During the award ceremony at FirstBank, from left: Nayda Rivera, executive vice president of FirstBank, Vanessa Lee Feliciano, executive director of the American Red Cross Puerto Rico Chapter, Aurelio Alemán, and Geraldine Cerame, financial development coordinator for the local Red Cross.
During the award ceremony at FirstBank, from left: Nayda Rivera, executive vice president of FirstBank, Vanessa Lee Feliciano, executive director of the American Red Cross Puerto Rico Chapter, Aurelio Alemán, and Geraldine Cerame, financial development coordinator for the local Red Cross.
The American Red Cross Puerto Rico Chapter recently recognized FirstBank’s commitment with the community and its $10,000 donation to assist families affected by Hurricane Irene and the torrential rains unleashed by storms Emily and María last year.
“We feel very pleased to help communities when events of this nature happen, and in all circumstances. Our thanks to the Red Cross for this recognition,”said FirstBank President Aurelio Alemán.
During the adverse weather events, the American Red Cross provided assistance to more than 2,000 people in 49 municipalities of Puerto Rico. Annually, the American Red Cross responds to more than 400 disasters like fires, floods, hurricanes and other natural and man-made disasters.
Business reporter with 30 years of experience writing for weekly and daily newspapers, as well as trade publications in Puerto Rico. My list of former employers includes Caribbean Business, The San Juan Star, and the Puerto Rico Daily Sun, among others. My areas of expertise include telecommunications, technology, retail, agriculture, tourism, banking and most other segments of Puerto Rico’s economy.
“We’re particularly interested in Puerto Rico because we see acceptance, and above all, interest in the implementation of [artificial intelligence (AI)] to impact the daily operation of businesses. Additionally, we see areas where [small- and medium-size enterprises (SMEs)] in Puerto Rico can stand out, such as business performance and productivity, thanks to the implementation of AI.”
— Ineke Geesink, director for SMEs in Central America and the Caribbean at Microsoft, regarding a survey conducted by the company among SMEs in the Americas, which revealed a 61% positive view on AI’s impact.