For working mothers, Elena Ortiz wants you to know that it seems like it’s so hard because it is.
“There is this narrative that you can be the perfect mother and also be the perfect professional, and I just think that’s a lie,” the Mastercard senior counsel says plainly. “I rely on my husband, my father-in-law, and our caretaker because I’ve learned that at different times, you have to balance things differently. You can’t be perfect at everything at the same time, so I have stopped trying to.”
Ortiz considers herself one of the more fortunate ones. The lawyer says Mastercard practices the values of balance and family that it preaches. In fact, Ortiz was promoted to her current position while on maternity leave with her second child. That maternity leave was substantial, and she got the news shortly before returning to work.
“I think a lot of other organizations would have just forgotten about the person out on maternity leave,” the senior counsel says. “Or at the very least, it would have taken me out of the running for a promotion. But Mastercard chose to recognize my work, and it made me come back even more committed wanting to be more involved, contribute in meaningful ways, and do great work for a company that has shown it truly values the people who work here.”
Ortiz says being a parent always comes first, but professionally, she is continually focused on learning, growing, and making a meaningful impact through the work she does.
The lawyer’s responsibilities at Mastercard include negotiating strategic product development contracts and providing legal counsel on the company’s cybersecurity products and services. Through this work, she plays a key role in enabling solutions that enhance the security and integrity of the global payments ecosystem.
The lawyer says her efforts help advance Mastercard’s mission of “doing well by doing good” by supporting technologies that protect consumers, businesses, and financial institutions from ever-evolving cyber threats.
The lawyer got her start at DLA Piper’s corporate department in Puerto Rico, one of the first global firms to enter the market. For Ortiz, it was a dream opportunity, and included being personally recruited by her former law school professor, who had become a partner at the firm. She spent several years handling high-stakes corporate work.
“Elena is an experienced and practical in-house advisor whose judgment and practical approach consistently helps to move complex matters forward,” says Asnardo Garro, Partner, AVILA Law. “As outside counsel, she is a pleasure to collaborate with. She understands how to balance legal risk with business objectives, making her an invaluable resource for Mastercard.”
After DLA, Ortiz credits Avila Rodriguez Hernandez Mena & Garro, a firm in Coral Gables, Florida, for helping her become a technology-focused lawyer.
“I had such great mentors there who helped me learn the cybersecurity side of product counseling and got me exposure to Mastercard as a client,” the senior counsel says. “I got to work with the in-house team for two years, which made the transition really seamless when they offered me a role.”
Ortiz is admitted to both the Puerto Rico and Florida state bars, which positions her to navigate cross-border and multi-jurisdictional issues that are common in global payments and cybersecurity matters. Her move to Florida, a move to be with the man who would become her husband and father of her children, turned into a horror story when it came time to sit for the bar.
The lawyer had spent months prepping for the test, only to have it pushed almost three months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That is not a test you can just stop studying for,” Ortiz says. “My whole world kind of fell apart. I had been studying 24-7, and now I was going to have to keep it up for months.”
When she finally got to sit for the test, she had to do so at home. Her in-laws were living with her at the time and had to essentially clear the home of people and pets. Her husband upgraded the internet to ensure a disconnection wouldn’t jeopardize her test results. If she took a drink of water, she made sure to show the camera what she was doing. So while feeling the anxiety of a life-altering exam, she was also shouldering the burden of factors far outside her control.
And she passed.
Ortiz is the daughter of a lawyer, one who tried to convince his daughter to do anything else. But today, Ortiz thinks he’s proud that his daughter followed in his footsteps.
“I’ve learned so much from my dad. He’s a very practical and pragmatic person,” the lawyer says. “That’s why I always look for efficiency and clear ways to explain things. If I can say it in two sentences, I will not write twenty.”
Being the mother of two has only heightened that efficiency. Ortiz says she never realized how much time she had before she became a mother. She makes use of every spare minute she can, still understanding that perfection as both a mother and a lawyer isn’t always possible at the same time. And that is okay.
“Be present in the moment; that is the best advice I can give,” she says. “You’re never going to achieve a perfect balance of being a mother and being a lawyer, but once you make peace with that, you’ll do your best in every situation.”
