Class of '82 Profile: Jorge Figueredo: Still Reinventing Himself

By Jill Kasiewicz Caseria, M.A.'04

He had hoped to land an entry-level journalist position with a New York City newspaper. But since he couldn't type 95 words a minute, the English major couldn't get through the door. Today, as president of Liz Claiborne International, Jorge Figueredo '82 doesn't need to worry about his typing skills. His business savvy brings in more than 25 percent of Liz Claiborne Inc.'s multi-billion dollar business.

And although the salaries of a beat journalist and the president of an international organization don't compare, Figueredo has never lost sight of - or respect for - the dignity and moral value of hard work. His parents, who came from Cuba in 1960 with their five children, instilled the importance of setting high goals and working hard to get them.

Following his typing test debacle, he took a position as warehouse personnel assistant at K-Mart Apparel headquarters in New Jersey. The skill set he gradually developed in apparel, management, and organizational communication would ultimately define his future. He was then hired to Liz Claiborne Inc.'s human resources team and, during the next 15 years, moved through positions of increasing responsibility: manager, director, and senior vice president. During that time, he also earned an MBA in international finance from New York University. In 1998, Human Resources Executive Magazine named him Human Resources Executive of the Year.

"It takes courage to follow your dreams," says Figueredo, recognizing that dreams take different forms at different times in life. The key, he says, is to notice what energizes you and begin to develop your interest and expertise in it. "If you don't have a passion, as well as the courage to follow through on it," he says, "you just flip-flop through life."

It's a message he thinks today's students appreciate hearing. A member of the University's Board of Trustees since 1998, Figueredo has spoken about this and other vocation-related topics to students in the Ignatian Residential College, a living/learning program for sophomores interested in life's deeper questions. In fact, he has hosted a group of them at Liz Claiborne headquarters in New York City. "What these students consider - 'Who am I? Whose am I? Who am I called to be?' - are the questions all college students should be asking themselves," he says. "Even if the answers change down the road, it's important to examine what you're connected to."

Figueredo, who has headed Liz Claiborne Inc.'s international sector since 1999, is responsible for the sales, marketing, and merchandising of nearly 20 brands in Asia, Canada, and Latin America. Since he took over, international business has risen from five percent to 25 percent of the company's sales.

Despite his busy schedule, he recently agreed not only to join the College of Arts and Sciences' newly formed Board of Advisors but to chair it as well. Working with Dr. Timothy Law Snyder, dean, the Board will advise on matters of strategic planning, offer financial support linked to College goals, and facilitate gift and grant requests beginning with the departments of biology, religious studies, and visual and performing arts.

It's a significant chunk to chew, yet Figueredo is confident that his business experience will help the Board stay on task and reach its goals. But it's surely not his last "new thing."

"People who are successful never stop reinventing themselves," he says. It's a message that he and his wife, Carrie, teach their three children: Jacqueline, 13, Christopher, 12, and Alexandra, 6. "Who knows - there may be a third career in my future," says Figueredo. "The important thing to remember is that life is not linear. There are twists and turns, ups and downs. It's important always to be open to the possibilities that life may bring you."

For a the complete story on the Board of Advisors, visit www.fairfield.edu/cc_dec05.html#advisors.