When Alfonso Chicre arrived in Minnesota from Colombia nine years ago at the age of 24, he didn’t speak a word of English—but he had an adventuresome spirit and a vision for what his life could be. “I wanted to leave my roots and experience a different culture and study at the same time,” he says. “It was a growth opportunity and a way to pursue my international expansion.”
Chicre studied English at the University of Minnesota for a year and a half. While pursuing a master’s in business management from Hamline, he interned at Best Buy. He liked the company and its culture so much that he joined it in 2003. He immediately stepped into a leadership role, serving three years as president of the LatIN Employee Business Network, an employee resource group.
Chicre, who lives with his wife Missy in Eden Prairie, is now a senior demand planning analyst in the commodities business unit. “Eventually, I would like to be in a strategic role in the international business at Best Buy,” he says. “I want to continue to grow both personally and professionally. After all, it’s the American dream!”
