Class of 2025 Commencement Speaker Announced
Belen Jesuit proudly announces that Sir Andreas Widmer will be the commencement speaker at the class of 2025 graduation ceremony on May 23 at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. Sir Widmer is the Director of the Arthur & Carlyse Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship and Associate Professor of Practice at The Catholic University of America’s (CUA) Busch School of Business.
“I was blessed to have met Sir Andreas Widmer years ago when he came to Belen Jesuit to speak to our students,” said Jesuit Father Guillermo M. García-Tuñón, Ed.D. ‘87, President of Belen Jesuit. “I had read his book, “The Pope and the CEO” mainly because of my fascination with St. Pope John Paul II. Any man who knew the saintly pope as well as he did and spoke so well of him would be of great interest to me. His commitment to his Catholic faith and how he has included it successfully in every aspect of his life is what drew me to ask him to speak to the graduates of the class of 2025.”
In addition to his role at CUA, Sir. Widmer was knighted by Pope Francis in 2024. He co-founded The SEVEN Fund, a philanthropic organization that promotes enterprise solutions to poverty. His extensive experience as a business executive spans high-tech, international business strategy, consulting, and economic development. He has held leadership roles at the OTF Group, Eprise Corporation, Dragon Systems, and FTP Software. His work has taken him across the globe, from the United States to Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America, leading teams to bring over 100 leading-edge technology products to market.
Sir. Widmer is an accomplished author. He has explored the intersection of leadership, entrepreneurship, and spirituality. His book, The Pope & The CEO: Pope Saint John Paul II’s Lessons to a Young Swiss Guard, draws from his experiences serving as a Swiss Guard for Pope John Paul II and his subsequent career in business.
A former Pontifical Swiss Guard, Sir Widmer holds two business degrees from Switzerland, a B.S. in International Business from Merrimack College, and an M.A. from St. John’s Seminary in Boston. A dual citizen of Switzerland and the United States, he is fluent in English, German, Italian, and French.
“Okay, Belen class of 2025, get ready,” said Sir Widmer. “I'm absolutely thrilled to be a part of your commencement and share how a kid from a tiny Swiss village ended up working for the Pope and getting an endorsement from Pitbull. But more importantly, I'll show you how Principled Entrepreneurship can empower you to create value, transform lives, and build a future that's uniquely yours. See you in May!”
To read more about his life, click here.
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.