For Armando Cuello, the University of Miami isn’t just his alma mater, it’s the foundation of his international career. With three degrees from the University, Cuello has returned to be a part of the inaugural cohort of the Executive D.B.A. program at the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School, fulfilling a promise he made in 2007.
“After I finished my two master’s degrees, I told myself, ‘I am one day going to come back to this school to get my doctorate,’” said Cuello. “There was no better place for me to come back to, and finish where it all started.”
Fascinated with and committed to the intersection of theory and practice, Cuello views the Executive D.B.A. program as a toolkit for real-world problem-solving.
“I’ve found myself sitting down with colleagues and talking about assigned [course] readings,” Cuello said. “It has actually helped us unlock new insights into how we’re tackling problems.”
He tackles these problems as the vice president of global supply chain at Convatec. Based in Switzerland, Cuello leads an operation that includes overseeing customer service, logistics, planning, and new product development supply chain teams, all to ensure that life-saving products reach patients with chronic conditions worldwide.
Cuello’s career has been consistently underscored by his willingness to assume extra responsibility and by his professional tenacity. Early on, he accepted a sales administration role at Johnson & Johnson simply to get his foot in the door. Through networking and stepping outside of his comfort zone, he obtained an engineering role only months later. And just a year after, Cuello began supervising maintenance technicians and production operators—all while pursuing a dual master’s degree program at the University of Miami.
He also attributes his career growth to having strong mentors, some of whom he met as a University of Miami student. Today, mentoring others both inspires and motivates him.
“I really just like to see the joy on other people’s faces when they have a breakthrough,” Cuello said. “One of the things I really enjoy doing is connecting with individuals through that process and helping them succeed.”
For rising leaders seeking career advice, Cuello encourages a sense of extreme ownership.
“Drive your own career path: don’t wait for somebody else to define your development plan, don’t be shy about knocking on doors, or underestimate the power of relationships.”
Cuello’s career has seamlessly lent itself to blending cultures, with roles spanning Mexico, Brazil, North America, and Europe. Born in Cuba and raised in Miami, Cuello embraces multiculturalism; he navigates Swiss life in German as effortlessly as he speaks Spanish at home with his family, baking pastelitos from scratch whenever nostalgia calls.
In the future, Cuello aspires to return to the classroom as a professor to share his business learnings—perhaps even at the University of Miami.
“I want to continue bringing academia and the corporate world a bit closer together.”
