leadership roles throughout her tenure. She is an empathetic and kind leader, and as a result, Lupita’s teams have achieved 100% on their engagement scores. She dedicates her time and expertise to building a team based on mutual trust and confidence. Associates know that Lupita is always willing to share knowledge, listen to her team and train others. Several years ago, she served on a task force to open a sister hotel in the city and continues to regularly check in with that team to ensure they have the processes and measures in place to be successful.

When Lupita was young, her grandmother would take her on trips to explore nature. Those experiences helped fuel Lupita’s love for conservation and sustainability. Her role at the hotel has provided her with an outlet to pursue that passion and bring about meaningful change in her hotel. In the last two years, the hotel has decreased its carbon emissions by two percentage points because of Lupita’s drive to increase recycling efforts and solar energy use. Her leadership in this area has earned the hotel the city’s LEED Gold certification “Distintivo de ORO.” The Courtyard is the only hotel in the city to receive this highest distinction for sustainability measures.

Lupita has found a way to combine her passion for sustainability efforts with her passion to support her local community. The hotel’s recycling profits are donated to Alucca Foundation, a local organization committed to helping children with cancer and their families. She also volunteers her time to Alucca alongside other hotel associates.