Alejandro Garcia de Leon

Can you tell us about a pivotal moment in your career that led you to where you are today?

After graduating from college with an Engineering degree, I made a pivotal decision to pursue a career in Consumer Insights and Market Research. Some of my Engineering friends wondered if I had gone nuts, but an internship had sparked my passion for understanding consumer behavior. This experience defined my professional path. Starting with traditional research methods and expanding into social data analysis, my drive to understand consumer behavior has remained constant. This passion has guided my professional growth and led me to where I am today, in a field that I love.

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What makes a good leader in social intelligence?

The qualities that make a good leader in social intelligence are similar to those of any effective leader. This includes setting a clear vision, aligning the team's work with the company's objectives, fostering a positive work environment, and adapting to challenges with resilience. The last part about adapting to challenges may particularly resonate with us practitioners of social intelligence :0 but at its core, effective leadership in social intelligence is built on the same foundations as any good leadership.

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What three skills do you have that helps you to excel in your role?

 Going to make me blush, but I would highlight 1) analytical thinking and storytelling to analyze large/complex data and summarize recommended actions in an easy-to-understand manner, 2) curiosity to intensely probe what truly drives consumer behavior, and 3) innovation to always be looking for new ways to address business questions in an ever-changing field.

What do you think will be different about social intelligence in 2035?

In terms of technology and tools, probably everything. The pace at which technology is evolving is incredibly fast, and the rate of change is only accelerating. Take Gen AI, in just two year we went from “help me write an email”, to “help identify the most promising new drug candidate.” It’s almost impossible to predict where we’ll be in ten years, but we can be sure that the technology will be very different and much, much better.

 Having said that, the core human element that drives social intelligence will endure. While we will undoubtedly work smarter and have more sophisticated tools at our disposal, the fundamental goal of using our skills to inform business decisions will persist. The essence of social intelligence—interpreting and applying insights from human behavior and interactions—will continue to be the cornerstone of our efforts, even as the tools we use evolve.

Will we still have jobs? Is AI all hype or actually helpful?

Hahaha, I think we will still have jobs…well, I hope so. And yes, while there’s a ton of hype around AI, its impact is undeniable. One only needs to see what has happened in the last two years to realize how helpful AI can be and acknowledge it will be transformational. The way we work will undoubtedly change, but I believe we will still be needed…at least to guide our AI agents on what needs to be done :)

What should people know before getting into social intelligence?

Pursuing a career in social intelligence can be fun, challenging, and fulfilling. If you enjoy working with data, are curious about understanding consumer behavior, and want to be in a field that’s constantly evolving, it can be an amazing choice.

What’s been your biggest career highlight?

Well, being inducted into the Social Intelligence Insider 50 Hall of Fame is way up there :) In all seriousness, this an amazing recognition -- seeing my name alongside some of the folks I admire the most is both humbling and inspiring.

What’s next for you?

Although I feel very proud of what I have been able to accomplish at Hilton in such a short time –from launching the program to being integrated into the decision-making process of so many aspects of the business—I believe there’s still so much to do: new use cases, reaching out to other parts of the organization, integrating insights more tightly with other teams, expanding into other languages…a ton of opportunities ahead. I am excited about the future and look forward to continuing to drive insight and innovation at Hilton.

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