Jackeline Velez, Director -US Hispanic Market Xero
In Jackeline’s everyday work at Xero, she works with accountants and bookkeepers to help them modernize their firms, smooth out processes and leverage technology. She is passionate about working with this community because she wants to drive a shift in the profession during this modern era.
Jackeline believes the accountant is a key function of whether or not a business succeeds. If a business doesn’t understand their financial situation or have accurate data, they’ll make the wrong decisions for their business. She strives to inspire accountants around how they can transform their lives and practices by taking advantage of technology and cloud-based tools like Xero.
While Jackeline has seen accountants be undervalued by clients who don’t see their worth — especially among females in the profession — she focuses on being a strong advocate for the next generation of female leaders in accounting and champions inclusivity in the workplace. As a Senior Account Manager in Xero’s Houston community, she led a team of four females. This was the only all-female sales team in the organization and she takes an open and authentic approach to guiding her team and leading by example so other female employees feel empowered and heard.
Recognizing that the Hispanic market is one of the fastest-growing small business economies in the U.S., Jackeline saw a massive opportunity for Xero to launch a new U.S. Hispanic vertical to help serve Hispanic accounting professionals and their small business clients. By setting a vision and taking the initiative, Jackeline was recently appointed to be the first Director, U.S. Hispanic Market at Xero. Jackeline will oversee the new vertical and help advisors and small businesses break down barriers to understand the power of the Xero platform. The team will provide support across Xero’s communities with a strong Hispanic-owned business presence by providing resources such as translated content, training and events.
Before joining Xero in 2016, Jackeline spent 10 years working in public accounting and industry at PwC, Flotek Industries and Schlumberger. She is a frequent speaker at industry events including Xero Roadshow, Latino Tax Fest and the Houston CPA Society. In 2019, Jackeline was recognized by Practice Ignition as one of the Top 50 Women in Accounting. A Houston native, Jackeline is proud to support her community. She was a fundraiser for the Women’s Center to End Domestic Violence. After Hurricane Harvey, Jackeline conducted fundraising and volunteered with rebuilding to support Hispanic families with language barriers. Each year, she supports Bike MS: MS150 Ride, and even plans to ride in the next one alongside her parents. Outside of work, Jackeline has been practicing yoga daily since 2015.
