Fox News | March 9, 2011 | Karla Palomo
At 17, Colombian-born Hernán Rincón was working at a bottling plant to support himself while attending college. Today, he heads up all of Microsoft’s business in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“One has to work with passion and dedication,” he says. “I believe that is more important than just hitting the numbers. I believe that’s what has helped me to achieve my goals and given me all these great opportunities.”
As President of Microsoft Latin America for the past four years, Florida-based Rincón manages a team of more than 2,000 employees and supervises the operations of the software giant in Mexico, Central and South America and the Caribbean.
“Among the various responsibilities I have is to make sure I find the best talent in the region to work for Microsoft and to have direct contact with our clients to understand their needs,” Rincón says.
He also enjoys working with technology “to help improve people’s lives and at the same time have a positive impact on countries in the region.” One example close to his heart: POETA, a program run in conjunction with the Organization of American States. It provides technology and training for people with special abilities, aiming for their improved inclusion in the job market.
“A few weeks ago, I was in Brazil opening the 100th center in the region, which made me very proud,” says Rincón.
Rincón, who is very proud to be a “Paisa,” a term used for natives from Medellín, Colombia, experienced American culture during a student-exchange program while in his last year of high school.
“A very generous American family from a small town in Cantril, Iowa, where only about 150 people lived, offered me housing and taught me English,” he says. He had trouble with the subfreezing weather at first, but found a lot to like about America.
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