Charles P. Garcia is the CEO of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), whose mission is to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation in every sector of the global economy.  Founded in 1972, ALPFA is the nation’s largest Latino professional organization with 43 professional chapters and 144 student chapters.  He also chairs the TIGER 21 South Florida Chapter, the premier peer-to-peer group for ultrahigh-net-worth individuals, which is in 17 cities, and its 320 members control over $30 billion in personal assets.
Mr. Garcia’s career spans a broad spectrum of industries, all focused on leveraging his in-depth understanding of Hispanic consumers.  In 1997, Mr. Garcia became the CEO of Sterling Financial Group, a privately held financial services firm which he grew from a small business to 60 offices in seven countries, 20,000 Hispanic clients and $2 billion in assets prior to selling it in 2005.  The company was named by Inc. magazine as the # 8 fastest growing privately held company in the country and Charles was named Entrepreneur of the Year by three national organizations.
With an expertise in retail operations, marketing, finance, strategy, and international business, he served for six years (until the company was sold in 2012) on the Board of Directors of Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. (Fortune 500), one of the largest supermarkets in the southeast with nearly 500 stores and 400 in-store pharmacies.  He served on the Audit Committee, as a financial expert under SEC rules,