Liana Fuente is a very positive and spiritual person, a true lover of all that life has to offer.
Born and raised in Tampa, Florida, Liana is a member of the legendary Fuente cigar family. The Cuban-born patriarch of this family, her great-grandfather Arturo Fuente, founded A. Fuente & Company in Ybor City in 1912. Over the next 110 years, her grandfather, Carlos Fuente, Sr. and her father, Carlos Fuente, Jr., grew the Arturo Fuente name into an internationally recognized global brand. On her mother’s side, she is the descendant of Cubans who fled the Castro regime and came to the U.S. seeking liberty and the American Dream. Coming from hard work, dedication, and perseverance on both sides of her family, Liana was able to learn early on how important these characteristics were to be a good, upstanding, successful citizen who gives back to her community.
An extrovert who loves people and has an innate ability to connect with them, Liana began working in retail sales while attending Tampa Catholic High School. Another love that was evident at an early age was her fascination and talent for dance, specifically Latin rhythms such as salsa and merengue, which led her to years of professional dancing and performances. After high school, she went on to attend both the University of South Florida and Eckerd College, where she graduated with distinction and a Bachelor of Arts in Business, all the while still working and professional dancing in her spare time.
Upon graduation, the inevitable happened. Her grandfather, Carlos, approached her with the opportunity to join the family business. An intimidating prospect, being that she had to work and learn directly from her grandfather, a loving yet serious man who expected things to be done the right way, Liana considers these early years in the business a masterclass in character, courage, and respect. Through his actions, her grandfather taught her the importance of keeping your word, living with integrity, and putting family first, which is why he will always be present in her heart.
In total, Liana spent over 15 years with Arturo Fuente, rising to become its Vice President of Brand Development.
She oversaw all the marketing initiatives for the company’s various business and charitable endeavors, including advertising, public relations, media relations, promotions, and special events. In addition, she managed Arturo Fuente’s online presence via its official website and various social media accounts. In addition, Liana was a forward-facing member of the Fuente family, which required her to travel extensively around the world representing and showcasing both Arturo Fuente, and the Fuente family, at numerous events, trade shows, conventions, galas and the like.
Recently, Liana decided to step away from her day-to-day role with the company. Although she remains a shareholder and director of Arturo Fuente, Liana is shifting her focus to other goals and opportunities she wants to accomplish in life, including in the areas of real estate, business engagement, and community relations. To this end, Liana has grown her real estate portfolio in short order and continues to be intrigued by the amazing growth occurring in her beloved hometown of Tampa. In terms of business and community engagement, Liana sat on the board of Tampa Connection from 2013-2019, the board of the Tobacconists’ Association of America (TAA) from 2019-2022, and currently sits on the board of Cigar Family Charitable Foundation, Humane Society of Tampa Bay, and Centro Asturiano de Tampa, and is a member of the Cuban Club, Italian Club and Ybor Chamber of Commerce. She is also a representative for the Fuente Family Foundation and volunteers on her off time, assisting at the Humane Society and raising money for a longtime charitable endeavor of hers, breast cancer research. In over 17 years, she has raised nearly $750,000.
