L. Craig Austin is an adjunct professor and a senior import/export and logistics professional with more than fifteen years experience in all aspects of international logistics, CFS & Gateway operations, and supply chain logistics. His expertise is in the area of logistics management in the areas of U.S. Customs, Supply Chain Logistics, Process Improvements, Operations Analysis, Staff Development Strategic Planning and Sales and Marketing.
Charlie Jones’s educational background shows a combination of his doctorate in the Education/Business Information Systems area, his master’s degree with an emphasis in Management, and a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. These degrees, along with his extensive industry experience, have provided Dr. Jones with considerable experience in logistics and global supply chain management, international business, and process improvement. These are all key areas for the teaching of logistics strategy.
Ron Mesia is the Director, Ryder Center for Supply Chain Management. He is an operations and business development executive with worldwide expertise in supply chain management, industrial engineering and international business. He has worked for over 30 years in Fortune 50 companies such as Federal Express, AeroThrust Corporation, Microsoft Corporation and Nortel Networks in various supply chain and industrial engineering executive positions. Dr. Mesia's expertise is in transportation, supply and demand, inventory management, logistics, warehousing, outsourcing service, contract management, and simulation modeling. His areas of research are inventory, distribution, and transportation optimization in Latin America.
Carlos M. Parra is a Clinical Professor with seven years of experience in designing and executing corporate sustainability and business development strategies as well as in overseeing the continuous improvement of processes and metrics in the financial and manufacturing industries. As Head of Community Development for Citi in Latin America, worked to advance microfinance, sustainable supply chain finance and mobile banking solutions in the region. As KAIZEN leader for Komatsu Latin America Corp, he developed Key Performance Indicators that facilitated forecasting/planning decisions for reducing costs, enhancing delivery times and increasing profits.
Nancy Rauseo is the R. Kirk Landon Teaching and Student Engagement Fellow in Undergraduate Education and Senior Lecturer. She has received several teaching awards including the 2014 Professor of the Year, College of Business. Her twenty years of practical experience allow her to incorporate real-life scenarios into her teaching and consulting. She was the founder of AIM Performance Solutions, Inc., a management consulting firm, and has also held several senior management positions with insurance companies. Before joining FIU full-time, she was Vice President for Sales & Marketing and Knowledge Management – Consumer Intelligence, for Assurant Group in Miami.
Stephen M. Sarro worked more than thirty years as a Foreign Freight Forwarder and Customs House Broker in the ports of New York, Laredo, Brownsville, Miami, and Hartford. He was involved in all aspects of moving cargo internationally by sea, air, truck, and rail and spent five years as the Export Promotion Officer for the Department of Commerce in Mexico City. In addition to teaching Export Marketing and International Logistics at FIU for 12 years, he taught Export Management and Import Procedures at the University of Texas at Brownsville. He holds a Master of International Management specialization in Import/Export Operations.
Rafael Soltero is an Instructor who has developed and delivered executive training sessions for international companies. Professor Soltero brings 25+ years of progressive experience in product development, managing teams, B2B and consumer sales and marketing, including high-tech capital products and consumables. He has extensive Latin American and worldwide field experience in establishing new country sales and distribution networks. He served as Director of Latin America for the Digital Printing Business unit of Eastman Kodak for 7 years. He has served as Vice President of Sales and Marketing for three different companies selling in America, Japan and Europe.
Kimberly A. Taylor is Macy's Retailing Professorship Associate Professor. Her research has been widely published in academic journals, and she is a frequent invited speaker for corporate executive development, conferences, and local and national media outlets. She is a member of the Society for Consumer Psychology, American Marketing Association, and other professional associations. She also works with student organizations and mentors students through the Women’s Center’s Mentoring Partnerships Project and MentorNet, an electronic mentoring project for women in the sciences, engineering, and business.
