▁Its ▁pan - reg ional , ▁horizontal ▁portal ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁to ▁target ▁Spanish - ▁and ▁Portuguese - language ▁speak ers ▁on ▁the ▁Internet , ▁register ing ▁ 1 . 2 ▁billion ▁page ▁views ▁in ▁the ▁third ▁quarter ▁of ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁Th irty - three - year - old ▁Star Media ▁co - found er ▁Fernando ▁Esp uel as ▁was ▁the ▁to ast ▁of ▁" Sil icon ▁Al ley " ▁and ▁a ▁recognized ▁hero ▁throughout ▁Latin ▁America . ▁A ▁picture ▁of ▁him ▁on ▁the ▁cover ▁of ▁Internet ▁World ▁magazine -- ri pping ▁his ▁sh irt ▁open ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁Star Media ▁logo , ▁like ▁Super man , ▁sum med ▁up ▁the ▁spirit ▁of ▁the ▁company ." ▁ ▁Esp uel as ▁created ▁a ▁communic ations ▁culture ▁to ▁connect ▁Star Media ' s ▁ 1 8 ▁offices ▁in ▁ 1 2 ▁countries . ▁ ▁"[ Esp uel as ] ... ▁will ▁set ▁a ▁goal ▁at ▁one ▁meeting , ▁and ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁next ▁one ▁roll s ▁around , ▁we ' ve ▁made ▁trem end ous ▁progress .... ▁Each ▁meeting ▁has ▁a ▁clear ▁goal — to ▁deliver ▁quarter ly ▁results , ▁to ▁announ ce ▁a ▁major ▁initi ative ▁or ▁partners hip , ▁to ▁clarify ▁our ▁strateg ic ▁vision . ▁When ever ▁possible , ▁Fernando ▁and ▁other ▁execut ives ▁make ▁their ▁comments ▁tr iling ually . ▁That ▁sometimes ▁generates ▁good - n ature d ▁te asing ▁about ▁acc ents , ▁but ▁our ▁employees ▁really ▁appreciate ▁the ▁effort . ▁To ▁make ▁certain ▁that