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.

Download my resume