Al Garcia-Serra
Al Garcia-Serra (born November 9, 1946) is the COO/Co-Chairman of MGSCOMM, an independently-owned integrated marketing communications agency, which is the holding company for MGS, Sway, Cread, PostMaster, Sample It!, and RunWild.
Early life
Born in Havana, Cuba, Garcia-Serra immigrated to the United States, and settled in Miami, FL, in 1960. He graduated from Coral Gables High School in 1964, and then attended the University of Florida, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising, while working at Compton Advertising as an Assistant Media Buyer on Tide detergent and Ivory Bar Soap. Garcia-Serra returned to Miami after graduating from UF to work at Hume Smith Mickelberry as Print Media Buyer and Account Executive.
Career
Prior to the co-founding of MGSCOMM with his friend and business partner Manuel E. Machado in 2003, Garcia-Serra founded his first advertising agency in 1982, Garcia-Serra Blanco (GSB:LINTAS), which was recognized by Hispanic Business as the fastest-growing company in 1987. Garcia-Serra also held senior level positions on the corporate side, including at Flagler Federal where he led the financial center’s first Hispanic marketing effort; and, directed advertising accounts for various well-known national brand names, including Burger King, McDonald’s, Lipton Foods, Eastern Airlines, Procter & Gamble, DeBartolo Properties, TracFone Wireless, Net10, DHL, and Anheuser Busch.
MGSCOMM (formerly known as Machado Garcia-Serra Communications) has been named one of the 500 Largest U.S. Hispanic-Owned Companies by Hispanic Business and currently ranks among the top 50 U.S. Hispanic-American Ad Agencies according to ''Advertising Age'. The Minority Business Enterprise is headquartered in Miami, Florida, with offices in New York City and Mexico City.
Honors
In 2008, Garcia-Serra was awarded "Entrepreneur of the Year" from Hispanic Business. He is a founding member of the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana in Miami, FL and has served on the boards of Chamber South, the American Red Cross, Liga Contra el Cáncer, the National Diabetes Foundation and M.A.D.D.