RICH PEREIRA
48, promoted to vice president, U.S. sales, East VAR (Value Added Reseller) for Tech Data Corp.

First job: “Dishwasher and cook at the Officers Club on the Cherry Point Marine Corps base in North Carolina.”
Education: Bachelor’s degree in business management from the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, and master’s in business administration from Florida State University

Advice: “Get a good education and then keep on learning, especially about problem solving and communication. And develop a strong network of colleagues that you can count on throughout your career.”

Unwinding: “I enjoy gardening with my wife, along with a nice glass of wine.”

Favorite Web site: www.usccb.org/nab/today.shtml. “This is where I get my daily Scripture readings and overall news and information for my faith life.”

Priority for growth in Tampa: “Affordable housing and reasonable taxes that enable young, talented professionals to move to our area and obtain the American dream.”

Surprise: “I traveled all over the U.S. and the world before I was 20 years old — living in Japan, Okinawa, Egypt — and visited Europe. Also, that I was an avid surfer and raced sailboats with my family on the Pacific, Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean.”

Mentor: Pete Peterson, senior vice president, AIS Division, Tech Data, who said: “Problems are not like fine wine; they don’t get better with time, so nip them in the bud.”

Christina Mancing

Get Weekly Deals | Write a letter to the editor | Subscribe and get two weeks free | Place an Ad