The questions I am drawn to are “What is this?” and “What is it for?” I’m curious about first principles. I naturally seek to identify and understand the heart or root of the matter. And while this might sound theoretical, I have found that a problem well defined is a problem half solved. This has served me well, particularly in business.
I am fascinated by the fruit of human imagination. I appreciate art in all its forms as well as innovation, technological or otherwise. I appreciate the wisdom of elders, the perennial, and the timeless. That is how I understand and value “sitting on the shoulder of giants.” (*)
I’m an independent thinker and most of my thinking is triggered by questions and conversations. Conversations are not work for me, nor a tactic. I have a genuine interest in people and the choices they make. A typical outcome of a good conversation, in addition to connection and the possibility of more, is having a better understanding of myself and my place in the world. I see reading books as having a conversation with the author.
I am polyvalent. I like and pursue many things with equal interest and passion. That has me adapting different roles, perspectives, and prisms. From Linguistics to Finance to Management by way of music, sports, literature, and the outdoors. I have researched the nature of silence, debt-equity swaps, and the dynamics of interpersonal trust. I am attracted to puzzles (what’s this and what is it for?) and I will use any useful means, knowledge, model to solve them.
My home is in Miami, Florida. I received a B.A. in Languages and Linguistics from McGill University, a MBA in Finance from Concordia University, and a PhD in Management from IESE/University of Navarre.
(*) Often attributed to a letter by Issac Newton (1676). Earlier manifestations of this thought are from John Salisbury (1159) quoting Bernard of Chartres (circa 1130) who seems to be quoting a 6th century grammarian named Priscian. How about that for multiple sets of shoulders! (source)