Evertec, MMAPA, PRHTA announce new leadership changes
Several Puerto Rico-based organizations have announced key leadership appointments across multiple industries — from financial technology and health care to tourism, law and automotive services — featured in this edition of Climbing the Corporate Ladder.
Evertec announces CFO, COO
Evertec Inc. announced the appointment of Joaquín Castrillo as chief operating officer, effective Nov. 1. Castrillo will continue reporting to CEO Mac Schuessler, with revenue and management responsibility for all commercial areas.
At the same time, Karla Cruz-Jusino, currently senior vice president and chief accounting officer, will succeed Castrillo as executive vice president and chief financial officer. She will oversee finance and accounting, treasury, tax and investor relations.
“Both executives bring deep domain expertise across financial technology and transaction processing, critical skill sets amid Evertec’s rapid growth and the increasing complexity in our business,” Schuessler said.
Castrillo has been with Evertec for more than 13 years, serving in senior financial roles, most recently as executive vice president and CFO since August 2018. Cruz-Jusino joined in July 2019 with broad financial, accounting and tax experience.
Chambers Latin America includes Puerto Rico lawyer
Puerto Rican entertainment and intellectual property attorney Patricia Rivera MacMurray has been named to the Chambers Latin America 2026 Guide, which recognizes leading lawyers across Latin America.
Rivera MacMurray, managing partner at HM & RMAC LLC and counsel to Rimas Publishing, has more than 25 years of experience. Her clients include internationally known music publishers and artists such as Bad Bunny, Eladio Carrión and Mora.
“I am deeply honored by this recognition from Chambers Latin America,” she said. “It is a testament to integrity, commitment to my clients and a deep passion for protecting creativity in all its forms. This honor also reflects the efforts of many colleagues, students and allies who walk this path alongside me.”
Her practice spans copyright, trademark, licensing and entertainment law — fields in which she has built a reputation for handling complex legal matters while safeguarding her clients’ creative work.
A graduate of Yale University and Stanford Law School, Rivera MacMurray lectures at Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico, where she teaches courses in intellectual property and music law.
Chambers Latin America noted her teaching work as part of her professional profile. She also serves on the board of Make Music Happen, a nonprofit that has awarded more than $4 million in scholarships for Puerto Rican students to attend Berklee College of Music.
Chambers Latin America, which is widely regarded as a trusted legal ranking resource for companies and legal departments across the region, publishes its annual guide to identify lawyers and firms making an impact in their fields.
PRHTA appoints director of government affairs
Clarisa Jiménez, president and CEO of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, announced the appointment of Fabiola Pagán-Meléndez as the organization’s new director of government affairs.
“Fabiola joins our team, bringing her extensive legislative experience and commitment to Puerto Rico’s development, which will be essential to our mission in the island’s tourism industry,” Jiménez said. “We will continue the organization’s agenda in support of the sector and Puerto Rico’s economic development.”
Pagán-Meléndez has worked in government for more than a decade. Before joining PRHTA, she spent six years in Washington, D.C., serving as legislative director for Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo. In that role, she directed the Kansas City representative’s legislative agenda, voting recommendations and floor proceedings.
She also worked for four years in the office of Sen. Robert Menéndez, D-N.J., where she served as a legislative assistant for Latino and Puerto Rican affairs. She advised on those issues, served as the senator’s liaison to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and led the confirmation process for Adriana Kugler, the first Latino member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. She also negotiated and secured passage of the Puerto Rico Recovery Accuracy in Disclosures Act, Public Law 117-82.
Pagán-Meléndez began her career in Congress as a public policy fellow with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute on the House Natural Resources Committee, chaired at the time by Rep. Raúl Grijalva, D-Ariz. She is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras, with a degree in chemistry.
“Her experience and leadership will be essential to advancing the goals of the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association at a key moment for the island’s tourism development,” Jiménez said.
MMAPA elects first woman president
The Medicaid and Medicare Advantage Products Association of Puerto Rico, founded 16 years ago to advocate for fair treatment in the island’s public health programs, announced the election of Solange De Lahongrais as its new president. She is the first woman to lead the association.
De Lahongrais, who also serves as president of MMM Multihealth, takes the helm at a critical moment for Puerto Rico’s health care sector. She said her priorities include advocating for federal funding parity in Medicaid and Medicare Advantage, which together serve more than 1.7 million people on the island, and strengthening communication channels with both local and federal governments.
The most pressing issue is the continuity of Medicaid funding, which is set to expire in September 2027. In Medicare Advantage, the priority remains closing the funding gap that leaves Puerto Rico at a disadvantage compared with the states.
Under her presidency, MMAPA will continue advancing the work plan set by its board of directors, building alliances locally and nationally, and working with all sectors of Puerto Rico’s health system.
“I’m deeply honored to lead MMAPA at such a decisive moment,” De Lahongrais said. “Our mission is clear: to work tirelessly until Medicaid and Medicare Advantage in Puerto Rico are treated with the same fairness as in every U.S. state. The health and dignity of more than 1.7 million Puerto Ricans depend on achieving true federal parity.”
Pep Boys names Sandoval Puerto Rico GM
Automotive service provider Pep Boys has promoted Eddy Sandoval to general manager of its Puerto Rico operations, where he will oversee both consumer and commercial businesses on the island.
Sandoval has been with the company for more than 23 years, starting as a part-time team member and advancing through leadership roles including store manager, area director, regional director and director of quality service. The company credited him with transforming markets and leading high-volume flagship locations in the United States.
In his new role, Sandoval will draw on his operational experience across multiple regions to improve store conditions, customer service, profitability and team development in Puerto Rico. His leadership approach is said to focus on removing obstacles so employees can work more efficiently while continuing to grow in their roles.
