YANIRA OTERO

Training & Development Administrator / Bulley & Andrews

Yanira Otero holds a bachelor's degree in Urban Planning & Public Affairs from UIC. Over the past ten years, Yanira has gained extensive experience across various facets of construction, working with both small and mid-sized general contractors. Her background includes a wide range of construction-related responsibilities, from certified payroll and employee onboarding to site supervision. She was the first employee (outside of the owner) for a small, minority-owned general contractor where she did everything from benefits management to joint scope meetings to project closeout.

When she first joined the B&A team in January 2022, Yanira supported project teams in the healthcare group as a project coordinator. In 2023, she asked to enhance employee onboarding efforts while still supporting project teams and became a Project & Training Administrator. Eventually, this turned into a full-time role as a Training & Development Administrator in 2024. Currently, Yanira focuses on onboarding, facilitating internal and external continuing education for staff, and assisting with the B&A summer internship program.

Her path in this industry has been a winding road. Throughout her career, from starting at a small MBE to navigating corporate environments, Yanira has prioritized feeling a sense of belonging. In her first role, she worked for a minority-owned business, surrounded daily by other Latinos every day, which mirrored her upbringing in Chicago. Entering a corporate environment challenged Yanira's cultural comforts and helped her develop new skills in relationship building and community. She joined employee resource groups and stepped into leadership of many company cultural initiatives, including actively participating in DEI & YPA groups and events.

As a next step, she became more involved in networking organizations like PWC Chicago and has helped host Candid Convos. Similar to those events, a few years ago, Yanira launched the B&A Coffee & Convo program, which holds a safe space for employees to gather and share their thoughts on a particular topic. While these responsibilities require additional tasks outside of her role, Yanira is proud to lead and participate in these groups and events. She values creating community within the workplace by making connections and building support networks.

Tell us why you choose to be a member of PWC Chicago. Community! It's always great to share stories and experiences with like-minded individuals in the same industry! Also, being a Chicagoan, community and building up the city is really important to me.  

What PWC Events do you enjoy attending?  The Semi-annual socials and Candid Convos.

Share an important lesson that you have learned during your career. Just ask the question! You never know what the answer will be or what opportunity might arise from starting the conversation or asking the burning question. It's better to ask than to wonder what if. 

How have your career goals shifted or evolved over time? When I was a kid, I was set on being an architect, which quickly changed in college and was a heartbreaking adjustment. I found my way into Urban Planning & Public Affairs, and that fit. However, job roles aren't as straightforward! I helped build up a small minority-owned GC for five years until the owner decided to close up shop. Moving on to B&A, I quickly became a part of our culture groups, found where I fit, and how I could enhance the company. I asked for a role that didn't exist and got it. Now, it's about building the role up and seeing what happens next!