IN THE FAST TRACK TO SUCCESS

My first year with AA&Co (“The Firm”), was a complete success; my work was highly appreciated by my senior Jerry Windham and my manager Pepe (García). At the end of every job with a client, we used to be rated by our supervisors, my ratings were always excellent. In fact, if the individual’s rating was outstanding, or extremely bad, The Firm had a policy of issuing what was called a “Green Sheet” which was discussed by the supervisor, with the individual. A copy of such “green sheet” was kept in the local files, while the original signed by the individual, his supervisor and the manager, was always sent to the headquarters in Chicago. I got three “Green Sheets” in my first year in the firm, something that was almost unheard of, or extremely unusual, and an indication of the high appreciation of my work by my supervisors, so, at the end of that season, I was promoted to the level of A-3 (Assistant Auditor 3) from where I was before (A-1).

My second year in The Firm was equally rewarding for me, I continued to learn and absorb more responsibilities in our work. Soon after the completion of the second audit season (April 1971), Pepe García called me to his office and asked me if I’d like to be transferred to the Tax Division, where most of my work would be related to the income tax of our clients. The division itself was nonexistent in our office, so I would be the first and only one to belong in this area. Pepe’s idea came from his reviewing one of my working papers in which I had focused on the insufficiency of the tax accrual of one of our clients, a matter I examined under my own initiative, because my senior did not have any experience in that area in Ecuador. This was an area I was well prepared for, given my experience in the Department of Revenue during the years 1965 and 1966. I accepted the challenge, so from then on, I was doing tax work besides audit work, the combination of which I enjoyed very much and excelled at. At the end of the second audit season, I was promoted to the level of A-5, or the equivalent of a semi-senior.

In February 1971, only two years after I started working for AA&Co., and while I was working in the external audit of Pintec, the local manufacturer of Glidden paint, I got my first tempting proposal to leave the Firm and go to work for a client. Carlos Vallarino, the general manager of the company (a local subsidiary of a US Corporation) called me to his office on a Friday afternoon, just before we left the office for the day and for the week. He was accompanied by Julio Coppa, his comptroller, a Cuban-American who was due to leave the country after completing his three year foreign assignment in Ecuador. After a few words of introduction, Carlos said; “Rafael, you know that Julio, my comptroller, has done a terrific job in these last three years in Guayaquil, but he is due to leave soon as he has to go back to Cleveland after completion of his assignment here. He and I have been discussing about the person who is going to replace him, and we both coincide that you can put on his shoes”, and added “We have been observing your work as a senior auditor and the way you command your auditors’ team and we are pretty sure you are the man we need!, in fact, the whole idea of this meeting is asking you to consider our proposal to become the new comptroller of our company in Ecuador”.

I was taken completely off base, I was surprised as much as I was flattered and at the moment I didn’t know what to say, except to thank both individuals for what I considered a compliment to my work. After a moment of doubt, and while I was thinking of what to answer, I told Carlos I felt very complimented by his words and that I needed to take some time to have a concrete answer for them. Both, Carlos and Julio smiled and told me to take my time, they said they did not think I was going to answer them immediately, however, they told me to consider their proposal seriously as they were pressed to find Julio’s replacement within the next three months as Julio was to leave the country in July, after his replacement had been trained in Cleveland, for about three months before taking over his new responsibilities.

I felt a mix of pride, happiness, anxiety and fear. For the first time in my life I was facing a situation where I was invited to cross a bridge I had the temptation to cross but wasn’t sure if doing so would be the right thing to do. I needed some expert’s advice, and I needed it badly. Fresh came to my mind the words I had with the other three recruits who joined the Firm the same day I did, back in January 19, 1969. I told then to my new colleagues that I wanted to make a career within the Firm, I told them I didn’t need, at least for the time being, more money than I was making in my new job. But the temptation of making more than triple the amount of money I was making (such was the offer from Glidden), was great, and I was afraid, more than that, I had fear of not being the right man for the job being offered to me, something I wouldn’t have the guts to say, for obvious reasons. I was almost completely sure that my two year experience as an external auditor did not quite qualify me for the responsibilities of a comptroller in a multinational company. After considering several alternatives, I did something that could be looked upon as a dumb thing. I went for advice to Pepe García, my big boss at AA&Co. His advice was straight forward: “Rafael”, he said, “I know you must feel flattered for this proposal, had I been in your shoes, I would’ve felt the same, however, I think I know you better than you think, I know you came here with your mind set on a long-term goal, and, at this point you haven’t reached that goal quite yet”. Then he continued: “I know, and you know as well, that you are doing extremely well in our Firm, if you keep the pace, Rafael, it won’t be long before you reach the level of compensation you would feel happy at, therefore, money shouldn’t be the primary motive in making your decision at this time”, then he concluded: “I’m sure that whatever your decision is in this matter, it will be the best for you, but, it’s all up to you Rafael, I can only hope you will decide to remain with us”. That was Pepe’s advice, the mature, the sound, the wise advice I needed and was looking for. I needed no more, but not less either.

Within the hour, I called Carlos Vallarino, and after thanking him for his proposal, I told him I had decided to decline accepting the position he offered to me. I believe Carlos was a bit upset by my decision, however, a gentleman as he always was, he didn’t change his attitude toward me during the rest of my assignment in his company. Three months later, the Glidden home office in Cleveland sent a new comptroller to their local subsidiary. Many years later, in 1987, I came across Carlos in the Guayaquil Country Club where I was just starting to play golf, while Carlos was a great golf player. Though he had already retired from his job at Glidden, he reminded me of our conversation in early 1971, his memory was intact, and he lamented that I did not accept his proposal. As for me, I never regretted having decided not to accept that tempting proposal at the age of 28.
In my next posting: A TRAGIC SAGA IN THE FAMILY BEGINS