Bio
Eduardo “Eddie” Hondal is a seasoned healthcare executive and longtime FIU leader with nearly 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, with professional sales expertise in the cardiovascular, diabetes, and cardiometabolic health space. Throughout his career, Eddie has held leadership roles supporting multiple territories for various therapeutic portfolios, including numerous product launches, building strong relationships across the healthcare ecosystem, including established executive relationships within South Florida’s health insurance, pharmacy, and healthcare communities. His industry experience and network as benefitted his employers, including Abbott, AbbVie, and Eli Lilly and Company.
A Lifelong Commitment to FIU
Eddie’s commitment to FIU extends well beyond his experience as a student and alumnus. From 1993 to 1998, he served as Executive Director of Alumni Affairs and FIU’s Collegiate Licensing Program, where he played a pivotal role in strengthening alumni engagement, developing student life initiatives, and fostering the university spirit that helped shape the growing FIU community. Additionally, he vastly expanded FIU's approved merchandise vendor list which resulted in greater royalty dollars that support FIU, including several innovative affinity programs for the FIU Alumni Community.
During his time leading the Alumni Affairs office, Eddie established the FIU Alumni Association’s (FIUAA) Lifetime Endowment Account and helped develop the association’s initial geographic and school and college-based alumni chapters affiliated with the FIUAA. His energy, accessibility, and dedication to students and alumni earned him the enduring nickname “Papa Panther,” a name by which he remains affectionately known throughout the FIU community.
From 1998 to 2001, Eddie was selected as one of the lead University executives supporting FIU’s Law School Initiative and Football Development efforts, helping advance the university’s vision for both programs and their successful subsequent approval.
After returning to the private sector, Eddie continued his service to FIU and the broader community. He served as President of the FIU Alumni Association, was a former ex-officio member of the FIU Foundation Board, as well as former President of FIU’s Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Volunteer Corporation Board.
Eddie has remained a passionate ambassador for FIU, leveraging his professional relationships, institutional knowledge, and community connections to advance the university’s mission and strengthen its relationships with alumni, corporations, and the broader South Florida community. His efforts have included recently helping develop a strong corporate partnership between FIU and Eli Lilly and Company.
His longstanding involvement reflects a deep belief in FIU’s transformative impact and in the responsibility of alumni to give back through their time, talent, relationships, and resources.
Education and Panther Legacy
A proud FIU alumnus, Eddie earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science in 1988 and a Master of Science in Human Resource Development in 2000 from FIU. He also earned an MBA from Nova Southeastern University in 1994.
The Hondal family’s commitment to FIU spans generations. His wife, whom he met while both were students at FIU, Francis A. Hondal, is a distinguished FIU alumna who earned bachelor’s degrees in Finance and International Business in 1987 and an MBA in 1994. She has also served on both the FIU Board of Trustees and FIU Foundation Board of Directors. Additionally, she is member of the College of Business Hall of Fame. Their son, David, is also a two time FIU graduate, continuing the family’s Panther legacy.
Eddie brings to the FIU Foundation Board a unique combination of healthcare industry leadership, executive relationships, institutional knowledge, alumni engagement experience, and a multigenerational commitment to FIU. His career and decades of service to the university reflect a sustained commitment to advancing FIU and creating opportunities for its students, faculty, alumni, and South Florida community.