1. Vol. 3 | Spring 2010 Employee Benefits Liability Employee Benefits Liability etHandlewith carePage 16 Fiber: the next Saving LatinosMission: Big Thing Page 24 boosting aviation Page 10 Page 48

2. ORIGINAL CHRONOGRAPH Distribuidor exclusivo: Nilo Watch Parts, Inc. Servicentro Rado Autorizado: nico centro de servicio con todas las piezas genuinas. Calle De Diego #169, Esq. William Jones, Rio Piedras Tel. (787) 764-3290. Abierto de lunes a sbado de 8:30 AM a 5:30 PM. 3. PUB LISHER S M EMO A Bridge to Atlanta When thinking of doing business in the States, most companies inPuerto Rico focus on Florida as a rst choice, followed by the majornorthern cities of New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago.Texas has also become a candidate of late. In our case (Fulcro Insurance), we chose Atlanta, and it has made all the difference. Think about it. Atlanta is the capital of the Southeast, as the regions largest and fastest growing city (metro population: 5.2 million). It has the worlds busiest airport (the worlds!), the most shopping center space per capita than any city except Chicago, the most ber optic infrastructure of any city in America, the headquarters of some of the largest multinationals in the U.S., home of CNN I can go on, but you can Google the rest. It is a thriving metropolis with loads of opportunities.Signicantly as well, its always been the hub of the civil rights movement, and today thats translating into a growing Hispanic population and marketplace.Ramn A. (Tony) PrezChairman of the BoardThats why we chose this edition of C-Level to create a bridge, to bring bothFulcro Insurance, Inc. communities together, to add our growing Atlanta readership to our C-Level community of unique and special readers.In our last edition, we featured one Atlanta story: how Monica Maldonados Interprint Communications has used supplier diversity to penetrate Corporate America. This time, we bring you three stories from our neighbors to the North, starting with our two Level Above stories: Dr. Tangos emergence as the global leader in online Spanish-language health information, and Precision 2000s rise to the top among Hispanic and women-owned airport construction companies in the U.S. And the featured voice on Fulcrum, Charles Kuck, who argues passionately for a different kind of immigration reform to ensure our competitiveness.This edition of C-Level is also packed with powerful stories from Puerto Rico. We mentioned ber in Atlanta; well, theres a new ber revolution taking shape, and it is led in Puerto Rico by Stephen Spears, one of our Daring Leaders. The other is the General, Rafael OFerrall of DadePaper, who has some things to say about patriotic leadership. Learn the risks inherent in your Employee Benets and how to manage them; it can save you a lot of money, as youll read in our C-Story. In Next Level, the Sheraton Casino Metro shows how its taking technology truly to the next level. Last editions Fine Living brought you an arms collector. This time we focus on cars, except that Pedro Muoz is about so much more. So is Chubb, but in this edition, Jim Fiske of Chubb Personal Insurance focuses on how to secure a car collection. If you enjoy cars, you might enjoy planes. Pilot Chacha Fournier certainly does. Her passion for ying to the islands is featured in Fun Living, as CLevel | Spring 10 is the spread of aviation as her cause.Happy reading, my friends. And let us welcome our Atlanta readers to the C-Level Community. Bienvenidos todos! 2 4. THE PLAN 2 PUBLISHERS MEMO The Atlanta connection42FINE LIVINGDream drivePedro Muozs collectionDARING LEADERS6 Rafael OFerrall The Generals cause46Drive carefully (and seldom!)Insuring your collector cars FUN LIVING1048 Stephen Spears Benefactor of aviation Right place. Right time. Pursuing dads wish C-STORYON THE AGENDA16 Diffusing a ticking time bomb Employee Benets Liability 52Voices heardSocial responsibility at work A LEVEL ABOVEFULCRUM24 Becoming a player in wellness Dr. Tango carves out a niche 54The immigration reform we needCharles Kuck speaks out30 Flying into the big leagues Precisions journeyNEXT LEVEL 36 Networked Casino The new game in town CLevel | Spring 10 PublisherDesign & Production Copyright 2009 Fulcro Insurance POR LOS NIOS DE Fulcro Insurance Arteaga & Arteaga CNo part of this publication may be reproduced, Editor 787.250.0006stored in any retrieval system or transmitted in any Alex Dazwww.arteaga.comform or by any means electronic, mechanical, 787.923.0743 photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission of the Publisher. Sales Fulcro Insurance ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Janyra Prez Blanco 787.616.2929 4 jperez@fulcroinsurance.com 204 San Francisco St. Old San Juan 787.725.5880 www.fulcroinsurance.com 5. Think hero, and most people think brave military exploits. Sure enough, Gen. Rafael OFerrall has had his share. But his heroism is about something much closer to heart. The stuff heroes areT he fate of the U.S. military base at Guantanamowent about his duty of directing the work of 2,150 Bay, Cuba, was one of the contentious issues ofmilitary personnel and more than 5,000 civilian workers the 2008 presidential elections in the Unitedand contractors. The main task under his command: States. Barrack Obama signaled that he would ensuring the humane treatment of all detainees andshut it down. John McCain argued as forcefully that heplanning the shutdown of the base, a job he executedwould expand its role.with stellar reviews until his return home exactly a yearlater, December 2009.The Bush Administration had been under attack forhaving allegedly mistreated detainees, conductingHome was (is) Puerto Rico. The deep satisfaction feltcontroversial interrogations of known or suspectedby soldiers upon landing on the one-way trip back hometerrorists at the base. To no ones surprise, shortly after is well known. For OFerrall, it was deeper still.being sworn in as President, Obama announced hewould close the base in about a year. Everything I do in the military has one overridingpurpose, he told C-Level, as his eyes glowed withAs the controversy swirled around the planet, Gen.emotion. To put our ag on the map and give ourRafael OFerrall was down at Guantanamo breaking into people another reason to believe in our ability to rise ashis new job as the bases Deputy Commanding General.high as we want. CLevel | Spring 10He had arrived in December 2008, as the base wasgearing up for the new marching orders sure to come It is the overwhelming constant in his life. His non-out of the White House. military job is to serve as a general of a different sort:General Manager of DadePaper Puerto Rico, the Catao-With the worlds eyes xed on the base, OFerrall based distributor. The larger purpose of that job is 6 6. DAR IN G LE ADERSyet so many people still look to the U.S. or to the next guy for help. We can make it happen ourselves. Ive tried to show it in everything Ive done in business, in the military and in my involvement with business associations, and there is so much more to be done. Enormous rewardsIt is the sort of sacrice and missionary zeal that heroes are made of, both on the battleeld and on the business eld.OFerrall nally achieved his general manager goal in 1993, when Pach-Tech, a 100-employee packaging supplier on the island caught re and was about to be closed. OFerrall left his cozy job at Baxter, was called by an investor and management group and acquired the company, which he took to new heights during the following eight years.We saved 100 jobs and did some pretty creative, trendsetting things with the company, he recalls another advance in his long march towards the ultimate victory he seeks: development, self-esteem made of and international respect for Puerto Rico. Having been in the military mainly the Puerto Rico National Guard since his ROTC days in college, OFerrall answered yet another big call of duty. He was fresh from achieving his lifetime goal of becoming an Army General, a feat he accomplished upon completing a exactly the same. When I began in the pharmaceutical rigorous one-year course at the U.S. Army War & Senior industry many years ago (1980s), most general manager Service College at Harvard Universitys John F. Kennedy positions on the island were lled by statesiders. That School of Government the only Puerto Rican to have always troubled me. With so much local talent, whyever obtained the honor. couldnt we hold those jobs? OFerrall was then deployed as Deputy and later A foot soldier for medical device maker Millipore atCommander of the Guardian Mariner Task Force, an the time, he laid out a battle plan to become general 18-month tour of duty that entailed more than 240 manager, either at that company or another. But not missions from the U.S. to the war front in Iraq, mostly just for the sake of occupying the post.by sea, protecting the military supply chain.Since then, Ive been on a mission to persuade my He assumed command of DadePaper upon returning colleagues other Puerto Rican managers and thehome from that mission in 2004, the only interruption island as a whole, that we have what it takes to take being the year at Guantanamo. True to form, OFerrall our beautiful island to the next level of development put in place a leadership model worthy of the military: and job creation. Our people need so much. There is7 so much potential that we can turn into growth, and continued on next pageCLevel | Spring 10We have what it takes to take our beautiful island to the next level ofdevelopment and job creation. There is so much potential that we can turninto growth, and yet so many people still look to the U.S. or to the next guy forhelp. We can make it happen for ourselves. 7. DAR IN G LE ADERScontinued from previous pagefocus on fundamental principles and take care of thetroops, the latter being DadePapers 80 employees inPuerto Rico. To come from supervising more than 7,000 peoplein one of the most intense situations in the world(Guantanamo) to supervising 80 has not been an easytransition, he admitted, but the rewards are enormous.We have such a fantastic team here. A labor of love the worse in 2006, we were lean and ready. DadePaper is one of the leading makers and distributors As the economy worsened still more in the yearsof retail products in the Eastern U.S. paper, plastic,since, pressure built for OFerrall to downsize further,foam, chemical and janitorial products delivered to this time with layoffs. But he was able to increase salesretailers, supermarkets, restaurants, cruise ships, hotels, and protect every one of the 80 jobs at the company.cleaning companies and other clients.Im all about creating jobs, not cutting them, heFounded in 1939 in Dade County, Florida (Miami),exclaims.the company now boasts regional distributionfacilitiesin Orlando,In the coming years,Jacksonville, Atlanta, OFerrall expects toMobile, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico must market itself become even more activeGreensboro and Puertomore intelligently. It is part of whatin the struggle to createRico, in addition to Miami,we must do to meet our destiny: jobs on the island acrossand 12 sales ofces at becoming a leading nation in theother fronts, mainly withother locations. Caribbean and Latin America.his participation in the Food Industry Association The Puerto Rico operation This must be our commitment (MIDA) and the Puerto Ricodistributes approximatelyas a people, and those of us in Manufacturers Association3,000 of the companys leadership roles bear the brunt (PRMA).15,000 products, including of that responsibility: to lead ourDadePapers own Victoria people to that objective.Puerto Rico must marketBay line of cleaningitself more intelligently, heproducts and lines from numerous well known brands.said. It is part of what we must do to meet our destiny, which is: Becoming a leading nation in the Caribbean Under the companys exclusive GreenSafe initiative, and Latin America. This must be our commitment asit has taken signicant steps to become a leader of the a people, and those of us in leadership roles bear thegreen-business movement sweeping across America. brunt of that responsibility: to lead our people to thatGreenSafe is a comprehensive solution that provides objective.green cleaning and food service supply needs, includingconsulting, products and follow-up.In the military, commanders are asked to lead troops into battle and take the hill. The ones who Were just getting going with the initiative here succeed are declared heroes. In this case, OFerrall isin Puerto Rico, and so far the results are extremely among those leading the charge on the front linesencouraging, said OFerrall.(DadePaper, MIDA, PRMA, military duty), with Puerto Ricos development as the hill to be charged. With CLevel | Spring 10 One of the sternest tests of OFerralls protect-the- growth and job creation as the battle to be won.troops philosophy came between 2006 and 2008. Assoon as he took over the reins of the company, heIts a labor of love, he concluded.executed a hiring freeze and a policy of attrition(employees who retired were not replaced) as part of a To which we say, yes sir salute, heels together, backbroad efciency drive. When the economy turned for upright, head held high. 8 8. DAR IN G LE ADERSListen to Stephen Spears explain it, and youd thinkits nothing. Were #1 in fiber, he says casually.Number one in fiber? Thats like Bill Gates sayingIm #1 in PCs in 1995. F iber optics. Remember the phrase (fiber for programs and transmit them, much like were now able short). Fiber technology has been aroundto do on YouTube. for a while. But its about to get a whole lot bigger. Gone will be the cumbersome video and web conferences of today; connecting face-to-face Were all marveling nowadays at the incredible speedwill be as easy as dialing a phone. Oh, and all thoseand capability of phones and computer systems; how system interruptions from power blackouts, satellitewe can download digitalized music, movies, loads ofdisconnects and weather events not that they wontphotographs, video games, you name it, across a phoneoccur, but they will certainly happen far less frequently,line, ethernet cable, coaxial cable or wirelessly. will be of shorter duration and will cause less damage to equipment.It is even more unimaginable in a business, especiallya large one, which depends on those systems to Welcome to the coming ber revolution. Just likemanage and transmit large amounts of digital records,the digital revolution were still going through andinformation, communications and transactions adjusting to, where an insane amount of data is stored(customer and nancial). in a tiny microchip, the ber revolution will sweep the world before we know what hit us. CLevel | Spring 10Well, imagine that speed and capability on steroids.Multiply it many times over. Youll be able to downloadFiber today is primarily infrastructure, with berthe heaviest le without delay (none of that it doesnt cabling buried underground in rings around the citygo through because its too big talk any more). Your(around the island, in Puerto Ricos case). Deliveringcable TV company wont just offer 500 channels withhigh-speed connections from those ber cables to avideo on demand; it will allow you to produce your own home or building generally requires phone lines, copper 10 9. DAR IN G LE ADERSFTTP is already happening. In many U.S. states and in dozens of countries around the world, FTTP is gaining ground, as installation costs decline and the value of such ultra-mega-speed connections rises. Its the next Big Thing. wires or coaxial cables. For computer connections within Construction (today Bonneville Contrac a building, ethernet cables are also used. ting & Technology Group), Spears was abig part of that 1990s pre-revolution, as Bonneville wasBut what if you could skip those other connectors one of the companies most hired by the government to and receive ber straight to your home, building orinstall the ber wiring around the island. business? It is called ber to the premises (FTTP), and the big deal is the absolute improvement in speed andToday, the company leads the pack. We were the rst reception quality. After all, thats what made ber thecontractor in Puerto Rico to move aggressively into premier communications infrastructure to begin with, ber optic deployment, said Spears. We still consider its superiority in speed, cost and quality.ourselves the islands best equipped ber contractor.FTTP is already happening. In many U.S. states and In fact, ber lies behind most of what Bonneville in dozens of countries around the world, the high- does. In addition to its strength in communications bandwidth technology is gaining ground, as installationinfrastructure (all those buried lines and conduits, costs decline and the value of such ultra-mega-speed including submarine cabling), Bonneville has developed connections rises. Its the next Big Thing.a unique expertise in ber-based integrated buildingand ofce systems. That includes Puerto Rico. The recently built Sheraton Convention Center Hotel & Casino, for example, boasts aThat is, your entire security system (video cameras, ber-driven network (see related story on page 36). Theaccess controls, perimeter detection), as well as your Puerto Rico Telephone Company spent billions of dollarscompanys computer networks and phone systems in the 1990s on a state-of-the-art ber infrastructure.(voice, data, video and internet, landline and wireless), Today, a growing number of businesses on the islandand your electrical wiring and infrastructure, can all are waking up to the possibilities of taking that ber be integrated with optimum speed and capabilities by the rest of the way. using ber optics. Like the speed of lightBonneville can do each of these things separately, but itis the ber-based integration that most brings excitement Enter Stephen Spears. As the president of Bonneville to Spears otherwise calm and cool demeanor.continued on next page 1 1 CLevel | Spring 10 10. DAR IN G LE ADERScontinued from previous page The biggest wave yetWe have set ourselves apart and given ourselvessignicant competitive advantages by being the rst toSpears, a native of Indianapolisemploy new tools, he says matter-of-factly.and an engineering graduate ofIndiana University, had movedWhat he does not make a big deal of is the biggestto San Juan in 1973 to workdeal of all: his company is the leader of an industry for phone utility ITT. Phone(FTTP) that is about to take off like the speed of light. infrastructure construction wasin full swing at the time, and his job was to inspect workFriamente calculado performed by contractors. Fiber is optic because it uses light instead of other Including Bonneville. I met Robert Bauchman and weforms of energy, which allows it to transmit largehit it off immediately, recalls Spears. They were lookingamounts of information far faster and less expensivelyfor a person to oversee the Puerto Rico operation,than metals like copper. It does it using glass and plastic someone who knew the industry and the local marketcables that are much thinner and also signicantly less and spoke the language, and we struck an agreement.expensive than metal.That was 1984. Five years later, the company was Installing ber in the shorter distances from the acquired by Italian conglomerate Pirelli, which was in theunderground infrastructure cabling to the home or midst of a buying spree, acquiring numerous companiesofce, however, has generally not been less expensive in the Americas. Spears was retained to run the Puertothat the alternatives. But Rico operation, whichas the cost has declined ofYour entire security system included a diversicationlate and the value of speed(video cameras, access controls, initiative that took theand integration has goneup, the equation has perimeter detection), as well company into voice/video/ data wiring of businesses,changed in its favor.as your companys computer high-end security systems networks and phone systems and other lines of business. Spears, who considers (voice, data, video and internet,himself a calculated-risklandline and wireless), and your That really opened mytaker friamente calculado wiring and infrastructure, caneyes, he added. Thats whenis the Spanish phrase that I learned about all the thingsbest describes me had noall be integrated with optimum we could do as a company.way of knowing this when hespeed and capabilities by usingtook the risk of diving deep fiber optics.In 1992, Pirelli decidedinto ber nearly 20 yearsit had overreached too farago. At the time, it was the new thing in infrastructure, beyond its core business (tires) and market (Europe) andand he began to ride the wave.decided to divest Puerto Rico. I called Steve Bauchmanand we bought back the company. A few years later, In fact, Spears has made a career out of spotting Spears became majority owner.emerging trends and riding them as far as they go,before hopping on the next new wave. It is a Bonneville The company lost its step following the communicationstradition. The company began in Idaho in 1946, long crash of 2002, when companies like MCI, AT&T, WorldCombefore Spears time, when founder and then-owner and others retrenched and the economy slowed. But byRobert Bauchman began to ride the wave of power- 2004 it was back riding waves and breaking new ground,line construction across the United States, particularly including in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Caribbean,in rural communities. which grew to represent 25% of all revenues. CLevel | Spring 10When most power lines were built and that businessThe key has been ber optics, and if the current globalbecame saturated, building telephone lines became groundswell driving the FTTP wave is any indication,the new wave, and Bonneville began riding it straight Spears is in for quite a ride indeed.through the 1970s. And straight into Puerto Rico.Surfs up. 12 11. In a world so easily connected, one opinion can influence thousands with a simple click.Is your brand ready for the conversation? At VOICE, our experienced team applies the principles of public relations to the constant changes of new media.Voice is an affiliate of MS&L Worldwide, leading global communications firm, offering the best in public relations, digital, social media, real-time communications, corporate and events communication.To develop ground-breaking platforms that cater to your many communications targets and their playing fields, contact Lynnette Teissonniere at lynnette@voicepragency.com. T.: 787-620-1600 1575 Alda Street Urb. Caribe San Juan Puerto Rico 00926 12. C - S TO R YFrom pain CLevel | Spring 10 16 13. C - S TO R YMistakes in the handling of employee benefits are costing dearly. An expert roundtable suggests ways of turning that problem into an opportunity,with visionary prevention and engagement. to gain17 7CLevel | Spring 10 Leve 14. C - S TO R YL aura Perez was touched. Stillletter. It was from Lauras attorney, roundtable to look into the growing in the hospital a day afterthreatening to sue unless the risk of employee benets liability giving birth to a healthycompany covered the hospital bill and what employers can do about seven-pounder, she received aand a whole lot more. The company it. Also in the discussion weregift basket with a moving note from looked into it, became convincedAngie Lugo, Baxters HR Managerher boss and a visit from a group ofthat the case would be a sure loss, on the island and president of theher closest workmates, including theand decided to take the hit.Puerto Rico Chapter of the SocietyHuman Resources manager, Monica.for Human Resource ManagementAfter 12 years in this company of 75Under the radar (SHRM); Ricardo Del Campillo,employees, they had become family.President of Fulcro Insurance; andStories like Lauras never have a Julio Ortiz, Partner of the EmployeeWhen she took little Paola to the happy ending. Employees trust their Benets Practice at Fulcro.ofce a month later, they practically employers, and employers trust theirthrew a party. The whole company, HR departments, to know what to Employee benets, it turns out,it seemed, was paralyzed for thedo. Employee benets have terms are not gifts, as most employers andhour she was there. and conditions. Someone in theHR administrators and employeescompany is supposed to have the seem to believe. No sooner had Laura returned expertise to master them.to work following maternity, than You may be extending a set ofPaola fell ill, diagnosed with aWhen that someone is notbenets to attract top talent andserious circulatory condition. Theassigned, and when the companyenhance motivation and retentiondoctor ordered the girl hospitalizeddoes not compensate by using an of current employees. But once youimmediately, with no clear prognosis. expert advisor, errors and omissionsdo, you become in effect a trustee,When she arrived at the hospital, are bound to happen, mistakes thatcustodian and duciary of thePaola was rushed in without a wait. can cost employers dearly whenbenets and are held accountableLaura, crushed by anxiety, sat andan employee becomes a victim andunder federal and local laws to theirslept at her bedside the entire two suffers the consequences. proper administration.weeks of treatment. Lauras story is hypothetical. Real-All about ERISAIn the end, the girl recovered fully. life stories are not. Like an employeeFamily and workmates celebrated who retires based on a income The federal law, the principal onewith great excitement and relief. benet of $3,000 a month, only to you should know and learn well, isUntil Laura received the letter. It was receive $2,000 because the companyERISA, the Employee Retirementfrom the hospital, and she opened itfailed to move the funds to a higher- Income Security Act of 1974.with a smile, recalling the excellent yielding investment as the employeeservice from the entire staff, whohad requested and had counted on.Dont let the word Retirementprobably saved Paolas life. As she Or when an employee dies and herthrow you off. While the originalread it, the smile turned to a frown, second child does not receive his intent of the law was retirement,and she fell on the couch. Stunned. share of the life insurance because it soon became the law of the landthe company failed to report himfor all types of employee benets:The employer had failed to lewhen he was born 15 years prior.health and life insurance, Socialthe paperwork to include PaolaSecurity, disability, prot sharing,in the supplemental coverageUnfortunately, these mistakesstock options and others.routinely extended to all newbornshappen all the time, said Reynaldoof employees, which would haveQuintana, a partner at the Hato The wording in the law is clear:included the hospitalization, and Rey rm Baerga & Quintana. Theybenets include any plan, fund or CLevel | Spring 10Laura would now have to pay the simply remain under the radar and program established or maintained$65,000 bill. are not reported widely. for the purpose of providing benetsto employees or beneciaries.Monica, the HR manager, couldQuintana was one of four expertsonly apologize, until she received thewho participated in a recent C-LevelWho is liable is equally clear: 18 15. C - S TO R Yanyone employed or subcontracted Benets Liability (EBL) coverage, by insurance companies. If an to administer, design and/or managestructured as an endorsement to employee gets sick following the an employee benet, including any- a General Commercial Liabilityeffective date of coverage and the one with any discretionary authoritypolicy. For investment risks, there employer maneuvers to allow for or control over the management ofis Financial Liability Insurance (FLI). coverage, it may then get in trouble any type of benet. The roundtable discussion focused with the insurance company.primarily on the administrative side,Anyone. Any benet. Any autho-given the widespread incidenceSometimes helping an employee rity. That includes you, anyone whoof errors and omissions, but thecarries risks as well, said Ortiz. works for you and any vendor you exact same principles apply to the contract to design and manage anynancial. Part of the problem, he added, portion of your employee benets is that since most companies in (investment rms, consultants, Most of these mistakes are the Puerto Rico are too small, with fewer actuarial rms, law rms, accounting result of ignorance of the law. than 100 employees, they dont have rms, administration rms, the Theyre not intentional or malicious,the resources to strengthen their banks trust department, etc.).said Fulcros Del Campillo. But that HR department or subcontract anRoundtable members suggest ve steps to get an employers employee benets house in order. The rst four focus on prevention. If that fails, take the fth: buy an Employee Benets Liabilityinsurance policy. Left to right: Ricardo Del Campillo, Angie Lugo, Reynaldo Quintana and Julio Ortiz. The law makes a distinctiondoesnt exempt companies from expert HR consulting rm. Generally between errors and omissions inliability. They need to learn the law the top executive delegates HR to a the benets management on one and make the changes necessarynon-expert at the company, who end mainly the administrativeto prevent these mistakes and does the best he or she can. And and clerical handling of suchadminister their benets in an error- thats where mistakes can happen. things as enrollment, termination, proof way. interpretation and records and This absolutely needs to be19 the investment of funds on the Some employers bend the rules handled by an expert. Its tooCLevel | Spring 10 other end. to help an employee who would sensitive, said Baxters and SHRMsotherwise not be eligible for a Lugo. It is challenging enough toTo protect companies from the benet, thinking theyre helpingmanage employee benets at a risk of administrative mistakes, these employees. Retroactive dates, company of our size that can hire insurance companies offer Employee for example, are strictly enforced continued on next page 16. C - S TO R Ycontinued from previous pagethe experts, so imagine a small most law rms delegate employee about ERISA than employers, andcompany without the expertise. benets to the tax department, since they use that knowledge in laboremployers tend to focus more on thenegotiations.The problem is made worse, shetax breaks of employee benets thanadded, because the islands four- in managing them free of mistakes.Second, advise employeesyear recession has led to cutbacks inwell. Sit with them and makeemployee benets. With companies What do employers need to do sure everyone knows the terms ascutting back, theyve been even lessto avoid errors and omissions? The well as the updates and changeswilling to invest in strengtheningpanel advised ve basic steps. First,needed along the way in case ofERISA compliance.make sure you interpret all benetssuch changes as newborns, deaths,well and master the terms andterminal conditions, disabilities,Yet another part of the problem,timetables they impose.employee terminations, and more.according to Ortiz, is that HR atREven promotions sometimes triggermost companies is seen as a cost upgrades in benets.center where the main priority is tokeep costs down instead of making a Thi focus on records handling.ird,sure employees are well assisted Its really clerical most of the time, sat every turn.bbut this is the sort of thing thatcan come back to haunt youIt keeps senior executives if not administered well, saidfrom watching the details thatt Lugo.create the potential liabilitiesethat later turn into higher e Fouurth, train, train and train somecosts if not managed well, he more Make sure your team, internale.said. Cost control can get veryrand external, knows what itsmyopic. doing from the clerk up to the HRg, mana and even senior executives.ager Five steps to preventionC nges in your team? Train again. Chan R ember ERISA: the company is RemeOne of the puzzles of thehliable for anyone with any degree ofeemployee benets conundrum control and authority. tis the low incidence of lawsuitsPuerto Rico has a high number ofin Puerto Rico, compared to the HR professionals and administrativeFinally, buy a fail-safe Employeestates. staff who simply nd ERISA too Benets Liability policy to guardcomplicated, said Lugo. And theagainst any mistake that gets awayThe issues are resolved Boricuatruth is that the law is too full of from the renewed attention, trainingstyle, said Del Campillo. Employers legal jargon thats hard to follow and and controls.Its inexpensivetalk to insurance companies,interpret. So every company needs to compared to other types of coverageeveryone consults with their lawyers, simplify it for its HR personnel, so HRand to the settlements it will helppayments are made, and life goeswill then simplify it for all employees. you cover.on. Time goes by, we keep going Otherwise, no one will interpretfrom renewal to renewal almostparticularly well and mistakes will The policy is no substitute forautomatically, and no one stops tocontinue to take place. rigorous prevention, but its a greatll the gaps. complement, said Ortiz.Among those who know the lawThe gaps, however, are costly,well are the islands labor unions,Engagement CLevel | Spring 10as employers continually settle towhich represent mostly governmentavoid lawsuits. It would be better workers. Quintana, who representsThere is one additional approachfor all involved and far less costlymanagement inlabor and that can be thrown into theto learn the law and hire an expert employment litigation, can vouch mix.See the management ofteam, added Quintana, adding thatfor that. Union leaders know more employee benets, not so much as 20 17. C - S TO R Ya defensive policy to avoid mistakes, costly settlements and lawsuits,Ricardo Del Campillo but rather as a proactive tool to enhance employee engagementMost of these mistakes arethe result of ignorance of the law. and signicantly raise the level ofTheyre not intentional or malicious. motivation, commitment and senseBut that doesnt exempt companies of ownership at your company. from liability. They need to learn the law and make the changes necessary That is, to the extent an employee to prevent these mistakes and feels cared for, guided and advised administer their benets in an error- during the year (not just at renewal proof way. time) if you put in place a humane process to follow the life of each employee and tailor his or her benets along the way to t changing circumstances you will Angie Lugo be loved even more as an employer.This absolutely needs to behandled by an expert. Its tooThis shouldnt be just aboutsensitive. It is challenging enough avoiding a Laura and Paola debacle,to manage employee benets at a but rather having Laura feel the company of our size that can hire care that conscientious benetsthe experts, so imagine a small management can project. Its because company without the expertise. you care about her and want to see the benets you offer enhance her life to deepen the sense of family at work not just manage them merely as an administrative policy to prevent a settlement or lawsuit. Reynaldo Quintana Unfortunately, these mistakes It is not unlike Know Your Customer happen all the time. They simply laws in the banking industry, whereremain under the radar and are not terrorism fears moved the federalreported widely. Most law rms government to force banks into delegate employee benets to the gathering additional data about tax department, since employers their customers. Smart bankers tend to focus more on the tax have turned that to their advantage, breaks of employee benets than in using Know Your Customers as a managing them free of mistakes. tool to build closer relationships, instead of seeing it as a cumbersome regulatory burden. The cry at those banks is: KYC is marketing, notJulio Ortiz compliance. Since most companies in Puerto Rico are too small, with fewer than Likewise with employee benets100 employees, they dont have the management. Why not see it asresources to strengthen their HR21 part of your social responsibility as department or subcontract an expert HR consulting rm. Generally the topCLevel | Spring 10 employers, asks Lugo. executive delegates HR to a non-expert at the company, who does the best he Take it to that higher level, and or she can. And thats where mistakes turn a potential crisis into soaringcan happen. productivity and results. 18. TRAVEL SERVICES, INC. Special Events DcorVIP ServicesTransportation Services Cultural ToursEco-Adventure ActivitiesCorporate Social Responsibility Programs EntertainmentDestinationTeambuilding EventsPuerto Rico Full Service Airport Transfers Hospitality Desk Services Travel Services, Inc. 787.982.1200 info@destinationpuertorico.com www.destinationpuertorico.com 19. LEV EL AB OV EHe dreamed of becoming a doctor.He ended up changing the world ofhealth and spreading wellness habits amongSpanish-language citizens everywhere.Driven by vocationR oberto Estrada dreamed of becoming a doctorwholesale company with reps throughout Latin America, as a kid growing up in Nicaragua. I dissected which he sold handsomely in 1999. lizards for hobby, he recalls. Sure enough, when the time came he enrolled in med school And then, suddenly, he was back. Fate being thein Monterrey, Mexico, excited about the passion-lled curious creature that it is, Estrada combined hiscareer he was embarking upon. entrepreneurship with his love of health and discovereda path that would lead him back into medicine.Until one fateful class changed the course of his life.That day, the day he had to deal with his rst deceasedWell, not medicine in the classic doctor sense. Butcorpse right then and there he gured that perhapsmedicine nonetheless. Estrada and a group of partnersbeing a doctor was not the path for him.and health experts launched Dr. Tango, an internetventure to create and provide Spanish-language health-After much soul searching, he decided to follow inrelated web content for information-starved consumers CLevel | Spring 10his fathers footsteps and take up engineering, in histhroughout Latin America. Tango is a cute referencecase chemical (dad was electrical), later complementing to the popular Argentine dance, meant as a symbol ofwith an M.A. in Business (Vanderbilt University). all things Latin American. The entrepreneur in him led to the launch of his ownThey managed to raise some venture capital, as was thesuccessful business, a raw materials and paper products norm for web ventures at the time, and away they went. 24 20. LEV EL AB OV EProblem was, they caught the tail end of the internet one special new client. Inspired by the content, Univision bubble, and the bubble burst just as they launched. We Interactive Media struck a deal with Dr. Tango for the didnt even get to go online, he told C-Level during a production of HolaDoctor (holadoctor.com), a website phone interview from his ofce in Atlanta.that goes well beyond the content and consumer reach of MiDieta. Bold vision HolaDoctor, slated for launch during the second quarter Still, Estrada and partners would not let go, insisting of the year (not yet online at press time), is described in on the wisdom of the vision. Dr. Tango, they pledged, the launch release as the most comprehensive Spanish- would one day become the dominant source of Spanish-language health destination anywhere. Featuring language web content for health-related matters a culturally appropriate content, interactive health tools sort of WebMD for Latinos.and a vast knowledge of health, wellness and insurance, HolaDoctor will deliver an unprecedented service to the Undeterred, they continued developing the content Hispanic user in the U.S. rich, thorough content, created by some of the top minds in medicine. It became a digital encyclopedia,HolaDoctor is one of the deals were banking on complete with thousands of hyperlinks to relatedfor our future, Estrada said, anticipating tremendous websites. traction from Univisions position as the preeminent leader in U.S. Hispanic media, with an integrated A few clients began purchasing the content forplatform that spans TV stations, radio, their own sites, mainly hospitals that neededcontinued on next page Spanish content to attract Latino patients and keep them informed.The company was also hired to produce those websites, not just supply the content, as well as to provide the daily management and maintenance of the sites, including English-language ones. English-to-Spanish translation of health sites became yet another revenue stream.Word spread and the business mushroomed, as Dr. Tango did indeed become the lead player in Spanish-language web content for corporate and government clients, instead of the companys own trailblazing site, as had been the original vision.That dream would be realized later, when Dr. Tango launched MiDieta.com, a full-feature site focused on nutrition, exercise and weight loss.Obesity is one of the most serious health issues facing Hispanics and Latin Americans, said Estrada. 25 MiDieta is one way of contributing CLevel | Spring 10 to the solution. Hola, UnivisionMiDieta caught the attention of 21. LEV EL AB OV Econtinued from previous page B-to-C channel to distribute its content and accomplishinternet and mobile, and reaches virtually the entireits mission, it remains just as focused on growing the45-million-strong Hispanic population in the statesgovernment and business-to-business segments.with one channel or the other. For business clients, Dr. Tango has become a one-stopOur business-to-consumer work will focus on shop for web-driven multicultural health marketing,HolaDoctor from that moment on, he added. Hea vision that goes well beyond content production.expects the site to rule the Spanish-language health The latter remains the cornerstone we remainspace, commanding substantial advertising revenueprimarily a content producer and distributor through With all that business, buzzand activity, Dr. Tango hasaccomplished the goal it set foritself when it opened in 1999, thegoal it reaffirmed in the middle ofthe internet bubble that nearlycrashed all hopes. The companyhas become the undisputed leaderin Spanish-language health andwellness content and services.from health-industry clients looking to target thatMiDieta, HolaDoctor and our clients own websites market segment.but the company has turned to marketing solutions as additional revenue sources and to attract content-The wind behind HolaDoctor is the growing concerndriven business.among Hispanics and among citizens of all races andcreeds, for that matter with the worsening state ofTranslation is still a source of signicant work, evenour health and the urgent need for information to help though Estrada is evaluating its future in the companyspeople take better care of themselves. emerging mix of solutions. Dr. Tango is also hired by corporate clients for the back-end design of wellnessIn health circles, thats called wellness, the mix ofprograms for employees and customers. The companysteps a person can take to improve holistic health offers what it calls cultural wellness appraisals, and itand prevent illness. What we want is for people not sells access to its million-name database for marketingto get sick, which is a lot better and less expensivecampaigns and health maintenance programs. Makingthan spending so much time from doctor to doctor, available bilingual health and wellness coachesexpressed Estrada. represents yet another revenue sourceHe quotes government gures showing that 93% of Then there are the special behavior-change initiativesall health spending goes to the treatment of illness,Estrada nds as fullling as anything the company iswhile only 7% is destined to prevention and wellness.doing. Done primarily with government entities, these projects allow Dr. Tango to contribute its content andWe need to reverse that ratio, and that represents an expertise to inuence wellness-driven behavior in aimmense business opportunity from our perspective,more direct wayasserted a condent Estrada. Most illness is preventable, CLevel | Spring 10and our mission is to show the Spanish-speaking world The biggest one is the World Banks Conditional Cashhow to do that.Transfer Program, a sort of welfare program for residents of developing countries. Participating citizens receive Beyond contentcash (deposited directly into a debit card account) only if they agree to change to preventive behavior andAs the company launches HolaDoctor as the main health management to exercise more, for example, 26 22. LEV EL AB OV E and include fruitsand that are bankrupting health veggies in their diet.care systems in the U.S. and throughout Latin America. The The program has drawn best thing a person can do is millions of participants in prevent it, but once you have 17 Latin American countries.it, the challenge is to adopt Dr. Tangos role: to assess healthy habits to manage it and the progress made bykeep it from sending you in and participants, manage theout of doctors and hospitals. programs database and provide orientation, theFateful path latter stemming from the companys content.With all that business, buzz and activity, Dr. Tango has This has become incredibly accomplished the goal it set satisfying for all of us to see for itself when it opened for the impact this is having onbusiness in 1999, the goal people, especially those whoit reafrmed in the middle enter the program for the of the internet bubble that money and quickly convert nearly crashed all hopes. to wellness as a habit when they realize the huge benetsThe company has become to them and their families,the undisputed leader in Estrada said, sounding againSpanish-language health and very much like the doctor hewellness content and services, once dreamed of becoming. changing the lives of untold citizens in countries around Then theres the Florida State Department of Health the world. And more so once HolaDoctor goes online and its anti-obesity program, for which Dr. Tango and sweeps the marketplace. developed a robust website that draws on MiDieta and includes a popular Nutrition Center.For Estrada, the vision and the passion were reafrmed following the recent passing of his father at 76 years of The company was recently hired by Merck toage. conduct yet another behavior-change project, this one working with 70 Hispanic diabetics and clientsHe had become morbid obese, he recalled. A rare of HEB Supermarkets, the biggest chain in Texas. Thepause followed. I watched him as he aged and grew individuals are to follow a healthy lifestyle to controlill. He had always been such a disciplined person, so in their condition, and Dr. Tango is following their every control of everything around him. But starting in his step to report on and later promote the results so that 40s, he became unable to control his weight, and it just other Hispanic diabetics can follow suit and improvespun out of control. So Ive seen up close the damage their lives.bad health habits can cause.The treatment of diabetes has become one of theAnd now hes as determined as ever to go deep into fastest-growing health care costs in the system among his medical vocation, down this fateful path life had in Latinos, revealed Estrada. It is one of the main conditions store for him, and do something about it. MiDieta.com caught the attention of one special new client. Inspired by thecontent, Univision Interactive Media has struck a deal with Dr. Tango for the CLevel | Spring 10production of HolaDoctor (holadoctor.com), a website expected to sweep theU.S. Hispanic market and attract substantial advertising revenue. 23. Hamburgers Churrascos Alitas, Costillas Almuerzos Criollos Pizzas Picadera Abierto 7 das Jugos Naturales y ms... Msica, Terrazas Almuerzo, Cena y... Happy Hours, TVs Actividades Privadas Amplio Parking y fcil acceso al lado de los almacenes de Sears en Guaynabo a un minuto del Expreso Martnez Nadal Carr 169 km 2.7Bo. Camarones, Guaynabo 787.731.2555 www.johndoes.com 24. LEV EL AB OV EFor most people (even civil engineers), airport runwaysare simply roads planes use to land and depart.For this married executive couple, they becamea path to reaching new heights. Seventeen Days in December. It sounds like theconstruction and repair is $500 per minute.title of a blockbuster movie but is actually areal-life episode of Precision 2000s latest airGuiomar Obregon and Carlos Sanchez do not blink atfor the dramatic.the chance. More than ten years in runway construction and repair, mostly at Hartseld-Jackson, have given The scene is Dekalb-Peachtree Airport, November them all the condence they need. Precision 2000,2009. Atlantas second busiest airport a reliever to their rm, wins the bid and off they go.Hartseld-Jackson International Airport, the worldsbusiest faces a tough decision. It needs to rebuild itsLeaner, fastermain 6,000-feet, 40-year-old runway and has only twoalternatives: shut down the runway for about three Airport runways must rank as one of the mostweeks and work 24/7 to get the job done, or string demanding construction jobs around. Contractors haveit along for more than two months working only atto work within very strict parameters and deadlines,night. explained Obregon, who as Precisions CEO is primarily in charge of the administrative and nancial side of theThe decision: shut it down. But to minimize thebusiness. Sanchez, the rms president, runs the eld.pain, PDK (thats the airports travel code) needs a really,really fast contractor with proven credentials in runway At Hartseld, for example, most of the work mustconstruction, as there is zero room for errors or delays.be done between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., she added, CLevel | Spring 10The runway has to be perfect on the rst try.and many times those seven hours are barely enough to get the job done, so we have to deploy all the meansTo screen out anyone not condent enough to pull itavailable to save every possible minute.off, as well as make sure the job gets done on time, theairport imposes a whopping penalty of $1,300 for every Like cutting-edge equipment and technology. Precisionminute of delay. The typical penalty in airport runway uses volumetric concrete mixers, specialized trucks that 30 25. LEV EL AB OV Ecarry the sand, stone, all the information water and cement inavailable at the ofce, s e p a ra t e c o m p a r t - said Obregon. ments and mix on-site to precise specica- Its all part of Preci- tions programmed intosions Enterprise Re- the trucks computer source Planning (ERP) system.system, which inte-grates all componentsThis saves a large of an assignment and amount of waste, since makes it available to the concrete comes the decision makers. out ready to use, in the exact volumes needed That includes such and with superior Neither executive believes the Hispanic and woman-owned label will mean much in practical terms goingthings as the food quality, said Sanchez, forward, as the company has graduated into the big leagues and is now able to compete head-to-head for and supplies needed who met Obregon any-size project without the need for minority preferences.for round-the-clock when both studied at work, all the suppliers the Colombian School of Engineering in their native who must join the project team, back-up systems Colombia. Its also a lot faster.and equipment in case anything should break down,blackout-proof power generation, lights for night timeThe saved waste is critical on tight deadlines, given work, even shift and sleep schedules to make sure the time and workers it takes to keep a construction everyones available and well rested. site as free of debris as possible. We minimize the mess and clean constantly. Its important not to let the debrisThe latter, in turn, keeps accidents to a minimum. accumulate, he added. One thing that can throw off our timing is an accident,so we take every possible prevention measure, addedAlso reducing time and waste are the companys Sanchez. hydraulic hammers, which are able to break concrete and rock faster and with less of a mess. Then there Weather is a particularly daunting challenge, are the sci--sounding robotic stations, computer- particularly since the fast drying of concrete requires programmed equipment that delivers atter and faster precise conditions. Regular construction jobs allow topography and surface nishes.more exibility in terms of deadlines and equipmentin case it should rain or if the temperature gets cold,The human factor is also ne-tuned. Relentless he explained. But we have to nish the job by 6:00 continuing education and training produces engineers a.m. or else, so we go in with special heaters and and personnel able to manage the most demanding contingencies to make sure the concrete dries real fast. constraints, and project managers are given unusual decision-making leeway without going through otherYet another big concern is airport security in this age channels.of terrorism fears. Our people and equipment musthave all the required clearances, said Sanchez. AfterIm available 24/7 when were working on the eld, so many years working at these airports, weve built the but theyre able to make most decisions on their own, trust to ease this process, but for each job we still have said Sanchez.to go through the system.By 6:00 a.m. or elseThat is also the case for quality control, since the airports inspectors dont have much time to do theirCLevel | Spring 10To facilitate eld decisions further, our project check-ups before 6:00 a.m. So Precision managers can access the companys server and usecontinued on next pageAt Hartsfield, most of the work must be done between 11:00 p.m. and 6:00a.m., said Precision 2000 CEO Guiomar Obregon. Many times, those sevenhours are barely enough to get the job done, so we have to deploy all themeans available to save every possible minute. 26. LEV EL AB OV Econtinued from previous page hires a supplier to go through the motions during the adding that the company will include military basesjob and then provide the nal sign-off (checking mainly in its plans. The rst overseas bid is underway at thethe readiness of the concrete) minutes before deadline. Barranquilla Airport in Colombia. Were more than ready Weve already done work at two military bases here inGeorgia: Robins Air Force Base and Dobbins Air ReserveIt is no wonder, therefore, that when the time came Base, added Obregon. Both jobs went extremely well,to tackle the Dekalb-Peachtree runway reconstruction, and we feel condent we can land additional bases inPrecision was ready.the coming years.It required tremen The company also hasdous planning, recalls its sights set on non-Obregon.Nothingairport work. In fact,could be left to chance. We had meeting after meeting 60% of revenues currently come from such assignments,to go through all possible contingencies and make surewith only 40% stemming from the sexier airport jobs.we had everything we needed going in.Precision engages in a wide range of municipal andSure enough, when the day arrived, Precisions trucks,commercial projects, primarily having to do with roadsequipment and personnel were outside the gate ready and pavement, earth movement and erosion control,to attack this former military airport. And attack they streetscaping and decorative concrete, and waterdid. The 17-day PDK job was completed in record time, infrastructure.several days ahead of schedule and comfortably belowbudget. But if you thought the company was overwhelmingthe competition by deploying its airport-tested speedThe stunning success story is already helping Precision and planning advantages in most commercial and CLevel | Spring 10open doors at other airports, part of the companys municipal bids, think again.growth strategy of penetrating markets throughout theU.S. Southeast and overseas.Airport operators pay a premium for speed, sincetheir jobs always have a strict deadline that require aWere more than ready, said Sanchez condently, higher expense, explained Sanchez. Most municipal 32 27. LEV EL AB OV Eand commercial owners, on the other hand, are looking They married at the time and turned Precision into a for the lowest bidder, and those jobs usually allow for Hispanic- and woman-owned company, facilitating the a longer period of time, so they dont require the more bid process further. Today, the companys vision is to be expensive specialized equipment and manpower we the largest Hispanic- and woman-owned construction have for time-sensitive projects.company in America.To be sure, Precisions precision planning and attack But while thats the stated vision and remains a net mode provide a leg up, but the company must go toe- plus in branding and marketing, neither executive to-toe on other bid selection criteria. We do very wellbelieves the Hispanic and woman thing will mean much in those bids, assured Sanchez.in practical terms going forward, as the company hasHead to head graduated into the big leagues and is now able to compete head-to-head for any-size project without the Its a long way since his days as a staff engineer at need for minority labels or preferences. Hartseld-Jackson shortly after completing an M.S. in Technology Management at the Georgia Institute of We have the certications, but we dont use them Technology in Atlanta. It was there that he learned most of the time, said Sanchez. Minority set-asides are what it takes to succeed in runways and other airport not what they used to be. Governments and companies projects. require you to be extremely competitive. Just being a minority company wont get you the deal, and less so if I spent a lot of time with contractors, and they keptyoure bidding for a large project. telling me I would do very well if I launched a Hispanic- owned rm, since the airport and the government set Added Obregon: Corporate America used to give aside a certain percentage of all construction projects mainly small projects to Hispanic- and woman-owned for Hispanic companies, and there wasnt any back then. companies. We nd that if we go in without the label, Thats how we got our start. we can more easily bid for the large deals. In the case 33 of the government, its not even using set-asides with CLevel | Spring 10 At the time, Obregon was laboring in nance at athe federal stimulus money, even though the law said couple of companies in Atlanta, having also obtained herthey would. So all in all, were just out there competing advanced degree at GIT two of them, actually: an MBAon a level playing eld with anyone. with a focus on nance and an M.S. in Civil Engineering. Competing. And winning. 28. cjunco@cobacpr.com 29. NEX T LEV ELLas Vegas may be the worlds kingegasof the tables, b the new V bl but hVegas-like lkCasino Metro in San Juan is outplayingthe Nevada giant in the one advantagedriving the industrys future F rom the moment you drive up to the Casino Metro at the new Sheraton Convention Center Hotel in Isla Grande and the valet parking attendant swipes your M Players Club card as hetakes your keys, youre in the system.Swipe your card when you sit at a slot machine, andit registers again. And when you play a table, and orderfrom the bar, and when you wander about the hoteland dine at one of its restaurants or purchase an item CLevel | Spring 10at a shop. The highly networked system knows when you arriveand when you leave, what you like and dont like, howoften you visit and how much you spend each time,said John Enriquez, the casinos information systems 36director. 30. NEX T LEV ELChris Archundes marketing staff takes all that on their hands to make sure you have the time of your information, runs it through painstaking analytics andlife. tailors highly personalized offers, which you receive by mail diligently at regular intervals. We have what is clearly the most advanced and highly networked casino oor and players club in North As an M Players Club member, thats exactly what youAmerica, asserts Archunde, a ten-year veteran of want them to do. Its one of the reasons you joined,much larger Native American casinos in New Mexico. to swipe the card wherever and whenever you can The system features a ber optic connection straight and receive terric discounts, reward dollars and other to the building, an unusual treat (see related story on benets.page 10), along with a reliance on wireless at an equally unusual degree. The purpose behind the system is to enhance the players experience, explainedIt is one of the reasons she Archunde, the facilitys marketing became so excited about manager. It allows us to know moving to Casino Metro and what our customers want to going through the extensive do, so we can serve them betterrecruitment and screening every time they visit.process. Its an incredibleopportunity, to manage this Amen, you say. It is, in fact, system, to try something the entire casino experience truly new. A feather in her that draws fans the most, notcap, if you will. just the reward dollars and club benets. And the ideaWinning at CRM that youre a helpless gambler because youre a regular is In a market like Puerto stereotype nonsense. You just Rico, not only is the love the sheer entertainment. technology new; it is The sound of hundreds of slot indispensable, explained machines and great music. Enriquez, who also worked Having a few drinks and someat Native American casinos, snacks at the bar while watchingbut in his case along the your favorite sport. The hum of Mississippi River. His last countless conversations. Trying one was a Choctaw Nation your luck at a table or two and casino with a whopping striking conversations of your5,000 slot machines and own. Being in no hurry andIT Manager John Enriquez plays DJ, controlling the entertainment on the casino112 tables. Casino Metro, letting the hours go by.oor from this small control room where he can change songs, colors and screen by contrast, has 422 slot content in a snap.machines and 16 tables. Ill see you when my next offer comes in the mail, you might be heard telling the door Casinos are not allowed to advertise here, so the guard as you walk away. only way we can draw customers is with the smart use of technology, he said. Players respond to offers, and It is an entirely fresh way of looking at the gamingthe more we can tailor those offers and give players industry. As pure entertainment. Fans have known it what they want, the more business well generate. for some time, as has the industry itself. Chris and John 37 certainly know it, and they have the most amazing toolcontinued on next page CLevel | Spring 10 We have an incredible team, all passionate about creating something truly special at Casino Metro. Technology is only a part, concluded Enriquez. The rest, the most important component, is our people. 31. NEX T LEV ELcontinued from previous page About 95% of the casinos slot machine players areIts all about customer relationship managementlocal residents; roughly 30% in the case of tables. The(CRM), the high-tech marketing discipline that came of rest are snowbirds (Americans who spend winters onage in the 1990s but that few companies, gaming or the island), conventioneers and other hotel guests. Thenot, have been able to deploy successfully.goal is for 60% of this customer base to become M Players Club members. Were at 40% now, Chris said.Thats because its really, really hard. CRM depends,An impressive gure, considering the hotel and casinorst and foremost, on gathering detailed information have only been open three months.from and about customers, which itself is hard to dounless you have a players club-like card that recordsCasino Metro has an entire staff of expert CRMerseverything automatically. Most companies rely insteadconstantly pouring over customer data, doingon data entry. Then you must plug all that data into segmentations, looking for opportunities and designingcomplex elds in database software and put it throughindividually tailored offers.robust segmentation analysis, so you can know whatoffers to extend to whom, how to deliver them (mail, Each player is different, she continued. In thisemail, phone or event) and with what creative messageindustry, direct marketing truly is direct to eachand design.person. Theres no other way to do it, particularly in a market with no advertising where the only way toCasino Metros CRM system, made by Bally market to customers is this way.Technologies, is state of the art. Each piece of mail CLevel | Spring 10delivered to a customer is personalized in six different Neither does it help that the eight-mile radius aroundplaces, beyond name and gender, and the system can Casino Metro is so full of casinos, not to mention otherag and deliver up to 19 different automated messagesentertainment choices.for such occasions as birthdays and anniversaries.That is huge by industry standards, and Casino Metro Its tough to compete against Plaza Las Americas,achieves a 38% response to its mailings, also way aboveshe added. There are lots of entertainment options in 38average. San Juan. We have to nd a way to get people to fall 32. NEX T LEV ELIt is an entirely fresh way of looking at the gaming industry. As pure entertainment.Fans have known it for some time, as has the industry itself. Chris and John certainlyknow it, and they have the most amazing tool to make sure you have the time of yourlife. We have the most advanced and highly networked casino floor and players clubin North America, said Marketing Manager Chris Archunde. in love with the gaming experience and keep coming surrounded by screens, a different TV show (mostly back. sports) on each one. If youre having a drink and wantto watch something in particular, the bartender can put Vegas DJ it on for you. If you want to listen to it, he pulls outspeakers just for you.Ah, the experience! Thats what motivates Enriquez to get up every morning and get to work. He fell inEnriquez reached under the bar, turned some knobs, love with gaming IT in 1989, after spending two yearsand most lights in the casino suddenly turned green, in the cashiers cage at the San Juan Hotel casino inwith only one song heard throughout. This is a signal Isla Verde. He moved into the IT Department and neverto the staff. At this point, they get out in the middle of looked back. the oor and do a dance to entertain our guests. I consider myself a DJ, he said, as his eyes spannedWhile Enriquez controls the lights and sounds of the casino oor, both arms extended wide as if ready tothe oor, Chris creative team controls the content: embrace. All these lights, the ones on the tables and which songs are played and the graphics and messages slot machines, the lights in the bar, on the walls, they all displayed on the screens. have to be just right to create the mood customers like. The music we rely greatly on music has to be justWe want people to feel like theyre in Las Vegas, right as well: the choice of songs in the different areasChris said. Thats the driver behind our oor design of the oor, the volume levels and how the music mixes and entertainment experience. 39 with the other sounds people are exposed to. All the CLevel | Spring 10 sounds have to be in perfect balance. Then there are And as in Vegas, the experience is about more than the video screens. We have more plasmas and screenstechnology and entertainment. We have an incredible than any other casino in Puerto Rico. They enhance the team, all passionate about creating something truly experience. special at Casino Metro. Technology is only a part,concluded Enriquez. The rest, the most important He walks over to the bar, a glitzy, cylindrical spot component, is our people. 33. FINE L IV IN GThefountainof joyAn untrained eye sees a beautiful housefull of collectibles. Pedro Muoz sees asanctuary, a place to enjoy the raw creativegenius of some of the best art (and cardesigns) in Puerto Rico and beyond. CLevel | Spring 10 42 34. FINE L IV IN G T his began as a story about Pedro Muozs carI like collecting works by local artists, but I also have collection. Theyre parked next to one another in pieces by artists from other countries, like Colombian his oversized home garage: 1967 Austin Cooper,Omar Rayo. One of his works, an optical-illusion 2000 Mini Cooper, 1966 Austin Healey, 1972 VW geometric design reminiscent of the 1960s, is part of Beatle, 1982 Porsche 911 SC, and a 1992 Mercedes 500the Muoz collection. He discovered Rayos work and SL. A second Mercedes (220 S dated 1958) was at the followed him for ten years, looking for just the right shop. piece to purchase, before choosing this one.As we got into the conversation, he told the storyWellspring within behind other items he collects, many of them on magnicent display in his home-museum. The latter His love of art and other collectibles, it turns out, was was built, in fact, to house the impressive collectionborn of his own impressive talent. Some Pedro Muoz of paintings, sculptures, antiques and other ne workspieces are also on display at his home, an eye-pleasing distributed with exquisite taste throughout.array of paintings and sculptures difcult to distinguish in artistic quality and visual impact from all the others.The designer chairs are of particular note, meant to be seen, not sat on. The architecture of the house, withIt was then that the conversation took an even its central glass-oor staircase, open atrium, museum-deeper turn. I guess you could say that all artists share like columns, second-oor paintings visible from below, an instinctive sensibility, a special eye, a gift to create and stunning natural light, is itself a sight. Additional things of beauty that others can then appreciate and works of art adorn the exterior garden and terrace. fall in love with. Its a creative inquietud (a mixtured of curiosity, passion and restlessness) that moves us to The focus of the story then turned to collections inlook for beauty and art in everything designed by the general. He is particularly fond of three works of art, human mind. starting with Paisaje en Fuego (Landscape on Fire) by Puerto Rican artist Marimater ONeill. Yes, he added, he has his own designs, but all artists also fall in love with and follow the talent and works ofI rst saw the painting in the Puerto Rico Pavillionothers. I love to visit museums and galleries and meet at the 1992 Worlds Fair in Seville and fell in love with the artists and have conversations with them. Theyre it, said Muoz, recalling how he later bought theall special people. piece and at one point loaned it for an exhibit of Latin American female artists held at the Milwaukee ArtThis wellspring within, Museum. Paisaje en Fuego the source behind the eye, was chosen for the cover All artists share an instinctive a fountain of joy, if you of the event brochure andwill, applies to anything mailer.sensibility, a special eye, a gift to beautiful,includingcreate things of beauty that others things not suited forThere it was, a piececan then appreciate and fall in collecting. I love owers, of mine on the cover oflove with. Its a creative inquietudand thats not something a major exhibit. What a(a mixture of boundless curiosity,one can collect. You cant feeling that was. Its one passion and restlessness) thatcollect furniture, ceiling of the treats that makes moves us to look for beauty and lamps, bathroom basins or collecting so fullling.kitchen xtures, but many The fulllment is greaterart in everything designed by the are designed as artistically still, as it was in Milwaukee, human mind.as a painting. when seeing Puerto Rican43 artists ranked among the very best, as Marimater wasNeither can one collect buildings and homes, andCLevel | Spring 10 among Latin American female painters at that exhibit.yet behind their architecture lies some of the grandest artistic talent to be found. Muoz should know. He Next to ONeill, also on the second-oor balcony wall,holds a degree in architecture and has since worked as was Gobernador de los Gobernadores (Governor of s a general contractor building the designs created by Governors) by Jose Morales, another ne Puerto Rican architects. artist, exclaimed Muoz. continued on next page 35. FINE L IV IN Gcontinued from previous pagehe said, opening and closing his hands and wiggling hisHe seemed to savor the names of his favored ngers. Im an artist. I work with my hands.international giants in architecture as they rolled offhis tongue: Richard Meier, Frank Gehry, SantiagoHe collects only European brands, which he says carryCalatrava. He looked themgreater long-term value.up on YouTube and we saw Some brands, like MercedesMeiers Jubilee Church inand Volkswagen, are greatRome, Gehrys Guggenheim for collections, and thenMuseum in Bilbao and only certain models evenCalatravas Palau de las Artsamong those brands.in Valencia.The latest edition of For most mere mortals, Hemmings Motor Newstheir work looks surreal, was sitting on the table anda l m o s t i m a g i n a r y. F o rMuoz opened it to provideMuoz, it is simply greata glimpse into the collectibleness. Thats architecture,car market.he sighed. They are inthemselves works of art. ItsYou have to do yourwhat makes them touristresearch and be clear aboutattractions, because theyre what you want to buy,like grand and awe-inspiring because there are so manysculptures. options. Older cars or younger cars, exotic or rare,Research, research,sport or muscle, vintage or researchnot. I read, I go to shows its important to know whats out there when youre inYou might say the same about cars. They dont havethe market to buy collector cars.the grand size of buildings, of course, but many aredesigned and built with artistic purpose. The same, he said, applies to any collectible. Muozalso collects coins, stamps, wrist watches and PuertoThats how I look at them, said Muoz. He is theRican crafts. He would say again and again, it takesclassic car collector: keeps the vehicles not to driveresearch. You have to know what youre buying.them, but to look at them as one would look at apainting. And to work on them with his own hands as Muoz keeps his vehicles in his home garage, safeone would work on a sculpture.from the weather and other risks. He drives them onlyaround the neighborhood. They have to be drivenI love to take them apart and put them back together, every so often. But no shows, parades or exhibits. CLevel | Spring 10 Muoz keeps his vehicles in his home garage, safe from the weather and other risks. He drives them only around the neighborhood. They have to be driven every so often. But no shows, parades or exhibits. 44 36. FINE L IV IN GAs with everything he collects, it will be up to his heirs to gure out what to do with it all upon Muozs passing, since he has no plans to sell any of the cars, watches, coins, stamps, chairs, antiques, crafts or works of art.Im not a speculator. I dont buy to wait for the value to rise and then sell. I buy and collect to enjoy. Period. Three of Muozs own works of art Next: photography and part of his art collection.Muoz shares his passion with others through his philanthropic work at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Santurce and the School of Visual Arts in Old San Juan.In his role as a member of MACs board of directors since the mid-1990s, Muoz provides assistance and counsel to Puerto Rican artists. As part of the Friends Committee at the School of Visual Arts, he donates and raises funds to send aspiring artists to two signicant annual events in Europe. Many of these artists have never been on a plane, much less to Europe. Its the trip of a lifetime for them, said Muoz. We want them to go over there, visit the sites and the museums and simply take it all in. Thats how you grow as an artist. Sure, were born with talent, but the talent has to be cultivated and nurtured. You have to expose yourself, exhibit, meet others, especially people who know more than you. Thats how you grow.Its what Muoz plans to continue doing in his own role as an artist. Next in line for him is a photography exhibit at Viotta Gallery in San Patricio. He wouldnt give away the details on the photos to be shown, except to say it will have Muoz is particularly fond of two paintings by Puerto Rican artists. On the left, Paisaje en Fuego by Marimater ONeill, and Gobernador de los Gobernadores by Jose Morales. something to do with the 45 Puerto Rican identity, the soul of the people. CLevel | Spring 10 Having gotten a glimpse of the photographers soul, one thing is certain: the photos will no doubt be worthy of collecting. For the pure joy of it. Muoz discovered the work of Colombianpainter Omar Rayo and followed him forten years before purchasing this piece forhis collection. 37. FINE L IV IN G should be protected against the unforeseen. But make sure you have the right policy.Pedro Muoz (previous story) is enthralled with into the collector car market.his collector cars. Hell die if any of them aredamaged or (God forbid!) stolen. So he keeps Thats because this is such a specialized trade. Takethem stored under safe cover. Takes them out the value of your prized possession, for starters. Is yourfor rides seldom. Makes sure no one comes too closeinsurance company willing to cover what its worth inwhen he does drive them. Parks far from potentialthe marketplace the amount you would receive wereswinging doors or coconut trees that can put even theyou to sell your vehicle?slightest scratch or dent on his babies. And doesntallow anyone else to drive them. Regular cars command a price roughly equal to the depreciated value, the same value recognized by regularAll of which means a dramatically lower risk for his insurance policies. Collector cars, by contrast, caninsurance company and therefore dramatically lowerinsurance company and therefore a dramatically lower fetch substantial sum as they become appreciable fetch a substantial sum, as they become appreciablepremiumpremium on his coverage about 60% less than the his coverage about 60% less than theproperties that rise in value, explained James Fiske, U.S. properties that rise in value, explained James Fiske, U.S.insuranceinsurance he and everyone else pays for regular carand everyone else y for regular car ygMarketing Manage for Chubb Personal Insurance. Marketing Manager for Chubb Personal Insuranceginsu a ceinsurance. That s why all collector car policies worth looking Thats why all collector car policies worth looking CLevel | Spring 10The trick knowing how to negotiate such collectorThe trick is knowing how to negotiate such a collector at are based on what is called an agreed value. You are based on what is called an agreed value Youca insuranc h o n c mpan tc r insurance, choosing a company that offers the rights ncenoffers the r ghtffer tell the insurance company how much you think theelinsu ance com a how uch you thin the nsur e oo ink p npolicies and perhaps most importantly making surepolicies, and perhaps most importantly, making surelove of your life worth usually based an appraisal love of your life is worth, usually based on an appraisal,your agent d ply understands you as t dee ld t dand your agent validates the value using collector-cardt lid t th l i ll tLe ea collector, shares your passion and isindustry guidelines. A value is agreed upon, and thats Ultimately, the speed issue comes down to character vs. horsepower. Thats 466why its so important for us to be confident about who our customer is, sincethats what drives the risk, said Chubbs James Fiske. 38. FINE L IV IN Gthe amount you would receive if the car becomes the amount you would receive if the car becomes amany cars you want.many cars as you want. tota o total loss an emot onal de astation,, to be sure, but at e otio a devastat ou least you recover what the car was really worth. How the car is driven, when it is driven, is also abig deal. Fiske shies away from cars with excessiveCharacter vs. Horsepowerhorsepower, as they tend to be driven at high-risk speedsthat insurance companies detest, particularly cars that Thats but one aspect of collector car insurance.were restored or modied to add the extra turbo. Some of the others are covered by our Pedro example. Collector car policies generally require that the vehicleFor such super cars as mega Ferraris and ultra be hobby-driven that is, reserved for seldom or casual Lamborghinis, Chubb offers driver education as part use. Daily or regular use throws the car into a regularof its collector policy. We want to make sure our policy, which is why most collector insurance policies customers know what theyre getting into when they impose an annual mileage limit.drive cars with that sort of horsepower. Chubb, for one, does not. We trust our customers, And dont go near a race track. Coverage is suspended Fiske told C-Level. We understand the collector when a collector vehicle is driven or even parked on a mentality and only insure when were condent andtrack, he said. when the client has persuaded us that were dealingUltimately, the speed issue comes down to character with the sort of car enthusiast who will not use the vs. horsepower. Thats why its so important for us to car for his daily routine. Want to really persuade? be condent about who our customer is, since thats Show off the hobby thing join a club, send your agentwhat drives the risk. photos of your car in parades and exhibits, that sort of thing, which as a collector you probably do anyway. Go Pedro! Garage storage is also a must, more to protect against theft than against the weather, even though the latter is a major risk you will want to minimize, particularly in hurricane- and ood-prone places like Florida and Puerto Rico Puerto Rico. If you want to take your jewel to a European exhibition want take yewel to Europe exhibition p o or on the road to ride with fellow enthusiasts across the t o to ride ith fello t usiasts c oss t States, make sure you notify your agent. Transport risk States, make sure you notify your agent. Transport risk will likely addressed in your policy Fiske: will likely be addressed in your policy Fiske: we prefer prefer 47 a freight o example and you l ant air freight, for example and you ll want to travel within eigh mrave with n vel t CLevel | Spring 10 those parameters if you want your car be covered those parameters if you want your car to be covered.v How many cars can you insure? Typically more For insurance companies like Chubb to cover your automobile collection, they must feelcondent you own the cars for hobby and not for daily use. In the photo, Dorothy Stoller, p than two. The risk math doesnt add up fo insurance h t d p forChubb Personal Lines Manager and Assistant Vice President, discusses a collectors account companies when its only one automobile,, Fiske p ywith Rodolfo Vaupel, Senior Vice President of Fulcro Insurance of Georgia, a brokerage rm e p e explained. Beyo that, you can generally insure asyond t,a e e y su that represents Chubb Southeast and other carriers. 39. FUN L IV IN GIts not the flying.Its thedestination. Chacha Fournier, you might say, was born on a plane, prin 10 CLevel | Spring 10 given her fathers legendary passion. But what she developed was a passion for the islands. And for helpingLevLe others become pilots. 48 40. FUN L IV IN GShe just loves to get away. Pack up, gather theHer late father, well-known San Juan attorney Jorgefamily (husband, four kids, mom, you know), Ortiz Brunet, left six planes in his estate, but Chacha anddrive to Isla Grande Airport and just go. the family sold them all upon his passing in 2002. Shelater bought a Cessna 206, a single-engine six seaterIts such a treat, sheknown as the SUV of says. To island hop, or I know that passion very well, says the skies for its utility to pick a spot and kick Chacha Fournier. I saw it in my nature. back. Ah! The peace. Thefather and in many people. It burns silence, interrupted onlyBut then her own by the serene sounds inside, like all passions and dreams.family grew to four of waves, birds and a Its about being one with the plane, children. The plane tropical breeze. You canfeeling that unique sense of freedom became too small, since even see the stars. Every that only comes from being in the airwe usually take my one of them, it seems.and maneuvering the aircraft. Its alsomom and other familymembers along, so weFor me, thats what the challenge and skill of managingsold it. its all about, said difficult turns, beating hard weather Old San Juan resident and nailing a tough landing. One of the things she Chacha Fournier.loved most about yingwith dad and family as a child, and one of the reasons She says there are she decided to buy a plane after selling dads, was not three types of airplane enthusiasts: those who are having to wait for regular ights to the islands and passionate about ying, the ones who dont y but ownmuch less for ferries to Vieques and Culebra. a plane and hire a pilot, and hobbyists like her who pilot their own planes as you would drive your own car: as In fact, after 9/11 (2001), she says thats what led to transport to take you somewhere fun. a boom in the purchase of executive jets and privatepassenger aircraft in Puerto Rico. People just do not Oh, its not that she doesnt get into the ying itself. want to wait. Of course I do. Being a pilot is neat. Its challenging. I particularly like taking off, when the plane thrustsBurning passion backwards and you feel the pull and the speed. Its an exhilarating moment. But when the plane takes ightIt is Ortiz Brunet whom she credits with her love of and cruises, my mind turns back to where were going ying/island-adventuring. He not only t the rst of and what were going to do there. her three passion categories; he was, she says, the mostpassionate aviator she has ever met. For Chacha, that generally means the islands. Her favorite: Anegada, 15 miles North of Virgin Gorda He was in love with ying. He would y every day in the British Virgin Islands. It is small, at, isolatedif he could. So you can imagine how often I was in a (population 200) and surrounded by one of the worldsplane. It became as normal as getting in a car. Going largest and longest coral reefs. to the airport was as natural as going to school or themall. Its part of the adventure, she says. Ah, yes, the adventure. Thats what I nd thrilling about ying, the Her 9-year-old son Emilio seems to have inherited the whole experience of getting on a plane and going on an passion. He knew the names of plane models before adventure somewhere.he learned to speak, says Chacha, an attorney, just likeher dad. No line! 49Emilio practices with a computer ight simulator and The only problem right now: she doesnt have her will be taking classes as soon as hes able. CLevel | Spring 10 own plane. Not any more, although she and her husband (insurance executive Millo Fournier) plan on I know that passion very well, she says. I saw it buying another one soon. For the moment, she rents,in my father, I see it in Emilio and Ive seen it in many both for the islands as well as to keep up with the milespeople. It burns inside, like all passions and dreams. she must y to hold on to her license. continued on next page 41. FUN L IV IN G The family set up the Jorge Ortiz Brunet Aviation Scholarship Fund to cover the cost of flight lessons for InterAmerican University aviation students and allow them to accumulate the miles they need to graduate and achieve their dream of becoming pilots and flying high.continued from previous page nancial aid covers the expensive ight lessons.Its about being one with the plane, feeling that uniquesense of freedom that only comes from being in the air The student and his family must carry that burden,and maneuvering the aircraft. Its also the challengeand oftentimes they cannot.and skill of managing difcult turns, beating hardweather and nailing a tough landing. So Chacha and Millo, along with her mother Mara San Miguel, set up the Jorge Ortiz Brunet AviationScholarship Fund Scholarship Fund to cover the cost of those lessons and allow students to accumulate the miles they need toIt was this unique insight into that passion and graduate and achieve their dream of becoming a pilotvocation that turned aviation into a bigger cause forand ying high.Chacha and Millo. Next, she explained, is a mechanism to follow theWe wanted to keep my fathers legacy alive. He notstudents through to the end, until they graduate andonly loved to y; he also lived to share that love, to become licensed.help others discover ying. The family also wants to extend the scholarship toWhat better way to keep that motor running, they additional campuses, multiplying the number of pilotsthought, than by helping aviation students achieve even more.their dream and thus bloom dads vision into an island CLevel | Spring 10full of pilots.Which means, of course, that not only will these future pilots live their dream. They will be able to helpThats when they approached InterAmerican University.others live theirs: the dream of catching a plane quicklyThe institutions Bayamon campus offers a degree into the islands and not having to wait for a regular ightAviation Systems Management that includes teaching or (God forbid) a ferry.students to become pilots, but neither the school nor For information about the Scholarship Fund, you may 50 call 787-754-7713. 42. PRIME COMMERCIAL & OFFICE SPACE FOR LEASE MCS PLAZA 255 Ponce De Leon, Hato Rey Commercial Space Ground Floor: 800-10,000 Sq. Ft. Office Space: 2,000 - 14,000 Sq. Ft. Corner Ponce De Leon Ave. - 6,000 Sq. Ft. - Elegant Common Facilities - The most spacious lobby in H