In a nutshell: A creative + strategic mind.

In a nutshell: A creative + strategic mind.

I’m a natural leader with extensive experience in digital innovation, design strategy, user experience, user interface, fintech, insurtech, advertising, marketing, content, social media, and a healthy obsession for human-centric design. My more than 15 years of experience running multi-functional teams for iconic brands such as Visa, Ford, Chase, and American Airlines, empowered me to become a driver of change and innovation.

I lead not just teams, but creative powerhouses. I’ve overseen multiple global and regional groups of UX/UI designers, digital creatives, product designers, art directors, UX writers, front-end developers, content strategists and project managers in more than 10 different locations across North America, South America and Europe.

Work Experience

April 2020 - Present

Head of Design
Visa’s LAC Innovation Center

Miami, Mexico, Brazil

  • Shaping the design thinking and product design practice, from growing a human centered design culture, to driving service design strategies, agile design operations, and maturing our capabilities

  • Leading dynamic regional and cross-border teams of design thinkers, design strategists, product designers and creative minds with the purpose of delivering outstanding digital experiences

  • Engaging clients and partners on strategic initiatives, ensuring visibility and impact

  • Driving the growth of several innovative, human-centered products and platforms, to scale our network, and strengthen our ecosystem

  • Co-leading the creation of a new Product Incubation team and its processes for fast piloting and deployment

  • Leading the prototyping process to visualize concepts and identify the ones with the most potential

  • Experimenting and pushing boundaries with new UX tactics and groundbreaking technologies

  • Part of the Global Design Leadership team, sharing best practices, thought leadership, and coaching cross-functional teams

Some of my most successful experiences:

  • Building a strong, driven, and talented Design Team from the ground up –in three different countries– despite a Pandemic and a global crisis

  • Spearheading the development of Visa’s first Design System in the region, evangelizing the organization about its efficiencies, and showcasing its impact in our productivity

  • Leading and/or supervising the co-creation and development of more than 20 human-centered solutions for a variety of partners, from amusement parks to global banks

January 2018 – April 2020

Chief Innovation Officer – Digital Engagement
NOVAE / Fintech

Miami, SFO, London, Bogota, Buenos Aires.

  • Ran and mentored a full-service multidisciplinary team, in order to create distinctive user experiences and intuitive solutions

  • Ensured the organization has the right capabilities, people and processes in place to deliver disruptive experiences and distinctive digital engagement strategies

  • Led and developed with the team, co-creation sessions with a design-thinking approach for our partners and clients. During these, we uncovered actionable insights and pain points to solve business challenges in the most unexpected ways

  • Digging deep into buying personas and every “why” behind their needs

  • Backing up our efforts with design strategies, packaged into great storytelling to create the perfect user journey

  • Worked side-by-side with designers and developers to create user-centric, universal, cross-border, all-digital, mobile-first, transactional solutions

  • Some of my most successful experiences with the team:

  • Revamping and redefining the entire digital platform experience for Visa Loyalty Solutions for LAC

  • Leading, from concept to development, B2B and B2C digital initiatives for 42 banks in more than 20 countries

  • Spearheading the co-creation team that won the development of an all-digital solution for a major loyalty airline program in LATAM

September 2015 – December 2017

Chief Innovation Officer – Creative & Marketing
MOTION LIFE / Fintech

Miami, SFO, Madrid, LATAM.

  • Ran a multidisciplinary/multicultural team in 3 different time zones: marketing leads, digital creatives, copywriters, art directors, UX & UI designers, front & back end developers, project managers, and everything in between

  • Led, from conception to development, all sorts of platform-agnostic strategies and solutions, apps, eCommerce sites, and digital campaigns for major partners; such as Visa, Diners Club, Grupo Promerica, Bancolombia and multiple banks in Latin America, as well as Movich Hotels and PriceSmart

  • Designed resource allocation processes to take potentially disruptive innovations forward, from seed stage to market

2009 – September 2015

Group Creative Director
ZUBI - Part of VMLY&R

Miami

  • Handled a team of 20+ creatives

  • Supervised all creative efforts for Zubi’s biggest account and one of the U.S. largest advertiser: Ford

  • Including 360º campaigns for all Ford nameplates, Spanish & Bilingual branding and tactical mass media initiatives, digital campaigns, content development and all social media efforts

  • Managed all creative initiatives for the U.S. Hispanic Market for Walgreens, Jif, Bustelo, Pilón & Smuckers

  • Also, worked on launch, relaunch, and follow-up campaigns for Lincoln, Mercury, American Airlines, SC Johnson (Windex, Glade, Raid, Oust, Off), Aflac, Baileys, Jif & Smuckers, Winn-Dixie and Olive Garden, Florida Lottery, Western Union, Progressive Direct, and AIG Direct, among other accounts

  • Involved in the development of insightful strategies and creative platforms

  • Part of the agency’s management committee and new business team

2005 – 2009

Associate Creative Director
ZUBI - Part of VMLY&R

Miami

  • Handled a team of 8 creatives

  • Worked on launch, relaunch, and follow-up campaigns for American Airlines, Lincoln, Mercury, SC Johnson (Windex, Glade, Raid, Oust, Off), Aflac, Baileys, Jif & Smuckers, Winn-Dixie and Olive Garden

  • Also, worked on Ford, Florida Lottery, Western Union, Progressive Direct, and AIG Direct, among other accounts

  • Supervised TV, Online video, radio, print and all digital productions

2003 – 2005

Sr. Creative
ZUBI - Part of VMLY&R

Miami

  • Worked on launch, relaunch, and follow-up campaigns for Lincoln, Mercury, SC Johnson (Windex, Glade, Raid, Oust, Off), Florida Lottery, Winn-Dixie, Olive Garden, and Progressive

  • Supervised TV, print and radio productions

2001 – 2002

Sr. Creative
ACCENTMARKETING - WPP

Miami

  • Worked on launch, relaunch, and follow-up campaigns for General Motors and Chevy

  • Assigned to international brands such as Bacardi Limón and Samsung

  • Developed creative advertising strategies

  • Supervised TV and radio productions

  • Great cross cultural and international experience

2000 – 2001

Sr. Creative
OGILVY

Miami

  • Worked on launch, relaunch, and follow-up campaigns for American Express and Kodak Latin America

  • Created campaigns for Terra.com in the U.S

  • Managed Kimberly Clark international brands such as Huggies

  • Pull-Ups, and Suave

  • Supervised TV and radio productions

Skills

Empathetic Leadership

Digital Innovation & Engagement

Product Development

Design Strategy + Research

Transformational Design

User Experience

Partner Co-creations

Team Building + Growth

Creative Direction

Cross-functional Teams

Holistic Problem Solving

Mentoring + Coaching

Education

Hyper Island, London

Human Centric Design / UX Lab

Florida International University - Miami, Florida.

Business Program - Excellence Award.

Universidad Casa Grande

Major: Communications / Minor: Creative Writing.

Graduated with honors.

 

Escuela de Comunicación Mónica Herrera

Associate Degree in Advertising.

Awards

Awwward, FWA, Effie, Wave, Clio, Fiap, Ojo de Ibero América, Mercury, Addys, among others.