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Chrysler Group Engineer Named Among Nation's "Top 200 Hispanics in Technology"


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AUBURN HILLS, MI--May 27, 2011:

  • Elite list selected by editors of Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine
  • Includes talented Hispanic technical leaders in a variety of business sectors and government
  • Chrysler Group's selectee "exemplifies Company's commitment to technical excellence and to diversity and inclusion"

The editors of Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine (HE&IT) have selected Valeria Fernandes, Head, International Information Technology, Chrysler Group LLC, as one of the "Top 200 Most Influential Hispanics in Technology."  Fernandes is responsible for all international IT strategies throughout Chrysler Group's business units, subsidiaries and joint venture initiatives worldwide.

The "Top 200" list each year features talented technical leaders of Hispanic origin in a variety of sectors, such as automotive, finance, defense, energy, retail and pharmaceuticals. HE&IT editors evaluate and select the "Top 200" based on excellence in their professional work, strong commitment to their communities and leadership as role models and mentors.

Fernandes is featured with other 2011 selectees in the spring edition of HE&IT magazine and will be honored at the magazine's Hispanic 200 Leadership Summit in Orlando, FL on June 10.

"Valeria exemplifies Chrysler Group's commitment to technical excellence and to diversity and inclusion," said Scott Sandschafer, Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Chrysler Group LLC. "The entire Chrysler Group team is very proud of Valeria and her extraordinary accomplishments as an IT professional and leader."

Fernandes obtained a degree in management information systems, with focus in business systems analysis, from the Pontificia Universidade Catolica de Campinas in Brazil.  She also holds a master's certificate in project management from George Washington University.  She is a member and past board member of the Chrysler Hispanic Employee Network and is a member of the Hispanic Information Technology Executive Council, the Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association and the National Society for Hispanic Professionals.

"It is indeed a great honor to be included among this select group of technical professionals," Fernandes said. "Chrysler Group believes that a multi-cultural work environment supports a stronger, more innovative and more sustainable Company. I am very proud to be a member of this outstanding, diverse and global Chrysler Group team."

About Chrysler Group's Leadership Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Chrysler historically has been a leader in promoting diversity throughout its enterprise. The Company was named one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine 12 times, and has been recognized five times by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation as one of the country's leading corporations supporting diversity and inclusion. In 2009 and 2010, Chrysler was named to HispanicBusiness magazine's prestigious Diversity Elite 60, for implementing strategies to reach more Hispanic customers and to pursue more business with minority- and Hispanic-owned suppliers.

Early in 2010, CEO Sergio Marchionne assumed the role as executive sponsor of Chrysler's Global Diversity Council and reaffirmed the commitment of Chrysler's leadership team to the values and principles of diversity. "Culture is the fabric that holds organizations together. It is not just an ingredient for success; it is the essence of success itself," Marchionne wrote. "This is why my leadership team and I are committed to creating an atmosphere where all of our people feel respected and valued, because every person plays an important role in shaping our future, including employees, our supply base, our marketing and our dealer network. Chrysler Group LLC and its people have a future with promise. We will reach the full measure of that promise only as one, united diverse team."

In March 2011, the editors of DiversityInc magazine named Chrysler Group to the magazine's 2011 list of "Top 50 Companies for Diversity." This coveted annual benchmark is comprised of companies the magazine's editors believe are diversity-management leaders. This was the fifth year since the list was established in 2001 that Chrysler has been included.

In April 2011, Chrysler Group was named among the nation's "Top Supporters" of Engineering Programs of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, recognizing the Company's efforts in developing, recruiting and hiring talented students pursuing technical careers at the nation's minority-serving institutions.

About Hispanic Engineer & Information Technology magazine

HE&IT magazine is distributed to thousands of engineering students at Hispanic-serving institutions, and to Hispanic professionals, high-level government and industry policy makers and executives across the country. The magazine is published by Career Communications Group Inc., the leader in celebrating diversity and promoting equal opportunity for minorities and women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

About Chrysler Group LLC

Chrysler Group LLC, formed in 2009 from a global strategic alliance with Fiat S.pA., produces Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Mopar and Fiat vehicles and products. With the resources, technology and worldwide distribution network required to compete on a global scale, the alliance builds on Chrysler Group's culture of innovation, first established by Walter P. Chrysler in 1925, and Fiat's complementary technology that dates back to its founding in 1899.

Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Chrysler Group's product lineup features some of the world's most recognizable vehicles, including the Chrysler 300, Jeep Wrangler, Dodge Challenger and Ram 1500. Fiat contributes world-class technology, platforms and powertrains for small- and medium-size cars, allowing Chrysler Group to offer an expanded product line including environmentally friendly vehicles.