Bernie Moreno
Bernie Moreno | |
|---|---|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1966/1967 (age 57–58) Bogotá, Colombia |
| Political party | Republican |
| Education | University of Michigan (BBA) |
Bernie Moreno (born 1966/1967)[1] is an American businessman and politician based in Ohio. He is a contender for the 2022 United States Senate election in Ohio.[2] Moreno is a member of the Republican Party and will likely be running to fill the Senate seat that will be vacated by two-term Republican incumbent Rob Portman.[3]
Early life and education[edit]
Moreno was born in Bogotá, Colombia. He moved to the United States at age five and became a US citizen at age 18.[4] Moreno attended the University of Michigan and graduated with a BBA in Marketing.[5]
When Moreno was 14, he wrote a letter to the Chairman and CEO of General Motors, Roger Smith, describing how the company could be turned around amidst struggling profits and the negative reputation of its products.[6][7] Impressed with the letter, Smith responded with his own three-page letter addressing Moreno's strategies, which included consolidating Chevrolet and Pontiac and making aluminum engines to reduce overall car weight and boost fuel economy. Moreno chose to attend the University of Michigan because of its close proximity to Detroit, the car capital of the world.[8] He also founded the university's Automotive Industry Club.[5]
Career[edit]
Auto Industry[edit]
Moreno began his auto industry career with the Saturn Corporation, a newly established car brand under General Motors.[9] He started by working in Saturn's Customer Assistance Center where he crafted the company's policies and procedures.[5] He also worked as a Field Consultant.[5] Moreno then spent 12 years leading dealership operations for a major New England auto retailer, eventually becoming Vice President.
Moreno left New England and moved to Cleveland, Ohio where he purchased a struggling Mercedes-Benz dealership on the city's west side.[4] In just one year, Moreno's dealership earned the prestigious Best of the Best award from Mercedes-Benz.[10] His dealership continued to win the award for the next 10 consecutive years, which is an accomplishment no other dealer has achieved.[10]
Moreno formed the Bernie Moreno Companies under which he expanded his auto dealership portfolio to include brands such as premier AMG, Sprinter, Porsche, Infiniti, Aston Martin, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Buick, and GMC.[5] The Bernie Moreno Companies became a thriving auto retailer and one of the largest in the US with 15 dealerships across four states and $1 billion in annual sales.[11] In addition, the Bernie Moreno Companies has been named among the "Best Places to Work" by The Plain Dealer.[4]
With over two decades in the auto industry, Moreno has adhered to one principle: The Best or Nothing.[9] His aim has been to provide an unforgettable customer experience,[9] make himself personally available to his customers,[9] and build his company around his personal values of work-life balance and family.[9]
Achievements[edit]
Moreno won the Ernst & Young Midwest Region Entrepreneur of the Year Award.[4] He won the Time Magazine/Ally Financial Dealer of the Year Award for the Greater Northeast Ohio Region, which is bestowed upon only 50 dealers each year.[4] He was also recognized as the Northeast Ohio Hispanic Entrepreneur of the Year.[4] He was named the Distinguished Business Executive of the Year by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Cleveland.[4] Moreno was named Hispanic Dealer of the Year at the Detroit International Auto Show.[4]
Charitable Work[edit]
Moreno has served in leadership roles with many educational and charitable organizations, including Cleveland State University, Cuyahoga Community College Foundation, The Cleveland Foundation, The Greater Cleveland Partnership, Destination Cleveland, Ohio Business Roundtable, Young Presidents Organization, and The Fifty Club of Cleveland.[4] He has also made significant donations to Cuyahoga Community College ($500,000) and Cleveland State University ($1.3 million).[12] The donation to Cuyahoga Community College was to fund scholarships for Hispanic students.[12] Moreno has also contributed generously to Breakthrough Schools, a charter network that has been experiencing enrollment issues, and Lake Ridge Academy, an independent and nonsectarian day school in North Ridgeville, Ohio.[12]
Other institutions Moreno has supported and donated to include the Red Cross, Blue Coats, the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, and University Hospital. He also launched a fundraiser named "Keys for Kids" aimed at supporting children's initiatives that benefited Cleveland Clinic, MetroHealth, and University Hospitals of Cleveland.[13]
Moreno has served as a board member for Lake Ridge Academy, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, American Red Cross, Mercedes Benz USA, Cleveland State University, and Cuyahoga Community College.[14]
Personal Life[edit]
Moreno resides with his family in Westlake, Ohio. He has been married for 32 years and has four children. He is the youngest of seven children all born to Bernardo and Marta Moreno Mejia. Bernardo was a Professor of Surgery and Dean of the Medical School at Universidad de Javeriana.[15]
Moreno's brother, Luis Alberto, was the former President of the Inter-American Development Bank and former Ambassador of Colombia to the United States.[16] Moreno's second brother, Roberto, is the CEO and Founder of Amarilo Holdings headquartered in Bogotá, Colombia.[17] Moreno's third brother, Ricardo, oversees the daily operations of Florida's Building Hope offices.[18]
References[edit]
- ↑ Balmert, Jessie (April 6, 2021). "Ohio Senate Race: Cleveland Car Dealer Turned Tech Executive Bernie Moreno Launches Bid". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ↑ "Businessman Bernie Moreno enters Ohio's Republican race for U.S. Senate". WEWS. 2021-04-06. Retrieved 2021-10-21.
- ↑ "Bernie Moreno makes attempt to go from GOP donor to Ohio senator". spectrumnews1.com. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 "Bernie Moreno | Cleveland State University". www.csuohio.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "LinkedIn". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Bernie Moreno's unexpected U-turn". Automotive News. 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ "Good Things Can Happen When Kids Run Dealership". WardsAuto. 2015-04-14. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ Allard, Sam. "The Furious Saga of Bernie Moreno, Car Dealer Turned Tech Evangelist". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Alcorn, Stacey (2016-05-08). "Bernie Moreno - The Best or Nothing". HuffPost. Retrieved 2021-02-23. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 10.0 10.1 "FEI NEO February Chapter Meeting with Bernie Moreno, President, Bernie Moreno Companies – 2/12/19 | Financial Executives Institute Northeast Ohio Chapter". www.feineo.org. Retrieved 2021-02-23.
- ↑ "Why Bernie Moreno (mostly) quit auto sales". Crain's Cleveland Business. 2019-08-19. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Allard, Sam. "The Furious Saga of Bernie Moreno, Car Dealer Turned Tech Evangelist". Cleveland Scene. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ "Bernie Moreno launches fundraiser to benefit children at 3 Ohio hospitals". Auto Remarketing. 2018-06-05. Retrieved 2021-02-24.
- ↑ Voices, Other (2011-03-08). "OHSAA, newspaper unfair to Lake Ridge Academy". cleveland. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ↑ Espectador, El (2020-04-12). "ELESPECTADOR.COM". ELESPECTADOR.COM (in spanish). Retrieved 2021-02-25.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link)
- ↑ "Luis Alberto Moreno", Wikipedia, 2021-01-28, retrieved 2021-02-25
- ↑ "Brown Bag: Roberto Moreno | Joint Center for Housing Studies". www.jchs.harvard.edu. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
- ↑ "Richard Moreno". Building Hope. 2019-12-19. Retrieved 2021-02-25.
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