Executives named in Puerto Rico health care, retail industries

This edition of Climbing the Corporate Ladder features professional appointments in Triple-S Management as well as Plaza Las Américas and Plaza del Caribe.

Triple-S Management appoints 2 new execs
Triple-S Management President Thurman Justice announced the appointments of Edward Zayas as chief communications officer and Robert Ruocco as chief information technology officer.

“We’re delighted to announce that we’re strengthening the Triple-S executive team with the addition of two highly experienced and recognized individuals in their respective fields, Edward Zayas and Robert Ruocco. They will play key roles in driving Triple-S’ continued transformation to support the diverse needs of our policyholders,” said Justice.

Zayas joins Triple-S with a background in journalism and public relations spanning nearly four decades. He has held positions such as chief strategy and communications officer, director, editor, reporter and journalism professor in both the public and private sectors, including the media.

Zayas joins Triple-S from Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s destination marketing organization, where he served as chief strategy officer. He also acted as spokesperson for the Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico. He holds a master’s degree in education and a bachelor’s in journalism with a minor in public relations from the University of Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, Ruocco brings more than two decades of experience to Triple-S. Before joining, he was the chief information technology and security officer at Consortium Health Plan in Maryland. His previous roles include vice president and chief information officer at Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield in New York and chief operating officer and vice president of information technology at Healthfirst in New York.

Robert holds an MBA with a major in strategic management from Niagara University, a master’s in management information science from Stevens Institute of Technology and a bachelor’s in computer science from William Paterson University. He is also a board member of the American Automobile Association in the Western and Central New York region.

Director of leasing named at Plaza Las Américas, Plaza Del Caribe
Jaime Luis Fonalledas, executive vice president of Empresas Fonalledas, recently announced Enio Navarro-Castillo’s appointment as leasing director of Plaza Las Américas and Plaza Del Caribe.

Navarro-Castillo will develop strategies for shopping center spaces, aiming to maximize profitability while maintaining a balanced commercial ecosystem. He will work hand in hand with the seasoned professionals of the department.

“We feel very confident that Enio will quickly integrate into our work group and bring new experiences and perspectives that will help us achieve business objectives since he has the experience, managerial maturity and knowledge necessary to lead to a level even higher, the leadership of both shopping centers in their respective categories,” Fonalledas said.

Navarro-Castillo has previously served as vice president of Real Estate and Development for Encanto Restaurants Inc., a position he held for 14 years.

He has nearly 40 years of experience in real estate and operations in the commercial world in such companies as Farmacia Plaza Alta, Caribbean Restaurants Inc. (Burger King), Golden Arch Development Corp. (McDonald’s), and Esso Standard Oil. He earned a master’s degree in finance and is a licensed real estate broker.

“I’m ready to continue, together with my new coworkers and together with the business community of both centers, the great work that the leasing team has been doing over the years. During my entire career so far, I have worked on the tenant side directly with property owners,” Navarro-Castillo said.

“I believe this experience from the client side will be of great benefit when discussing and exploring new agreements. I’m grateful for the support I have received since I arrived and very excited about all the challenges and opportunities we have on the agenda for this year,” he added.

Navarro-Castillo succeeds Rafael Ruiz-Comas, who is set to retire this quarter after 24 years with the retail organization.