Our Founder

The Center for Global Alchemy & Cross-Cultural Leadership is spearheaded by Andrés Goyanes, a global leadership and cross-cultural communication professional with more than two decades of experience

Since an early age, Andrés was fascinated by the sights, sounds, and experiences related to world travel. Born to a Spaniard father and a Puerto Rican mother, he started life in a hybrid household of European and Latin American perspectives. By the age of 10, Andrés had already traveled with his parents across Europe, the Caribbean, and South America—and by the age of 30, he had already repeated many of those trips as an adult, armed with the ability to speak multiple languages and understand the wondrous diversity of the world.

As a young adult, Andrés was fascinated by the world of global business thanks to exposure in his family’s business where they imported ceramic, marble, and granite from Spain and Italy. So much was the fascination that he changed his original career path to become an Aerospace Engineer, and switched to study Marketing at the University of Central Florida. His parents’ despair about a career course correction did not last long, as Andrés made a career out of his communication skills and ability to strategize marketing campaigns for employers and later on, for clients in his marketing agency.

Still enamored by the appeal of everything global, Andrés went on to graduate school and earned an MBA with concentration in Sustainable Business and Green Development from Marylhurst University—seeking to find solutions to help manage through the sustainable challenges of the 21st century. However, that was not enough and Andrés is currently a PhD candidate at Troy University, where he is working on a doctorate in Global Leadership, fueled by his passion for the development of cultural intelligence as a way to cement his global mindset.

For over two decades, Andrés worked his way through a successful marketing management career, progressing from marketing manager all the way to becoming the Chief Marketing Officer of an advertising and marketing agency. Since 2008, Andrés has been an active entrepreneur, consultant, and business owner until recently, when he transitioned fully from marketing into the global leadership and management path he currently cultivates. He now leverages the knowledge, experience, and insight from working in domestic and global marketing communications to lead the Center for Global Alchemy and Cross-Cultural Leadership.

Andrés complements his global leadership career with community leadership, having served as District Governor for Rotary District 6980 in Central Florida and as President of the American Marketing Association of Central Florida. He has also served in a variety of leadership roles within Rotary, including Founding President of the Rotary Club of International Drive in Orlando and Director of the Rotary Leadership Institute. Andrés is also an Ambassador for ShelterBox International, a disaster relief organization that provides shelter and recovery solutions for families affected by natural and humanitarian disasters.

Married to Veronica, who is originally from Ecuador, and “father” to three little dogs, Andrés has dedicated his life to traveling the world, as well as enjoying red wine and cultivating friendships with people from diverse nationalities, religions, and cultures. He is also an avid communicator who has spoken at a variety of organizations and participated as a panelist or contributor in industry conferences and symposia.