Experience

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  RTI International

  • Santo Domingo, República Dominicana

  • Director of Operations and Compliance

    • Mar 2024 - Present
    • Santo Domingo, República Dominicana

    USAID Basic Education Activity (BEA) Project, 5 years, $24MM.Lead all operation and management aspects of the Project. Responsible for overseeing all human resources, financial management, procurement, sub-grants, logistics, security, and operations on the project in compliance with applicable USAID and RTI rules and regulations. • Direct all operational and administrative personnel, providing oversight of all operational and administrative functions.• Ensure that all operational and administrative functions of the project are aligned and support technical activities, and that the project conforms to USAID rules and regulations as well as project agreement requirements, including cost, schedule, and quality parameters.• Ensure the timely and quality reporting of all financial and operational deliverables and documentation in accordance with USAID and Government of Dominican Republic guidelines. • Ensure that contractual and internal approval requirements (e.g., waivers, approval memos, procurements) are met, and prepare justifications supporting these actions in coordination with project leadership and RTI home office support staff.• Monitor budget analyses/reports and project cost reports/invoices against contract requirements, implementation progress, and general cost reasonability; • Lead the identification, recruitment, and management of local consultants and subcontractors.• Oversee project procurement efforts for cost reasonability and compliance.• Responsible for design, implementation, and management of the grants program& subawards for local organizations, including grant proposal tracking, review, and approval process.• Identify and manage risks • Ensure sound operational implementation of BEA including by staff, partners, grantees, or consultants.• Develop and implement practices to ensure a high level of staff morale and retention.

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  Pact

  • Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

  • Finance and Operations Director

    • Oct 2019 - Mar 2024
    • Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

    (10/2019 – March 2024). Provided shared services across two programs. Details below:• $12.5M USAID Civil Society Strengthening Activity (Present); 11.2M USAID/PEPFAR Building Resilience Amongst Affected Families with HIV (Present) Directed all finance and operations for both Projects. In coordination with the Pact HQ, developed the budgets to adhere to the work plan and oversaw the effective use of projects resources. Developed and ensured administrative policies and procedures were in line with best practices and in compliance with Pact policies and USAID regulations. Led the development of policies, guidelines, and criteria for the management of project finances and sub-grants financial monitoring. Led reporting and coordinated review of financial and audit reports. Supported the technical teams in acquiring technical assistance and financial and operations management for local partners. Achieved 96% budget execution by year. Managed a team of 11• $10.5M USAID/PEPFAR Adolescents and Children, HIV Incidence Reduction, Empowerment, and Virus Elimination (ACHIEVE- DR) Project (2019 – 2023) Directed all finance and operations. Developed and ensured administrative policies and procedures were in line with best practices and in compliance with Pact policies and USAID regulations. Led the development of policies, guidelines, and criteria for the management of project finances and sub-grants financial monitoring of 7 Sub awardees with a total budget of $5.2M. Led reporting and coordinated review of financial and audit reports. Achieved 98% budget execution by project closeout. Managed a team of 8. Key competences• Financial management, USAID, and PEPFAR reporting• Budgeting and forecasting• Financial monitoring, and capacity building of local partners• Contracts and Procurement• Human resources (HR)• Accounting • Logistics and facilities services

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  FINANCE AND OPERATIONS

  • República Dominicana

  • Finance and Operations Internal Audit and Compliance

    • Mar 2016 - Oct 2019
    • República Dominicana

     Establishes and directs all internal audit and compliance operations.  Conducts internal and forensic audits, investigations, and compliance reviews.  Provides permanent oversight to ensure compliance with USAID, USG, regulations and to prevent fraud, waste and abuse. Build the capacity of the staff on ethics, code of conduct, whistleblower hotline, internal controls, and fraud and compliance awareness.  Provides leadership, advice, training, and supervision to guide and empower administrative and financial staff.  Serves as Director for projects startups; directs all administrative, financial, accounting, and logistical services, emphasizing cost efficiency, as well as ensuring transparency and compliance with local laws and regulations. Oversees the effective budget usage and project resources, including vehicles and travel budgets. Prepares quarterly accruals and projections and compiled financial reports for senior management. Ensures compliance and adherence of subcontractors to contract requirements and confirmed that resources are procured and mobilized for all activities.

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  Tetra Tech

  • www.tetratechintdev.com/

  • Compliance Specialist

    • Mar 2015 - Mar 2016
    • www.tetratechintdev.com/

    ($62m) Tetra Tech (ISLA Project-USAID), Kabul, Afghanistan Initiative to Strengthen Local Administrations in Afghanistan. Under the direction of the Compliance Committee and in coordination with the Senior Project Management Established and directed all internal compliance operations.  Conducted internal audits, investigations, and compliance reviews.  Provided permanent oversight to ensure compliance with USAID, USG, Tetra Tech and Afghan Government regulations and to prevent fraud, waste and abuse. Built the capacity of the staff on ethics, code of conduct, whistleblower hotline and internal controls, fraud and compliance awareness.  Provided advisory to all the areas of Finance and Administration Operations.

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  Transformadores Solomon, SAS

  • Dominican Republic

  • Director of Finance and Administration

    • Mar 2014 - Mar 2015
    • Dominican Republic

    Transformadores Solomon, SAS, Dominican Republic, ($50m annually) Reporting to the President.• Established and managed all financial and administrative operations. • Hired, trained, empowered, coached and mentored ten (10) professionals and support staff.• Ensured the liquidity of the company by the timely billing, optimizing of the accounts receivables rotation and the use of resources and/or financial investments seeking higher returns at lower cost and hedging the interest and exchange rate. • Established a set of financial and operational reports.• Improved internal controls by developing and implementing keys policies and procedures that also improved the efficiency of processes. • Established the security system of the company and the installations of a new IT server.

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  Tetra Tech (USAID) LARA Project (Land Reform in Afghanistan)

  • www.tetratech.com

  • Compliance Specialist

    • Jun 2011 - Jan 2014
    • www.tetratech.com

    (LARA project-USAID), Kabul, Afghanistan Land Reform in Afghanistan (LARA), ($140m to $42m) Under the direction of the Audit Committee and in coordination with the Senior Project Management. Established and directed all risk-based internal audit and compliance operations.  Ensured compliance with USAID’s regulations and that all major risks were identified and analyzed on an annual basis.  Investigated allegations received in the hotline.  Identified mitigated and investigated fraud, waste and abuse.  Built the capacity of staff and counterparts on issues of ethics, code of conduct, whistleblower hotline and internal controls, fraud and compliance awareness.  Improved the internal control environment, fraud and compliance awareness.

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  Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE)

  • Santo Domingo

  • Professor

    • Jan 2007 - May 2011
    • Santo Domingo

    Professor of Accounting for Managers and Financial Accounting I and II for MBA and BBA at Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE) and Florida International University FIU in Dominican Republic.

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  Parque Cibernetico de Santo Domingo

  • Dominican Republic

  • CFO, Finance Vicepresident

    • Nov 2006 - May 2011
    • Dominican Republic

    Under the Board of Directors of a 24/7 facilities services company • Established and led all financial management and operations.• Oversaw the financial management activities of $50m grant fund.• Managed financial reporting, treasury, cash forecasting, budget management, contracts, procurements, cost analysis, security management and transportation among other operations. • Provided the liquidity necessary to run the operations by improving the account receivables. turnover and dropping expenses by 35%.

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  The Institute of Internal Auditors

  • Instructor, voluntary leadership

    • 2005 - 2010

    Well known international speaker and instructor about internal auditing best practices, risk assessment (ERM), internal controls, IA quality assurance review (QAR), fraud, corruption, and ethics in Afghanistan, Argentina, Cuba, Venezuela, Guatemala, El Salvador, Panamá, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Colombia and Dominican Republic.

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  RC ADVISORS

  • Dominican Republic

  • Founder President and Managing Partner

    • Jun 2005 - Nov 2006
    • Dominican Republic

    Participated as international consultant of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), www.theiia.org in the internal audit quality assurance review (QAR) of global institutions including:• The Inter- American Development Bank (IADB) in Washington DC, USA• Bancolombia in Medellín, Colombia • Bank Nacional Financiera, (NAFINSA) in México DF • Nacional de Monte Piedad in México DF• Corporación Dominicana Empresas Eléctricas Estatales in Dominican Republic, DR (No by IIA)

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  Brugal & Co. S.A.

  • Dominican Republic

  • Director of Internal Audit

    • Mar 1996 - Jun 2005
    • Dominican Republic

    Reporting to the Board of Administration • Established and led all risk based internal audit operations of a group of seven companies.• Empowered, coached and mentored eight senior internal auditors and support staff. • Promoted on the fast-track from Manager to Corporate Director. • Detected and investigated several frauds and abuses. • Improved the internal control environment, building alliance and partnership for changes needed.• Led two due diligence for mergers and acquisitions.• Played supervisor role of policies and procedures during the implementation of a new ERP IT system.

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  Tetra Tech DPK

  • Anticorruption Consultant

    • Apr 2004 - Apr 2005

    Provided inputs which increased the pressure to reform the national system of internal control. Evaluated training plans of government auditors and developed trainings on fraud. Provided key forensic investigation techniques to government auditors, judges and prosecutors and evaluated internal controls systems of public institutions.

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  Cari-Flo Manufacturing

  • Dominican Republic

  • Controller

    • Sep 1994 - Mar 1996
    • Dominican Republic

    • Managed audit engagement teams. • Improved the productivity by 30%. • Promoted to a senior role in my first year. • Acting manager’s duties including scheduling, recruiting, evaluating and training the staff.

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  Price WaterhouseCoopers

  • Dominican Republic

  • Auditor Senior

    • Mar 1991 - Sep 1994
    • Dominican Republic

    • Directed the accounting operations, costs, financial statements and other financial reports. • Ensured the compliance with the Dominican laws.• Redesigned the accounting process, implemented the use of budgets and financial projections,• Improved the cost accounting system and IT resources.

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  KPMG

  • Dominican Republic

  • Auditor Staff

    • Mar 1987 - Mar 1991
    • Dominican Republic

    Participated as part of audit engagement teams