PROFILE EDUARDO PAGÁN
EDUARDO PAGÁN:
Driving forward while giving back Born and bred in Puerto Rico, Eduardo Pagán is, perhaps, just the kind of person the shipping industry needs more of. That is a seasoned business executive who has finely honed his skills outside the maritime industry, yet in later life brings some fresh thinking to our industry based upon a font of knowledge and know-how accumulated from elsewhere. TOTE Maritime, a major player in the mainland US-Puerto Rico trade, has been the chief beneficiary of Eduardo’s vast experience but so have very many charities and institutions in the Commonwealth. Here, Eduardo speaks to Caribbean Maritime about his life in business and beyond, and his current role with TOTE Maritime.
Q. Where were you born and where did you grow up? A. I was born in the centre of the island of Puerto Rico in a mountain town named Barranquitas (little hills). Due to the altitude and low temperatures (average 60°F/15°C) this place was a favourite venue for many European settlers looking for some ‘cool’ weather following the discovery of the island. Three years after my birth, we relocated to the San Juan metro area. Q. How big an influence were your parents on your early life? A. My parents were instrumental in my development. The values and principles they taught me, and particularly my mother’s push to pursue a professional career while making sure I became a good citizen was
4 Caribbean Maritime | June - September 2021
always the aim. My father, as an executive for Ford Motor Company, was a great example and model of business ethics and discipline. Q. Where did you go to school and then to university? In which subject(s) did you graduate? A. I went to school in the public educational system, a primary school in the San Juan metro area, and secondary school in a town in the south east of the island. I was admitted to the University of Puerto Rico at the age of 16 years to pursue my degree in industrial engineering (BSIE). At that time it was the only engineering school located in the west side of the island and rated among the top 20 engineering universities in the US. After completing my bachelor’s degree
in engineering, I completed an MBA with a concentration in industrial management. I did the MBA during night studies since I got a job immediately after completing my degree in engineering.
