The Department of Management at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business recently hosted an event for students from across the University to learn more about business in Latin America. The event consisted of discussions about sustainability and economic growth in Costa Rica, supply chain logistics, and the impact of soccer, concluding with a Q&A-style panel where students could ask the panelists questions.
José Sagarnaga Castillo, associate professor in the Department of Management, organized the event. “Understanding business from a global perspective is essential in today’s interconnected world. Students gain invaluable insights into diverse markets, emerging trends, and unique challenges by engaging directly with seasoned executives from Latin America. These connections broaden their knowledge and prepare them to navigate the complexities of international business with greater cultural awareness and strategic insight.”
Panelists/Speakers
Pedro Beirute
Former CEO, PROCOMER Costa Rica Trade and FDI Authority
Pedro Beirute is a highly accomplished executive with a global career across Latin America, the USA, and Europe recognized as one of Costa Rica’s Top 25 Business Leaders. He served as CEO of PROCOMER, where he led Costa Rica’s export and investment strategy for three governments, earning PROCOMER the title “Best Trade and Investment Promotion Organization in the World” for eight consecutive years. Beirute also advanced the Costa Rica brand globally, driving significant tourism and foreign direct investment, now accounting for nearly 40% of the country’s GDP. Before his public service, he held key roles at Intel, rising from accounting clerk to CEO-2 in Silicon Valley, overseeing 8,000 employees worldwide.
José Maroto
Owner & President, Sporting Football Club – Costa Rica National League
José Maroto is a 30-year veteran of the food service industry with expertise in distribution, cash and carry retail, and international market expansion throughout Latin America. He established the largest foodservice distributors in Costa Rica and Panama and expanded retail operations to 22 stores across both countries. Maroto is also a partner in Mexico’s leading independent food service distributor. In addition to holding a degree in Business from the University of Minnesota, he has been co-owner with his brother of Costa Rica’s Sporting Football Club since 2019, and in 2023, he became President, overseeing both men’s and women’s teams as well as social initiatives and specialized divisions.
Connecting our students to global learning opportunities through events and discussions like this supports our Clemson Elevate strategic goal of delivering the #1 student experience in the country. By planting seeds of knowledge and understanding of the world around them, our students will be better equipped to make a difference in the world.
Julio Hernandez, Assistant to the President for Community Outreach and Engagement
Luis Ramirez
CEO Grupo Tical
With over 27 years of experience as the Chairman of the Board and CEO of Grupo Tical, a leading logistics and transportation company in Latin America, Ramirez has led Tical Group in Central America in innovation, customer service and ESG responsibility through his team’s vision and leadership. Grupo Tical was founded in 1973 as a company with 100% Costa Rican capital dedicated to land cargo transportation, creating a solution to intra-Central American trade. Tical begins its operations with great expectations of growth and expansion, with the certainty of becoming a customer strategic ally and has been at the forefront of the industry, integrating its subsidiaries, processes, human capital and technology as a 3PL integrated logistics services operator.
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