Born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey in May 1972. A couple of months after being born, his parents moved back to Lima, Peru (where they are originally from) where he completed his elementary school.

Eleven years later, in March 1984, his parents Roberto, Mira, and younger brother Alberto moved back to the States, but this time to sunny Miami, FL. Robert's first summer job was at a family friend¡¦s warehouse exporting to Peru. The following summer he worked as a bag boy at the local Winn-Dixie (supermarket chain) store. In the fall of 1989, he worked part-time at FootLocker as a stock boy and shortly after was promoted to the floor area selling tennis shoes for about a year.

Graduated high school in 1990 and immediately enrolled in college. Robert began to help his father with the day-to-day operations of his company exporting to Peru. In 1992, his father's business closed and Robert went to work for two other exporters of equipment tools and heavy equipment machinery and parts to Colombia and Peru where he met his first business partner. With a very small investment, Robert partnered up with a former co-worker and decided to open their own business exporting heavy equipment machinery parts to Colombia. Needless to say, due to lack of research, capital, experience, etc., etc., etc., he decided to resign from the corporation.

Between March of 1993 and May of 1996, while attending undergraduate school, Robert worked in the marketing department of a leading HMO covering the South Florida market; CAC-Ramsay Health Plans, now known as United HealthCare.

He earned a Business Administration degree with a double major in Marketing and International Business from Florida International University in December of 1995, and decided to look for a career change. In May of 1996, he joined a leading transportation insurance broker as an Account Executive; formerly know as Trade Insurance Services.

In the fall of 1997 and recently engaged, he enrolled in St. Thomas University in Miami, FL where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree with a concentration in International Business in the spring of 2000.

In the spring of 1998, and shortly-to-be newly wed, he joined another (then a start-up) leading transportation insurance broker, Avalon Risk Management, Inc. and, with the efforts of three other colleagues and former boss, started the Miami regional office. Avalon Risk Management, Inc. (www.avalonrisk.com) is now a premier provider of innovative domestic and international transportation insurance and surety solutions.

In March of last year, Robert was promoted to Regional Manager of the Chicago regional office and he and his (then pregnant) wife moved to Chicago. This year in February, Robert was again promoted and is now Regional Vice President of the Chicago office.

Robert has been happily married to beautiful wife Michelle for over 6 years and they are now proud parents of twenty six month old (Born October 20, 2002) Roberto Manuel. Robert and Michelle have recently found out they are expecting their second child on July 2005.

Soon after Robert arrived to Chicago he began volunteering as Secretary to the IACAC, is also involved in coordinating events for the Customs Brokers and Foreign Freight Forwarder Association of Chicago, and is an active member (former President of Miami Chapter) to the National Society of Hispanic MBAs Chicago Chapter.

EDUCATION
2000 MBA, St. Thomas University, Miami
1995 BBA, Florida International University, Miami

LICENSE
Illinois State Department of Insurance ¡V Acc/Health, Fire, Var. Contr., Casualty, Life

ACTIVITIES
• International Trade Club of Chicago - Board of Directors (12/04-Present)
• Customs Brokers and Foreign Freight Forwarders of Chicago - Special Events Committee Member (05/02-Present)
• International Air Carrier Association of Chicago - Secretary (06/02-Present)
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs - Chicago Chapter Member (Present)
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs - Miami Chapter President Emeritus (03/02-12/02)
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs - Miami Chapter President (01/01-03/02)
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs - Miami Chapter VP of Marketing (05/00-12/00)
• National Society of Hispanic MBAs - Miami Chapter Secretary (01/00-05/00)
• Horizons West Condominium Association - President (05/99-03/02)
• Miami Rescue Mission - Volunteer (06-08/00)
• Alpha Kappa Psi - Business (Fall 95)
• Phi Sigma Kappa - Founder (Fall 92)