RE Log Spring 2019

6 Ransom Everglades LOG SPRING 2019 Ardila, already reeling from the call, was rendered speechless by the request. “I never thought of that in my life,” Ardila said. “I’ve never done anything in politics, anything in diplomacy.” Ardila resides most comfortably in the high-stakes world of big business, a craft he learned from his entrepreneurial father, who parlayed a successful soft drink company into one of Colombia’s largest and most successful conglomerates, the Organización Ardila Lülle. The organiza- tion owns a vast portfolio of media and other companies, including one that gives Ardila great personal pleasure: Atlético Nacional, the highly successful and hugely popular professional soccer team. Despite Ardila’s initial reluctance, President Duque persuaded him to accept the post, in part by explaining that he wanted accomplished citizens with a range of skills and talents to occupy roles in his new government. That resonated with Ardila, who understood Duque’s objective in the simplest terms: he was building his team. Teamwork is a skill Ardila first learned under the tutelage of his father, Carlos Ardila Lülle, who exposed him to the family’s burgeoning business enterprise at a young age. He honed that trait under soccer coach Jim Beverley ’62 at the Ransom School, where he was the best player on one of the top soccer teams in Ransom Everglades’ history. He further refined it as a player at Harvard University, and much later as a vice president over- seeing many companies at Organización Ardila Lülle – most enjoyably Atlético Nacional, which has won more national and international titles than any other team from Colombia. “Teamwork is essential to success,” said Ardila, who was inducted into the Ransom Everglades Athletic Hall of Fame in 2003. “I see it in business. I see it, obviously, in sports, and I imagine government also has to work that way. When you see a good team, something that works well, that’s very exciting.” A visit to RE In January, Ardila moved with his wife Luz Ángela Sarmiento to the embassy in London to begin his tenure there. Just weeks before departing, he stopped by Ransom Everglades during a business trip to Miami. Sporting a navy blazer and dress pants, he made his way to the Robert E. Walker Field, hoping to say hello to old friends. He found a ball near the sideline and lightly kicked it into the air, jacket flapping. He tapped it from toe to knee, then toe again, jug- gling it artfully. Dave Villano ’79 , the boys’ soccer coach, and Beverley, Ardila’s former Antonio Ardila ’75 on the playing ield then and now coach, ap- proached with wide grins and hands extended. Michiel “Monkey” van de Kreeke ’88 was summoned with a text message, and when he arrived, four Hall of Fame soccer players spanning decades of RE athletics history stood together on the field. “He starts the argument,” Beverley said about Ardila, “in 50 years of coach- ing, as the best player I’ve ever coached. And considering his skill level, he was super modest.” Ardila remembers that it was the Ransom teams he played on – and that Beverley coached – in 1973-74 and 1974-75 that were powerhouses. Both teams accrued just one loss and earned the No. 1 ranking among all schools in Miami-Dade County. The ’73-74 team won the unofficial state title in a year no state tournament took place by beating the previous year’s champion. Six players from that era – Ardila, Beverley, Villano, Jose Tamayo ’75, Chris Moore ’76 and Blake Alders ’79 – were later inducted into RE’s Hall of Fame. “We played Palmetto, Miami High, Coral Gables – big schools,” Ardila said. “And they all dropped us,” Beverley chimed in, “as soon as they got the chance.” continued from page 5