Rosario Sierra Moreno is the Director of Business for Spain and Portugal at LinkedIn. With over 20 years of professional experience, her career has focused on technology, the internet and talent. She has held positions at companies such as Manpower and Google, and has been part of LinkedIn for more than 13 years. In her current role, she leads part of the company’s business operations, working with large corporations, public institutions and educational organisations, while combining business strategy, team development, client relations and transformation. In this interview, she shares her perspective on professional development, the importance of actively building one’s career, and the qualities she considers essential for navigating constantly evolving sectors.
What are your main responsibilities in your current role?
I currently lead part of LinkedIn’s business in Spain and Portugal, working with large companies, public institutions and educational organisations. My role combines business strategy, team development, client relations and transformation.
What has been your professional journey to where you are today, and what were the biggest challenges you faced?
I have spent more than 20 years working in technology, the internet and talent. I have worked for companies such as Manpower and Google, and I have been at LinkedIn for more than 13 years, where I have had the opportunity to grow alongside the company itself in Spain.
How do you stay inspired and up to date in a constantly evolving field? What platforms do you use to stay informed?
I am quite curious and consume information from a wide range of sources. Naturally, I use LinkedIn extensively: I follow professionals, companies, media outlets and experts from many different sectors. I am particularly interested in observing which conversations begin to emerge and how they evolve.
What skills or qualities do you consider fundamental to your success in the cultural sector?
My career has been primarily focused on technology, business and talent. However, I believe there are certain qualities that are universal and particularly relevant in a sector such as culture.
What advice would you give to someone starting their career in the cultural world?
First of all, I would tell them not to wait for the perfect job to start building their career. They should get involved and take action, even on a small scale: work on their own projects, collaborate with others, volunteer, write, research, organise something or help others. In sectors where career paths are not always linear, demonstrating what you are capable of doing can be far more powerful than explaining what you would like to do.
What factor do you think carries the most weight in professional success at LinkedIn within the cultural sector?
I would say the ability to build an authentic and recognisable professional identity. There is a great deal of talent in the cultural sector that does not always know how to gain visibility or communicate the value of its work.
LinkedIn works particularly well when it is not used merely as a showcase for projects or as a CV, but as a space to share your own perspective: what you do, but also what you think, what interests you and what you can contribute. For me, this combination of authenticity, consistency and the ability to spark conversations is what ultimately builds a reputation and opens up opportunities.
What real role do you think LinkedIn has played in the development, positioning, and recognition of the cultural sector in Spain?
I believe LinkedIn has primarily helped to professionalise the visibility of the cultural sector and connect it with fields with which it may historically have had less interaction, such as business, technology, innovation, institutions and investment.
Culture has a particular characteristic: a huge part of its value is built through relationships, collaborations and projects. LinkedIn makes these networks much more open, enabling artists, cultural managers, producers and institutions to connect directly with professionals and organisations that may previously have been outside their immediate circles.
I also believe there is another important aspect: making it clear that culture is also an industry, a source of employment and an economic activity. Today, LinkedIn features cultural institutions, foundations, creative companies, festivals, independent professionals and job opportunities that are all part of the same ecosystem. In fact, there are currently dozens of positions specifically related to cultural management in Spain, and many more connected with culture, creativity and experiences.
There is still considerable room for the sector to make the most of this potential, particularly when it comes to building communities and generating opportunities beyond traditional job searching.
Based on your experience, what sets professionals who actually secure opportunities through LinkedIn apart from those who simply have a presence on the platform?
For me, the difference lies between being present and actively participating.
Having a complete profile is important, but on its own, it does not generate many opportunities. People who truly make the most of LinkedIn tend to have a clear idea of what they want others to understand about them, build relationships before they need them, and participate genuinely in conversations within their sector.
And I do not think this necessarily means posting constantly. It can mean sharing knowledge, commenting thoughtfully, highlighting other people’s work, connecting people or simply maintaining a strong professional network.
Ultimately, opportunities tend to arise when three things come together: a clear professional identity, a relevant network and a willingness to contribute generously to it. Technology makes it easier for people to find you, but trust remains fundamentally human.