 |
Fabio Pinto (BBA ’03; MIB ’04; MSF ’05) has been in the jewelry business since he was eighteen. From a position doing sales and public relations promoting jewelry in his home city of Rio de Janeiro, he has moved methodically through his career. He opened his first Amici Gioielli Fine Jewelers, an appointment-only establishment in Bal Harbour, five years ago. In December, 2005, he launched an elegant retail shop by the same name in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Coconut Grove.
“I have learned to be patient,” said Pinto, who completed a six-month program at the Gemological Institute of America in New York in addition to his three degrees from the College of Business Administration and who has built his client base carefully from referrals. “I think it’s important to create a solid foundation and move on little by little.” Given his commitment to patience, he chose the Ritz-Carlton only after careful research.
“I needed to be in an environment that would provide an appropriate backdrop to the merchandise,” he said. “I also needed to be in a place where the people catered to by the hotel would be possible customers for what I offer.” Shoppers will find high-end gems at both locations, either as loose stones ready to be designed into finished pieces or as ones already set. Beyond the dazzle, there’s hard business sense behind Amici Gioielli Fine Jewelers and a love of education that matches Pinto’s love for jewelry.
“I always wanted my own business,” Pinto said. “My family was in the jewelry business in Rio. Though I never worked for them, that’s where my interest began.” He started school in Rio, then moved to Miami and continued his education in the College of Business Administration. “The courses that helped me the most were those in logistics and operations management (which gave me an understanding of inventory issues), accounting, and a global finance course in which I learned about import and export issues,” he said. “The professors I met and the friends I made were highlights of the experience. I liked school so much and was so involved that I just didn’t want to stop.
After completing his BBA, he opted for the Master of International Business (MIB), which enabled him to take classes at night, the only time he was available. During the program, his curiosity about finance was piqued. “I decided to do one more degree,” Pinto said. He completed the Master of Science in Finance (MSF) the following year. His advice for people who buy jewelry? “The most important thing—more important than quality or price—is how it makes the person wearing it feel,” he said. “Also, if you wear a green jacket, everyone notices it, but if you wear a black jacket you can wear it ten times, which may make more sense than making a big impression once.”
|
||||||||
