Alondra de la Garza, where leadership becomes trust. The story of a leader who built a national career in compliance and risk management, and who today returns to Ciudad Juarez to strengthen business confidence. By Ana Paula Kiyama. It has long been said that no one is a prophet in their own land. Alondra de la Garza thought that perhaps that saying would also apply to her. Her professional growth took place far from Ciudad Juarez. In Mexico City, she found challenges major clients, a career that took off within Sala Science Grant Thornton, and an unusual specialization. The prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing. Fourteen years after joining the firm for a temporary project of just a few months, she ended up becoming a national partner, and recently, the new partner in charge of the Ciudad Juarez office. But his story was never just about promotions. It was about coming back and driving business growth in Ciudad Juarez. I never stopped missing Juarez for a single moment, he says with the same ease with which he speaks about financial regulation or business risks. The project that never finished. There are decisions that seem small but end up changing a whole life. When she first graduated from university, Alondra worked at a local firm. Shortly after, an opportunity arose in Mexico City to collaborate with Salah Sign's Grant Thornton on a specialized project for banking institutions that would last only four or five months. Without hesitation, she accepted, but she never imagined that this temporary project would end up becoming almost two decades of her career. She started at the entry levels of consulting. Then came promotions, new responsibilities, national clients, international certifications, and a specialization that today places her among the most recognized voices in the country in the field of money laundering prevention. While many constantly change companies in search of growth, she found growth by staying with a single organization. The reason, she explains, was never solely professional, but also human. A company where people come first. When Alondra talks about Saleh signs Grant Thornton, she avoids starting with audits, taxes, or consulting. She prefers to talk about people. She remembers perfectly how she arrived alone in a city where she had no family, friends, or support network. Instead of finding a competitive environment, he found something he didn't expect. An organization where professional development was accompanied by a genuine interest in people. That human side was what made me want to stay. During the pandemic, that perception was finally confirmed. While many organizations were going through layoffs and cutbacks, Grant Thornton decided to protect its people and adapt its working model. It was precisely this shift to remote work that allowed her to return to Ciudad Juarez. A professional opportunity ended up becoming a personal homecoming as well. Return to build from home. Some people seek opportunities far from their city. Alondra decided to bring all the experience she had gained back home. After 10 years living in Mexico City, she returned to Juarez convinced that this border city remains one of the places with the greatest entrepreneurial potential in the country. He speaks of Juarez business owners with admiration. He describes them as hardworking, resilient, and deeply committed. I love my homeland very much. She doesn't say it as a mere formality. She says it as someone who chose to return even though she could have stayed. And it was precisely because of this knowledge of the local business community that she became the natural candidate to head the Ciudad Huara's office. Trust is not demanded, it is earned. In an environment where leadership is constantly discussed, Alandra has a simple definition. A leader doesn't convince with speeches, but with example. For her, leadership is not possible when actions contradict words. People have to believe in you, and that can only be achieved by being consistent. In a business world where credibility has become one of the most valuable assets, that philosophy also defines how she leads teams and serves clients. But Alondra understands that this trust isn't demanded. It's earned. That's why, when we asked her why she ended up becoming the right person to lead the Ciudad Huara's office, her answer didn't mention degrees, positions, or experience. It spoke of consistency. I do what I say. My word is as good as a signature. Because in an environment where promises abound, companies continue to look for exactly the same thing as people. Someone who does what they say. Being a woman was never the challenge. Although she works in historically male-dominated sectors, she says she never felt that gender was a barrier. Not because the path was easy, but because she decided to prepare herself until she completely mastered her specialty, as she believes there is a huge difference between seeking recognition and becoming indispensable. A business administrator by training, she built a career studying law, financial regulation, international standards, and obtaining national and international certifications. In addition to a master's degree specializing in the prevention of money laundering and the financing of terrorism. When knowledge is solid, he asserts it ceases to matter whether the person at the table is a man or a woman. You're the person who knows. And that completely changes the conversation. For almost 20 years, he has dedicated his life to understanding how financial risks, organized crime, international regulations, and the mechanisms that allow companies to be protected operate. Her profession didn't even exist with the prominence it has today when she started. There were no master's degrees, specializations, or clear career paths. She learned by reading laws, interpreting regulations, and building knowledge practically from scratch. Over time came national certifications, international programs, a specialized master's degree, and recognition within one of the world's most important global consulting networks. The new business risk is no longer just financial. Few people talk about money laundering with the clarity that Alondra does. After 19 years dedicated to the subject, she observes how companies have gone from seeing it as an inconvenient requirement to understanding it as a survival strategy. Previously, he explains complying with regulations was seen as an expense. Today it represents protecting reputation, avoiding penalties, and preserving trust. Especially in a border city like Ciudad Juarez, where international supply chains, trade relations with the United States, and the new geopolitical context demand increasingly prepared companies. It doesn't matter if you're a large or small company, they all have risks. And the key is to anticipate and not react when the problem has already arrived. Artificial intelligence also needs human judgment. In times where fears about artificial intelligence abound, Alondra maintains a pragmatic stance. He doesn't believe technology will replace people. He believes it will replace those who don't learn how to use it. At Salah Sign's Grant Thornton, artificial intelligence is already part of many processes, but it does not replace technical analysis or professional judgment. Rather, it accelerates it, makes it more efficient, and allows companies to receive better services in less time. A firm that wants to become an ally of the business community. Their vision for the Ciudad Huarez office is clear. They want more companies to understand the true scope of SOLES Signs Grant Thornton, not just as an international audit and consulting firm, but as a strategic partner capable of supporting them through an increasingly complex economic, fiscal, technological, and regulatory environment. An organization that understands the realities of the border region and combines global expertise with local focus. It talks about presence and about companies knowing they are not alone. Their vision is not simply to position a stronger office within an international network. Their goal is far more ambitious. To make Sala Signs Grant Thornton the first name that comes to mind for a business person facing a complex decision. Whether it's an audit, international expansion, tax issues, compliance risk, cybersecurity, or anti-money laundering, the important thing is to have the certainty that there's a team capable of supporting you before problems arise. Our client's success is Sala Sign's Grant Thornton's success, she says confidently. If they do well, we do well too. Because in the end, he explains, no firm can boast of its growth if the companies it supports are not growing with it. Perhaps that is the most important challenge of this new phase. Not to build the biggest office, but the most reliable one. Because great business deals begin with a signature. But great business relationships begin with something much harder to come by. The certainty that when challenges arise, someone will be sitting on the same side of the table. Because in the end, after almost 20 years of career, his biggest conclusion is surprisingly simple. Companies grow thanks to people. And the leaders, too. Phrases. Companies don't need to do everything alone. They need allies to help them go further. Our client's success is our firm's success. Our job is not to sell services, it's to solve the problems that really matter. The best business relationships are born from trust, not a contract. Prevention is not an expense, it is an investment in the long-term viability of a company. We don't wait for the problem to appear. We design organizations so that it never happens. Money laundering is no longer a problem exclusive to banks, any company can be exposed. The strongest organizations are not those that react best, but those that learn to anticipate. My job is not to chase risk, it's to build companies that are stronger than risk.