NSU Horizons Spring 2012

28 HORIZONS Raphael (Ralph) Perez, M.B.A., class of 1993, has never been one to be pigeonholed. Through careful thought and planning, he has evolved his career to become the president and cofounder of Medica HealthCare Plans, Inc., one of the largest health care plans in Florida. Since creating the company with his brother in 2003, the company has grown to more than 36,000 Medicare members with more than $500 million in revenue. Perez began his career as a pharmacist with a pharmacy degree from the University of Florida. He worked in retail stores and quickly tired of the long hours and limited family time. In 1986, he jumped to the emerging industry of health management organizations (HMOs), joining Humana, which offered new challenges and a Monday-to-Friday job, just right for a new father. However, he quickly realized that, in this business environment, he was put in a box as a pharma- cist and was not involved in key business operations. So, he again took matters into his own hands and enrolled in the M.B.A. program at the Nova Southeastern University School of Business, now the H. Wayne Huizenga School of Business and Entrepreneurship. According to Perez, “The M.B.A. broadened my business background and gave me the skills to relate to people in accounting and nance and to speak their language. I understood how to read income statements and balance sheets. Ultimately, it gave me more opportunities.” He soon received promotions and more responsibilities. He moved on to CAC Ramsay as executive director/senior vice president of operations. In 1994, his company was sold to United Healthcare and he served as vice president of operations for South Florida. Still, he wanted to do more. “My brother and I always wanted to own a company,” he said. “People thought I was crazy to leave a large company with all the bene ts, but we were determined. In 2003, we started Medica with 30 physicians. By April 2005, we were licensed by the state of Florida and CSM Medicare. In nearly seven years, we’ve reached more than $500 million in revenue. We also started Medica Health Plans of Florida for Medicaid patients.” In the next ve years, the brothers hope to expand the company into other Florida counties in the state. “I got into managed care by accident because I was seeking a work-life balance. Through the exibility of the NSU M.B.A. program, I was able to gain additional knowledge and grow my career. I’ve been able to achieve my dream of being an entrepre- neur with my brother. We’ve created a company where people love to come to work. We have staff members who we’ve worked with for 15 to 20 years. That’s an important way to measure success of an organization, because it’s not always about money.” Perez was selected as a nalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2009, chosen from a eld of nearly 100 nominations. His advice to NSU students who want to build a business: “Follow your dreams and don’t be afraid to take risks. As an entrepreneur, it may take two or three times before you succeed with your venture. Accept failure as part of the process of growing and learning. My family and I came to the United States from Cuba in 1970. There was lots of hard work along the way, but I stayed motivated. If you nd your motivation, your passion, you can do it, too.” ALUMNI PROFILE A Healthy Return on His M.B.A. BY JOANNE FERCHLAND-PARELLA Raphael Perez created his company in 2003.