Welcome to In Her Words, New York Festivals Lady Liberty’s monthly interview series celebrating women innovators across the industry. As part of the Lady Liberty Leadership Program, the series offers audiences an opportunity to connect with the voices, ideas, and experiences shaping today’s creative landscape through thoughtful conversations, personal reflections, and an evolving monthly focus.

Meet Gilda Valle, Head of Strategy at BBDO Ecuador

Gilda Valle is one of the most respected and admired strategy directors in Ecuador, with 20 years of experience. She is now recognized as a significant figure in the field of strategic planning.

Currently, she leads the strategy department at BBDO Ecuador, developing valuable strategies for the country's and the region's main advertisers. She has served as a judge in the most important advertising festivals such as Effie Latam, Effie Ecuador, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, New York Festivals, Young Lions Ecuador, Fiap, etc. She is one of the most awarded women in her country.

Lady Liberty: Was there a moment in your career when you realized your perspective or leadership style did not need to mirror anyone else’s to be effective?

Gilda Valle: Leadership doesn’t come from a title; it comes from the mark you leave on others when you’re no longer in the room. For a long time, I looked for people in this industry to emulate. I was lucky enough to find the most brilliant creative mind I’ve ever known in a completely different world. So much of who I am, I owe to her. She taught me that creativity means agility, sensitivity, and the courage to question the obvious.

I also have another powerful mirror: the little girl I used to be. A girl hungry to take on the world, with endless curiosity and a permanent appetite for learning. Eventually, I understood that I didn’t need to be like anyone else. No one should aspire to be a reflection of someone else. Everyone deserves the freedom to build their own mirror, find their own voice, and define what leadership means for themselves.

Lady Liberty: As your career has evolved, how have you learned to balance ambition, confidence, and authenticity in professional spaces?

Gilda Valle: By showing up exactly as I am: imperfect. By being humble. By listening. By feeling. By learning. And by asking myself, “Why not?” and, more importantly, “To what end?”

Over time, I realized this career only makes sense when we recognize something simple: we have the power to create. We get to create every single day, and that is what keeps me excited. My team keeps me grounded—fortunately—and being surrounded by good people brings out my zen side.

Lady Liberty: In an industry shaped by constant visibility, personal branding, and a rapidly changing industry, how can leaders build influence while still maintaining a genuine voice and point of view?

Gilda Valle: For me, influence isn’t about what you say about yourself; it’s about what you leave behind in others. It’s about legacy. It’s not an “inspirational” LinkedIn post with a thousand likes. To me, leadership is being a living, burning bridge—one without obstacles. A wide bridge where others can cross, where there is someone who advocates, who shares opportunities, who speaks well of others, and who shares whatever little or much they know.

I’ll take that over any polished narrative any day. Generosity is my form of leadership. Beyond just a voice or a point of view, it is a point of action.