After handing me her business card there is a graphic that instantly stands out to me.
This is the image on Andres’s business card.
“Wait, is this you in the cowboy hat?” I ask.
She laughs at my reaction.
“Oh yes.We like to have a little fun now and then,” she responds. After all, the Tech alumna does work for a major toy company.
Meet Jules Andres. Not only is the woman a former Red Raider, she is also the Director of Corporate Communications at Mattel, the world’s largest toy maker. They only make more than $7 billion annually. Even though she lives out in Los Angeles for her job, she said she still remembers where she came from.
Andres said she is from Fort Worth, Texas, and her dad graduated from Texas Tech with an industrial engineering degree.
“He use to do some recruiting for football,” said Andres. “When I was growing up we would go to all of the games. We went to a lot of Tech vs. TCU games when they were in the Southwest Conference. It was a big influence growing up. For five seconds I considered A&M and then that was over.”
Andres said she learned a lot during her time at Tech. She said she really learned the value of time management and work ethic. Andres said she majored in journalism and worked at the ‘UD,’ which is now the Daily Toreador. She said originally she wanted to be an investigative reporter, but after working for the UD she realized she was not meant to follow that dream.
Meet Jules Andres. The Director of Corporate Communications for Mattel.
Andres said she was struggling. She said whenever it came to the hard news it was difficult for her to write badly about anyone. Andres said it was a blessing in disguise because she could focus on the possibilities ahead of her.
She said her journey to Mattel began after she graduated from Tech. Andres said she worked for an engineering firm back home in the communications department. After that she said she moved on to a boutique public relations agency in the same city, and while there she made many connections. Andres said one of the women she knew from the boutique PR firm got a job with Weber Shandwick in LA and eventually one of the big PR agencies were staffing. Andres said she got on a plane to LA two weeks later and was hired. From there she eventually started working for Mattel. She has been working for them for 12 years now.
Andres said the best part of her job is the travel. She said she has been to Asia six times, all over China and Indonesia and Malaysia. She said she also went to Thailand last summer as well.
“I’m pretty proud of my passport,” she said. “It gives you a really good perspective. You think you know about the world until you leave this country and you walk through Southern China. You definitely learn a lot. You realize how lucky we are. We have a lot of blessings here in America.”
Andres has won many awards over the years for her work in PR, and over the weekend she was named an Outstanding Alumna in the College of Media and Communication. She said she learned a lot during her time at Tech. Andres said credits Tech for helping her prepare for her current career in regards to work ethic.
She said that is also the advice she would give a current college student.
“I would say work hard, be a meticulous writer, know your value, and have a good time doing what you love,” said Andres. “You’ll spend 25-30 years in your career and you need to really like it. But don’t let it rule your life. Don’t wake up with your iPhone in your hand.”
Andres said a piece of advice that has stuck with her through the years comes from her retired CEO at Mattel. She said his message was to simply do the right thing. Andres said she admires that quality in a leader because it’s not always the easiest thing.
“The right thing will always carry you through,” she said.
About Lauren Estlinbaum
