Rafael Perez
Background
Rafael joined Development Counsellors International in 2007, after working for five years in the mortgage industry. There, he gained valuable sales experience by servicing numerous existing clients and researching potential customers. As a member of DCI’s Prospect Development/Qualification (PDQ) team, Rafael puts his lead identification skills to work helping his clients find the right companies to invest, relocate or expand in their regions. Three words that describe Rafael: ambitious, committed and personable. He has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.
Rafael’s Passion for Places
As a first-generation New Yorker whose family hails from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic, Rafael believes that his heart belongs to three countries. But while nearly all of his family lives either in the United States or on these two islands, Rafael loves to travel and meet new people from diverse cultures. So far, he’s been to several Caribbean countries, including Aruba and his parents’ native homes, but the destinations that remain at the top of his “To Visit” list include Spain, Brazil and Japan.
Despite Rafael’s passion for travel, he plans to stay in his hometown – New York City – forever. For him, this melting pot of cultures and people has it all.
Notable Results
- On behalf of Proexport Colombia, Rafael helped to secure more than 40 meetings with high level executives including 2 site visits within the first year of the program. Thanks to these face-to-face meetings, Colombia continues generate inquiries from new investors across multiple sectors in the United States.
- Rafael has maintained relationships and supervised each PDQ program from start to finish for several clients such as Invest in Spain, Greater Rochester Enterprise, and the Economic Development Company of Lancaster County (Pennsylvania).
- Rafael has taken the lead to extend DCI’s comprehensive network of location advisors and site selectors serving North America. From his effective outreach and participation at industry events, DCI continues to develop strong relationships with companies such as KPMG, Deloitte, Cushman & Wakefield, Grubb & Ellis, McCallum Sweeney Consulting and Jones Lang LaSalle.
Up Close
Raised in New York, Rafael has lived in several of the city’s five boroughs, offering him the chance to meet many people from different cultures. He comes from a big Latin American family – his mother alone has 10 sisters. His father works as a full-time math teacher and plays live jazz in bars at night. Just like his dad, Rafael also enjoys music, ranging from punk rock to old school hip-hop, such as Run DMC and A Tribe Called Quest.
Where You’ll Find Rafael on the Weekend
Rafael and his friends take advantage of living in one of the greatest cities in the world, visiting museums, site-seeing, exercising and dining at new restaurants. But some weekends, when he decides he needs a break from New York’s fast pace, he spends time with his family and relaxes by reading at home.
Places that Rafael has Called Home
New York, New York
Jersey City, New Jersey
Surprising Facts about Rafael
Chilvary is Not Dead…Yet
Ever the romantic, Rafael decided to take a date horseback riding in the Pocono Mountains. Despite wanting to impress the young lady with his cowboy-esque skills, Rafael got bucked off his horse into a pool of mud (apparently, the horse didn’t appreciate his “Polo” shirt). Although embarrassed, Rafael decided to take his chances by asking for a second date – and taking horseback riding lessons.
Turkey Day Birthday
Rafael’s birthday falls a few days short of Thanksgiving, but long ago, his family decided it would be easier just to celebrate the two special occasions on the same day. As a result, he’s had a few birthday cakes in the shape of a turkey. But Rafael doesn’t mind sharing the day; because it’s a family celebration, his extended relatives all attend – and he usually gets more presents than he would on his “real” birthday.
He Plays to Win
Outside of work, Rafael is an athlete. He loves to play sports, from football to his newest hobby – golf. But he can, at times, take these games a bit too seriously; in high school, he had as much dedication to his basketball team as did his coach, calling players who missed practices to ask them why they didn’t show up.
