Source: http://worldcityweb.com/home/MIA/publications/magazine/9/612/

WorldCity People

by Mary Dempsey

*Cavalcanti retires from AmEx *

Roberto Cavalcanti has retired after 26 years with American Express, most recently in Miami as president of the Latin America and Caribbean Division for consumer business. His retirement takes effect Feb. 3. He plans to devote his time to his family and his Miami restaurant, Mendoza, on the waterfront in the Brickell neighborhood.

“I want to learn more about all aspects of the restaurant business,” he says. “In addition, I’m also preparing the launch of a wine lounge at Mendoza I’ll also dedicate time to real estate investments and to the New World Angels, which is a group of private investors dedicated to providing equity capital to early and mid-stage entrepreneurial companies.”

Cavalcanti joined American Express as director of systems and data processing just as the credit card company began operations in Brazil and launched a local currency card. Cavalcanti will be replaced by Doug Buckminster, a 20-year veteran at American Express who takes the title of executive vice-president of international consumer products and marketing for Latin America/Caribbean and Canada. Buckminster will manage the region from his office in New York, with frequent visits to the American Express office in Miami.

*

*

MasterCard adds Alves to Latam team

MasterCard International has named Mauricio Alves as vice president of consumer credit products for Latin America and the Caribbean. Alves will help develop new products for member banks and MasterCard local offices in the region. Before joining MasterCard, Alves was an international financial adviser for Merrill Lynch in Miami, where he provided wealth investment advice and management for international clients. He also has experience working with Banco Ita, the second largest bank in Brazil, and has held top marketing and business development positions at Unilever for the Latin American region and PepsiCo Latin America.

“This new position will enable me to combine all aspects of my experience,” he says. “The development of the Latin America and the Caribbean region has been remarkable particularly in the area of consumer credit.”

Hrinak joins Kissinger McLarty

Former Ambassador Donna Hrinak has joined Kissinger McLarty Associates in Washington. Hrinak served as an ambassador to Brazil from 2002 until 2004, when she joined Steel Hector & Davis in Miami as its senior counselor for international trade and government affairs. In September 2005, Steel Hector was acquired by Cleveland-based law firm Squire Sanders.

Kissinger McLarty Associates provides strategic advisory and advocacy services to a select group of high-level U.S. and multinational companies. The firm was founded in 1982 by former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger; Thomas McLarty, a former Clinton administration chief of Staff and special envoy for the Americas, joined in 1999.

In Miami, Hrinak had advised Steel Hector and its multinational clients on regional political developments in Latin America. During her 30-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, Hrinak also served as an ambassador to Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia and the Dominican Republic.

*

*

Microsoft promotes Rincon*

*Microsoft has named Hernan Rincon as vice president of its Latin American sales and marketing unit, which is based in Fort Lauderdale. The move puts him in charge of all sales and marketing in the region, including that related to financial services, the public sector, education and manufacturing. He will work directly with Eugenio Beaufrand, Microsoft’s vice president for Latin America. Rincon had been Microsoft vice president for enterprise, partners and services for the region.

Before joining the software giant, Rincon was CEO of Ferag Amricas, a Swiss company that sells high-tech solutions to the publishing industry. He also was president of wireless communications company Cocelco, which operated in the western part of Colombia Rincon’s home country before it was acquired by BellSouth’s Celumovil unit in Colombia, his home country. Previously, Rincon formed part of the management team of Unisys Latin America.

*

*

Ryder promotes Bott

Kevin Bott has been promoted to the position of senior vice president and chief information officer at Ryder System. Bott has been charged with increasing information technology capabilities at the trucking and logistics solutions company. He reports to Tracy Leinbach, executive vice president and CFO. Previously, Bott was Ryder’s vice president of global supply chain solutions technology services within the IT group. In that role, he was responsible for global product strategy and all transportation, distribution and supply-chain applications. Bott replaces former senior vice president and CIO Robert Sanchez, who was named executive vice president of operations for Ryder’s fleet management solutions business segment in the United States.

Peyronnin leaves Telemundo
Joe Peyronnin has left Telemundo after six years with the Spanish-language television network. His departure was effective at the end of December. Peyronnin, who was executive vice president for news and information, says he was leaving the company headquartered in Hialeah to spend more time with his family. At press time, no replacement had yet been named. Prior to joining Telemundo, Peyronnin served as president of Fox News. From 1989 to 1995, he was the executive in charge of all CBS news programs, including CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes.

*

*

Katz Barron adds expertise

Miami-based law firm Katz Barron says attorney Stephen Walroth-Sadurni has joined the firm’s Miami office. Walroth-Sadurni practices in the areas of complex commercial and construction litigation matters in state and federal courts. He also represents U.S. and foreign clients in international commerce and corporate cases. He has extensive experience with U.S. companies investing or doing business in Mexico, as well as with Mexico companies investing or operating in the United States. Since 1995, Walroth-Sadurni has served as honorary legal counsel on commercial law issues to the Mexican consulates in Florida.

*

*

Bermello advises The Americas Group

Willy Bermello, the chairman and CEO of architecture and engineering firm Bermello, Ajamil and Partners, has become a partner and advisor to The Americas Group.

Bermello’s firm is a real estate development company specializing in mixed-use urban in-fill projects throughout South Florida and the Caribbean. It has a current portfolio of 3,200 condominium units valued at $1.5 billion. Bermello will help The Americas Group, based in Coral Gables, to identify and develop projects in Latin America.