HispanicBusiness

Pete Perez
SVP, Human Resources
•Company: ConAgra Foods
•Currently: Since 2003, Mr. Perez has directed ConAgra Foods' human resources functions, including compensation, benefits, recruiting, development, and workforce effectiveness. Under his leadership, the company adopted a "one-company" approach to performance and incentives, made headway toward developing a more diverse and inclusive culture, and worked to deliver more effectively on its core principles of simplicity, accountability, and collaboration. Mr. Perez, who earned a Masters of Business Administration from Northwestern University, previously held a similar position with W.W. Grainger and served as senior HR officer with Alliant Foodservice and Pepsi-Cola General Bottlers.

Grace Puma
SVP of Strategic Sourcing and CPO
•Company: United Airlines
•Currently: In September, Ms. Puma took over strategic sourcing and procurement for one of the country's largest air carriers. At United Airlines, Ms. Puma leads the global procurement team in the negotiating and contracting of products and services. Her duties include developing innovative sourcing strategies and technologies to find quality products and services at the best prices. Prior to joining United, Ms. Puma led a global sourcing team for several corporate, regional, and operational buying services at Kraft Foods. She also held leadership roles in procurement at Gillette and BASF Corp.

Paul Raines
EVP of U.S. Stores
•Company: The Home Depot
•Currently: Mr. Raines first joined The Home Depot in 2000 and is responsible for driving alignment and execution across the company's retail divisions and overseeing all store operations. He previously served as president of Home Depot's southern division, which encompasses 740 stores. Born in Costa Rica, Mr. Raines was formerly director of global sourcing for LL Bean for five years and a principal in the consulting firm of Kurt Salmon Associates for 10. He is president of The Homer Fund, Inc. and serves on the advisory boards for the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and The Children's Hospital Costa Rica Foundation.

Julio Ramirez
EVP of Global Operations
•Company: Burger King Corporation
•Currently: Mr. Ramirez's career at Burger King Corporation has spanned the globe. He joined the restaurant chain in 1984 and subsequently directed company operations in Southeast United States, the Caribbean, Canada, and Latin America. Currently, Mr. Ramirez is in charge of global operations. He focuses on global operating platforms, restaurant technology, and measurement systems to ensure that every Burger King franchise meets the corporation's standards of excellence.

Mario Rivas
EVP, Computing Products Group
•Company: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)
•Currently: Combining technical know-how with business savvy, Mr. Rivas drives the strategic planning, development, and management of AMD's expanding portfolio of consumer and commercial microprocessor solutions. Prior to joining AMD in 2005, he managed the communication business of Philips Semiconductor. During his first two years at Philips, he directed operations, assembly, and testing, in addition to purchasing. Before Philips, Mr. Rivas spent 19 years at Motorola, Inc., with responsibilities in both the semiconductor and communication sectors.

David A. Rodriguez
EVP, Human Resources
•Company: Marriott International
•Currently: Mr. Rodriguez assumed the role of executive vice-president of human resources for Marriott International in 2006. He was appointed a corporate officer in 2000 and in 2004 joined the board of directors' committee for excellence. The New York University graduate joined Marriott International in 1998 as senior vice-president of staffing and development. In 2003, he became executive vice-president of human resources for Marriott Lodging. His previous experience includes senior roles in human resources at Citicorp [now Citigroup] during 1989-1998.

Edward A. Salas
SVP of Engineering and Operations
•Company: Pacific Gas and Electric Company
•Currently: As senior vice-president of engineering and operations, Mr. Salas oversees gas and electric strategy, engineering and operations for both the transmission and distribution systems of California's largest utility. Before entering the power grid, the Harvard Business School grad spent 28 years as a rising star in the telecom industry, where he most recently served as vice-president of network strategy and planning for Verizon Wireless. Earlier, Mr. Salas was vice-president of network engineering and planning for Vodafone in Europe.

Vilma Salaverria
VP, Multicultural Marketing
•Company: Aflac Inc.
•Currently: Ms. Salaverria joined Aflac in 1992 and has held various positions, including administrator for the Caribbean Territory and Hispanic marketing coordinator. In her current role, she is responsible for Aflac's Hispanic marketing initiative, which ensures that its corporate messages are aligned with Hispanic-owned businesses in order to increase product recognition. She previously served as Aflac's vice-president of client services. Aside from the business world, Ms. Salaverria serves on the Diversity Advisory Board for the Columbus, Georgia Museum.

Robert E. Sanchez
EVP, CFO
•Company: Ryder System Inc.
•Currently: Mr. Sanchez is responsible for Ryder System's financial management functions, including audits, strategic sourcing, investor relations, and public relations, among others. He previously served as executive vice-president of operations of U.S. fleet management solutions. Mr. Sanchez is a member of the United Way Leadership Circle, as well as a board member of the Miami-Dade Beacon Council and the Association of Cuban Engineers.

Myrna Soto
VP of IT Governance & Chief Information Security Officer
•Company: MGM Mirage
•Currently: A 2007 promotion has allowed Ms. Soto to focus on information security, IT compliance, and business analysis for one of the world's largest hotel and gaming companies. She joined MGM Mirage in 2004 as the corporate director of solutions with the Mandalay Resort Group. A year later, she moved up to vice-president of business solutions and project management office (PMO), a position she held until her promotion last year.