New SME president commits to attracting more members
The president-elect of the Puerto Rico Sales and Marketing Executives Association (SME) and current vice president of marketing and communications at Oriental Bank, Idalis Montalvo, has expressed her commitment to attracting more members from entities with the same initials as her organization, namely small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs, or Pymes in Spanish) as one of her main goals in her new position.
“For Oriental, Pymes are the engine of the economy; we are convinced of that, we bet on them. That is why we offer all our customers and prospects the tools and technologies they need for easy management of their business or their company,” Montalvo said.
Oriental currently represents SMEs by offering loans as part of its commercial portfolio, and is currently serving almost 23,000 of them. It offers other services such as deposits and accounts, and its credit portfolio represents 19% of the total balance sheet, Montalvo explained in an interview with News is my Business during the SME’s “Ahead of the Curve” event.
She also noted that the SME has a 72-year history in Puerto Rico — with approximately 500 executive partners from different industries on the island and about 50 university associates — promoting an environment and providing tools that foster professional development for individuals and their businesses.
“I will uphold the mission and vision of the organization: to provide the personal, business and commercial growth of our members through a continuous education program, to be the association where ideas converge,” Montalvo said.
“A person owns a business as an entrepreneur, but as an individual — plus his or her employees, plus his or her family — has the opportunity to offer training products and services at both the professional level within SMEs, and in terms of products and financial education services at the banking level,” said Montalvo.
The association said it hopes that guests at its event were able to network and that small entrepreneurs connected with individuals who can help further develop their businesses.
“We all have something new to learn from someone or something. You have to be in continuing education because nothing is static,” Montalvo advised. “You have to go through with your evolution; this whole digital world has changed.”
The new SME president further stressed that entrepreneurs must stay “attentive to everything” they do. “Look to the side, look at your competition, look at your environment, search for continuous improvement. You have to keep learning constantly.”
