Kimberly Casiano
Encyclopedia
Kimberly Casiano is a Puerto Rican businesswoman. She is President and Chief Operating Officer
of Casiano Communications
— the largest Hispanic publisher of periodicals and magazines in the United States. Casiano serves on the Board of Directors
of Ford Motor Company
and Mutual of America
.
to Puerto Rican parents — Manuel Casiano, Chairman of the Board of Casiano Communications
and Nora Casiano, the family firm's current business manager. At age 12, she moved with her family to Puerto Rico when her father joined Governor
Luis A. Ferré
's cabinet as Economic Development Administrator.
Casiano is married to Peruvian-born Juan F. Woodroffe and they have two children.
with a degree in Politics and Latin American Studies. She later earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School
in 1981— at which time she became the youngest woman to receive an MBA from Harvard at the time.
In 1988, she joined the family-owned publishing and marketing business — Casiano Communications. She held a number of management positions in the company until 1994 when she became president of the company.
In December 2003, she was elected to the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company, becoming the first Hispanic woman to serve on the board of any top five Fortune 100 corporate boards. At Ford, she serves on three Ford committees — Audit; Nominating and Corporate Governance; and Environmental and Public Policy.
In April 2006, she joined the Board of Directors of Mutual of America, which provides insurance coverage and reitrement plans to non-profits as well as small- to medium-sized firms.
For years, she has been committed to honoring the memory of José Berrocal
, a former classmate of hers and William Ford
at Princeton University
who died after having served as the youngest president of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank
, as a role model for young Puerto Ricans. For a decade, she led the fundraising efforts of the American Cancer Society
in Puerto Rico, establishing the Red Gala annual event.
Chief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
of Casiano Communications
Casiano Communications
Casiano Communications is a private Puerto Rico-based company mostly known for its publishing of various periodicals and magazines which are distributed in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, the continental United States and in 20 other countries...
— the largest Hispanic publisher of periodicals and magazines in the United States. Casiano serves on the Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
and Mutual of America
Mutual of America
Mutual of America Life Insurance Company, also referred to as Mutual of America, is a Fortune 1000 mutual company based in New York, New York. Founded in 1945, it is ranked on the Forbes 500 list as the tenth-largest insurance company in the United States.Mutual of America specializes in providing...
.
Personal
Kimberly Cassiano was born on December 21, 1957 in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to Puerto Rican parents — Manuel Casiano, Chairman of the Board of Casiano Communications
Casiano Communications
Casiano Communications is a private Puerto Rico-based company mostly known for its publishing of various periodicals and magazines which are distributed in Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, the continental United States and in 20 other countries...
and Nora Casiano, the family firm's current business manager. At age 12, she moved with her family to Puerto Rico when her father joined Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Luis A. Ferré
Luis A. Ferré
Don Luis Alberto Ferré Aguayo was a Puerto Rican engineer, industrialist, politician, philanthropist, and a patron of the arts. He was the third Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1969 to 1973, and the founding father of the New Progressive Party which advocates for Puerto Rico...
's cabinet as Economic Development Administrator.
Casiano is married to Peruvian-born Juan F. Woodroffe and they have two children.
Education
In 1979, Casiano graduated magna cum laude from Princeton UniversityPrinceton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
with a degree in Politics and Latin American Studies. She later earned a Master's degree in Business Administration from Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School
Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
in 1981— at which time she became the youngest woman to receive an MBA from Harvard at the time.
Business career
Casiano began her business career in 1981, when she founded Caribbean Marketing Overseas Corporation, a consulting firm specializing in financing, trade and investment promotion between the United States, the Caribbean and Central America. Caribbean Marketing Overseas Corporation worked closely with the Agency for Internaitonal Development (A.I.D.) on Caribbean Basin Initiative projects.In 1988, she joined the family-owned publishing and marketing business — Casiano Communications. She held a number of management positions in the company until 1994 when she became president of the company.
In December 2003, she was elected to the Board of Directors of Ford Motor Company, becoming the first Hispanic woman to serve on the board of any top five Fortune 100 corporate boards. At Ford, she serves on three Ford committees — Audit; Nominating and Corporate Governance; and Environmental and Public Policy.
In April 2006, she joined the Board of Directors of Mutual of America, which provides insurance coverage and reitrement plans to non-profits as well as small- to medium-sized firms.
Service to the community
Casiano is currently on the boards of the Hispanic College Fund, a Washington, D.C. based non-profit which awards over 500 scholarships annually to Hispanic college students throughout the U.S. She is former Puerto Rico Chapter Chair of the Young Presidents' Organization. She co-founded and is vice chair of Nuestra Casa de los Niños, a nonprofit group providing private school education for economically disadvantaged children in Puerto Rico.For years, she has been committed to honoring the memory of José Berrocal
José Berrocal
José Berrocal was the youngest president of Puerto Rico Government Development Bank .- Early years; Education :Berrocal was born in 1957 in Puerto Rico....
, a former classmate of hers and William Ford
William Ford
William Ford was an Irish-born American businessman. He was the father of Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford.-Biography:...
at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
who died after having served as the youngest president of the Puerto Rico Government Development Bank
Puerto Rico Government Development Bank
The Government Development Bank of Puerto Rico was the brainchild of Governor Rexford Guy Tugwell, who signed Law 252 of May 13, 1942, creating the institution in charge of economic development for the Government of Puerto Rico...
, as a role model for young Puerto Ricans. For a decade, she led the fundraising efforts of the American Cancer Society
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society is the "nationwide community-based voluntary health organization" dedicated, in their own words, "to eliminating cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer, through research, education, advocacy, and...
in Puerto Rico, establishing the Red Gala annual event.
External links
- http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=10484