|
IN GOOD
COMPANY
It’s been a tumultuous time for major corporations in the U.S. In an era when it seems every other billion-dollar empire is facing financial woes, and CEOs have more worries than not, it can be hard to find both corporation and business leaders who are above the fray, and that still make community involvement and diversity a priority. In this special feature, we celebrate both the best companies and corporate superstars that have poured dollars into ideas and come out miles ahead of the competition.
By Sara Fernández Cendón
The 25 Best Latinos
in Business
Being company powerhouses is just one of their attributes. Many have lead their businesses to the top of the corporate ladder, but it’s their ambition, aptitude and sense of duty to their communities, that have made these men and women
the utmost business people in the country.
 Linda Alvarado
President,
Alvarado Construction
Linda Alvarado founded Alvarado Construction 31 years ago. And in addition to her role as president, she serves on more corporate boards than any other Latina—she sits on the boards of 3M, Pitney Bowes, the Pepsi Bottling Group and Qwest Communications International. Her community involvement includes support of initiatives to promote education among Latinos and help women develop business careers. Alvarado became the first Hispanic owner of a major league baseball team when she became a partner in the Colorado Rockies in 1993.
 César Álvarez
President and CEO, Greenberg Traurig
César Álvarez is president and CEO of the seventh largest law firm in the country and has been for the last 10 years. During this time, the firm has grown from 325 lawyers in eight offices to more than 1700 attorneys and professionals in 33 locations in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Álvarez serves on the board of directors of several publicly traded corporations and charitable organizations. He has received consistent recognition for his professional, business and charitable leadership.
 Ralph Alvarez
President and COO,
McDonald’s Corporation
As president and COO of McDonald’s Corporation, Ralph Alvarez has been recognized for his commitment to children and children’s charities. He serves as a mentor to aspiring business professionals through his work at McDonald’s. The Cuban American was also previously the president of McDonald’s North America where he oversaw 15,000 restaurants in the U.S. and Canada and led the company during its push to market to Latinos.
 Alain J. P. Belda
Chairman and CEO, Alcoa Inc.
Alain J. P. Belda is chairman and CEO of Alcoa, a Fortune 500 company. Belda sits on Citigroup’s board, the board of trustees of The Conference Board, and is a Brown University trustee. He is on the board of directors of The Committee Encouraging Corporate Philanthropy, a global forum focused exclusively on corporate philanthropy. Under his leadership, Alcoa has emphasized employee volunteerism and extended the company-wide Week of Service to a Month of Service.
Henry Cisneros
Founder and Chairman,
CityView America Companies
Breaking ground as the country’s first Hispanic mayor of a major city, San Antonio, Henry Cisneros is a highly respected leader in the Hispanic community. Cisneros is also the former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, under former President Bill Clinton. After leaving public office, Cisneros decided to fully devote his time to developing affordable housing across the country.
 Cristóbal I. Conde
President and CEO,
SunGard Data Systems
Cristóbal I. Conde joined SunGard, a Fortune 500 company, in 1987 after the company acquired Devon Systems International Inc., which he had cofounded. In 1990 he launched the Trading Systems division, which under his direction expanded to four groups with more than 2,000 employees. He is also a member of the Clinton Global Initiative.
 Ralph de la Vega
President and CEO,
AT&T Mobility Unit
As the former Cingular COO, Ralph de la Vega led one of the biggest mergers in U.S. history, between AT&T Wireless and Cingular. In August 2004 he was selected Executive of the Year by the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting for his support of diversity in the workplace and financial integrity. De la Vega has also been recognized for his work to promote education and technical literacy in the Hispanic community.
 Alvaro G. de Molina
COO, GMAC LLC
Before joining GMAC, Alvaro G. de Molina was chief financial officer of Bank of America. He is now responsible for GMAC’s real estate, commercial and global finance businesses. De Molina has been recognized for his support of early childhood initiatives and programs to assist youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. A long-time United Way supporter, he is on the Board of Duke University’s School of Business, Florida International University College of Business Administration, and Opera Carolina.
 Paul J. Díaz
President and CEO,
Kindred Healthcare Inc.
Paul J. Díaz is president of one of the largest providers of long-term healthcare services in the U.S. He is also on the board of directors of DaVita Inc., Kindred Healthcare, PharMerica Corporation and the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University, and on the board of visitors of Georgetown University Law Center.
 Patricia Diaz-Dennis
Senior Vice President,
SBC Communications Inc.
Patricia Diaz-Dennis has held executive positions at Sprint and ABC. She serves on the boards of Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Co. and UST Inc. As board chair for Girl Scouts of the USA, she is a steadfast promoter of leadership among girls. A three-time presidential appointee, she served in the State Department, the Federal Communications Commission, and the National Labor Relations Board.
 Mike Fernandez
Chairman, MBF Healthcare
Partners LP
President of this private equity firm, Mike Fernandez began his career developing health insurance plans for the elderly and employers. He has overseen the sale of more than $600 million in corporate assets in the past several years, and has delivered solid returns for investors.Fernandez also serves on boards of the United Way of Miami-Dade County, Pediatrix Medical Group and The University of Miami/Sylvester Cancer Center.
 Carlos M. Gutierrez
U.S. Secretary of Commerce
As former Kellogg CEO, Carlos M. Gutierrez is often credited with having revived the company. His nomination as Secretary of Commerce was supported by the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility. During his tenure, he was instrumental in the creation of the Central American Free Trade Agreement and oversees a Cabinet of 38,000 workers. He is also the co-chair for the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba.
 Alex Lopez Negrete
Founder and CEO,
Lopez Negrete Communications
Alex Lopez Negrete founded his advertising agency with his wife, Cathy, in 1985. Today it counts as clients Wal-Mart Stores, Tyson Foods, Bank of America, GEICO Direct, Visa USA, Microsoft Corp., and others. Lopez Negrete has been recognized for his leadership in the development of the Hispanic marketing industry. He serves on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts of the J. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
Monica C. Lozano
Publisher and CEO, La Opinión;
Senior Vice President, Impremedia
Publisher of the country’s largest Spanish-language daily newspaper, Lozano is also chair of the National Council of La Raza, and a board member of Walt Disney Co. and Bank of America. She has been recognized for her community involvement and most recently was presented with the Medallion of Excellence for Leadership and Community Service Award by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
 Luis Maizel
Founder, CEO and Chief Investment Strategist, LM Capital Group, LLC; Founder and President,
LM Advisors, Inc.
Luis Maizel is a founding member and past president of the Mexican Business Council of San Diego, and former president of the Harvard Business School Alumni Association of Mexico. His company, which manages approximately $1 billion in investments, is one of the largest minority-run investment businesses in the country.
 J. Mario Molina
Chairman, president and CEO,
Molina Healthcare Inc.
J. Mario Molina, founder and president of a Fortune 1000 company, is also a 1995 Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry. His national healthcare organization is known for its community service. He is also a board member of the New America Alliance, an organization whose goal is to build human capital by increasing the number of Latino MBAs, government appointments, and investment in Latino-owned businesses.
 Michael Montelongo
Senior Vice President, Strategic
Marketing, Sodexho, Inc.
Michael Montelongo served as assistant secretary of the Air Force in President Bush’s administration and was the highest-ranking Hispanic in that department. Currently Montelongo serves on the boards of Denny’s Corporation and DataPath, Inc., and is on the board of directors for the Georgia Voter Hispanic Registration Campaign. As part of his community service, he directs youth and young adult ministries for the Atlanta archdiocese.
Arturo Moreno
Owner, Los Angeles
Angels of Anaheim
Moreno made sports history when he bought the Anaheim Angels in 2003 and became the first Hispanic individual owner of a major league baseball team. He is ranked No. 244 on Forbes magazine’s listing of the richest 400 people in the world, thanks in part to his success in the outdoor advertising business. Through the Moreno Family Foundation, Moreno supports non-profit organizations focused on youth and education.
 Max Navarro
Founder and CEO,
OpTech, Inc.
Max Navarro is one of country’s most successful Hispanic businessmen. But Navarro also initiated the concept that gave rise to San Antonio’s Community Development Loan Fund, whose purpose is to provide loans to small businesses and community organizations with limited or no access to capital from traditional financial institutions. Over its 13-year history, CDLF has deployed more than $9.7 million in loans to 154 small businesses and non-profit organizations, many of them minority- and women-owned.
 Federico Peña
Managing Director,
Vestar Capital Partners
Federico Peña’s long record of public service includes Secretary of Transportation and Energy under President Clinton, and former mayor of Denver. He serves on Toyota’s North American Diversity Advisory Board, Marsico Captial Management, Principal Financial Group, Sonic Corp. and Valor Telecommunications. As managing director of Vestar, he pushes for investments in Hispanic businesses and supports education initiatives.
 Antonio M. Perez
Chairman, President and CEO,
Eastman Kodak
Antonio M. Perez is president of this Fortune 500 Company that is the No. 1 seller of digital cameras in the U.S. and third in the world, and helped lead the transition from a film-based company to a digital leader. At Kodak, he chairs the company’s Senior Executive Diversity and Inclusion Council. Perez is also on the board of directors of Freescale Semiconductor.
 Jorge Perez
Founder, Chairman and CEO,
Related Group
Although Jorge Perez’s Related Group is one of the country’s most important real estate development firms, the magnate is also committed to community affairs as a director for the Miami Art Museum, vice-chair of the Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs Council and director of the Miami Film Festival. He is also on Miami’s Downtown Development Authority and University of Miami’s board of trustees.
William D. Perez
President and CEO,
Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company
William Perez is the first president of Wm. Wrigley, a Fortune 500 company, who is not a member of the Wrigley family. Perez also serves on the Kellogg Company’s board of directors and is former president and CEO of S.C. Johnson. Under his leadership, S.C. Johnson was recognized for its environmental and community investment leadership and progressive workplace programs.
 Daniel D. Villanueva
Chairman and President,
Bastion Capital Corporation
As a managing partner at Bastion Capital, a private equity fund, Villanueva helped form a private equity fund that invests in companies that market products and services to Hispanics throughout the southwest and California. The Danny Villanueva Scholarship Endowment at New Mexico State University assists Latino students who demonstrate a record of leadership. Recently, he committed $2.5 million to the university’s “Doing What Counts” fundraising campaign.
 Alberto Verme
Co-Head, Global Investment
Banking Markets and
Banking
Investments Client Group, Citigroup
Under Alberto Verme, Citigroup’s global franchise teams achieved world leadership and executed a number of big mergers that effectively changed the landscape of the financial sector. Verme began his illustrious financial career at the World Bank, and has since held positions at Solomon Brothers as chairman of Citi’s Latin America Investment Banking Group.
|
