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Digital Innovation Expert with a proven track record of building successful new digital businesses.  After working as a Corporate Venture Capitalist (CVC), Corporate M&A, Startup Advisor (shareholder in more than 5 companies) and New Business Developer, I've honed an ability to discern and choose the specific areas where acute focus of team efforts can product the most significant business impact (particularly, within the Financial Services market). I have achieved exponential revenue results through inventiveness, leadership and an adeptness to bridge siloed teams.  As a highly credible thought leader in the area of Digital Innovation, I have written for my own website as well as for international publications and have been a paid speaker on this subject for events with large audiences as well as within private C-level meetings. 

Key Competencies

  • Startup Advisor & Investing 
  • Strategic M&A
  • New Business Creation
  • Executive management.
  • Strategic Planning
  • Harvard: Disruptive Strategy
  • Public Speaking
  • Thought Leadership
  • Ecosystem Building

Work experience

Partner Technology Strategist Manager Latam

June 2017March 2018
Microsoft Corporation - Bogota, Colombia

Led a team of 14 Partner Technology Strategists throughout Latin America and an extended team of 18 more professionals in the region.  Tasked with supporting the technological development of a newrevitalized ecosystem of partners.  Results:

  • Exceeded aggressive revenue goals by 20%.
  • Quickly made two key new hires and implemented a new culture of winning and collaboration.
  • Implemented a number of technological firsts that were strategic to the region (e.g., Azure Stack, Large Data Center Migrations, etc.).
  • Identified a neglected Managed Service with big revenue potential and assembled a team to rapidly launch with 2 pilot partners.
  • Lead Digital Transformation discussions with large corporate customers such as Banco de Bogota, Organizacion Ardila Lule and Coomeva, among others.

Digital Experience Lead - Andean Region

March 2017May 2017
Microsoft Corporation - Bogota, Colombia

Reporting to the Latin America director for Digital Experience, coalesced a team of seven business development and sales professionals around a focused strategy of growing sales through segmented startups and ISVs.  Also, was a member of the executive staffs of the President of Microsoft Colombia as well as of Microsoft Emerging Latam Countries. Results: 

  • Exceeded revenue metrics through startups and ISVs by 15%.
  • Developed a new, more focused strategy to recruit the top startups in the region.
  • Obtained an increase of 20% in budget to execute specific ISV strategies with a return on investment of 10x in new revenue within the next 6 months.

New Digital Business Development Manager Latin America

September 2015February 2017
BBVA - Bogota, Colombia

Worked as part of a two-person team within a sub-segment (payments) that we saw as having the clearest potential for impacting the bank's business in Latin America. Analyzed more than a sixty startups in Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Argentina.  Results:

  • Created a new digital business with an order of magnitude (10x) more revenue than any other new digital business created in the region growing at more than 30% monthly.
  • Selected the startup (Openpay) possessing the best fit with the bank's corporate strategy.
  • The acquisition of Openpay has the potential to become BBVA's most successful new digital business world-wide.
  • As a team, we evangelized a well-founded payments strategy as well as a startup acquisition plan to execute said strategy.

Previous positions with BBVA:

  • Open Innovation Manager for Latin America. 

Executive Vice President

June 2014September 2015
Tappsi - Bogota, Colombia

As both Advisor and Executive VP of this growing startup, I contributed to  strategy development, organizational development, international press visibility, among others. I also led the B2B business unit with P&L responsibility. Results:

  • Increased revenue in the new B2B unit 5x in 5 months.
  • Became the market leader in B2B transportation with a monthly CAGR of 55%, growing company revenue contribution in 9 months to 10% from a starting point of 0%.
  • Improved rate of rides filled by 50%.
  • Advised founders to spinout a new payments company which later received funding and acceptance into startup accelerator YCombinator in Palo Alto, California. 

Founder and CEO

October 2011May 2014
Supertrendi - Bogota, Colombia

Founded a company developing a new fashion brand through a flash sales eCommerce site offering unique, curated items.  Results: 

  • With less than $25k, was able to launch a full eCommerce site and company with initial inventory and a robust payments platform. 
  • Grew revenues more than 50% month-to-month, by enlisting an endorsement from a media personality as well as a focused digital marketing campaign. 
  • Negotiated unique product offerings with a boutique NYC fashion firm. 
  • Though revenue growth was strong, the company required substantial funding to continue and a decision was made to close the company.

Principal

January 2009September 2011
Tropicalgringo Consulting - Bogota, Colombia

Positioned myself as a thought leader and top consultant in the area of new digital businesses. Ran multiple startup accelerators such as the Founder Institute and closed consulting deals with Camara Comercia de Bogota (named one of their top consultants for several years), Carvajal, NextBank, Grupo Aval, Microsoft and Universidad de los Andes, among others.  Also, wrote for publications such as the New York Times and Venturebeat and appeared on CNNe and WobiTV. 

General Manager

October 2007December 2008
SAS Institute - Bogota, Colombia

Rebuilt the local SAS office after a tumultuous period where two previous General Managers had been hired and fired in a span of 18 months.  I held P&L responsibility, reported to the Mexico General Manager and doubled the team to 20 professionals. Results:

  • Grew total revenues for Colombian subsidiary more than 40%.
  • Maintained monthly meetings with our main customer's (Bancolombia) CIO to track progress of key project. 
  • Built a pipeline of more than $6M from a negligible amount.

Founder and CEO

January 2002September 2004
Litima Consulting - Bogota, Colombia

Global Support Engineer

April 1993April 1995
Madge Network - San Jose, California

Support Engineer

March 1992April 1993
NetManage - Cupertino, California

Advanced Engineer

July 1985December 1989
HRB Singer - State College, Pennsylvania

Education

MBA

19971999
INALDE

Master of Business Administration

Disruptive Business Strategy

20172017
Harvard University

Clayton Christensen, HBS Professor & Disruptive Innovation Expert