School of AccountingAlumni of the Year Recipients

Mario de Armas    
Florida Market Managing Partner/CFO Mexican Region, PwC

Mario de Armas is the Market Managing Partner for the Florida offices of PricewaterhouseCoopers.  Mario works with a number of PwC’s private and public clients in South Florida and Latin America.  Mario has experience in various industries including travel and leisure, distribution, higher education, telecommunications, technology, and entertainment and media. 

Mario is a Florida CPA and received a BA in Accounting from Florida International University and an MBA with a concentration in Finance from the University of Florida.  He joined PwC in 1987 after completing business school.  Mario was on tour in Barcelona, Spain from 1991 to 1994 where he served US and British multinationals with operations in Spain.  Mario was admitted as a partner of PwC in July 1998 and was named Office Managing Partner in October 2005.  In April of 2007, he was named Market Managing Partner for all the Florida offices. Mario is a member of the FIU Business Hall of Fame Class of 2015. He was honored on October 29, 2015 at the Adrienne Arsht Center’s Ziff Ballet Opera House with the Growth Award.

Mario is a member of the Dean's Council of Florida International University's College of Business; the Chairman of Florida International University's School of Accounting Advisory Board; a member of the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee of the New World Symphony and a past member of the Board of Trustees of St. Thomas Episcopal Parish School; and a past a member of the Board of Trustees and Chairman of Dade Marine Institute, Inc., a United Way Agency working with court supervised youth in Miami-Dade County.

Antonio L. Argiz, CPA/ABV, CFF, ASA, CVA, CFE
Chairman and CEO

Since 1997, Tony has led the growth of Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLC (MBAF) to becoming one of the top 40 accounting firms in the nation and the largest Florida-based accounting firm in the state. 

Tony has been involved with a broad spectrum of industries and has developed in-depth knowledge and experience in audits, business planning, valuations and litigation cases which gives him unique experience and insight into all aspects of the financial well-being of his clients. Tony is a highly respected and nationally recognized practitioner in litigation support services.  A sought-after expert by law firms nationwide, Tony has developed a broad domestic and international litigation support practice.

Well-known for his community leadership, Tony has been involved through the years in supporting over 100 charitable and civic organizations including the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, Orange Bowl Committee, United Way of Miami-Dade, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart, Archbishop’s Charity and Development Drive, Florida International University, Miami Dade College Foundation, Miami City Club and Beacon Council. His belief is that difficult times call for greater involvement and contributions.

Alfredo Cepero (BACC ’88, MAcc 90)
Audit Partner 
BDO

Alfredo is a partner with the Miami Assurance Practice of BDO USA, LLP with more than 20 years of experience in public accounting. He has extensive experience serving both public and privately held companies in a variety of industries including professional services, retail, distribution and manufacturing, private equity, healthcare and not-for-profit. Alfredo currently serves as the National Past President of the Association for Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) and is the past president of the Miami Chapter of ALPFA.

He is the past President of the Downtown Miami Chapter of the Florida Institute of Certified Public Accountants and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Alfredo currently serves as the Chairman of the FIU College of Business Executive Dean’s Alumni Circle as well as a member of the FIU School of Accounting Advisory Board and FIU College of Business Dean’s Council, and most recently was recognized as the 2011 Torch Award recipient as the College of Business Alumni of the Year.

Alfredo earned his Bachelor of Accounting and Masters of Accounting from Florida International University. Alfredo is married to Marlene and has two sons and a daughter, Alfredo, Alejandro, and Carolina.