República Names Tony Arner As Chief Financial Officer

MIAMI, FL ( Feb. 17, 2015 ) — República, one of America’s leading independent cross-cultural advertising, digital and communications agencies, announced the appointment of Tony Arner, CPA, to the post of chief financial officer. Arner is a proven leader with more than 15 years experience in finance and operations, working for Fortune 500 companies, privately-held organizations, and in public accounting.

Prior to República, Arner was with The J.M. Smucker Company where he was corporate controller for its espresso coffee (Rowland Coffee Roasters, Inc.) operations, including flagship brands Café Bustelo, Café Pilon and Medaglia D’Oro. Seasoned in business management, post its acquisition of Rowland, Arner was instrumental in the integration of the business into The J.M. Smucker Company. He was responsible for financial operations, budgeting, procurement, logistics and risk management.

“Luis and I sought out to find someone that not only had financial and business acumen, but also personified República’s values, and Tony cleary rose to the top,’’ said Jorge A. Plasencia, co-founder, chairman and CEO of República. “We look forward to continue building on República’s dynamic growth trajectory with Tony playing a pivotal role on our executive leadership team,” added Plasencia.

Before The J.M. Smucker Company, Arner served as a manager in audit services for Fortune 500 company AutoNation, America’s largest automotive retailer. Earlier in his career, he was an auditor at public accounting firm Morrison, Brown, Argiz & Farra, LLP.

“After enjoying a great run with Smucker’s, I truly feel that opportunity and timing perfectly aligned and that I landed exactly where I was meant to be,” said Arner. “I am thoroughly energized by the management team’s dedication to solid strategic growth and their tireless devotion to both clients and employees – I only hope to continue to build on that success.”

Arner received both his B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting and Management Information Systems and Masters of Accounting from Florida International University. He is a licensed certified public accountant. Additionally, Arner is a graduate of Leadership Miami®.