As FIFA President, Gianni Infantino is used to taking center stage on the pitch. Now the 56-year-old is taking his oratorical skills to the literal stage as a guest speaker for one of Miami Dade College’s three graduation ceremonies on April 25 at loanDepot park in Little Havana.
The other two speakers will be billionaire businessman Orlando Bravo and Florida education commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas.
Infantino will speak at the Wolfson, Homestead and Medical campuses ceremony at 1:30 p.m.
“It’s nice that we have the opportunity to honor the relationship that we have with FIFA, and with Mr. Infantino speaking, that shows the closeness of the relationship that supports students,” said Wolfson Campus President Beatriz González.
Since 2024, MDC has built a partnership with FIFA, bringing exhibitions, internship opportunities and a fútbol-themed speaker series to the community. The FIFA Museum opened at the Freedom Tower in September as part of the $30 million renovation project that took place across two years.
It’s through that connection that the College was able to invite the Swiss-born president to the ceremony.
“I think the partnership has been really transformative, and that’s what I like to see in partnerships, that it’s not just transactional, but it hits on all of the parts that matter to us, creating opportunities for students having amazing experiences for our students to be a part of while they’re here, and enriching the academic experience,” said MDC President Madeline Pumariega.
Kamoutsas will speak at the North, Hialeah and West campuses ceremony at 8:30 a.m.
The 37-year-old is a graduate of Miami Springs High School and was previously an assistant state attorney in the office of Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.
Bravo, who co-founded private equity investment firm Thoma Bravo, is slated to speak at the Kendall and Padrón Campus ceremony at 6:30 p.m.
“He’s one of the most influential figures in global finance and in leading technology investing,” Pumariega said. “We’ve done so much with [artificial intelligence] that we thought Orlando Bravo would be such a great fit for a commencement speaker at the College, and we were able to secure him.”
The College does not pay for guest speakers, Pumariega said.
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