A Strong Foundation for Success
“I am really proud of my time at New York Institute of Technology and know that it significantly contributed to my career progression,” says Charlie Vazquez (M.B.A. ’01). As the senior vice president of key accounts at Centauri Health Solutions, Vazquez is focused on helping companies become more efficient and profitable while mitigating liability exposures. Centauri Health Solutions ranked as a top 500 company on Inc. Magazine’s annual 5000 list in 2019 and 2020. “I wouldn”t trade my experience in New York City or attending New York Tech,” says Vazquez. “It prepared me for a journey where I could work with folks at any level.”
Born and raised in Spanish Harlem, Vazquez was always focused on his education and believed his studies would be a path to bigger and better things. While boxing and tutoring at the Boys’ Club of New York in Harlem, he earned the opportunity to attend preparatory schools in New England. “The Boys’ Club of Harlem awarded me the 1990 Russel J Battaglia Award in recognition for my contributions to the community, which in turn aligned me with scholarship opportunities. The world got bigger overnight,” Vazquez says. That experience inspired him to continue to expand his horizons and helped lead to his decision to attend New York Tech to earn his M.B.A. “It was not only a smart economical choice, but New York Tech allowed me to attend class at the Central Islip campus where my mother lived, and then seamlessly transition to the New York City campus when I got my apartment.”
His experiences at New York Tech prepared him for his career in more ways than one. “The cosmopolitan atmosphere of the city, coupled with the challenging studies, created the perfect environment to welcome competition and advancement,” he says. “I remember relating to classmates from around the world who were striving towards a common goal. I still have friends from those classes almost 20 years later.”
Vazquez, a father of two, loves to spend time with his family on the water, behind the grill, or on the tennis courts. He hopes to open an integrated health facility to serve communities like the one where he grew up. “Healthcare allows for a varied mix of interests, whether [it be] finance, sales, or code-writing,” he says. “No matter your focus, there is something for everyone.”
