Meet our people

Andrea Villanueva, Advisor of Global Organizational Development, speaks about her journey at Gildan, and how exploring various areas within the Company has led her to join the Global Organizational Development team.

In her role, Andrea supports the development and implementation of leadership programs across the organization, promoting learning and development by making training opportunities available to more employees, and collaborating with HR teams worldwide to support talent management efforts. Read on to discover her journey to finding her fit at Gildan: 

When I completed my Master’s degree in Human Resources, I knew that what I really wanted was to connect with people and make a difference in their lives. So, when I got the opportunity to come in as a Training & Development Coordinator at Gildan, I took the job right away!

This role kickstarted an exciting career path at Gildan. Throughout my time here, I have focused on identifying employees’ development needs, as well as planning and implementing training programs. I have also had the incredible opportunity to operate and exercise my passion in evolving contexts. One of the best parts about working at a large manufacturing company is the ability to experience and learn about all aspects of the business. I began my journey working in the Honduras Regional Head Office, supporting the textile facilities. Later, I moved to a different business unit, supporting sewing operations and the Honduras distribution centre. Thanks to the incredible support from my managers, I reached a point where I had worked at nearly every type of manufacturing facility Gildan had in Honduras. This gave me a deep understanding of the training and development needs across various areas of the organization. With each change, I acquired more knowledge and expertise, took on more responsibilities, and felt increasingly empowered in my position.

Then came a point in my career when I had the opportunity to focus specifically on development processes and programs. This was a pivotal moment for me where the experiences gained through my lateral movements across different areas of the business allowed me to align my expertise with my passion.

“One of the best parts about working at a large manufacturing company is the ability to experience and learn about all aspects of the business.”

Looking back, I believe this was a good move for me. I am now an Advisor in the Global Organizational Development team, implementing programs at scale such as the Leading the Gildan Way and Women in Leadership – Ignite Your Impact trainings. These high-impact initiatives help identify, shape, and empower Gildan’s current and future leaders. My knowledge of the different areas of the Company, along with great guidance from my leaders has equipped me well to take on this global role.

My Gildan journey has truly been fruitful in helping me find my fit while staying true to my initial passion of wanting to connect with people. It is deeply rewarding to collaborate with colleagues from all over the world to bring our programs to life, and even more rewarding to see the growth and evolution of those employees who participate in these programs.