Al Lopez

Blair Corporation

Fortune 500 C-Suite Executive – Retired,

Serial Entrepreneur

In 2008, Mr. Lopez left behind a fast-track business career in the U.S. to found Finca Terrerito (Finca T) on land his family had farmed for generations. Mr. Lopez implemented a Direct-Trade model with roasters in the U.S., bypassing the commodities market, and ensuring better quality for roasters and greater profits for Finca T. The increased profit enabled Lopez to pay a living wage to Finca T’s employees and build living quarters and other facilities for the farm’s seasonal workers. Mr. Lopez hopes to offer the same opportunities to more Honduran coffee farmers through a growers’ cooperative.

When his daughter and son-in-law became inspired by his devotion to a higher purpose and the difference he was making in Honduras, they quit their accounting jobs in Chicago and moved to the Atlanta area where the family founded their own coffee roasting and retail operation, Alma Coffee. Since 2018, Mr. Lopez has served as chairman and chief executive partner of Alma, leaving the running operations to his younger family members. 

Mr. Lopez’s career has spanned a wide range of corporate and entrepreneurship experiences, both in the U.S. and abroad. Before founding Finca T, Mr. Lopez, joined Blair Corporation, an online and direct mail clothing retailer, as a senior vice president in the dual roles of chief operating officer and chief financial officer. The company’s board of directors named him president and chief executive officer in January 2007, where he then led the company back into profitability and a growth trajectory.

Prior to joining Blair, Mr. Lopez served as Group General Manager, responsible for five strategic business units, at Russell Corporation. He also served as CFO of Dole Fresh Fruit International, a $1.6 billion subsidiary of Dole Food Company, and as Regional Vice President of Frito Lay. In addition he held a series of executive positions in Sara Lee Corporation and its subsidiaries and joint ventures.

Mr. Lopez served in the U.S. Army and earned a degree in accounting from the University of Illinois and earned his MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management. Al is happily married with two daughters. 

Favorite Hobby: Tennis 

Favorite Sports Team: Chicago Bulls 

Favorite Music Artist: Andrea Bocelli

Skill Set: Leadership, Mergers & Acquisition, Turn-around Expert, Finance, Operations