Carrión III to helm MCS; New presidents at B. Fernández Holding subsidiaries
This edition of Climbing the Corporate Ladder includes high-ranking appointments in the areas of insurance, manufacturing and healthcare.
Carrión III named president of MCS Healthcare Holdings, LLC
MCS Healthcare Holdings, LLC CEO Jim O’Drobinak, announced that MCS has appointed José B. Carrión III as the president of MCS Healthcare Holdings, LLC. and a board member at MCS Life Insurance Company and MCS General Insurance Agency.
Carrión has a wealth of experience in both private and public sectors and is an insurance industry leader with over 25 years of experience in the field. He stepped down from his post as chairman of the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico late last year.
“MCS is honored to have José Carrión join our team. Given his impressive experience in the areas of business development, insurance and government affairs, I am confident that Carrión will be an invaluable addition to our Executive team as President of MCS Holdings, LLC,” said O’Drobinak.
“José comes to MCS to help expand our business, both geographically and by lines of business. His extensive leadership expertise in dealing with business clients and prospects, corporate shareholders, local and federal public officials and the media, perfectly suits our goals and needs,” O’Drobinak said.
Carrión was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He received a B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. from the College of Insurance, now St. John’s University. Carrión’s professional record includes serving as senior vice president (1995-2000) and as president (2000-2001) of AON Risk Services of Puerto Rico. He was also co-founder and president of Carrión, Laffitte & Casellas Inc., from 2001 until the company was acquired by HUB international in 2012.
Currently, Carrión serves on several local Boards, including Advent Morro, cyber security firm GM Group and IPPR.
B. Fernández & Hnos. Inc., Pan Pepín Inc. change presidents
B. Fernández Holding President José Teixidor announced management changes at its subsidiaries B. Fernández & Hnos. Inc. and Pan Pepín. Mario Somoza will go on to preside B. Fernández & Hnos., while Ángel Vázquez will be the president of Pan Pepín. The organizational change was effective in January 2021.
The exchange of presidents follows a model used by multinational companies that aims, among other things, to refresh the group’s work by facilitating the generation of new ideas and challenges to tackle.
Rotating executive positions also allows obtaining a detailed understanding of the functions and operations, providing the necessary knowledge to effectively manage the different areas of the business.
“With this change we aim to continue positioning B. Fernández Holding among the best in the industry. Part of this is adopting good talent development practices, which has led us to make an executive change. Somoza and Vázquez have been key in the development and growth of the company for 17 years. They have demonstrated a firm commitment to me, to the group and its shareholders,” said Teixidor.
The company intends to maximize the skills and experiences of each of the executives for the benefit of the group, making their talents available to both subsidiaries. At Pan Pepín, Somoza, among many of his achievements, stood out for leading in the bread industry, and building the most modern and efficient bread plant in the Caribbean. He also developed the “Planitas” brand with unprecedented success.
At B. Fernández, Vázquez implemented a new direct sales route system, helping to position Busch Light as the second best-selling beer. He also balanced the product portfolio with lines such as Altria (Philip Morris) and Mars, among others, and has helped achieve a significant increase in sales, from $180 million to more than $300 million.
The organizational change of B. Fernández Holding also unifies skills and experiences that will make the group stronger and prepare for a future of growth, company executives said.
Hospital de la Concepción appoints new administrator
With more than 13 years of experience in the hospital industry, Edgar Crespo-Campos became the new administrator of Hospital de la Concepción in San Germán, Gustavo Almodóvar-Almodóvar, executive director of the hospital’s Board of Trustees announced.
Crespo-Campos occupies the new position after the retirement and extensive legacy of Felícita Bonilla Rivera, who worked in the hospital for 39 years.
Prior to his appointment, Crespo-Campos served as associate administrator of support services, director of engineering and director of facilities at the hospital. In addition, the engineer led the implementation of a new electricity cogeneration system, a project that positioned the Hospital de la Concepción as the first institution of any kind in Puerto Rico to become independent from the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority.
The new administrator has a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez and a master’s degree in Health Services Administration from the School of Medicine at the University of Puerto Rico.
