Welcome back to Driven 4word: Influential Leaders Powered By God’s Will. Join us each month as we share the life story of an influential leader who humbled themselves to God’s plan for their life and embarked on a journey that only He could orchestrate.

The influential leader we will learn from this month is Maria Tapias. A highly-successful marketing professional living in the Dallas area, the Maria Tapias of today is a night and day difference from the little girl who was born in Colombia and ultimately raised in Miami. Even though she grew up in a religious family, Maria wrestled from an early age with questions about what a genuine relationship with God should look and feel like. 

When her parents divorced and her father went back to Colombia, Maria had to navigate becoming a US citizen and helping her mother and sister do the same. As the three of them adjusted to a new life in a new country, Maria began to learn more about who she was and what she wanted to do with her life.

Listen below as Maria begins her story.

Maria has 25+ years of experience in advertising working for clients such as Walmart, Verizon, Procter & Gamble, DIAGEO, Home Depot, Samsung and City of Dallas; among many others. Born in Colombia and raised in Miami, FL, she’s dedicated her entire career to advertising and marketing. Over the years, Maria has built a reputation for being a creative problem solver who thrives on turning business relationships into high value partnerships. She has simultaneously led multiple Top-10 global brands; each with teams of 15+ direct reports.

Always seeking new challenges, she likes endurance sports and has completed the MS150 as well as several triathlons.