Rafael Cortes

Finance Value Acceleration Lead @ Lean Solutions Group

About

I’ve spent 10+ years helping organizations bridge the gap between executive vision and daily operations. I take high-level goals—whether they involve ESG governance, global system rollouts, or organizational changes—and build the practical roadmaps needed to make them work. I build trust through collaboration—translating complex goals into actionable plans, working across functions and cultures, and promoting knowledge sharing to drive consistency. Having visited 29+ countries, I bring a deep appreciation for diverse perspectives and enjoy fostering inclusive, high-performing teams. To keep my toolkit modern, I stay active in the MIT-backed Global Gen AI Professional Network. This ensures the solutions I implement are informed by tested, responsible best practices in AI and digital transformation. Core Focus: Strategic Execution: Turning executive-level priorities into functional, global reality. Executive Partnership: Establishing the decision-making rhythms that keep leadership teams aligned. Global Operations: Standardizing complex processes across international entities and diverse cultures. Simplifying Complexity: Translating technical or regulatory requirements into clear, actionable data standards. I’m interested in strategic initiatives and business transformation director roles in the greater Miami and Boston metro areas. I welcome the opportunity to connect and can be reached at rafaelecs@icloud.com.

Country

United States

City

Miami-Fort Lauderdale Area

Industry

Higher Education

Skill

Design Thinking, Problem Solving, Stakeholder Discovery, Social Impact, Strategic Program Management, Cross-Functional Governance, Global Operations & Strategy, Operational Excellence, U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), Procure-to-Pay (P2P), Record-to-Report (R2R), SOX Compliance, Internal Audit, Cost Optimization, Oracle Cloud EPM, Global Business, Governance Frameworks, Digital Transformation, Cross-functional Alignment, Business Process Integration

Experience

Finance Value Acceleration Lead

Lean Solutions Group

2026-3 - Present · 7 mos

Miami-Fort Lauderdale Area

General Member

aiglo

2025-9 - Present · 1 yr 1 mo

United States

Continuous Learning: Member of an MIT-backed community across 30+ countries, staying current on real-time AI breakthroughs and ethics. Knowledge Exchange: Participate in global discussions to identify practitioner-tested best practices for implementing AI in business. Strategic Awareness: Follow emerging trends and cross-industry applications to ensure transformation projects are built on the latest research. https://genglobal.ai

Senior Manager - Corporate Transformation

Laureate Education, Inc.

2021-7 - 2024-12 · 3 yrs 6 mos

Miami-Fort Lauderdale Area

Executive Partner: Worked directly with the CHRO and C-suite to set up the governance and cadence for a global ESG program. Operational Execution: Translated high-level recommendations from consultants into a practical oversight model used across the company. Alignment: Coordinated global projects across HR, Finance, and Operations to ensure consistency in metrics and data standards. Systems: Managed rollout of Oracle Cloud EPM in the U.S. and Latin America to improve financial reporting and accountability. Compliance: Improved data quality for ESG reporting and managed relationships with external rating agencies.

Manager - G&A Transformation

Laureate Education, Inc.

2019-2 - 2021-7 · 2 yrs 6 mos

Baltimore, Maryland, United States

Strategic Initiatives: Managed a portfolio of high-priority projects focused on organizational efficiency and cost-saving, resulting in $70M+ in annual savings. Discretion & Support: Partnered with the CHRO on sensitive leadership and workforce initiatives across two global regions. Executive Communication: Prepared the financial updates and materials used for Board of Directors and executive-level meetings. Regional Coordination: Acted as the central point for project leads in different countries to keep leadership informed on progress.

Manager - Global Shared Services

Laureate Education, Inc.

2018-2 - 2019-2 · 1 yr 1 mo

Washington DC-Baltimore Area

Global PMO & Compliance Control Excellence: Designed and implemented a SOX control testing program across three international Shared Services Centers, achieving 100% effectiveness in external audits. Benchmarking & Optimization: Led benchmarking initiatives for three global locations, identifying performance opportunities for the Corporate VP and regional executives. PMO Framework: Established a PMO framework for continuous improvement, enabling project tracking and alignment with global corporate objectives.

Senior Business Analyst - Financial Operations

Laureate Education, Inc.

2012-7 - 2018-2 · 5 yrs 8 mos

Washington DC-Baltimore Area

Global ERP Implementation & Change Management Standardization at Scale: Standardized operations across 25+ international locations through ERP implementation and legacy system consolidation. Service Transition: Partnered with Accenture to transition multi-location operations to shared services centers using replicated governance frameworks. User Enablement: Led change management for 100+ functional managers, supporting adoption while maintaining regulatory compliance.

Purchasing Analyst

Alfonzo Rivas & Cia

2006-3 - 2010-6 · 4 yrs 4 mos

Caracas, Venezuela

Operational Excellence & Supply Chain Working Capital Optimization: Optimized packaging procurement and planning, achieving a 20% reduction in overstock and $500K in annual supplier savings. Process Transformation: Re-engineered logistics and P2P workflows, reducing production lead times by 60% while ensuring 100% document compliance. Strategic Growth: Partnered with R&D to launch 15+ new product packages, contributing to a 30% increase in business unit sales.