ANA LUCIA RUIZ CACERES

Performing as consultant for varied businesses from startups to Top 10 Forbes of multiple verticals (FMCG, Healthcare, Banking, Retail & E-Commerce, Communication, Technology, Transportation, Consumer electronics):

Concentrix, Business Process Outsourcing:

• Assess assigned accounts and develop in-depth understanding of their strategy, business goals, operations and technology, create End-to-end Process mapping and build roadmaps and recommendations for change.
• Implemented tailored solutions for client's and operations unique business needs. Recognized in 2023 for playing the crucial role in transforming into success a large scale and highly complex project of implementing a revolutionary Generative-AI solution for a FMCG client to increase efficiencies.
• Support Operations managing, designing and driving continuous improvement projects utilizing different methodologies (Agile, OCM, Lean Six Sigma, etc.)

Holistic Health Company, Startup, Dominican Republic:

• Mentored in the process of creating the Strategic planning, redesign identify and define business objectives. In 6 month they diversified their portfolio and boosted sales revenue.

TECCA Caribe, Water treatment company:

• Provided HSEQ expertise which enable them achieve the ISO 14001 certification and re-certify on ISO 9001 and ISO 45001.
• Delivered the standards, guidelines, framework, procedures, templates as well as the strategic planning framework and pillars in Line with ISO and cascaded the Strategic and business objectives.

INDESCO, Dominican Republic:

• Project Managed CAREMI, a social development program which objective is educate, train, and empower women, facilitating their inclusion in the labor market or initiate their own entrepreneurship.

• Oversaw the innovation portfolio of projects from definition through business result, ensuring execution followed the operating model and innovation playbooks, standards, and tools.
• Lead a high performing team of 9 project managers, 2 packaging specialist and 2 designers and oversee their activities to deliver on time, quality and within budget, projects of diverse complexities including new product launches, new production lines, sustainable packaging solutions, product or recipe renovations, artwork design, cost savings, etc,
• Coordinate project meetings to understand & track critical milestones; support the team identifying issues and establish contingency & acceleration plans; facilitate team decisions and issue resolution; assess risk and opportunity and implement the risk management plan.
• Drove the regular stage-gate meetings to provide visibility to stakeholders on project status, adherence to the Key Success Criteria and to the launch plans, risks management plan, and provide recommendations to remove roadblocks and facilitate deciders the Go/No-Go decision.
• Implemented the regional innovation portfolio governance, gathered inputs and conducted the regular portfolio reviews, providing unbiased recommendations to governance to enable prioritize projects, approve new scopes and assign resources that ensure the projects deliver the strategic innovation goals.
• Conducted Post Launch reviews to monitor success in business results as well as project metrics, and share lessons learned to foster continuous improvement and strengthen project management capabilities.
• Led the design and implementation of 'TU IDEA TRANSFORMA', a revolutionary program to foster Innovation and transformation, motivating all employees to submit ideas with potential to transform Nestle and impact consumers and environment positively.

• Successfully delivered the global project to streamline the Nestle Innovation End-to-End process to double speed in execution and double growth.
• Provided overall project management to a global cross-functional team of 30+ Subject Matter experts including R&D, Marketing, Packaging, Operations, Finance, Project Managers and others, to work in an integrated manner.
• Delivered the new global Innovation Standard, 27+ Function Standards, the audit manuals as well as 60+ Innovation training materials
• Built the global Innovation tools for projects prioritization, resource management, scope assessment, and led the deployment of the global Innovation Portfolio dashboards
• Trained 234 global trainers on varied innovation related process flows: Portfolio Management, Project Management, Agility in Consumer and Sensory Understanding, Ideation, Prototyping and Knowledge Sharing
• Project Managed and validated the Spanish Translation initiative, covering 50+ training materials to ease the learning process of the Spanish Speaking countries.
• Contributed to the development of he global Innovation Portfolio Governance and project management modules and process mapping requiring highly developed skills in stakeholder management at executive level, seeking alignment with global brand managers, Zone Managers, SBU Managers, Head of Finance, Corporate Portfolio Manager and get the Executive's buy-in.

• Implemented New Product Development System and Stage-Gate process and governance for several new Businesses and acquisitions.
• Assessed the innovation process, system and best practices of all markets, businesses, application groups and R&D Centers in Zone America, draw action plans, provided follow up and coaching to set up those teams for success.
• Provided daily support and guidance to the network of above 80 Innovation champions through the implementation of their Innovation Governance and levering gatekeepers and project management skills.
• Delivered the global development of Dashboards which helped Improve data accuracy from 80% to 95% in a year frame-time for better visibility at all organizational levels and speed of decision-making.

• Managed Innovation and Renovation projects from Ideation to closure through the NPDI process (Stage-Gate / Phase-Gate), launching flawless and on time 69 global and regional projects, in 32 markets, with a cross-functional team of 76 members.
• Drove the market to attain the Best-in-Class in New Product Development (Stage-Gate / Phase-Gate) best practices
• Designed and implemented a product’s label development process enabling reduce by 33% the time of approving a label

• Improved relationship with key suppliers by implementing the action-driven Monthly Review, focused in analyzing performance, identifying Opportunities and anticipating risks
• Designed and implemented the KPI Monitoring Dashboard and presented updates to senior management, highlighting key events, trends and risks in the demand outlook.
• Identified sourcing options for Business continuity.

• Successfully Implemented the SAP solution for the Demand and Supply Planning (DSP) and Distribution Requirements Planning (DRP) stream

• Implemented the Decision Support Solution and BW Training Strategy recognized as Best in Class and becoming Best Practice within LATAM.

• Supported the Business Managers to develop Nestle businesses in new territories within Africa and European Markets.