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Sol Trujillo
Chairman of the Board
Ana Valdez is the President and CEO of The Latino Donor Collaborative (LDC) and the Co-Founder and President of Valdez Productions, Inc. Valdez brings her 25 years of experience in media, research, marketing, and communications to the leadership of the LDC think tank and Valdez Productions. By conducting vital research on the valuable contributions of U.S. Latinos in America, Valdez equips leaders with the pertinent and actionable data they need to drive the advancement of their organizations.
Valdez and her team accomplish this by partnering with top universities and other think tanks (including Harvard University, UCLA, Stanford University, and Columbia University) to present data that clearly shows the critical economic and cultural contributions of Latinos. These include the LDC U.S. Latino GDP Report™ and the LDC U.S. Latinos in Media Report™.
Valdez has worked at the United Nations in Geneva and the Clinton Administration in Washington DC; she has also collaborated with companies such as Nielsen, Citibank, Colgate, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Scott Paper, Best Foods, Summit Entertainment, the U.S. Department of Energy, the Bill Richardson presidential campaign, Dolores Huerta Foundation, and others. She has been an on-air political and media analyst for FOX and Univision, as well as a contributor for MyFoxParents.com, HuffPost, and CNN online.
Valdez has spoken in front of a variety of companies and organizations, including:
Valdez has served on the SiTV Board of Directors, chaired the Southern California Public Radio Board of Trustees (KPCC), and has also served on the American Public Media Group, and the Minnesota Public Radio Boards, to name a few. She has also served on the following boards:
Among her many recognitions, Valdez has been named one of the Top 10 Latinos in America in 2018 by Hispanic Magazine, one of the Top 50 Most Influential Latinas in the U.S. in 2020, one of the Top 100 Latinas by Latino Leaders Magazine in 2021, one of the eight CHANGEMAKERS within the 2021 Fifty Most Powerful Latinas by ALPFA, and one of the 100 Top Latino Leaders by Latino Leaders Magazine in 2022.
Valdez is dedicated to providing reputable data that helps create a fact-based understanding of who Latinos are in America. The LDC data supports key industry leaders and American resource allocators, the U.S. Latino community, and our country overall.
An American Latina born and raised in Mexico City, Valdez has a business degree from Tecnologico de Monterrey (ITESM) and a Master’s in International Relations from Instituto Ortega y Gasset in Madrid, Spain. She lives in Beverly Hills, California, with her husband, Jeff Valdez. They have two trilingual, binational, and multicultural teenage sons.
Al (Alberto R.) Cardenas is nationally recognized for his leadership in the law, business and politics. He has served as an adviser to US Presidents, as counsel of record in a number of precedent-setting and published court decisions, and as a commentator and writer on issues of national importance.
He is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America and has been named one of Washington DC’s top lobbyists by The Hill. Al is rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell and was named one of “The Most Influential Leaders in the Latino Community Today” by a number of leading national publications. As a senior partner in the firm, he chairs the Latin America and Florida Public Policy Practice Groups and is Deputy Practice Leader of the Public Policy Group.
Al is widely known in national and state political circles, including serving as Vice-Chairman of No-Labels, as a member of the International Republican Institute (IRI) International Advisory Board and formerly as Chairman of the American Conservative Union (ACU). He previously served two terms as Chairman of the Republican Party of Florida and three consecutive terms as its Vice-Chairman.
Ronald Reagan chose Al for his transition team, making him responsible for the transition of the United States Department of Commerce. President Reagan also appointed him to chair the President’s Commission on Small and Minority Business Affairs in 1982 and later as Special Ambassador to St. Kitts-Nevis upon that nation’s independence in 1983. Presidents Reagan and George H. W. Bush appointed Al to the Board of Directors of the Federal National Mortgage Association from 1985 to 1990. He also served on the President’s Trade Policy Commission.
Governor Jeb Bush appointed Al as a member of the Board of Trustees of Florida Agriculture and Mechanical University (FAMU). He is a former Trustee of Miami Dade College and was named to its “Hall of Fame”.
Al has frequently appeared on network television, including NBC, CNN, FOX, MSNBC, Telemundo and Univision, and is an opinion writer for a number of national publications.
Since co-founding Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc. in 1985, Alex's passion and vision have led the company to become one of the country’s most influential, independent, Hispanic-owned-and-operated agencies. Alex started the Houston-based agency with his wife and partner, Cathy, and the conviction that thoughtful, relevant, fully integrated, in-language and in-culture communications are the best way to reach the exceedingly important Hispanic market.
In his role as company president and CEO, Alex is intricately involved in providing invaluable strategic counsel and creative direction to agency clients. Alex credits the agency's success to its team of multicultural, multinational communications professionals.
The Lopez Negrete client roster includes Bank of America, Walmart, McDonald’s, Sam’s Club, Phillips 66 Company, Motiva Enterprises LLC, Hyundai Motor America, Mattress Firm, and National Grid. Over its three-plus-decade-long history, the agency has represented and worked for a veritable who’s who of American industry and commerce, including Microsoft, Verizon, Samsung, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, and Kraft Foods, among others.
Alex is currently on the Board of Directors of the Latino Donor Collaborative, the Hispanic Marketing Council, the Greater Houston Partnership and Houston Landing, and is a founding member of the ANA’s Alliance for Inclusive and Multicultural Marketing (AIMM). He is committed to the future of the Hispanic marketing industry, which is why he and Cathy collaborated with the Advertising Education Foundation of Houston to establish the Lopez Negrete Hispanic Marketing Education Fund. The fund offers scholarships to students interested specifically in Hispanic marketing or advertising.
Under Cathy and Alex’s leadership, the agency has always been at the forefront of the advertising industry to foster diversity, participation, and representation. As such, in 2021, The Houston Business Journal recognized the duo as “Outstanding Diversity Champions” and they also received the "Mosaic Champion Award" from the American Advertising Federation for making a positive difference in others’ lives through social justice, equality, diversity, and inclusion.
Born in Houston and raised in Mexico City, Alex resides in Houston. He and Cathy have two children, Michelle, and Patrick, two granddaughters, Mia Marie and Catherine Josephine, and a grandson, Oliver Charles.
Ana Pinczuk is the Chief Development Officer at Anaplan, a SaaS planning software company with themission to make all planning for all people a reality. Ana drives Anaplan’s Product Management andEngineering teams responsible for Anaplan’s product plans, software and technology engineering,and cloud platform.
Prior to this role, Ana was President and General Manager for HPE Pointnext, HPE’s $7B+ servicesbusiness until August 2018. She led a team of 25,000 IT experts responsible for driving customer’sdigital transformation journeys including Hybrid IT and Intelligent edge consulting, professional andoperational services.
Previously, Ana was the Chief Product Officer at Veritas where she was responsible for driving a $2.5Bproducts organization, including the Veritas Information Availability, Information Management,Backup and Recovery and Appliances portfolios.
Prior to joining Veritas, Ana spent 15 years at Cisco where she held various roles including SVP, GlobalServices Sales, Services COO and SVP, Global Services Support. Ana also spent nine years in the CiscoDevelopment Organization driving Engineering groups, including Cisco’s high-end routing platformand IOS product management and software development.
Ana started her career at AT&T Bell Laboratories as a systems engineer and held numerous rolesthere, including Vice President responsible for deploying AT&T’s Internet backbone.
Ana is on the board of Aptiv (APTV) and KLA (KLAC). She is also a member of the InternationalWomen’s Forum, Anitab.org Board of Trustees, Cornell Computer and Information Sciences AdvisoryBoard, and Carnegie Mellon Engineering Advisory Board. She is the recipient of numerous awardsincluding ALPFA 2019 Top 50 Latinas, Fortune’s 2018 and 2017 Top 50 Latinas, Watermark 2018Make Your Mark Development Award, 2016 Women of Influence Award, 2017 and 2016 HITEC 100,2014 Corporate Index (Top 25 Hispanics), 2013 Latina Style Executive of the Year, and 2013 TWINAward.
Ana holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering fromCornell University, a Master of Technology Management degree from the University of PennsylvaniaWharton School, and a Master of Science Degree in Software Management from Carnegie MellonUniversity. Ana lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and is married with two sons. When not working,Ana can be found exercising, reading, and enjoying outdoor activities with family and friends.
Cesar Conde was named Chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group in May 2020. In this role, Conde has oversight of NBC News, MSNBC, and CNBC, including editorial and business operations for the award-winning television and digital properties. He reports to Jeff Shell, CEO, NBCUniversal.
Previously, Conde was Chairman of NBCUniversal International Group and NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises. As Chairman of NBCUniversal International Group, Conde was responsible for the operations and international expansion of NBCUniversal businesses outside of North America.
As Chairman of NBCU Telemundo Enterprises, Conde oversaw the leading media properties that serve Hispanics worldwide. He was instrumental in building NBCU Telemundo Enterprises into a world-class media company that produces and distributes high-quality Spanish-language content across a range of broadcast, cable, and digital properties, including: the Telemundo flagship TV network, 30 local stations, Universo Cable Network, Telemundo Digital Enterprises, Telemundo Global Studios, Telemundo Deportes, Noticias Telemundo, Telemundo Films and several other video content and distribution properties.
Conde repositioned Telemundo as the programming authority and destination for a fast-growing audience. Under Conde’s leadership, Telemundo became the number one Spanish-language network for the first time in the company’s history by regularly dominating primetime among key consumer demographics. He oversaw Telemundo’s transformation into an increasingly innovative media company, with an emphasis on original programming, reality television, sports, music and news, including launching three daily national newscasts, an investigative unit, and local newscasts in key markets.
Conde also implemented an aggressive multiplatform digital strategy to reach tech-savvy consumers through streaming services, social media, virtual reality and programming partnerships. As a result, Telemundo has become one of the top networks in social engagement in the industry.
Conde joined NBCUniversal in October 2013 as Executive Vice President of NBCUniversal to oversee NBCU International and NBCU Digital Enterprises. Prior to NBCUniversal, Conde was the President of Univision Networks and served in a variety of senior executive capacities at the company. He is credited with transforming the Spanish-language media company into a leading global, multi-platform media brand.
Social and community initiatives are core to Conde’s business approach. At NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, he spearheaded the launch of “El Poder En Ti,” the company’s robust community empowerment initiative and launched the Telemundo Academy, an educational center to train the next generation of industry leaders. While at Univision, he created a national education initiative with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Prior to Univision, Conde served as a White House Fellow for Secretary of State Colin L. Powell from 2002–2003. Previously, he worked at StarMedia Network, the first internet company focused on Spanish and Portuguese-speaking audiences globally, and in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group at Salomon Smith Barney.
Conde serves on the board of directors of Walmart (NYSE: WMT) and PepsiCo (NASDAQ: PEP). Conde is a Trustee of the Aspen Institute and the Paley Center for Media. He is a Full Member at the Council on Foreign Relations and a Young Global Leader for the World Economic Forum. He holds a B.A. with honors from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Danny Acosta, currently Partner and Managing Director with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), has built a career that brings together global public and private sector experience, working on policy and strategic growth initiatives, and organizational transformations, with corporate and government leaders across a range of industries. Now based in his hometown of Los Angeles, Danny has worked heavily in industries ranging from Media & Entertainment to Infrastructure and Economic Development. Building on his background in international development – and having worked across the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, Middle East, and Southeast Asia – Danny also works with BCG’s Social Impact and Global Advantage Practices, helping companies and governments bridge the gaps between developing and developed markets.
Born and raised in Southeast Los Angeles, Danny was fortunate to be one of those “first in the family” to go to college, building on the support and mentorship of many along the way. He carries that privilege forward by investing actively to create additional opportunity for an inclusive US community and economy. He is the co-lead of BCG’s Black+Latinx network, which brings together both Black/African-American and Hispanic/Latino colleagues; he has actively supported the activities and mission of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, where he serves as a Board Member; and he is a Board member of the Univision Foundation.
Prior to his work with BCG, Danny served as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State, spending time as an Economics Officer in Washington, D.C. and overseas. He earned his Juris Doctorate and Master’s in Business Administration, both with honors, from Georgetown University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science, with honors, at Yale, and has participated in programs at Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and Oxford University.
Fidel A. Vargas is President and CEO of the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, the nation’s leading provider of scholarships and services designed to give Latino students full access to the opportunities a college education can provide. With more than $400 million in scholarships awarded since its founding in 1975, HSF continues to provide increasing numbers of students all the tools they need to apply to college, do well in their course work, graduate, enter a profession, excel, help lead our nation going forward, and mentor the generations to come.
Prior to joining HSF, Mr. Vargas was a founding partner of Centinela Capital Partners, a private equity asset management firm that focused on investing and managing nearly $1billion in minority-owned, emerging-manager funds. Prior to joining Centinela, Mr. Vargas was a Managing Director with TMG Advisors, an investment/consulting firm specializing in business development, strategic planning, and government affairs. He was also a Founding Principal and Managing Director of Reliant Equity Investors, a private equity investment firm primarily investing in later-stage, lower middle market companies.
Mr. Vargas also served as Mayor of Baldwin Park, California, a city of 75,000, twenty miles northeast of Los Angeles. At the age of twenty-three, he became the country’s youngest elected Mayor of a major city.
In addition to having served on HSF’s Board of Directors prior to taking the helm as President and CEO, Mr. Vargas has served on several public and private sector boards, including: the Latino Theater Company of Los Angeles; the New America Alliance; Sponsors for Education Opportunities; Operation Hope, Inc.; President Clinton’s Advisory Council on Social Security; President Bush’s Commission on Strengthening Social Security; and President Bush’s Commission on Presidential Scholars, on which he continued to serve through the early years of the Obama Administration.
Mr. Vargas has been recognized for his accomplishments by numerous organizations and media outlets, throughout his career. His honors include selection by Time Magazine as one of the Top 50 young leaders in the United States, being named by Hispanic Magazine as one of the Top 30 young Hispanics in the United States, and selection by Hispanic Business Magazine as one of the country’s 100 most influential Hispanics.
Mr. Vargas graduated with honors from Harvard University with an A.B. in Social Studies and received his MBA from Harvard Business School, with a concentration in Entrepreneurship and General Management. He has a deep commitment to HSF, having been a six-time, HSF scholarship recipient while attending Harvard University.
Gary Acosta is the co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP®) and a 25-year veteran of the housing industry. NAHREP is the nation’s largest minority real estate trade association with over 26,000 members and 50 local chapters. In his capacity as CEO of NAHREP, he created the Hispanic Wealth Project, a 501c3 non-profit organization with a strategic plan to triple Hispanic household wealth by 2024. Mr. Acosta also authored The NAHREP 10, the principles that guide NAHREP members towards a career of wealth and prosperity, and he is the creator of 53 Million and One®, a one of a kind theatrical presentation that chronicles the true life story of Jerry Ascencio, and his journey from immigrant to successful real estate entrepreneur.
Mr. Acosta has also founded or co-founded several mortgage, real estate, and technology companies including New Vista Asset Management and CounselorMax. In 2013 he co-founded The Mortgage Collaborative, a cooperative of mortgage companies who work together to increase profitability and market share.
Mr. Acosta is a former appointee of the consumer advisory board (CAB) of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the powerful federal agency responsible for regulating consumer protection in the financial services industry. He served as 2014 chairman of the CAB mortgage committee.
In 2012, the Mortgage Bankers Association of America awarded him with their prestigious “Investing in Communities” annual award. REALTOR® Magazine named him one of the 25 Most Influential People in real estate, and Hispanic Business Magazine named him one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in America.
He is a former member of the board of directors of the Mortgage Bankers Association of America and has served on advisory boards for several Fortune 500 companies including Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Mr. Acosta grew up in Montebello, California and received his education from East Los Angeles College, Pomona College and the University of California at San Diego. He lives with his family in San Diego, California.
Guillermo Diaz, Jr., is a transformative global business leader and champion of inclusion and diversity. He is currently the CEO of Kloudspot, Inc., an innovative predictive AI and IOT analytics platform provider. Prior to Kloudspot, he was a transformational innovator across Cisco and broadly in the industry where he developed a strong track record for accelerating culture through people, process, and technology. As the Head of Customer Transformation, he and his team leveraged Cisco’s own digital journey and thought leadership to partner with customers on their transformation programs. He was a key leader in building the technology platforms at Cisco. Mr. Diaz served as Cisco’s Global Chief Information Officer and was responsible for the IT organization, strategy, and services. His focus was driving the business acceleration critical to the agile, digital transformation of Cisco, its customers, and partners.
Mr. Diaz began his career in telecommunications with the U.S. Navy, where he received a military scholarship that led to his Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Regis University in Colorado. Prior to Cisco, Mr. Diaz held senior IT leadership positions with some of Silicon Valley’s most respected companies, including Silicon Graphics, Intelligent Electronics (Ingram Micro), and Alza Corporation (now Johnson & Johnson)
Since joining Cisco Systems in 2000, Mr. Diaz was a major driver in the development of Cisco’s world-class IT organization. He led initiatives that transformed significant business foundations, from the Cisco Networked infrastructure to all primary business application functions and the integration of more than 150 acquisitions. These application areas include Cisco’s $50B+ electronic commerce, technical services, professional services, service sales and marketing, customer service, Cisco Capital, and cloud/SaaS platforms. As the Global CIO, he simplified the IT financial structure driving more than 30% improvement in cost while helping drive Cisco’s top line through being Customer Zero and using Cisco’s products, software, and services technology as a key growth accelerator.
Inclusion and Diversity is a top priority and passion for Mr. Diaz, as evidenced by his sustained work in his own organizations, across Cisco, and broadly in the community. He was a key leader of the Cisco Diversity Council and the visionary/executive sponsor of Conexión – Cisco’s Hispanic/Latino employee resource organization and Cisco’s Veteran employee resource organization. He has led the acceleration of building future technology leaders, who happen to be minorities, through his innovative leadership with student work-study programs inside of Cisco (Cristo Rey), scholarships delivered through the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC) and is now the Chairman of HITEC.
AWARDS
Mr. Diaz lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife, and they have four children who are now accelerating on their own journeys. He enjoys his family, sports, and is an avid golfer.
Henry A. Fernandez is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MSCI Inc., a publicly traded company (NYSE: MSCI) and a leading global provider of investment decision tools, including indexes and portfolio risk and performance analytics. MSCI has over 3,000 institutional clients in over 80 countries, and about 3,000 professionals located in 24 countries. In 2015, MSCI had revenues of over $1 billion and has a market capitalization of over $8 billion.
Prior to becoming Chief Executive Officer of MSCI in 1998, Mr. Fernandez was a managing director at Morgan Stanley, where he worked from 1983 to 1991 and from 1994 to 1998. During his tenure at Morgan Stanley, he worked in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions, fixed income sales and trading, equity derivatives sales and trading, and corporate development in emerging markets. From 1993 to 1994, Mr. Fernandez was president of HispaniMedia, Inc., a private equity investment firm in the United States. He also founded Ferco Partners, Inc., a private equity investment firm in Mexico, and served as its Chairman and President from 1991 to 1993. From 1976 to 1979, Mr. Fernandez was a diplomat in the Nicaraguan Embassy in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Fernandez currently serves on the board of directors of Stanford University, Georgetown University, the Hoover Institution, the Foreign Policy Association, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, The Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New York, the American Nicaraguan Foundation, and he is a member emeritus of the Georgetown University College Board of Advisors. Previously, he served on the boards of directors of The Trinity School and The Browning School in New York, and MexDer (Mexican Derivatives Exchange) and is the former Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.
Mr. Fernandez graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Georgetown University in 1979 and pursued doctoral studies in economics at Princeton University from 1979 to 1981. He received an MBA from Stanford University in 1983. He was born in Mexico City and grew up in Nicaragua, Central America. He has lived and worked in Latin America, Europe and the US, and has visited close to 100 countries. He resides in New York City with his wife and their three children.
Jacqueline Guichelaar is the Senior Vice President and Group Chief Information Officer at Cisco, a worldwide leader in IT, networking and cybersecurity solutions. Jacqui is responsible for all Technology Infrastructure and Application Development and is sprearheading the creation of a digital architecture to accelerate Cisco’s Digital eterprise transformation. She is passionate about driving the Digital Strategy for Cisco and its customers in close partnership with the Business and
OneOps team and is proud to be leading one of the best IT teams on the planet.
Prior to joining Cisco, Guichelaar was the Group Chief Information Officer at Thomson Reuters, where she led a technology organization in support of the company’s digital strategy.
Throughout her career, Guichelaar has focused on simplifying technology organizations and creating teams that move in tandem with business expectations and the pace of the industry. She has held roles in Lloyds Bank, Deutsche Bank, National Australia Bank, IBM and CSC gaining experience across industries such as Financial Services, Utilities, Telecommunications, Media and Retail.
Informed by 28 years of IT experience that has allowed her to witness developments in the sector from every angle and to spearhead the introduction of significant new technologies. Jacqui has a sustained track record of delivering large scale transformation programmes through a structured framework of plans and strict governance. Jaqui is passionate about developing talent and supporting individuals to realize their potential.
Jacqui was born in Uruguay, South America. She has worked in many countries around the world including Sydney, Frankfurt, London and New York, which plays into her passion for exploring new cultures and fostering diversity of thought. She is actively involved in many non-profit organizations and is currently a Board member of the Center for Anti Violence Education (CAE). She was the Chair of 2012 Women on Wall Street Conference.
Jose Luis Prado is a businessperson who has been at the head of 7 different companies and holds the position of President of Evans Food Group Ltd. Mr. Prado is also on the board of 12 other companies.
He previously held the position of President & Chief Executive Officer for Gamesa-Quaker Oats Company, President at Pepsico Snacks and President-Quaker Foods North America at PepsiCo, Inc., President & Chief Executive Officer at PepsiCo International, President & Chief Executive Officer of Grupo Gamesa SA de CV, President at The Quaker Oats Co., President at Frito-Lay Snacks Caribbean, Vice President-Finance at Matutano – Sociedade de Produtos Alimentares Unipessoal, Vice President-Andean Region at Frito-Lay International, and Vice President-Sales of Sabritas S de RL de CV (which are all subsidiaries of PepsiCo, Inc.).
The first Mexican to lead a major PepsiCo business in NA, Prado retired from PepsiCo in 2014 after a distinguished career spanning 30 years, 6 countries and two continents including Mexico, Spain, Caribbean, Andean, and South Cone in Latin America.
Prado currently serves on the Boards of three public Companies: The NorthernTrust Corporation based in Chicago,Il., Brinker International headquartered in Dallas, TX., and Hormel Foods Corporation in Austin, MN.
Prado is deeply committed to the community. He serves on multiple Boards including the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Global Advisory Board of the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera, Instituto Mexico at the Woodrow Wilson Institute, the National Museum of Mexican Art, and the Board of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. He is also a member of the Commercial Club, Economic Club, Executive Club of Chicago, and recently he joined the Latino Donor Collaborative Board.
He holds Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (Cum Laude), Master of Science in Systems, and Master of Business Administration degrees.
Armed with her mother’s philosophy of empieza pequeño, pero piensa muy grande (“start small, but think big”), Linda Alvarado began her career as a laborer for a groundskeeper in college, moved into construction management, and formed her own company, Alvarado Construction. She started out pouring concrete for sidewalks and erecting small bus shelters. Now, with more than 35 years of experience in the construction industry, she builds high-rises, hotels, sports arenas, convention centers and more as a commercial general contractor, construction manager, developer, designer/builder, and property manager.
Alvarado sets tall standards in what was, to put it mildly, a man’s world. Her Denver-based company has offices in several states and executes multi-million dollar projects across America and internationally. When then-candidate Obama claimed the Democratic nomination in 2008, he was in an Alvarado-restored convention hall. And when the Denver Broncos take the field at the 2001 Mile High, they’re playing on turf that she helped lay. The sports connection doesn’t end there: Alvarado’s co-ownership of the Colorado Rockies makes her the first woman and first Hispanic owner in the history of Major League Baseball.
Marcos Torres is a Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets and is head of RBC’s Broadcasting Investment Banking group. Mr. Torres has over 15 years of investment banking experience and has worked on many high profile and industry-transforming transactions within the Media & Entertainment sectors. Currently, Marcos is the Co-Chair of RBC’s Multicultural Employee Alliance and is also a Latino Donor Collaborate (LDC) board member. Additionally, Marcos is very involved in his community and supports various important social causes.
After graduating from Fordham University in 1999, Marcos joined JPMorgan Investment Bank. From 1999 to 2005, Mr. Torres worked across various investment banking disciplines, including leveraged finance, mergers & acquisitions, and media client coverage. During these six years, Marcos focused primarily on large cap diversified media companies and was involved in a number of very interesting transactions, including Forstmann Little’s $2.1 billion LBO of Citadel Communications, among others.
In 2005, Mr. Torres joined the Mergers & Acquisitions team at NBC Universal (at the time, owned by General Electrical). From 2005 to 2007, Marcos worked closely with NBC Universal’s CEO/President and the various divisional business leaders to develop and execute each business’ strategic agenda and mergers & acquisitions strategy. At NBC Universal, Marcos was the deal team leader on a number of important transactions, including the restructuring of the MSNBC cable network joint venture, the consolidation of Telemundo affiliated TV stations across the U.S., and the acquisition of various digital media properties.
In 2007, Mr. Torres returned to JPMorgan as a Vice President in the Media investment banking group as a client coverage banker. From 2007 until 2012, Mr. Torres emerged as a trusted advisor and worked on many marquee transactions. During this time, Mr. Torres was involved in a number of high profile transactions, including Berkshire Hathaway’s $445 million investment in Media General, General Electric’s sale of NBC Universal to Comcast ($37 billion valuation), Crown Media/Hallmark Channel’s $540 million debut public financing for, and Ticketmaster’s $2.5 billion merger with Live Nation, among others. Additionally, Mr. Torres was the junior banker resource manager and was responsible for managing 60 Analysts and Associates across JPMorgan’s Media, Telecom & Technology group. Also, Mr. Torres was a member of the Bear Stearns/JPMorgan integration team and responsible for the transition of junior bankers.
At the end of 2012, Mr. Torres left JPMorgan to become a Managing Director at RBC Capital Markets, where he currently runs the firm’s broadcasting investment banking practice. At RBC, Marcos has built a powerhouse broadcasting investment banking franchise. As a result of Marcos’ leadership, RBC is now a top 3 M&A advisor and lead financing source to the broadcasting sector. The RBC team has advised on 3 of the 4 largest M&A transactions in recent history, including Media General’s $2.6 billion acquisition of Lin Media, Media General’s $1.4 billion merger with Young Broadcasting, and Belo’s $2.2 billion sale to Gannett. In addition to his deal-making focus, Marcos is also the co-chair of the Multicultural Employee Alliance at RBC Capital Markets.
Marcos is the son of Puerto Rican immigrants who relocated to Bridgeport, CT, Marcos’ birthplace. Marcos experienced a very challenging childhood, including losing his father and mother when he was only 12 years old and 17 years old, respectively. During various times in his childhood, Marcos was homeless and he moved from shelter to shelter. With the help and guidance of many good people, Marcos became the first person in his family to graduate high school as well as college. Due in large part to his incredibly challenging childhood experiences, Marcos continues to be vigilantly focused on making meaningful contributions to his community and serving as a role model to many inner-city young men and women. In addition to sharing his story with many inner-city public school students, Marcos is involved in numerous non-profit organizations, including Latin Donor Collaborative (board member) and QuincesConCausa (fundraising for underprivileged teenage girls in the Dominican Republic).
Marcos resides in the New York tri-state area, albeit he is constantly traveling throughout the United States visiting his clients.
Martin Cabrera is the CEO and Founder of Cabrera Capital Markets (CCM). CCM provides global investment banking and full service global institutional brokerage services to a substantial and diversified client base that includes financial institutions, unions, governments, corporations, hedge funds, foundations and endowments. CCM has issued over $330 billion in debt for municipalities and over $400 billion in debt and equities for corporations throughout the country and internationally.
Martin is also the CEO and Founder of Cabrera Capital Partners (CCP). Cabrera Capital Partners provides national real estate investment advisory services. Cabrera Capital Partners’ experienced team of professionals has a significant history of acquiring and developing commercial real estate in excess of 60 projects totaling approximately 35 million square feet resulting in an aggregate property portfolio in excess of $3.5 billion (USD) in gross asset value.
Martin has 22 years of investment experience. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from Northern Illinois University and studied at the London School of Economics.
Martin currently serves as Chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission, Board Member at Chicago Community Trust, Member of the Archbishop’s Finance Council and Chairman of the Real Estate Committee for the Archdiocese of Chicago, Chairman of the Endowment Committee at St. Ignatius College Prep, Commissioner of the Chicago Public Building Commission, Governing Board Member at Econ Illinois and Board Member of World Business Chicago.
Oscar Munoz is the former CEO and chairman of United Airlines and serves on the board of directors of Salesforce, CBRE, TelevisaUnivision, and Archer Aviation, a leading Urban Air Mobility company and developer of all-electric vertical take-off and landing (“eVTOL”) aircraft.
In addition to his service to the Pentagon’s Defense Business Board, he is a trustee of the University of Southern California and the Brookings Institution, as well as an independent trustee for Fidelity. He is the author of a recent memoir, Turnaround Time, published by Harper Business in spring 2023.
Under his leadership, United Airlines demonstrated rapid improvement, delivering industry-leading operational reliability, and sustained financial success, with stock value increasing 54 percent during that period. Mr. Munoz formally retired as UAL’s Executive Chairman in May 2021.
Previously, Oscar served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the North American rail-based transportation supplier CSX Corp. A decade of excellent financial performance, including a boost in operating income of nearly 600 percent, earned CSX recognition on the list of Most Honored Companies by Institutional Investor magazine.
He has served in various financial leadership positions across diverse industries, including U.S. West, AT&T, Coca-Cola, and PepsiCo.
He earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business and an MBA from Pepperdine’s Graziadio Business School.
Hispanic Business magazine twice named Oscar one of its ‘100 Most Influential Hispanics, honoring his journey as an immigrant who, to this date, remains the only person of Hispanic heritage to run a U.S. airline.
It’s important to give mention to Patty Arvielo’s humble beginnings in order to fully understand her unique business perspective and leadership role in the housing industry. Born into a hard-working Mexican-American family from South Gate in L.A. County, California, Patty’s first exposure to the mortgage industry was as a young girl. At just 16, Patty landed a clerical position for Trans Union Credit. At 19, she was promoted into a sales position. Patty worked tirelessly to build Real Estate Agent and community relationships and doing so, ignited a life-long passion for service and pursuit of self-made, enduring success.
In the years following, Patty assumed a natural, often unofficial, role as orchestrator and champion for her sales teams and colleagues. She challenges her teams to take on new projects with confidence and determination. She gets to know the people she works with, genuinely befriending even competitors unable to resist her approachable demeanor and infectious love for helping others. Patty’s extensive background in mortgage lending includes DE Underwriter and VA LAPP Certifications. Very early on, Patty pursued her own underserved Spanish-speaking markets well before they were a popular and sought after demographic. In 1997 Patty was invited to lead the operations unit of an independent broker shop, and in 2003 she and her husband Rick Arvielo decided to launch their own mortgage company – New American Funding. Over a decade later, Patty has worked to transform New American Funding into a national mortgage lender and servicer that funds more than $1 billion in home loans each month.
Under her guidance, the company has brought the entire loan process in house – origination, processing, underwriting, funding and servicing. She continues to actively contribute to the bottom line, originating and booking millions in home loans each month on her own, all while managing operations and sales for New American Funding’s headquarters, 100+ branches and 2000+ employees. Patty’s community involvement includes serving on the Executive Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) Orange County. Patty has also worked, through her board seat with BBBS, to bring a new mentorship program in house to her company, New American Funding. Patty is deeply involved in the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), whose mission is to increase the rate of sustainable Hispanic homeownership by empowering the real estate professionals that serve the community. She serves as a member of NAHREP’s Corporate Board of Governors and has inspired seven of her New American Funding management level employees to obtain local chapter and board positions with the same group in their areas. In spring of 2013, Patty spearheaded the Latino Focus Committee within her organization, whose mission is to identify and address challenges Hispanic consumers face in their pursuit of homeownership and to enhance the quality of their lending experience.
Patty is also on the Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Consumer Affairs Advisory Council for the Mortgage Bankers Association. She is politically involved in the current and future states of mortgage banking, and frequently visits Washington DC to lobby on behalf of the mortgage industry and homeowners. She also serves as a member of the Fannie Mae Affordable Housing Advisory Council. Additionally, Patty resides on the Freddie Mac Community Lender Advisory Board which provides a forum for constructive dialogue between Freddie Mac and its customers. Patty is the recipient of numerous accolades and recognition for her professional achievements. Among them are Ernst and Young honoring her as a winner for the 2016 EY Entrepreneur of The Year ® Orange County, winning a Silver Stevie® Award for the Woman of the Year category, the 2016 Business Award winner by LA Times Latinos de Hoy and NBC Latino’s recent feature highlighting her life. Patty continues to lead by example, shaping both New American Funding and the housing industry overall.
Pete Amaro is Co-founder and Chief Financial Officer at Luminary Media, an subscription-based podcasting platform that is building a better community for both creators and consumers through technology and premium content. In this role, Pete is focused on sourcing / underwriting content for the platform and managing all operations of the business.
Previously, Pete was a Vice President and early member at the Raine Group, a global merchant bank focused on sports, media and entertainment. He led the firm’s digital media business and helped source, execute and manage a variety of investments across Raine’s investment funds, including Wanderlust, System1 and HowStuffWorks.
Prior to Raine, Pete held a number of senior private equity and investment banking roles at Morgan Stanley and UBS Investment Bank.
Pete is based in Chicago and has a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mr. de la Vega is the Chairman and Founder of the De La Vega Group which focuses on advisory/consultancy services and investments. He is the former Vice Chairman of AT&T Inc. and CEO of Business Solutions & International. In that capacity, he had overall responsibility for the company’s integrated Business Solutions group which, at the time served more than 3.5 million business customers in nearly 200 countries and territories, including nearly all of the world’s Fortune 1000 companies. He also had overall responsibility for AT&T’s wireless business operations in Mexico and DIRECTV in Latin America.
Previously, he was President and CEO of AT&T Mobile and Business Solutions, where he had overall responsibility for the company’s wireless and business services operations. Before that, he was President and CEO of AT&T Mobility. Under his leadership, AT&T Mobility became one of the world’s leading smartphone and mobile Internet providers and expanded into new growth areas such as connected cars, and home security and automation.
During his career he has held numerous executive positions, including COO of Cingular Wireless and President of BellSouth Latin America. As the COO of Cingular Wireless, Mr. de la Vega was responsible for the integration of AT&T Wireless and Cingular Wireless, following the largest all-cash merger in U.S. history at the time. As President of BellSouth Latin America, he was responsible for wireless operations in 11 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela and Uruguay.
Mr. de la Vega retired from AT&T Dec. 31, 2016.
He serves on the boards of the American Express Company, New York Life Insurance Company, and Amdocs Corporation. He also serves on the Executive Committee and was Chairman of the 2017 Jamboree for the Boy Scouts of America. He is the former Chairman of Junior Achievement Worldwide and continues to server as Chair of the Finance Committee on its board of directors.
He has received numerous awards recognizing his leadership, including induction into the Wireless Hall of Fame, the Atlanta Business Hall of Fame, and the prestigious Global Innovation Award from the Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
Mr. de la Vega has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and a master’s degree in business administration from Northern Illinois University. He completed the Executive Program at the University of Virginia and received a Doctor Honoris Causa from FAU.
He is the author of the best-selling book Obstacles Welcome: Turn Adversity to Advantage in Business and Life (Thomas Nelson, 2009).
Raúl Alarcón is the Chairman, CEO and controlling shareholder of Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS), a publicly-traded multimedia corporation serving Latino audiences and advertisers throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico.
Under his direction, SBS has grown from a single AM radio station in 1983 to a portfolio of media assets that include a radio division comprised of heritage FM outlets (including America’s most-listened-to Latino station, WSKQ in New York City) in the top Hispanic markets of New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Puerto Rico; the 100+ affiliate AIRE Radio Networks; Mega TV, a network television owner/operator with over-the-air, cable and satellite distribution; SBS Entertainment, the largest independent producer/promoter of Hispanic concerts and events; and LaMusica, a music and video streaming app catering to Hispanic millenials.
For over three decades, Mr. Alarcón has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fostering and promoting Latino talent and artistry.
He has championed Hispanic ownership of the media and its economic parity with the general market.
Roel Campos is a partner in Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP’s Washington, D.C. office and is Chair of the Securities Enforcement practice. Roel’s practice consists of advising and defending corporate officers and boards of directors with respect to SEC enforcement, FCPA and internal investigations, criminal prosecutions, securities and internal regulation and corporate governance.
Beginning in 2002, Roel was appointed twice by President George W. Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as a Commissioner of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and served until 2007. Earlier in his career, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles. Roel has also been an entrepreneur, and, with partners, raised capital from major investors and operated a successful broadcasting company. From 2008-2013, Roel served with national security experts on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB), the oldest of one of the most prestigious of the presidential citizens’ advisory boards. Roel has served on several public and private company boards. Roel speaks regularly at legal and business conferences as a financial regulation expert and has published extensively with respect to current topics of SEC enforcement and regulation.
Roel received his B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy, his MBA from UCLA, and J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Saber Sherrard has been at Bain & Company for 16 years and is a leader in Bain's B2B Go-To-Market and Private Equity practices and serves as Global Head of Bain's B2B Marketing Practice. Saber has significant experience in driving growth and performance acceleration for B2B companies across multiple industrial and technology industries. Saber’s articles have been published in a number of journals, including the Harvard Business Review, and he has served as a keynote speaker for several technology industry conferences including Dreamforce, ANA Masters of Marketing, and Google Live.
Saber also serves as the Global Leader of Bain’s LATBA (Latinos at Bain) organization and serves on Bain’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion council. Saber is also a people leader and culture carrier at Bain, including serving as Bain's Southwest Region People Platform Leader for 5 years. He was the recipient of the 26th annual Bright-Dix Award, globally recognizing Saber for his leadership, coaching, and mentorship contributions. He was also the 2012 recipient of Bain Texas’s most prestigious leadership award and received top 5% upward feedback ratings across North American Leadership Team for 9 consecutive years.
Saber also serves as a visiting Senior Lecturer at the Leeds Business School at the University of Colorado at Boulder, where his courses focus on business strategy, consulting industry, and go-to-market strategy and execution. He also serves as a Board Member for the Leeds Business School.
Prior to Bain, Saber earned an MBA at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and BS in Business Administration at the University of Colorado.
Saber and his family live in Dallas.
Beatriz was the president and founding partner of Mitú, the leading digital media company bringing a Latino POV to mainstream media. As the voice of Latino youth, Mitú’s unapologetic storytelling drives more than half a billion monthly views, with over 100 million people a month engaging with its cross-cultural content.
Acevedo is a digital pioneer and network approved show-runner with more than 20 years of entertainment experience, having created, developed and produced hundreds of original, primetime television shows and award-winning digital series. Her agnostic approach to both traditional and digital content creation has earned Beatriz three Emmy Awards, an MTV Award, and two Streamy Awards. She has also developed and produced television and digital branded content for over a dozen Blue Chip brands.
Beatriz is passionate about mentoring and empowering the next generation of Latino leaders and diversity as good ROI. She lives in Santa Monica and is a proud and passionate Latina who juggles work along with her 12 year old twins Isabela and Diego.
Some awards and Recognitions:
Board member/Advisor:
President, Barshop Ventures, LLC–Barshop Ventures, LLC is a diversified venture capital investment and portfolio investment management firm and family office.
Board Member, Barshop & Oles Company–Barshop & Oles Company is a commercial real estate development and management company.
Founder/Investor/Consultant/Board Member of several early stage companies, including SiTV, Inc (now Fuse Media, Inc.), MediaPlatform, Inc., Rapamycin Holdings, Inc., Apptive, Inc., BlueAvocado Company, and several others, primarily in the areas of television and media, information technology, biotechnology and consumer products.
Executive Producer/Producer of televisions series which have aired, among other outlets, on Showtime, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, Galavision, SiTV (now Fuse Media), and in domestic broadcast and foreign syndication.
Private practice of law (Dallas and San Antonio, Texas)–1974 – 1996
Director and General Counsel, Laredo National Bancshares, Inc. and The Laredo National Bank (Texas’ largest independent bank, with activities in both the U.S. and Mexico)–1984 – 1989
Community and Philanthropic Activities:
Current:
Former:
During his tenure as President & CEO of TELACU for more than 35 years, Dr. David C. Lizárraga grew the company into the largest Community Development Corporation in the nation, which today focuses its more than $700 million in assets on empowering individuals and families in the communities it serves.
Internationally recognized as an expert in economic empowerment and community development, Lizárraga is a highly sought-after contributor to business, civic, educational and government-based organizations. He has received numerous Presidential and Gubernatorial appointments, the most recent of which was to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Community Development Advisory Board by President Obama. He is also former National Chairman of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce which represents the interests of our nation’s three-million Hispanic-owned businesses.
Lizárraga created the innovative business model upon which TELACU is structured. The parent non-profit owns and operates TELACU Industries—its for-profit holding company. The 13 for-profit businesses create jobs; provide hard working families and businesses with access to capital; and build quality, affordable homes and community assets. Every TELACU business generates a double bottom line—profitability that is inseparable from social impact.
As Chairman and Founder of the TELACU Education Foundation, he ensures that sufficient resources are available to annually support 500 full-time college students and 1,600 middle through graduate school students, and veterans.
Consistently recognized among our nation’s top Hispanic leaders, Lizárraga has been accorded numerous honors and awards for his business achievements, commitment to community economic development and empowerment, and philanthropic endeavors. These include: the 2015 Ellis Island Medal of Honor; Entrepreneur of the Year from Entrepreneur Magazine and Ernst & Young; Minority Business Advocate from the U.S. SBA and MBDA; the NAACP Thurgood Marshall Award; and Spirit of Life Award from the City of Hope. His career has also been the subject of numerous articles in local and national publications.
Don founded Bourn Properties, Inc., a predecessor to Bourn Companies, LLC in 1990. His companies have completed over 40 commercial projects totally 4,000,000 square feet. Don is involved in all aspects of Bourn Companies’ business, including acquisitions, joint ventures, asset management and internal operations. Prior to Bourn Companies, LLC, Don was with Trammell Crow Company and Peat, Marwick and Mitchell and graduated from the University of Nebraska with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Don is a member of several industry and community organizations and boards, including the Urban Land Institute, International Council of Shopping Centers, Southern Arizona Leadership Council and Downtown Tucson Partnership.
Dorene C. Dominguez is the Chairman of the Vanir Group of Companies. Ms. Dominguez succeeded her beloved late father, H. Frank Dominguez, overseeing 15 offices throughout the United States. The Vanir companies employ a growing staff of more than 300 talented executives, architects, engineers, construction managers, developers, contractors and support staff.
The Vanir Companies including Vanir Development Company, Inc., Vanir Construction Management, Inc. and Vanir Construction Company, Inc. have successfully completed over $8.5 billion in real estate developments, design-build lease, and construction services. Vanir Construction Management has been consistently ranked by Engineering News Record Magazine as one of the top construction managment firms in the nation. Ms. Dominguez also created Vanir Financial Services, which owns Vanir Securities, and recently launched Vanir Energy, LLC, a green initiative specializing in solar thermal energy. Vanir Energy is known for the largest solar thermal energy facility in the world and is located in North Carolina.
Currently an active member of various community improvement projects, boards and commissions, Ms. Dominguez was appointed by past President George W. Bush to serve as a member of the Commission to study the potential creation of a National Museum of the American Latino. She is a member of the American River Bank Board of Directors, member of the Young Presidents Organization, member of the Latino Studies Board of Notre Dame University in South Bend Indiana, New America Alliance and the National Council of La Raza. She has previously served as a member of the Los Angeles Planning Commission, Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, California State Board of Geology and Geophysics, and Governor Appointee of the California State Medical Board.
Ms. Dominguez graduated Notre Dame University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Finance. Most recently, she earned a Certificate for Corporate Governance from the Center for Business and Government, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University and Stanford.
Eva Plaza graduated cum laude from Harvard College in 1980. Ms. Plaza studied law at the University of California Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, where she served as Associate Editor of the California Law Review. After graduating from law school in 1984, Ms. Plaza was selected to the highly acclaimed Attorney General Honors Program of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. where she was trial counsel in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.
Ms. Plaza was appointed by President Bill Clinton to a four year term as Assistant Secretary at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in 1997. Prior to her appointment as Assistant Secretary, Ms. Plaza served as Deputy Assistant Attorney General over the Torts Branch at the U.S. Department of Justice. There, she handled and managed civil litigation brought against the U.S. Government in matters including aviation, admiralty, constitutional torts, environmental torts, medical malpractice, AIDS litigation, banking litigation, and vaccine and radiation litigation. Before serving in the Administration, Ms. Plaza was litigation trial attorney in the Washington, D.C. law firms of Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson and Arent, Fox, Kinter, Plotkin & Kahn from 1986 to 1993.
Ms. Plaza has received numerous awards for outstanding achievement, including the Albert Arent Pro Bono Award, 1989; the National Conference for College Women Leaders, Woman of Distinction Award in 1998; and the Hispanic Bar Association’s Equal Justice Award in 2002. She has been recognized as one of the 100 most influential Hispanics in America, and is a lifetime member of the American Bar Association’s American Bar Foundation.
Ms. Plaza is fluent in Spanish.
Bar Admissions:
Education:
The Honorable Federico F. Peña is a Senior Advisor at the Colorado Impact Fund, a venture fund investing in Colorado companies having a positive community impact in the state. Previously, he was a Managing Director and Senior Advisor at Vestar Capital Partners, a leading private equity firm. Prior to joining Vestar, Peña served as U.S. Secretary of Energy (1997–1998) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation (1993–1997). Before serving in the Cabinet, Peña was President and CEO of Peña Investment Advisors (1991–1993) and Mayor of the City of Denver (1983–1991).
As Secretary of Energy, Peña developed the administration’s Comprehensive National Energy Strategy and oversaw the largest privatization in the history of the U.S. Government, the $3.65 billion sale of the Elk Hills Petroleum Reserve to Occidental Petroleum. Peña crafted the Clinton Administration’s strategy for oil and gas development in the Caspian Sea region and was instrumental in supporting energy investments in Russia.
As Secretary of Transportation, Peña implemented the first international aviation policy for the United States since the Carter administration. This strategy opened up aviation markets around the world, contributing to the revitalization of the U.S. airline industry. Peña traveled extensively throughout the world to assist U.S. transportation companies access global markets. He also led the Administration’s effort to support the privatization of the U.S. transportation systems and infrastructure.
While Denver’s Mayor for eight years, Peña reversed the city’s budget deficit and led the revitalization of Denver’s economy. He initiated numerous urban infrastructure projects including the new international airport, new convention center, the arts center, and the library. Peña’s efforts are credited with contributing to the revival of Denver’s new vibrant and dynamic economy.
Peña currently serves on the boards of Wells Fargo & Company and Sonic Corp. Peña was National Co-Chair of Obama for America and a national board member of the Obama-Biden Transition.
Peña is originally from Brownsville, Texas and has J.D. and B.A. degrees from the University of Texas. He has four children and a grandson. He lives in Denver with his wife, the former Cindy Velasquez.
Gilbert R. Vasquez has served as managing partner of Vasquez & Company, since its founding in 1981. He oversees the firm’s direction, strategic planning, administration, marketing, and major account management. He has led successful practices in public accounting, auditing, taxation and financial consulting for nearly five decades.
Gil guided the firm’s growth from a one-person consultancy into the largest Latino-owned CPA firm in California. In 2017, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) ranked Vasquez & Company among the top 1 percent of the 400 largest firms in the country.
A widely respected Certified Public Accountant, he was the first minority board member of the California Board of Accountancy, which is responsible for regulating more than 100,000 CPAs, and later served as president. He also is a former Chapter 7 bankruptcy trustee for the Central District of California.
Gil was founder and president of ALPFA, the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting, which now has 90,000 members and 200 chapters across the country, and a founding advisory board member of the International Society of Filipinos in Finance and Accounting. He also chaired AICPA’s Minority Recruitment and Equal Opportunity Committee.
He serves on the board of directors of Entravision Communications Corporation and, Manufacturers Bank. He is Chairman and Founding Board Member of the Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce and serves on the board of the LA84 Foundation.
A Legacy of Community Service
Gil has served on more than 40 boards of directors, including those of the California Endowment Fund, Citizens for Belvedere Park Community Planning and the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials. He is chairman emeritus of UnidosUS (formerly National Council of La Raza) and earlier served on the boards of the California Jaycees, Cal State LA Foundation, Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Green Dot Public Schools, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, Tomas Rivera Policy Institute, United Way of Greater Los Angeles and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles. He was a founding board member of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation.
He also served on the executive board of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee and was the only Latino founding board member of the LA84 Foundation.
In recognition of his extensive community service, Gil received the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund’s Achievement Award, Coca-Cola Company’s Golden Hammer Award and YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles’ Golden Book of Distinguished Service Award.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles. At its 40th anniversary in 1984, the university recognized him as one of 40 distinguished alumni and in 2015 named him Alumnus of the Year.
Gilberto S. Ocañas has spent over thirty years working to build a network of political and business relationships with community leaders, operatives, entrepreneurs and elected officials. His coalition-building skills include gathering local intelligence, performing political outreach and crafting communications strategies that work for his clients. This unique combination of experience has led to Gilberto providing quality business management consulting services to clients in both the public and private sectors, domestically and internationally.
Gilberto’s experience in turning a start-up business in 1992 into a successful security printing and fulfillment company has given him insights into key business issues. The success of his business enterprise, coupled with his commitment to maintain a strong civic presence, garnered him local recognition as the “Hispanic Businessman of the Year” as well as “Volunteer of the Year” by the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Hispanic magazine recognized Gilberto as a “Rising Entrepreneur.”
A veteran of four presidential campaigns, Gilberto served as a senior director in field operations, director of the office national voter participation and national campaign manager for the Latino programs. Gilberto was one of the first Latinos to run statewide campaigns in Texas. He also worked under the late Willie Velasquez as Director of Communications for the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, as part of one of the most successful voter registration and education groups in the Southwest.
Gilberto serves the boards of the Texas Advisory board for the Environmental Defense Fund and Mi Familia Vota, a national non -partisan civic engagement organization. He has also has served on the National Advisory Boards of the Resolution Trust Corporation, the US Small Business Administration, the US Secretary of Energy Advisory Council and the Smithsonian Task Force on Latino Affairs.
Gustavo Martinez is the former Worldwide Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of J. Walter Thompson Company. Martinez was the first Hispanic CEO of a global advertising agency.
Martinez joined J. Walter Thompson Company in 2014 as Global President. He became CEO on Jan. 1, 2015.
Martinez joined J. Walter Thompson Company from McCann Worldgroup, where he was President, Europe and Asia. Prior to McCann, Martinez spent 10 years at Ogilvy & Mather in multiple senior management positions, including Global Director of Brand Management, Global New Business Director and Chief Operating Officer, Ogilvy Latina, among others. Martinez’s career began in Henkel Ibérica. Prior to that, he was with PwC as Manager of the Strategic Consulting department. He began working in advertising in 1993.
Mr. Martinez holds a Bachelor’s and a Ph.D. in Economics from the Universitat de Barcelona. He holds a PDG from IESE (Universidad de Navarra), and was a Professor of Marketing and Economics at Spain’s School of Economics.
A truly “global citizen,” Martinez was born in Argentina but grew up primarily in Spain. He has also lived and worked in the United States, Europe, Latin America and Asia. He speaks Spanish, English, Italian, German and Portuguese fluently.
Mrs. Arrington is a Managing Director and Global Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ("DEI") Officer in the Ares Human Resources Department, and partners with the firm's DEI Council to advance Ares' strategy to attract, develop, engage and advance diverse talent within an inclusive, welcoming environment, along with advance equity in the broader alternative asset management industry. Mrs. Arrington also serves as an advisor to support DEI initiatives at portfolio companies across Ares' investment strategies. Prior to joining Ares in 2021, Mrs. Arrington served as a Senior Vice President and Head of Targeted Sourcing at Wells Fargo & Company, where she provided leadership in the strategic planning and execution of diversity sourcing initiatives and programs for the firm. Previously, Mrs. Arrington held several senior roles at The Bank of America Corporation within the Global Diversity and Inclusion Organization. In addition, she was an Equity Derivatives Sales Trader at Morgan Stanley. Mrs. Arrington began her career as a Financial Analyst at CIT Group. She serves on the Board of Directors of Poly Prep, the Committee for Hispanic Children and Families and the Council of Urban Professionals (CUP). Mrs. Arrington holds a B.A., summa cum laude, from Rutgers University in Economics and an M.B.A. from the New York University Stern School of Business. Mrs. Arrington is a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management Fellow, a Toigo Fellow and an INROADS alum. She is a Cornell University Certified Diversity Professional/Advanced Practitioner (CCDP/AP) and a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon, Phi Beta Kappa, Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), PRIMER Network and the Council of Urban Professionals
Jason Riveiro serves as Vice President of Global Growth Markets & Inclusion at Realogy Holdings Corp., the leading and most integrated provider of residential real estate services in the U.S. with brands like Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate, Century 21, Coldwell Banker, Corcoran, ERA, and Sotheby’s International Realty. Prior to Realogy, Jason served as Chief Marketing Officer for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). Jason is also responsible for pioneering the launch of multicultural marketing departments at Big Lots, North America's largest closeout retailer and The Sherwin-Williams Co., the nation’s largest specialty retailer of paint and painting supplies.
Riveiro is the Chair of NAHREP’s Corporate Board of Governors and has served on several boards including the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland’s Business Advisory Board, WCPO Community Advisory Board, Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority’s (SORTA) Board of Trustees, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Cincinnati Human Relations Commission’s Board of Directors, Clear Channel’s Community Advisory Board, Columbus Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Pittsburgh Pirates Diversity Advisory Board.
To commemorate his contributions, Riveiro has been awarded the Univision Communications’ Fellow, NAACP Freedom Fighter Award, LULAC National Presidential Citation, Distinguished Hispanic Ohioan Award, Business Courier’s Top 40 Under 40 and CityBeat Magazine’s Person of the Year in 2007.
A native of Houston Texas, Jason was born to a Colombian mother and Venezuelan father. He spent 10 years living throughout México, in cities such as Torreon, Mazatlán, Tepic and Tijuana before returning to his native Houston to complete his professional studies. He holds an MBA from Xavier University, a bachelor’s degree in International Studies and Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas in Houston, TX and has completed graduate courses at the Universidad de San Pablo-CEU in Madrid, Spain.
Jeff Valdez is a serial entrepreneur and President of Valdez Productions. Jeff has been producing, writing and directing TV and film for over 25 years, with the likes of Nickelodeon, Lifetime, Disney, Showtime and NBC. Jeff has also consulted and been a keynote and strategist for organizations looking to maximize their reach into the Latino market, with companies like Coca Cola, Miller Beer, Time Warner Cable, Summit Entertainment, and many others.
He has been credited with pioneering a new category in American television; the English Language Latino Market, which represents the vast majority of American Latinos. Jeff is a multi-faceted expert, on how to address the multitude of opportunities in this new landscape.
Mr. Valdez made history as Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of SiTV (now known as Nuvo/Fuse TV). He launched and oversaw all operations for the critical maiden voyage of the first ever national cable network owned and run by Latinos in the United States.
After launching SiTV, Jeff went on to Chair the largest Latino social network at the time, QuePasa Corp (NASDAQ), helping grow the stock from $1 to 15 a share and simultaneously Co-Chaired a film distribution company in the US, Maya Entertainment.
Along with former Accenture global COO, Raul Alvarado, Jeff helped create Themographic Solutions a cognitive analytics platform that identifies consumer wishes and brand needs, then aligns them through topic & value driven content.
Most recently, Jeff has teamed up with Bourn Companies to buy old failing malls and make them into “experiential social entertainment platforms,” as well as launching NCP (New Cadence Productions) along with Bruce Barshop and Sol Trujillo. NCP, is focused on creating non-stereotypical Latino content for a variety of venues.
Jeff has a regular blog on the Huffington Post.
Born in Pueblo, Colorado, he now lives in Beverly Hills, with his wife Ana and their two sons, Alex and Max.
AWARDS AND HONORS
“One Of The Top 50 People Who Matter,” CNN
“The Racial Harmony Award,” Center For Ethnic Understanding
“Top 50 Minorities In Cable,” Multichannel News
“Alma Award,” National Council Of La Raza
“Top 10 Players in the U.S. Hispanic Media Market,” Ad Age
“Imagine Award,” Imagine Foundation
“Quasar Award,” NAMIC
“Top 50 Marketers in America,” Advertising Age
(Full list available on request)
Mettey News & Media Consultants. September 2017 – Present
Founder and President of Mettey News & Media Consultants. (Azteca America)
California State University Fullerton (CSUF) – Spring 2016
Professor. Editorial convergence: A new business model
Azteca America. February 2015 – August 2017
VP of News and Community Outreach
Mettey News & Media Consultants. May 2014 – February 2015
Founder and President of Mettey News & Media Consultants. (Azteca America)
MundoFox. April 2012- May 2014
Senior Vice President of News, the News division for MundoFox, the Spanish-language broadcast network that launched in summer of 2012.
Mettey News & Media Consultants. April 2007- April 2012
Founder and President of Mettey News & Media Consultants. (Teletón, Espacio / Televisa, etc.)
California State University Northridge (CSUN) spring 2006
Professor Course in Production of Community Service Programs
Univision Television Group. January 2006 – May 2007
Vice President of News, KMEX Channel 34
Los Angeles, California
Creator of the very successful news/community service campaigns: “Ya es hora:¡Ciudadania!”, “A su lado”, “¡No te dejes!”, “¡Ahora es cuando!”, amongst others.
UCLA Extension-2004-2006
Founder, developer and instructor of Certificate Program for print and broadcasting media reporters, specializing in the Spanish speaking market. Los Angeles, California.
University of California Los Angeles Extension (UCLA) fall 2003
Professor “Introduction to Television Journalism in Spanish”
Univision Television Group. July 2002-January 2006
News Director at KMEX Channel 34
Los Angeles, California
Increased ratings exponentially.
Univision Television Group. 1999-2002
News Director at KTVW Channel 33
Phoenix, Arizona
Increased audience ratings from an average of .8 for the 5 p.m. newscast and .6 for the 10 p.m. newscast to 1.6 and 1.3 respectively, in a year’s time. The news team wins 12 Emmy awards in the last two years of tenure, including the “Emmy of the Emmys”, the Governor’s Award.
Univision Television Group. 1996-1999
News Director at KUVN Channel 23
Dallas, Texas.
Newscasts are nominated for a national Emmy in the Community Services category. Increased audience ratings from.8 in the 5 p.m. newscast and .6 for the 10 p.m. newscast to 2.5 and 2.0, respectively.
Turner Entertainment Services Los Angeles, CA – 1994-1995
Producer/Reporter CNN “!Farandulísima!”
Los Angeles, California
Watusi Watoto, 1994-Present
Watusi Watoto, S. A. Puebla, Mexico.
Founder and co-owner of the camping grounds of the conservation park African Safari.
Hispanic Marketing and Promotions, Los Angeles, CA – 1993-1996
Marketing, radio and TV content for the Hispanic Market.
Los Angeles, CA.
Telemundo Network, News Producer at KVEA channel 52 Los Angeles, CA – 1991-1993
Produced the best 30-minute newscast in Los Angeles, CA. which won the first Emmy in history for best newscast in Spanish language.
American Communications Institute, Los Angeles, CA – 1991-1994
TV Production instructor. Los Angeles, CA
KALI Radio Station, Los Angeles, CA – 1989-1991
News reporter/News anchor/Producer of news segments.
Chamber of Deputies Mexico City – 1989
Host of Noticiero Diario (Daily Newscast)
Instituto Mexicano de la Radio Mexico City- 1988-1989
Host and general director of the Daily Radio Program entitled “En el campo” (In the Field), a national broadcast produced by Mexican Radio and TV Institute (RTC ). Mexico City.
Advertisement Agencies – 1986-1989
Radio and TV announcer of ads, programs and audiovisual presentations. Mexico City.
RTC-1982-1989
Head of the Department of Analysis and Television Supervision. Head of the Office of Distribution and Exchange of Videos. Radio, Television and Cinematography (RTC). Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mexico City.
Fundación México Innova. June 2018-Present
President.
Fundación México Innova. February 2016 – June 2018
Vice President.
National Hispanic Medical Association. June 2012-June 2013
Member of board of directors
White Memorial Medical Center Foundation. May 2005-July 2006
Campaign board member
Between 1993-2016 Various Awards and Award Nominations for the following:
2016
2013
2008
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
1996
1993
Manuel “Manny” is the Founder and Managing Partner of Sanchez Daniels & Hoffman LLP. Over the past 29 years the firm has earned a reputation as one of the premier civil litigation defense firms in the State of Illinois and has grown into the second largest minority-owned law firm in the United States.
Manny is a highly accomplished trial lawyer, specializing in multi-million dollar complex product liability, Asbestos, construction, professional liability, employment law, civil rights, commercial and toxic tort defense litigation. He has
been the lead counsel and successfully tried to verdict more than 75 cases in both State and Federal Court in Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana. He has received an AV Preeminent peer rating by Martindale-Hubbell for the past 29 years.
Highly regarded by his peers, he is a multi-term elected member of the Illinois State Bar General Assembly, past Co-chair of the ABA Commission on the Jury and in 2013 he was selected as the recipient of the 2013 Distinguished Award for Excellence by the Illinois Bar Foundation.
Manny has represented such high profile clients as the manufacturer of the motor vehicle which was one of the nine defendants sued by the Reverend Duane Willis and his wife following the horrific burning deaths of their six children. After the global settlement of the case for $100 million, Manny filed a contribution action against the sole non-settling defendant and successfully secured a jury verdict for the client’s entire settlement contribution of $10 Million. In the past 5 years, Manny has also secured favorable jury verdicts for several police officers in the largest civil rights case ever taken to verdict in the Northern District of Illinois, secured a not guilty verdict in defense of a racial discrimination/retaliatory case brought by the EEOC, obtained the first not guilty verdict for an automobile manufacturer in a Living Mesothelioma Asbestos case tried in Madison County, and in 2012 received the Illinois Jury Verdict Award for the best ADA/Civil Rights verdict for a case tried in DuPage County.
Manny has been recognized by the Leading Lawyer Network since 2003 in multiple areas of civil litigation work including product liability and toxic tort defense law. He is a Charter Fellow of Litigation Counsel of America. He has also been named annually a Super Lawyer in Illinois since 2006, a recognition given to the top 5% of attorneys in each State.
As Manny successfully grew his law firm, he became actively engaged in the Business, Civic and Not-for-Profit activities in and around the city of Chicago and State of Illinois. Indeed, Manny presently serves on the Boards of numerous business organizations including The Executives Club of Chicago, The Economic Club of Chicago, The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Independent Maps of Illinois. He is a member of The Commercial Club of Chicago since 1995.
He currently serves on numerous Not-for-Profit Boards including: Children’s Memorial Hospital, Choose Chicago, Steppenwolf Theatre, Northern Illinois Foundation, Loyola Council of Regents, Museum of Science & Industry and Chicago Scholars.
Since the founding of the Law Firm in 1987, Manny has literally helped raise millions of dollars for eleemosynary causes including Chicago Scholars, Gary Sinise Foundation, and his alma maters, Northern Illinois University, University of Pennsylvania Law School and Holy Trinity High School.
Manny has received three gubernatorial appointments including appointment by Governor Edgar in 1996 to the Inaugural NIU Board of Trustees, where he served for 15 years, appointment by Governor Quinn to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority in 2011 and appointment by Governor Rauner to Chairmanship of the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority. Additionally, in 2011 Manny was appointed by President Barack Obama to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics.
Patty Juarez has spent over 24 years in Commercial Banking where she has held various leadership roles. Currently, Patty serves as National Diverse Segments Director creating, developing, and executing our strategy within several lines of business in Wholesale Banking. Patty earned her bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in accounting from the University of California, Berkeley, and her MBA from St. Mary’s College of California in Moraga.
Patty joined Wells Fargo in 1995 as a financial analyst and completed the bank’s Credit Management Training Program in 1998. She joined the Santa Clara office where she focused on technology clients and was promoted to credit officer and held this position until she transitioned to Regional Vice President of the North Orange County office in 2010.
Active in a variety of professional and community organizations, Patty was chairwoman and now Board Development Chair of the Orange County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, which represents the interests of Orange County’s 30,000 Hispanic-owned businesses. She is also on the board of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) of Orange County where she serves as Audit Chair. CASA trains community volunteers to serve as powerful mentors and advocates for the community’s abused, abandoned, and neglected children. Lastly, Patty sits on the Dean’s Board of Counselors for Chapman University’s school of business and economics.
Externally, Patty often speaks about topics such as Diversity and Inclusion, diverse segments, multi-cultural marketing and financial literacy. Internally, Patty is the President of Latin Connection, one of the largest employee resource groups at Wells Fargo with over 14,000 members and 47 chapters. She is co-chair of key committees in the Women in Leadership Council and Diversity Councils for Wholesale and Commercial Banking.
Patty lives in South Orange County, Calif., with her husband Manny and her children Isabella and Max.
Robert Rodriguez is a film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer, editor, and musician. He is also the Founder and Chairman of El Rey Network, the new genre-busting English-language cable network that launched in December 2013.
While a student at the University of Texas at Austin in 1991, Robert Rodriguez wrote the script to his first feature film while sequestered at a drug research facility as a paid subject in a clinical experiment. That paycheck covered the cost of shooting his film. He planned to make the money back by selling the film to the Mexican home video market.
The film, El Mariachi, went on to win the coveted Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, and became the lowest budget movie ever released by a major studio. Rodriguez wrote about these experiences in Rebel Without a Crew, a perennial guide for the independent filmmaker.
Rodriguez went on to write, produce, direct and edit a series of successful films including Desperado, From Dusk Till Dawn, The Faculty, the Spy Kids franchise, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Frank Miller’s Sin City, The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3D, Grindhouse and Machete.
In 2000, Rodriguez founded Troublemaker Studios, an Austin, Texas based production facility of which he is co-owner and president. The studio includes a world-renowned visual effects house, music and publishing arms and has played a primary role in making Austin a vibrant filmmaking hub.
In 2010, he launched Quick Draw Productions a development, production and financing company which gives Rodriguez “green light” capabilities to develop and produce his own media projects across film, television, gaming and interactive platforms while closely controlling the creative process.
Rodriguez is currently completing Sin City 2: A Dame To Kill For. He resides in Austin, Texas.
Rodrigo Figueroa is the director of Dykema’s Alternative & Renewable Energy group. Dykema and its practitioners are regularly recognized as industry leaders by corporate board members, preeminent legal referral sources, leading industry publications and peers.
Rodrigo advises many of the firm’s clients on state and local government matters, regulatory and public utility administrative law and real estate matters. Mr. Figueroa also assists companies in acquiring gasoline stations. His experience includes assisting utility draft and negotiating power purchase agreements, construction contracts, franchise agreements, leases, and asset purchase agreements.
Awards & Recognition
Mr. Anthony (Tony) Jimenez is the award-winning President, CEO, and founder of MicroTech, a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned and 8(a) Small Business (SDVOSB) focused on Information Technology, Systems Engineering, Audio- Visual Telecommunications, Value Added Resale, and Consulting services and solutions.
Since founding MicroTech in 2004, Tony has grown the business into a profitable multi-million dollar company with over 350 highly skilled professionals supporting over 60 prime contracts with civilian and defense agencies of the Federal government and providing IT and network support to numerous Fortune 500 companies. MicroTech’s suite of services and solutions have ensured that clients in Government, Education, and the Technology industry accomplish their mission while simultaneously maximizing their return on investment (ROI) and lowering their total cost of ownership (TCO).
Tony is a highly decorated veteran, has an MA in Computers and Information Systems from Webster University in St. Louis, MO, an MS in Acquisition Management from Florida Institute of Technology in Melbourne, FL and a BS in Business Management from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas. He is a certified Program Manager, Chief Information Officer, and IT professional and has served as a Government Contracting Officer where he held numerous unlimited contracting warrants for the Federal Government.
He serves on a number of boards and councils and attends numerous conferences and technology events serving as an expert on entrepreneurship, government contracting and IT support management. Tony is a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans (DAV), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), the American Legion, and the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association (AFCEA), as well as an active member of United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, United States – Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Military Officers Association of America, and Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA).
Role at RSR Partners
Victor Arias is a Managing Director at Diversified Search, working primarily in the Board of Directors practice. He is the leader of the firm’s Dallas-Fort Worth office and Co-Practice Leader of the Consumer and Retail practice.
Experience and Expertise
Victor previously served as RSR Partners’ Managing Director in Dallas, as well as a senior member of its Board Recruiting Practice.
He joined the firm from Korn Ferry, where he had served as senior client partner since 2007 and was the global leader of the Diversity and Inclusion Initiative. Aside from the board practice specialization, Victor also has deep expertise in the consumer products and real estate sectors for clients whether in the U.S. or Latin America.
Previously, Victor served as partner at Heidrick & Struggles from 2004 to 2007. He also served as a co-managing partner of the Diversity Services Practice. Prior, Victor was also a partner at Spencer Stuart.
Outside RSR Partners
Victor earned his MBA from Stanford University and BBA from University of Texas at El Paso where he was named Distinguished Alum in 2009. He is a trustee emeritus for the Stanford University board of trustees, the current chairman of the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative, and prior member of the Stanford GSB Advisory Council. He serves on the UTEP Development Board and is a past White House Fellows Commissioner. Victor served on the board of Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen (NASDAQ: PLKI) for 15 years until his retirement in 2016. He is also past national president and co-founder of the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, prior member of the Notre Dame Institute of Latino Studies board, and a founding board member of the recently formed Latino Corporate Directors Association, a membership group for Hispanic corporate directors.
Victor and his wife Sandy live in Dallas. They have three adult children.
Over the past twenty years Victor Miramontes, a founding partner of CityView, Cisneros Miramontes, and SAT Automotive Technologies, has been responsible for each company’s initial conceptualization, formation, funding, and start of operations. Mr. Miramontes is a member of each entity’s governance board of directors, serves on the real estate company’s various investment committees and is the chairman of the automotive company. He is currently charged with identifying projects, structuring new projects and developing an investor base for each.
Immediately prior to his teaming up with Mr. Henry Cisneros in 2000 to form American CityVista and then CityView, Mr. Miramontes was the CEO of the North American Development Bank, an international development bank (“NADB”). NADB provides key infrastructure including water, wastewater treatment, transportation and energy projects in the US and Mexican border urban communities. He was the newly formed institution’s first employee in 1994 and was responsible for the bank’s initial operations, policy formation, capitalization, programs, and projects. Policies and programs initiated by Mr. Miramontes have provided billions in new investments and continue to provide project funding, critical system management assistance and training for key border utility professionals.
Prior to his tenure at the NADB, Mr. Miramontes had worked with multiple institutions focusing primarily on the establishment of new projects, divisions, and business ventures. Prior to Mr. Cisneros’ departure in the early 90’s from San Antonio to become the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Mr. Miramontes and Mr. Cisneros had established Cisneros Asset Management Company, a successful institutional fixed income money management company. In addition, he has worked with La Quinta Motor Inns (real estate), Paine Webber (project finance), Laredo National Bank (private equity and automotive) and Wells Fargo Bank (corporate clients) in project development/finance, corporate money management, and municipal finance. He is currently on the board of directors for Whole Child International and is active in a variety of local San Antonio initiatives.
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