HMC Board of Directors Spotlight: Dieste’s Franco Caballero
March 4th, 2026
With the unexpected passing of Dieste CEO Greg Knipp last year, Managing Director Franco
Caballero was tasked in filling big shoes. He joined HMC’s board of directors and has brought
cultural intelligence and data acumen to the organization. With nearly two decades spanning
creative and brand strategy experience, Franco brings a perspective shaped equally by
imagination and rigor—connecting cultural insight, data, and storytelling to drive meaningful
business outcomes.
We sat down with him to get his perspective on joining the HMC board as well as current
Hispanic marketing trends.
What does it mean to you to serve on the HMC board? What does it also mean to continue Greg Knipp's legacy?
This question is one and the same for me. Greg believed in the promise of the Hispanic market, and his mark on our community reflects his commitment to it. Serving on this board is the continuation of that same commitment and belief—that the entire spectrum of Hispanic communities is a platform for growth strategy in the U.S. and beyond.
What is your proudest accomplishment as a Hispanic marketing professional?
It gives me great fulfillment to pay it forward and mentor students. I love giving them the perspective and support they need to realize that they indeed have what it takes to work in this industry. Almost 20 years to the date, the struggle is real, and the advice is not all that different: get an internship!
How will you help further HMC's mission of championing the Hispanic consumer segment and advocating for responsible & intentional investment in Hispanic marketing?
I started as a copywriter and then pivoted to a strategist. I think I was destined to love data and numbers – because they often back the words I find myself writing these days in my business leadership era. As our market matures, we must embrace its complexity. We won’t be able to justify it as a single community story with singular market numbers.
I would love to contribute to HMC by making this multi-community complexity a positive story—of both numbers and words—that helps us find new arguments and ways to convince more marketers to activate at the appropriate levels and with authenticity.
With 2025's roller coaster behind us, what is your prediction for Hispanic marketing in 2026?
My three-word phrase: it’s all upside. That’s not off-the-shelf optimism. I think market pressures have tested the limits of austerity. I believe a lot of uncertainty has given way to a new sense of footing. Much like a rollercoaster, the second half of unexpected surprises starts to feel more familiar. So, this feeling of being on our back foot from 2025 can now feel like solid ground in 2026 – a springboard from where to leap forward into growth and new opportunities.