An interview to Jorge Herrera, President of Herrera CPA CIA by IEST Anahuac University in Mexico.
Q: Why did you decide to study Accounting at IEST Anahuac (Mexico)?
Jorge Herrera: Being an accountant was something that I had in my blood since my father, uncle and grandfather were accountants. My parents always looked for the best education for me and my siblings and IEST Anahuac was and still is the best institution in the region.
Q: How did you start your professional life in the United States and what job titles or professional activities have you participated in?
JH: When I submitted my transcripts to obtain my Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license in Texas in 1991, they validated 100% of my studies at IEST Anahuac, so I was able to focus on passing the 4 professional exams to become a CPA and fulfill two years of experience in Texas. In the year 2000, I got certified as an internal auditor by The Institute of Internal Auditors in the United States.
I have been an external auditor for public service companies and non-profit organizations such as San Antonio Water System (potable water), City Public Service (electricity), VIA Metropolitan (transportation), UT Health Science Center and George Gervin Youth Center (to help young people work on themselves professionally), among others. I also worked as Chief Financial Officer for the national office of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
Q: Would you like to share with us about a professional achievement or challenge you’ve overcome?
When I was an internal auditor for an electric energy company, I received recognition for being the lead of an audit project at the South Texas Project nuclear plant.
At the time I was assigned to this project, I almost rejected it because I thought it would be very difficult and that I needed more experience to manage it satisfactorily; however, when I started asking for support and received it from people with more experience, it helped me understand the importance of being a leader who is open to being guided.
Q: Have you received any awards or recognitions?
JH: Two I would like to share are: Small Business of the Year Award by the South Texas Business Fund in 2005, and the one that gives me the most personal satisfaction is the IEST Anahuac Leadership Medal in the category of Professional Leadership in 2022.
Q: How do you integrate your role as a husband and father with your professional life?
JH: The most important thing is to prioritize your family. From the time I was a student at IEST Anahuac, I longed to share my professional life with my future wife because I wanted to spend most of my day with her. I was able to achieve this in 1997 with my wife, Socorro Herrera (Coco, affectionately – who also graduated from IEST Anahuac). Currently our daughter Victoria has been working with us for five years, and although our son JorgeAlberto is dedicated to computer programming, we are in constant communication.
Q: How do you fulfill your commitment to the community?
JH: I have always sought to support the community of small businesses through programs and partnerships such as: LaunchSA, West SA Chamber of Commerce, UTSA MBDA PTAC Chase (program to support war veterans), Church Pastors Organization in Phoenix Arizona, UTSA SBDC COVID (program to accelerate business recovery after COVID). In addition, I have been a member of the Japan America Society for more than 20 years, an organization focused on culture and business.
Q: What projects do you have planned for the future?
JH: As a student at IEST Anahuac, I established two goals for myself: the first was to provide business advisory in English to companies in the United States, and the second was (and still is) to give business advisory in Japanese to companies in Japan. I still have a ways to go in this second goal, but with the help of God I hope to achieve it someday. I am currently preparing to give lectures and consultations in different parts of the world.
Q: Is there anything you want to share with the new generations?
JH: Believe it or not, you are a leader, and more than a compliment it’s a responsibility. There are people who can influence our way of thinking and our actions every day, and at the same time we can influence others day by day. We are leaders following other leaders. That’s why you must choose carefully in which groups you associate with and decide if you want to continue there, and if not, make changes now, don’t wait any longer.
SOURCE: Generacion Anahuac (Spanish) pages 12 and 13 https://issuu.com/generacionanahuac/docs/188issuu