Jeff M. Brazwell

UWF degree and year of graduation:
B. Sc., Marketing 1992

Why did you choose to attend UWF?
I was born in Pensacola and naturally wanted to attend a local university. After attending UWF for two years, I visited other Florida schools to see what they had to offer and came to the conclusion that I was already at the best institution in the state.

What were your goals as a student?
By my sophomore my year, I knew that I wanted to work in international business. I worked with my academic advisor Dr. Ron Bush who allowed me to tailor my degree program towards this goal. In order to better prepare for a career in international business I took classes outside of the standard curriculum such as Spanish and Latin American history. Today I speak Spanish and Portuguese fluently.

What is your best memory from your days at UWF?
My entire experience at UWF was nice. I made a lot of friends there and also enjoyed the time that I spent in South America as a student, for which I received education credit.

Who was your favorite professor and why?
UWF is full of great professors and any measure of success that I have achieved is certainly traceable back to the collective knowledge that all of them imparted. My academic advisor Dr. Ron Bush certainly helped me a lot and I consider him a personal friend. Also, my Spanish professor Dr. Juan Caballero deserves praise for his superb teaching style and for the way he took an interest in each student.

What do you do now?
I manage the export operations for our company in Latin America. This encompasses the functions of distribution management, which I handle directly and through my sales force, as well as overseeing marketing, advertising, shipping and logistics. I am fortunate that I have been able to make a living doing what I love to do: international business. Having traveled to over 40 countries and experienced a variety of cultures, I have gained a wealth of experiences, attained great personal and professional satisfaction, and even after all these years I still have not lost my adventurous spirit.

How did UWF help you progress to this point?
In several ways: first, It gave me a well rounded education that only a liberal arts university can. Second, I was able to tailor my particular curriculum in a way that allowed me to study the academic disciplines that I needed to learn about in order to pursue my chosen career path. Also, UWF’s considerable number of foreign students really enhanced the learning environment.

How do you stay connected to UWF?
Mainly, I stay in touch with my former professors in the marketing department of the College of Business. When I come back to Pensacola to see my parents I will often drop by campus and give a speech to the marketing club and classes. I have also conducted job interviews recently through the College of Business.

What advice do you have to current and future UWF students?
While at UWF, explore as many different areas of interest as possible to find out where your passion truly lies. Then, set out a plan to gain as much knowledge and experience as possible and work hard to be the best you can be in that field. Above all, do what you are passionate about. That way, what you do for a living will never feel like work.

What quality makes UWF special or unique?
Personal touch. If UWF were a person, it would be described as affable and approachable because of its class sizes and that fact that it’s primarily a teaching university vs. a research university. The reason it has a such a good and conducive learning environment is because it’s a self-contained campus in the middle of a nature preserve yet full of activities and opportunities.

Outside of working, what activities and organizations are you currently involved in and what are your hobbies?
I am a member of the World Affairs Council and the Miami Valley International Trade Association. I travel overseas about 100 days per year so there is not so much spare time, but when I am not traveling I like to ride my motorcycle, play tennis, read and just be with my family. Fortunately my family is able to join me on some of my business trips to Latin America and we make a mini vacation out of it. My wife of 11 years, Simone, is from Brazil originally and both of our kids, ages 7 and 5, speak English and Portuguese fluently so getting around down there is no problem at all for them.

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