Rosario Marin

Rosario Marin has become one of the most recognisable Hispanic faces in the world after becoming the first-ever Mexican-born Treasurer of the United States of America. She is currently the advisor to two international corporations based in Mexico and Australia. Throughout her career, Rosario has handled the creation of over 1,600 real estate properties and was responsible for overseeing the California Public Employees’ Retirement System, as well as serving in Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's cabinet as secretary of the State and Consumer Services Agency. Having emigrated to the United States from Mexico when she was just 15 years old, Rosario shares her story of discrimination wanting to empower other Hispanic women to follow their dreams.

Knowing zero English when she emigrated to the United States, Rosario only scored 27 out of 100 on an IQ test and was subsequently labelled as mentally disabled. Rosario worked hard to learn English and made use of songs on the radio in a bid to learn the new language. Hard work which clearly paid off, Rosario graduated with honours in the top 20 out of a class of 500. Rosario later graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University. Rosario then pursued a career in business and finance but quit after her son was born with Downs Syndrome. After finding there was a lack of support for Latino families living in the US, Rosario founded the first support group for Latino parents with Down’s children and so began her career in advocacy.

In 1992 Rosario was appointed the Chief of Legislative Affairs for the Department of Developmental Services and worked on legislations that benefitted those who are mentally disabled. For her incredible advocacy work, Rosario was awarded the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Prize by the United Nations. In 1999 Rosario became the first Hispanic to hold the position of Mayor in the Huntington Park city council and served as a board member for Hispanas Organised for Political Equity from 1999-2001. 2001 would also be the year in which Rosario made history as the first-ever Mexican-born US Treasurer. Throughout her stellar career, Rosario oversaw the collection of $104 billion in taxes, managed a state workforce of over 250,000 people, and the licensing of 2.4 million Californians.

Rosario has been decorated with accoladed and awards in honour of all she has achieved throughout her career, including four Honorary Doctorate Degrees. Her book ‘Leading Between Two Worlds: Lessons from the First Mexican-Born Treasurer of the United States’ became a bestseller as it illustrates her American Dream journey. A highly sought-after speaker, Rosario has been memorising her audiences across the world, from the United States to China, Costa Rico to Spain. When looking for an inspirational Hispanic speaker, who has proven that no matter your race, you can accomplish your dreams, look no further than Rosario Marin to hire at your next event.