Camalia Valdés facts for kids

Camalia Valdés (born October 14, 1972) is a Puerto Rican business leader. For 15 years, she was the president and CEO of Cerveceria India, Inc. This company is Puerto Rico's largest brewery.

Early Life and Education

Camalia Valdés was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Her family has a strong connection to business. Her grandfather, Alfonso Valdés Cobián, helped start Cerveceria India, Inc. in 1937. He founded it with his brothers in Mayagüez. Her grandfather was a successful leader. He helped the company become Puerto Rico's biggest beer brewery. It also made canned and bottled soft drinks.

As a child, Camalia often visited the company's factory. She spent a lot of time there. In 1994, she earned a degree from Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. She studied liberal arts and legal studies. Valdés then continued her law studies. In 1998, she earned her law degree from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.

Leading Cerveceria India

After finishing her studies, Valdés worked as a lawyer for a short time. Soon after, she joined Cerveceria India. She started as the manager of operations. In this role, she brought in new ways to produce goods. She also helped improve the factory buildings.

In 2002, Camalia Valdés became the president of the company. Under her leadership, "Malta India" became the most popular malt drink in Puerto Rico. Sales of "Medalla Light," one of the company's beers, also grew. Cerveceria India is the largest beer brewery in Puerto Rico. It also makes many canned and bottled soft drinks.

Valdés had a big goal for the company. She wanted to sell more products in Puerto Rico. She also wanted to export the company's products to other countries. She led a large investment of $24 million. This money was used to expand the company's factories. The goal was to increase production by 60%. These improvements were finished in 2008. Thanks to these changes, Cerveceria India is now one of the most advanced breweries in Latin America.

Personal Interests

Camalia Valdés lives in San Juan with her husband, Craig T. Hylwa. She supports projects that help education. She is interested in new ideas and ways of thinking. She is also a sponsor of the Museum of Art of Puerto Rico.

See also

• List of Puerto Ricans
• Cerveceria India
• History of women in Puerto Rico