Hugo Pérez, M.A.

Professor Pérez is Vice President Corporate Affairs for Symbioscience, a division of Mars, Inc. In this role he oversees all of the external messaging and positioning for the company and guides its integrated marketing communications efforts. He also serves as primary spokesperson for the division.

Before joining Mars, Inc., Professor Pérez spent nearly three years as a Sr. Corporate Affairs Manager for AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals. In that role working on a mega brand, he oversaw third party alliance relationships, helping to develop product and disease-specific ally development strategies in support of product brand goals and plans. He also provided strategic counsel to brand leadership regarding program development, both for domestic and international divisions of the business and was a multicultural specialist.

Professor Pérez is a former Emmy-award winning NBC News producer who has covered some of the most memorable moments in recent history, including the historic visits of the Pope to Cuba and Mexico; the school shootings in Kentucky, Arkansas and Colorado; the 1997 Midwestern Floods; and the 1996 Presidential campaign.

Over the years he has held a variety of other marketing and communications roles at several high profile organizations, including communications director roles with the Chicago Public Schools and the American Heart Association of Chicago. Professor Pérez also spent five years as an adjunct professor at Chicago’s Columbia College teaching journalism courses.

Born in Puerto Rico, but a native of Chicago, Professor Pérez earned his M.A. at Northwestern University and his B.A. at the Moody Bible Institute. He currently resides in Washington, DC.