Biography
Tere Bolivar has led an impressive 40-year career as one of the few women in leadership positions in Puerto Rico’s food distribution industry. During the past 30 years she has played a key role in positioning Plaza Provision Company as the #1 ranked distributor on the Island and taken it from $75 million in sales to over $400 million, a 430% growth. What’s more impressive is that she managed to increase sales while also increasing the company’s gross profits by 500%.
Her extensive knowledge of the consumer goods industry and her years working in the company, prepared her well to take on the role of Strategic Projects Director. Since taking on this position five years ago she has:
- Secured the distribution rights for market leading brands such as Mars, Duracell, and Splenda,
- Spearheaded the company’s entry into the frozen foods business,
- Developed a model for entry into the Hardware channel securing representation of major brands such as Stanley Black & Decker, Pfister and Spectrum,
- Played key role in developing Plaza Outsource Solutions (POS), a company created to handle business opportunities outside of the full distribution model, securing Procter & Gamble as the first customer.
She has served and presided over several “non for profit” boards and recently finished a two-year term as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Albizu University. Within the university’s BOT she has been actively involved in several committees including; executive, development, finance and most recently presiding the strategic alliances committee. Her passion to serve this institution is fueled by her alignment with Albizu’s mission as well as the ever-increasing need for mental health and speech professionals in the world. Aligned to her commitment to higher education initiatives, she’s also an active member of the Babson Alumni Association of Puerto Rico.
She’s proud to say that as a mother she worked herself out of a job. Her kids have graduated from college, both with master’s degrees, and are leading fulfilling, independent lives. She wishes that they all eventually move back to Puerto Rico to help build the local economy as well as their surrounding communities.
Her husband Robert has an adventurous spirit and has taken her to amazing travels throughout the world which have helped her gain a wider perspective on life and humanity as a whole.
During her free time, she enjoys cooking, sewing, reading, and spending time with her grandson Julián, and her friends “las Ponceñas”. She loves collecting cookbooks of all types and has confessed wishing she could reincarnate as The Barefoot Contessa in another life.
Her favorite view and sound come from the ocean. That’s why; no matter how much she travels; the Caribbean will always be her favorite place in the world.
