Hispanics Stand Near Top of Corporate Ladder January 9, 2014 Michael Caplinger — HispanicBusiness Advertisement Hispanic representation on the boards of Fortune 500 companies remains aggravatingly low entering 2014, but that doesn’t mean the Hispanic influence isn’t felt at the largest U.S. firms. From senior vice president to COO to CEO, examples are everywhere of Hispanics scoring important goals on the corporate playing field. The 2014 Hispanic Business Corporate Elite showcases 25 of these achievers. From Robert Sanchez, chairman and CEO at Ryder, to Lisa Garcia Quiroz, chief diversity officer at Time Warner, to Rick Coro, senior vice president and chief information officer at Advance Auto Parts, the list provides many examples of Hispanics who have reached the upper echelons of corporate America. There is much progress to be made, for sure. Just eight of the Fortune 500 CEOs are of Hispanic descent, or 1.4 percent. That is a far cry from the overall population, where Hispanics are quickly closing in on the 20 percent mark. A quick look at most of the senior management of the companies on the Fortune 500 shows just how far there is to go. However, the 25 people on our Corporate Elite index, combined with many others whom we have featured over the years, shows the promise of the future, and the hope that the percentage gap will continue to narrow. Joseph Alvarado President and Chairman of the Board Commercial Metals Co. In addition to serving as CEO and president of Commercial Metals Co., Joseph Alvarado is the chairman of the enterprise’s board, a title he has held since January 2013. Mr. Alvarado has more than 25 years of senior-level experience in operations, sales and marketing, finance, corporate development and international business with companies such as Spectra Energy Corp., U.S. Steel Tubular Products Inc. and Lone Star Technologies Inc. He began his career at Inland Steel in 1976 and rose through a variety of finance, sales and operating positions before leaving in 1997 as president of Inland Steel’s Long Product Division. Mr. Alvarado earned his MBA from Cornell University and his bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame. Ricardo Anzaldua EVP and General Counsel MetLife Inc. Ricardo A. Anzaldua is executive vice president and general counsel of MetLife Inc. In this role, Mr. Anzaldua leads the company’s global legal operations and oversees its government relations and public policy department, corporate secretary’s office and corporate ethics and compliance group. Prior to MetLife, Mr. Anzaldua worked for The Hartford Financial Services Group as senior vice president and associate general counsel, and was a partner with Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP in New York. He earned his law degree from Harvard Law School. Mr. Anzaldua was the publications director and senior editor of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies, a University of California think tank focused on research relating to Mexico and Latin America. Jorge Benitez Managing Director-North America and Chief Executive-U.S. Accenture Accenture named Jorge Benitez managing director-North America and chief executive-United States in September 2011. Mr. Benitez is responsible for Accenture’s business and operations in North America, including developing and executing the business strategy and ensuring the company’s growth. Mr. Benitez previously served as COO of Accenture’s Products operating group, the largest of the company’s five operating groups. He was responsible for executing the business strategy and ensuring operational excellence across a wide set of consumer-relevant industries in seven industry groups: automotive; air, freight and travel services; consumer goods and services; industrial equipment; infrastructure and transportation services; life sciences; and retail. Ricardo Coro SVP and CIO Advance Auto Parts Inc. Ricardo “Rick” Coro is the senior vice president and chief information officer of Advance Auto Parts Inc., an automotive aftermarket retailer of parts, accessories, batteries and maintenance items. At Advance, Mr. Coro is responsible for directing the IT department, including application development, technical services and infrastructure, and help desk and field support. Prior to joining Advance, Mr. Coro worked for such companies as Office Depot, Eckerd Corp., JC Penney Co. Inc. and General Dynamics. Born in Cuba, Mr. Coro immigrated to the U.S. as a child with his family. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech, as well as an MBA from Texas Christian University. Ibi Fleming SVP and Managing Director, North America Region Herbalife As senior vice president and managing director for Herbalife’s North America region, Ibi Fleming is responsible for all business, strategic, sales and marketing functions across the area, which includes the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean. Ms. Fleming began her Herbalife career as an assistant to the vice president of personal care training. Subsequently, she served in product marketing as manager of “giftables” before joining the North America team. During her tenure with the North America region, Ms. Fleming served first as manager of the West Coast region and then as director, senior director and vice president of sales and marketing for the U.S. Latin market. The Latin market currently represents approximately 60 percent of North American sales and has been one of the company’s fastest-growing markets under her leadership. She is from Cuba and holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from National University. Isaura Gaeta Director of Global Program Office for Corporate Affairs Intel Isaura Gaeta is the director of the Global Program Office for Corporate Affairs with Intel. In this role, Ms. Gaeta is responsible for the higher education, K-12 education and Intel Community Outreach programs. Intel’s education programs are in use in more than 60 countries. Ms. Gaeta joined Intel in 1984; and prior to her move to corporate affairs she was the director of the California Technology and Manufacturing silicon processing “fab” and has led the development of analog, logic, and flash process technologies at Intel. She received her bachelor of science degree and a master of science degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Yvonne Garcia SVP and Global Head of Client Solutions, Investment Manager Services State Street Corp. In her role at State Street, Yvonne Garcia is responsible for developing client relationships, deploying new technology and operational processes, and delivering complex consulting engagements for existing and potential clients. Prior to joining State Street, Ms. Garcia served as the director in marketing and distribution strategy for Liberty Mutual’s Agency Corp., where she contributed to the growth and development of new products and channels. Previously, Ms. Garcia was the vice president for Bank of America’s China Construction Bank Strategic Assistance. In this role, she and her team created and implemented more then 80 wealth management centers throughout China. Lisa Garcia Quiroz Chief Diversity Officer and SVP, Corporate Responsibility Time Warner Inc. Lisa Garcia Quiroz is the chief diversity officer and senior vice president of corporate responsibility for Time Warner Inc. In this role, Ms. Garcia Quiroz ensures that Time Warner’s workforce is reflective of a global media company that reaches a cross-cultural audience. Ms. Garcia Quiroz also oversees Time Warner’s philanthropic outreach, which has resulted in original programs that foster diverse new talent and build new audiences in the arts, and help make college more accessible to all talented youth. Before joining Time Warner’s corporate division, Ms. Garcia Quiroz worked at Time Inc., where she launched two businesses that identified and successfully served new markets: People en Español and Time for Kids. She serves as vice chairwoman of the board of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and on the board of the Apollo Theatre Foundation. Recently, Ms. Garcia Quiroz was nominated by President Obama and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve on the board of the Corporation for National and Community Service. Ms. Garcia Quiroz received both her undergraduate degree and master’s degree in business administration from Harvard University. Dave Gonzales SVP State Farm Dave Gonzales is the senior vice president for State Farm Insurance Cos. in the western region. He joined State Farm in 1980 as an auto company trainee and steadily rose through the ranks. Mr. Gonzales moved to corporate headquarters in 1984, holding various positions from fire division manager to regional vice president in Arizona. Mr. Gonzales has served on many community and higher learning institution boards. He is an alumni of the Southern California Leadership Academy and is a director on the State Farm General Co. board. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley. Mr. Gonzales also received the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation in 1987. Valerie Grillo Chief Diversity Officer, Human Resources American Express Valerie Grillo became American Express’ chief diversity officer, overseeing the Global Diversity and Inclusion team, in May 2013. As the chief diversity officer, Ms. Grillo is responsible for ensuring that American Express remains an employer of choice and reflects the diversity of the customers and communities it serves. Most recently, Ms. Grillo led Global Leadership Development at American Express. Ms. Grillo serves as a co-chair for the task force for talent innovation at the Center for Talent Innovation. She holds a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University and a bachelor’s degree from Brown University. Hector Hernandez SVP-Data Center Operations Terremark (a Verizon Company) Hector Hernandez is responsible for operations within Terremark’s global facilities, overseeing a team of professionals who manage the operations of the company’s 50 data centers around the world. Before joining Terremark, Mr. Hernandez spent 22 years at BellSouth overseeing data center operations. In addition, he worked for five years with EDS, directing some of the largest and most critical 24/7 operations centers in the southeastern U.S. He has vast experience with key operational processes such as provisioning, maintenance, change management and network reliability. Mr. Hernandez graduated from the University of Illinois-Chicago, where he earned a degree in electrical engineering with a concentration in computer science. He also holds a master’s in accounting from Nova Southeastern University. Jose Jimenez Chief Diversity Officer Computer Sciences Corp. Serving as the chief diversity officer for CSC since April 2011, Jose Jimenez advances the diversity and inclusion programs for the company. Mr. Jimenez works with executives to develop business initiatives that enhance customer and community relationships, as well as attract diverse talent in all markets. Mr. Jimenez was recently honored by the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC) with the Estrella award, which recognizes industry leaders for their contributions to the advancement of technology and diversity. He has also been named by HITEC as a Top 100 IT executive. He serves on the board of directors of the Fairfax County Court Appointed Special Advocates and is a member of Intelligence and National Security Alliance, the INSA Governance and Executive Committees and the Hispanic IT Executive Council. Mr. Jimenez served 20 years in the U.S. Navy. He holds a bachelor’s in electrical engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and a master’s in management from Troy State University. Mariano Legaz Regional President-Florida Verizon Wireless Technology-industry veteran Mariano Legaz was appointed in July as the Florida region president for Verizon Wireless, the nation’s largest wireless company. Mr. Legaz leads one of Verizon’s biggest and most populous regions with 80-plus company-owned retail stores, numerous corporate offices, a customer-service call center in Tampa, and more than 2,500 employees. In Florida, Verizon 4G LTE covers virtually every market. Since joining the company some 18 years ago, Mr. Legaz has held key positions in a broad range of areas, including network planning, engineering, deployment, capital strategy, operations management, network performance and network capital optimization. As vice president of sourcing, he oversaw Verizon’s purchasing activities in the U.S., as well as international purchases. A native of Argentina, Mr. Legaz joined Verizon after managing network planning and project management for CTI Movil (now Claro), Argentina’s leading wireless company. Mr. Legaz is active in numerous charity and civic organizations, and serves on the board of directors for the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the Quest Forum, the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the advisory board of Rutgers University Center for Supply Chain Management. Fred Lona Senior Director-Supplier Diversity Hilton Hotels Fred Lona is senior director of supplier diversity for Hilton Hotels Corp. in Beverly Hills, Calif. He is responsible for developing, administering, executing and monitoring the hotel chain’s supplier diversity program and ensuring it complies with the corporate-wide diversity strategy. Mr. Lona joined Hilton Hotels from AT&T Corp., where he spent 20 years, most recently as western regional director for supplier diversity. Mr. Lona is a former chair of the Southern California Minority Business Development Council (SCMBDC) and chairs the National Minority Supplier Development Council’s hospitality industry group. He has also served on boards of diversity organizations from the California DVBE Alliance to the Rocky Mountain Supplier Diversity Council. Mr. Lona holds a bachelor’s in marketing from California State University, Long Beach. Wanda McDonald EVP and CFO Cramer-Krasselt Whether she’s negotiating multimillion-dollar client contracts or overseeing employee benefits at Cramer-Krasselt, Wanda McDonald is involved in nearly every decision that affects the agency’s finances. From her post at the Chicago headquarters, Ms. McDonald manages a team of finance, IT and human resources staffers across the agency’s four offices. Prior to joining Cramer-Krasselt, Ms. McDonald was in finance at Publicis. But before settling on finance, she headed into art and fashion, designing and making her own clothes. Ms. McDonald eventually earned her bachelor’s from DePaul University. She is one of the country’s first Hispanic female CFOs for an advertising agency the size of Cramer-Krasselt. She is a member of the 4A’s CFO Roundtable and the Financial Executive Institute’s Chicago chapter. J. Mario Molina President and CEO Molina Healthcare Joseph M. Molina, M.D., is president and CEO of Molina Healthcare Inc., which his father, C. David Molina, founded in 1980. Dr. Molina was elected chairman of the board and assumed the chief executive role after his father’s death in 1996. During the last 25 years, Dr. Molina served in various capacities, from medical director to vice president of provider contracting, member services, marketing and quality assurance. Dr. Molina is a member of the American College of Physicians, the California Medical Association and the board of the Aquarium of the Pacific, as well as Homeboy Industries. He is also a board member of the Association of Health Insurance Plans and a member of the board of trustees of Johns Hopkins Medicine. Dr. Molina received his degree from the University of Southern California and performed his internship and residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. Juan Otero Senior Director and Policy Council-Federal Government Affairs Comcast As senior director and policy counsel for Comcast NBCUniversal’s Federal Government Affairs team in Washington, D.C., Juan Otero is responsible for representing Comcast NBCUniversal with members of Congress and the administration. He sits on the boards of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Congressional Hispanic Leadership Institute, the National Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators, and the Hispanic Federation of New York. Prior to joining Comcast, he was a committee director for the National Governors Association in Washington, and served as a deputy director at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Mr. Otero holds a J.D. from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and an MPA from American University. Carmen M. Perez President-FPL FiberNet NextEra Energy Carmen Perez joined FPL FiberNet in 2004 and was named president of FPL FiberNet in January 2007 after having served as vice president of sales and as controller and director of accounting. Prior to joining FPL FiberNet, she served in the customer service organization of Florida Power & Light Co. as director of revenue recovery. Before that, Ms. Perez served as FPL’s director of corporate accounting and assistant controller. From 1982-1989, she was a certified public accountant with the accounting firm of Deloitte & Touche, where she specialized in the management of audits of large financial and governmental institutions. Ms. Perez holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Florida International University. Ana Pinczuk Senior Vice President of Services Transformation Cisco Systems Ana Pinczuk leads the services transformation team responsible for Cisco Services strategy, planning, acquisitions and investments, portfolio management and enablement. Prior to this role, she led a 3,000-member team at Cisco’s Global Technical Center. Ms. Pinczuk started her career at AT&T Bell Laboratories as a systems engineer. She is a member of the Cornell Computer and Information Sciences Advisory Board, the Carnegie Mellon Engineering Advisory Board, the Technical Services Industry Association Executive Advisory Board, the TSIA Women in Services Advisory Board, the Consortium for Service Innovatio, the International Society of Service Innovation Professionals (ISSIP) and the Anita Borg Institute. She earned a bachelor of science and master of engineering in mechanical engineering from Cornell University, a master of technology management from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School, and a master of science in software management from Carnegie Mellon University. She is married and has two sons. Patricia Salas Pineda Group VP, National Philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation Toyota Motor North America Patricia Pineda is group vice president at Toyota Motor North America Inc., with primary responsibility for national philanthropy and the Toyota USA Foundation. Ms. Pineda joined TMA in September 2004. Prior to joining TMA, Ms. Pineda spent 20 years at New United Motor Manufacturing. Her affiliations include the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Inc. and National Council de La Raza. Ms. Pineda received a bachelor of arts degree from Mills College and a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley. Daniel Pinto Co-CEO, Corporate and Investment Bank JPMorgan Chase Daniel E. Pinto is co-CEO - Investment Banking Division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. He has also served as the CEO of Europe, the Middle East and Africa since June 2011. He had been head or co-head of the Investment Bank Global Fixed Income business (now part of Corporate & Investment Bank) from November 2009 until July 2012. Mr. Pinto was global head of emerging markets from 2006-2009, and was also responsible for the global credit trading and syndicate business from 2008-2009. Anthony Salcido VP, Corporate Controller Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. Anthony Salcido is vice president, North American financial integration for Toyota Motor Sales USA Inc. Mr. Salcido is responsible for overseeing the integration of key North American financial processes between sales and manufacturing. Prior to joining TMS in January 2005, Mr. Salcido served with the Walt Disney Co. as vice president and controller for Disney Consumer Products. Prior to his career at Disney, Mr. Salcido held senior financial management positions with PepsiCo’s international restaurant division, which included KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell. A CPA, he began his career with KPMG and later held managerial positions with PriceWaterhouse in both Los Angeles and San Diego. Mr. Salcido has served as the chairman of the audit committee for Toyota Motors Credit Corp. since 2009. He is also a board member for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund. He earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting from the University of Southern California. Robert Sanchez Chairman and CEO Ryder System Robert E. Sanchez has been chairman and CEO of Ryder System Inc. since January 2013. Over the course of two decades at Ryder, Mr. Sanchez has served in senior executive leadership positions in operations, finance and information technology, and has been a member of the company’s executive leadership team since 2003. Most recently, he was president and COO. Mr. Sanchez joined Ryder in 1993. Previously, he worked as an applications engineer at Florida Power & Light and as a controls engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. Mr. Sanchez was elected to serve on the board of directors of Texas Instruments in March 2011, and serves on the board’s audit committee. He also serves on the board of directors of the Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA), as well as the Association of Cuban Engineers (ACE), for which he chairs the scholarship foundation. In 2002, he received a Young Hispanic Leadership Award, and was named ACE Engineer of the Year in 2001. Mr. Sanchez earned his MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania with a concentration in finance and strategic management and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering with a specialization in computer science from the University of Miami. Jose Tomas EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer Wellpoint WellPoint Inc. appointed Jose Tomas executive vice president and chief human resources officer, effective December 2013. He focuses on attracting, developing and retaining talent across the company, compensation and benefits, workforce development, diversity management and associate engagement. Prior to joining WellPoint, Mr. Tomas served as global chief people officer and president, Latin America and Caribbean for Burger King Corp. He was responsible for global human resources and communications functions and led all operations, marketing, business development, purchasing, and supply and distribution functions for the region. Before joining Burger King in 2004, Mr. Tomas held field and corporate human resources positions with Ryder System Inc. and Publix Super Markets. Mr. Tomas is certified by the Human Resources Certification Institute as a senior professional in human resources, and serves as a board member for the Society for Human Resource Management. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in management from Florida International University. David Velazquez EVP-Power Delivery Pepco Holdings Dave Velazquez is executive vice president and leader of the power delivery business for Pepco Holdings Inc. PHI is a regional energy holding company that provides utility service to more than 1.9 million customers in Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and the District of Columbia through subsidiaries Potomac Electric Power Company (Pepco), Delmarva Power & Light Company (DPL) and Atlantic City Electric Company (ACE), and provides retail energy savings and renewable service through Pepco Energy Services. From 2006-2009, Mr. Velazquez served as president and CEO of Conectiv Energy, PHI’s competitive merchant energy subsidiary. He served as PHI’s vice president of strategic planning and chief risk officer from 2005-2006. He joined DPL in 1981, advancing through several management positions in engineering, operations and planning. Mr. Valazquez serves on the boards of the Maryland Business Roundtable for Education, the Southeastern Electric Exchange, the Trust for the National Mall and the Smithsonian National Zoo Advisory Board. He is a graduate of Widener University wi
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 21:56:55 +0000
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