Distinguished Alumni: Daniel Pérez-Cirera (Pritzker, ‘00)
General Counsel, Compliance and External Affairs Director at Samsung Mexico
“Since the beginning, Northwestern was the one I liked the most. My decision was very easy,” recalls Daniel after a very interesting and meaningful trip around the East Coast in the United States visiting different universities.
As a Mexican lawyer, Daniel had it clear that he wanted to pursue an LL.M. degree that had a true differentiator from any other program in the world, and so he joined the LL.M.K. class of 2000 in Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and Kellogg School of Management.
Years before, when he was in middle school, Daniel’s Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Friedman, wrote in one of his evaluations “I am confident that someday you’ll be a great lawyer.” This powerful remark stayed with him and there is no doubt that his time at Northwestern and his amazing view on life and work have been key to achieving his goal.
Having received a legal and business education myself, I found my conversation with Daniel fascinating. Not only did I relate to many of his stories, but I also discovered a very interesting human being with a unique approach to life.
Daniel is a proud alumnus of Northwestern University. He describes our community as a warm non-pretentious fraternity and I couldn’t agree with him more. He is still very close to almost all of his classmates and has even expanded his network in these last few years. Curious fact: He obtained his first corporate job, some years after getting his degree, through a job post sent to him by his Northwestern Colombian friend.
Having transitioned from being a legal attorney at one of Mexico’s most prestigious corporate law firms to an in-house counsel at a global corporation, he acknowledges the importance that the variety of classes he attended at both business and law school gave him. But what he certainly cherishes the most is the network he built. One that has accompanied him throughout the years and that has no borders.
After working at Davis Polk, Galicia & Robles, Nokia, and Ingersoll Rand, Daniel is now General Counsel, Compliance and External Affairs Director in Samsung Mexico, where he has worked for the last 5 years. He is not only responsible for the legal issues but has also taken responsibility for government relations and corporate social responsibility, one of the most critical areas of a company nowadays.
He knows an important key to success is the team you surround yourself with. This is something Northwestern students have in their DNA. So, when I asked him what he looked for in his team members, he did not hesitate to mention: autonomy, loyalty, leadership, and decision-making.
Daniel highlights that working at a global technology company sounds very attractive for many people, and it is definitely challenging and rewarding. But when someone is as intense and restless as he is, few things are enough or keep you satisfied for long.
Daniel is up for more challenges and adventures, something he surely learned at Northwestern. He knows there is a lot more he can leave as his legacy in Samsung, but he also knows at some point he will go back to Academia as a professor and a Ph.D. student. Even when he has reached very senior roles, his personal and professional goals keep growing.
More than one hour through the interview, Daniel was kind enough to share his thoughts on the future of the technology industry and the world, in the midst of this pandemic we are living. “The change had been brewing, and the pandemic just came to accelerate this change and the implementation of technology.”
He is convinced that these changes are good but the circumstances under the acceleration, are not. The world, people’s roles, and processes will be very different for younger generations. Hearing this from a person that has been in the technology industry, innovating for so many years, is fascinating.
We are definitely all changing, and Daniel is no exception. When I finally asked him what kept him up at night, he answered, “aside from any job-related issues, I am always curious about what will be my next move”.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to talk with Daniel, a truly distinguished alumnus that will certainly keep giving more surprises to the Northwestern community.
Pablo Ruiz Galindo Covarrubias graduated from the Kellogg School of Management’s MBA program in 2018
