First lay chair elected at Saint Vincent's

By LUCINDA AMES

BRIDGEPORT, CT, January 4, 2010-- Ruben Rodriguez of Fairfield has been elected the first lay chairman of the board of trustees of St. Vincent’s Medical Center and St. Vincent ’s Health Services. The announcement was made by St. Vincent ’s President/CEO Susan L. Davis, RN, EdD.

“The election of Ruben Rodriguez represents a monumental change at St. Vincent ’s as he is the first lay chairperson in the 107-year history of the hospital. With his intelligence, leadership ability, business and strategic acumen, cooperative spirit and dedication to the mission of serving the sick and poor,  I believe the board has chosen wisely in selecting Ruben to help steer the course for St. Vincent’s through challenging times for healthcare organizations and the nation as a whole.”

Rodriguez succeeds Sister Louise Gallahue, DC, a member of the Daughters of Charity, the religious order that founded St. Vincent ’s, and whose members have filled the chairperson position over the years. He has served as a board member at St. Vincent ’s for three years.

“I am humbled to take on the responsibility of board chair at St. Vincent ’s, an organization I am proud to serve, and in whose mission I believe deeply. I look forward to working with the board, senior leadership and the staff at St. Vincent ’s to carry on the legacy of the Daughters of Charity and to bring the benefits of good health to the community.”

Prior to his retirement in 2006, Rodriguez held the position of president/CEO and chairman of the board of Bacardi Limited in Bermuda , to which he had been appointed in 2000. Earlier, he had served as senior vice president and chief financial officer for this parent company, after having joined Bacardi Services Corporation in Miami , Florida in 1988 as  vice president.  

During his tenure at Bacardi, Rodriguez led four major acquisitions, established various alliance with competitors and more than doubled the size of the company in sales, profits and shareholder dividends. He also established significant changes in governance clearing the way for a public offering if needed in the future for Bacardi, which today is an eight billion dollar company with a presence around the world including the emerging markets of Russia, India and China.

Earlier in his career, Rodriguez held leadership positions in finance and operations with Chesebrough Ponds based in Greenwich , (Chesebrough Ponds was acquired by Unilever in 1988), with Bristol Myers in New York in the international finance group, and with the investment banking firm of Goodbody and Company, later acquired by Merrill Lynch. He joined Goodbody and Company in 1962, and while there became a certified internal auditor and a certified public accountant in New York .

Over the years his work took Rodriguez to Australia , New Zealand , Canada , Mexico , South America, Latin America, Europe and the Middle East . He has lectured as part of Bacardi’s management training program and his guest speaking engagements at industry events also include the Harvard University Marketing Club, and various groups at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia .

In addition to English, Rodriguez speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese.

A native of Havana , Cuba , Rodriguez graduated from De la Salle College with a bachelor of science degree and earned his masters in commercial sciences from the Catholic University of De La Salle, both in Cuba and under the auspices of the Christian Brothers. After immigrating to the United States in 1960, he and his wife became U.S. citizens in 1966, and have maintained a residence in Fairfield since coming here.

Married with two grown daughters, Rodriguez also serves on the capital campaign committee for St. Pius X Church, where he and his wife are members.