Continuing its legacy of recognizing outstanding alumni achievement and groundbreaking community contributions, the FIU Business Hall of Fame honored prominent alumni and business leaders at its annual ceremonies. The event drew leaders from throughout the South Florida business community to network and celebrate the best in business.
At a gala celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Hall of Fame in 2014, the Lifetime Achievement award went to the late R. Kirk Landon, former president of the Kirk Foundation and namesake of the Landon Undergraduate School and a long-time college supporter.
The 2014 Hall of Fame inductees included the founder of a home-grown global fashion brand, a prominent local artist, and three banking and investment executives:
- Alexander Mijares (MBA ’11) artist, A. Mijares Art
- Alina Villasante, Alumna, designer & creator, Peace Love World
- Guillermo G. Castillo (BBA ’81) president, middle market banking, JP Morgan Chase
- Eric Maldonado (BBA ’86) managing director, Markit
- Randy Robertson (BBA ’84) managing director, BlackRock
In 2015, Manny Medina, president of Medina Capital and founder of eMerge Americas, received the Lifetime Achievement recognition.
Other alumni honorees came from the worlds of media, real estate, financial services and hospitality:
- Mario de Armas (BAcc ’85) CFO, Mexican Region, PwC
- Francis Hondal (BBA ’87, MBA ’94) executive vice president, Global Consumer Credit and Loyalty Solutions, MasterCard Worldwide
- Jose I. Juncadella (BBA ’81) principal, Fairchild Partners
- Michael Kappitt (BAcc ’92) chief marketing officer, Bloomin’ Brands
- Pamela Silva Conde (BS ’03, MBA ’12) co-anchor of Univision Network’s weekdaynewsmagazine “Primer Impacto”
To mark its 15th anniversary, the 2014 Hall of Fame celebration expanded to include an Alumni Panel. Hall of Fame members came to FIU and shared valuable lessons about their careers as leaders and entrepreneurs. Participants offered insights on topics including challenges faced, lessons learned, and for some, memories of their days at FIU. Speaking at the 2014 panel were:
- Ignacio Urbieta (MBA ’85) CEO, Urbieta Oil Co.
- Mayi de la Vega (BBA ’81) CEO and founder, ONE Sotheby’s International Realty
- Malcolm Butters (MS ’83) president and co-founder, Butters Construction & Development
- Tibor Hollo chairman and president, Florida East Coast Realty
- Monica Chiarini Tremblay chair, Department of Information Systems & Business Analytics, moderator
The 2015 panel focused on the entrepreneurial success journeys of four outstanding alumni, who also shared insights about how their FIU education impacted their careers:
- Jose Manuel Diaz (BBA ’86) CEO, Compass Office Solutions
- Lorenzo Perez Jr. (MSIRE ’07) CEO, Premier International Properties
- Andres Campo (BBA ’00) owner, Axxis Solutions
- Misha Kuryla-Gomez (MIB ’04) owner, Misha’s Cupcakes
- Seema Pissaris clinical instructor, Department of Management and International Business, moderator