Shortly after graduating from the University of Kansas, he joined the National Federation of Coffee Growers of Colombia as an economic advisor and delegate to the International Coffee Organization in London, where he also attended the London School of Economics.
Tak lama setelah lulus dari Universitas Kansas, ia bergabung dengan Federasi Nasional Petani Kopi Kolombia sebagai penasihat ekonomi dan delegasi pada Organisasi Kopi Internasional di London, di mana ia juga saat itu sedang belajar di Sekolah Ekonomi London.