Mick Lopez
Chief Financial Officer
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO & GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY
Throughout his career, Mick Lopez has traveled to all the major continents, racked up more than two million air miles, lived in Paris and Rio de Janeiro, and fulfilled many lifetime goals.
“I consider myself a hard-working, lucky Cuban accountant,” he says. “I’m very fortunate to have most of my dreams and aspirations become reality through a great education and perseverance.”
Born to parents who immigrated to the US from Cuba in 1961, Lopez was raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. When he was looking at colleges, Lopez couldn’t decide between pursuing a career in law or business. So he chose a school that presented him with both options and an opportunity to focus on international studies.
While at Georgetown, Lopez worked as an intern for his congressman from Puerto Rico. He concurrently was doing research for a Georgetown finance professor. He later decided that he’d like to be a CFO one day.
Since then, Lopez has earned an MBA from the University of Chicago and held senior finance positions in a variety of industries, though he’s specifically focused on tech. In 2011, his dream of being a CFO came true when he joined software company Aricent Group. He’s since held two CFO positions at Harris Corporation and Veritas Technologies.
Working in tech has not only helped Lopez achieve his goals, but it’s also pushed him to continually grow and learn.
“In technology, you must not only stay fresh with the latest engineering but especially with new business models,” he says. “Right now, I just enjoy working with brilliant people, winning in the market, and being able to give back.”
A Familial Pilgrimage
Mick Lopez has recently been interested in ancestry, and he has traced his family’s roots back four hundred years from Cuba to Spain. In the coming months, he plans to take trips to both Cuba and northern Spain to visit his ancestral lands.
“I am very proud of my Latin lineage,” he says.
That same pride is the reason why he’s focused on being diverse and global in his career. In fact, he’s built teams around those principles.
“A team of diverse individuals is so much more effective and required in an international environment,” he says.
