GUILLERMO A. SUAREZ
Senior Management
Summary
A results-driven leader with over 20 years of management experience, known for courageously spearheading change, managing organizational transitions, and driving continuous improvement. Demonstrated accomplishments across multiple industries, including manufacturing, logistics/distribution, industrial sales, and federal government administration, in both private and public sector organizations ranging from 100 to 3,000 employees. Skilled in navigating global, multi-site, and multicultural environments, I offer a valuable combination of senior management and public administration skills, industrial engineering, and sales/procurement experience. Possess hands-on knowledge of all operational functional areas and expertise in negotiating and resolving national conflicts.
Overview
32
32
years of professional experience
1
1
Language
Work History
Director of Operations
AMB Logistica & Suministros, SA
09.2019 - Current
- Established and monitored quality assurance standards to achieve operational excellence.
- Reported issues to higher management with great detail.
- Optimized supply chain management through the implementation of best practices, reducing lead times and improving inventory control.
- Raised property accuracy and accountability by creating new automated tracking method.
- Ensured optimal resource utilization by employing effective project management methodologies that maximized ROI without compromising quality or deadline adherence.
- Spearheaded implementation of process improvements and cost-saving initiatives to increase value and maximize profits.
- Assisted in recruiting, hiring and training of team members.
- Developed systems and procedures to improve operational quality and team efficiency.
- Trained and guided team members to maintain high productivity and performance metrics.
- Developed and executed strategic plans to achieve organizational goals and drive sustainable growth.
Vice Minister
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS
1 2019 - 06.2019
- Presidential Assignment, Republic of Panama: Tasked by the President to resolve all management issues within the Ministry's office and facilitate a smooth transition between the current administrative team and the incoming Minister and his staff.
- National Assembly Presentation: Appeared before the National Assembly Budget Committee to request the reallocation of budgetary resources to fulfill financial obligations to companies with outstanding invoices for projects under the Ministry of Public Works.
- Ministerial Representation: Represented the Minister at various high-profile external events and meetings, including the White House Presidential Cabinet Council on Public Works and Infrastructure, meetings at the Panamanian Chamber of Construction, and all national fairs and expos.
- Ministry Spokesperson: Designated spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, serving as the primary contact for all media interviews. Provided updates on the Ministry's activities during morning news programs and addressed conflicts and disputes with communities.
- Accounts Payable Coordination: Oversaw the coordination of all accounts payable within the Contract Division Unit. Led a team of administrators to ensure timely payments to companies and suppliers in accordance with the budget schedule for contracts and projects with the Ministry of Public Works.
Secretary General
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS
01.2016 - 01.2019
- Ministerial Representation: Represented the Minister and/or Vice Minister in Public meetings, Presidential Cabinet sessions, and other events as assigned to the Minister's office.
- Coordination with Minister's Office: Coordinating and managing all matters between the Minister's office and the administrative team within the Ministry of Public Works (MOP). Responsibilities included the approval of environmental studies and budget-related payments.
- Project Planning and Supervision: Planned, coordinated, and supervised all technical, strategic, and operational activities for projects presented by the Ministry of Public Works for public tendering. Organized and evaluated contractor performance on capital improvement and maintenance programs, addressing operational challenges and adding contract addendums to ensure timely project completion.
- Environmental Studies Oversight: Supervised the preparation and approved the terms of reference for all environmental studies contracted and executed by the Ministry of Public Works, ensuring the existence of mitigation plans, maintenance of environmental quality, and compliance with all required laws.
- Collaboration with Multilateral Organizations: Developed and supervised programs and projects in partnership with multilateral organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (BID), The World Bank (WB), and the European Commission (EC). Projects, including roads and bridges in rural areas, involved coordination with public, non-governmental, and private stakeholders, providing significant technical assistance and development aid to the locals.
- Project Investment and Management: Managed an investment of $5,363 million in projects covering 2,381 kilometers across the country during my tenure at the Ministry of Public Works. Projects included road rehabilitation, road maintenance, and the construction of bridges, streets, and new roads. Notable achievements include the construction of 351 new vehicular bridges, 35 pedestrian bridges, and 38 modular vehicular bridges; rehabilitation and maintenance of 225 vehicular bridges and 90 pedestrian bridges; and the construction of 23 new interchanges with four viaducts roads.
- Infrastructure Megaprojects: Formulated and directed major infrastructure projects such as the 4th Bridge over the Panama Canal ($1,500 million), the expansion to 8 lanes of the Pan-American Highway (Bridge of the Americas – Arraiján section, $500 million), the New Beaches Highway (Section 1: La Chorrera-Santa Cruz, $603 million; Section 2: Santa Cruz-San Carlos, $349 million), and the Panama North New Highway ($96 million), ensuring adherence to established plans and technical specifications. Total investment in these projects amounted to $3,048 million.
- Community Engagement and Accountability: Coordinated visits to communities nationwide to oversee the execution of government and institutional programs and projects from the Ministry of Public Works. Ensured public resource accountability and addressed community requests for goods and services by forwarding them to the appropriate institutions for consideration.
Deputy Secretary for Presidential Goals
MINISTRY OF THE PRESIDENCY
1 2014 - 1 2017
- Team Building and Training: Organized a professional and technical team to fulfill tasks and functions assigned by the President, including all Presidential Goals.
- Sustainable Development Agenda 2030: Selected by the President to collaborate with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) to create the "Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 for Panama." Contributed to the roadmap aimed at eradicating poverty and improving quality of life based on international human rights standards. This plan was later presented by the President at the United Nations.
- SIGOB System Development: Collaborated with the UNDP to create and manage the SIGOB System, which is responsible for tracking objectives, achievements, and results linked to Presidential Goals, ensuring accountability and completion.
- National Budget Contribution: Contributed to the creation of the National Budget as part of the team that prepared the operating budget draft. This draft was incorporated into the Budget Project of the Ministry of the Presidency and other institutions within the Presidential Goals Program.
- Collaboration with Ministers and Directors: Managed information from public institutions involved in the Presidential Goals Program, ensuring their proposals aligned with principles of good governance and contributed to achieving final objectives.
- Monthly Presidential Meetings: Coordinated and prioritized the execution of goals, objectives, and tasks with the President. Provided periodic compliance reports on each ministry and public institution, focusing on efficiency, transparency, and effective resource utilization.
- Facilitation and Support: Established support systems for ministries and public institutions, aiding them in overcoming obstacles and enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of their goal attainment under the Presidential Goals Program.
- Presidential Cabinet Participation: Presented technical recommendations at Presidential Cabinet Council meetings, advising ministers, state officials, and state entities on goal achievement. Represented and presented emblematic Presidential Projects in private and public meetings by the President's instructions.
- Conflict Mediation: Mediated conflicts between communities, labor unions, tribal affairs, and the federal government.
- Supervision of Presidential Projects: Coordinated and supervised an investment of $14,126 million over five years in emblematic Presidential Projects, benefiting Panamanians. Key projects included:
- Basic Water Sanitation for Everyone/Zero Latrines: Installation of 300,000 new sanitary units.
- Line #2 of the Panama Metro: Extension to the East Side of Panama, covering 21 km from San Miguelito to Nuevo Tocumen.
- New Road Infrastructure: Construction of 2,500 km of new roads and bridges nationwide.
- Roofs of Hope (Techos Esperanza): Construction of 50,000 low-income homes with a $1,664 million investment.
- My School First (Mi Escuela Primero): Construction of 42 new schools nationwide.
- Health Infrastructure: Building of 10 new hospitals.
- Urban Renewal of Colón: Creation of a new community, "Los Lagos," and the construction of a new sewage system and residual treatment plants for Colón.
- Advisory Team Member: Traveled with the President to participate in governmental meetings and foreign events. Coordinated meetings between the President, Congressional Members, and National Assembly Representatives to develop support for community projects under the Presidential Goals Program.
District “Regional” Manager
FASTENAL PANAMA
01.2008 - 01.2012
- Regional Sales Team Leadership: Recruited, managed, and led an efficient and reliable Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) sales team and supply chain for stores and distribution centers across Latin America.
- Sales Growth in Latin America: Oversaw sales growth by recruiting, opening, and supervising business/stores in Panama, Costa Rica, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Honduras, generating annual sales of $5-7 million for the region.
- Business Expansion in Latin America: Developed proposals, sales presentations, quotes, and contracts for potential customers, and provided senior management with monthly sales revenue and profit and loss (P&L) reports.
- Partnership Development: Created new partnerships and eliminated redundancies, resulting in a 20% increase in sales across Latin America.
- Account Management: Managed multi-million dollar accounts and negotiated contracts with key customers such as the Panama Canal, CEMEX, and AES Energy.
- Sales Strategy Development: Formulated short- and long-term sales strategies to gain market share, collaborating with regional branch managers and account executives to identify new sales opportunities, develop existing accounts, and increase revenue.
- Procurement Strategy Creation: Transformed the logistics operation by evolving the ocean transportation procurement function into a comprehensive logistics execution team, encompassing warehouse management, Third-Party Logistics Providers (3PLs), vendor management, and enterprise-wide regulatory compliance.
- International Outsourcing Management: Streamlined the global distribution network by evaluating international logistics and regulatory impacts, recommending courses of action for multiple international outsourcing vendors.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Led cross-collaborative teams to develop new products and consistently deliver profit-driven revenue models, successfully driving new business development efforts.
- New Business Generation: Generated new business for Fastenal Latin America through effective networking and creative marketing plans, implemented within strict advertising budgetary guidelines, resulting in annual sales increases of 30%-55%.
Plant Manager
EMI Industries
01.2003 - 01.2007
- Plant Management: Directed a state-of-the-art, automated wood milling and metal fabrication plant, overseeing department managers and employees responsible for all manufacturing processes from custom design to shipping. Led monthly plant-wide meetings to present production numbers, budget goals, and achievements to the board of directors.
- Operations Budget Management: Planned and controlled monthly operations budgets, managing labor costs, materials, maintenance, and tool requirements.
- Team Building and Development: Interviewed, hired, and coached department managers, line leaders, and production workers. Implemented skills training, safety programs, cross-training initiatives, and prepared written performance evaluations.
- Customer Satisfaction Assurance: Conducted site installation visits to ensure customer satisfaction, deliver excellent service, and recognize team efforts.
- Customer and Engineering Interface: Engaged in strategic and technical planning throughout the product design process to ensure manufacturing feasibility. Interacted with subordinates, peers, senior management, customers, and suppliers to align objectives.
- Lean Manufacturing Implementation: Significantly increased throughput, reduced waste, and eliminated errors by implementing Lean Manufacturing techniques based on the Toyota Production System. Held Kaizen events, established Kanbans, introduced Poka-Yoke techniques, and applied constraint management concepts.
- Operational Efficiency Improvements: Redesigned operational processes and improved training and staff utilization, maintaining production levels while reducing staff.
- Six Sigma Implementation: Improved quality and efficiency through the implementation of Six Sigma methodologies, focusing on Statistical Process Control to reduce downtime and rework.
- Vendor Management and JIT Production: Led a team to identify new vendors, ensuring on-time delivery and automated inventory stocking programs. Implemented Just-in-Time (JIT) production methodology, resulting in a 25% improvement in efficiency.
- Outsourced Vendor Program: Played a key role in identifying and transitioning work to outsourced vendors, reducing total manufacturing costs by 35%.
- Capital Equipment Integration: Identified, selected, purchased, and managed the integration of automated wood milling, routing, drilling, and edge-banding equipment from Stiles Machinery.
- Safety Improvements: Enhanced safety rankings across all four EMI plants by significantly reducing lost time and worker's compensation claims. Created safety and First Responder teams to identify and address safety issues. Mandated the use of safety gear and trained workers on proper tool use and lifting techniques to prevent injuries.
Engineering Manager
EMI Industries
01.2002 - 01.2003
- Design Team Leadership: Directed a team of design and project engineers, as well as drafting technicians. Assigned projects, supervised project managers, and conducted reviews and approvals of drawings, bills of materials, and product routers. Oversaw prototype development and spearheaded the selection of 3-D modeling software (SolidWorks) for all engineering department workstations.
- Project Quoting and Process Optimization: Led project quoting initiatives to attract new business and developed process mapping for metal and wood products to enhance efficiency and ensure timely delivery to customers.
- Cross-functional Collaboration: Facilitated communication and collaboration between design, manufacturing, sales, customer service, and purchasing teams. Ensured designs aligned with customer specifications and manufacturing capabilities. Initiated ordering procedures to guarantee on-time deliveries to the manufacturing floor.
- Supply Chain Management: Managed the implementation of the new China Supply Chain Program, including identifying suppliers and component manufacturers in China for potential joint ventures.
Process Engineer
EMI Industries
01.2001 - 01.2002
- Process Improvement in Metal & Wood Plants: Spearheaded process improvement initiatives in the Metal & Wood plants. Established and led quality control teams to optimize workstations and workflow. Conducted comprehensive time studies and work measurements to enhance efficiency. Implemented single-cell manufacturing workstations to streamline operations.
- Metal-cutting Laser Equipment Acquisition ($2 million): Contributed as a key member of the decision team responsible for conducting a feasibility study to assess and select new machinery for the plant. Played a pivotal role in the acquisition process, including the evaluation and selection of the new Laser (Trumpf) machine, representing a significant investment of $2 million.
Project Engineer
TELTEK Inc.
01.2000 - 01.2001
- Design and Manufacturing Management of Power Distribution Products: Directed the design and supervised the manufacturing process of all power distribution products. Managed various projects for both new and existing products, from the initial design concept to shipment. Traveled to all four TELTEK locations to provide oversight and ensure project success.
- Client and Internal Department Coordination: Facilitated communication and collaboration between clients and all internal departments. Estimated project hours, costs, and staffing requirements, and effectively scheduled work with manufacturing managers to meet project deadlines.
- Implementation and Support of Standards: Implemented and supported ISO-9000, ANSI, ASME, and UL standards to ensure compliance and maintain high-quality standards throughout the design and manufacturing processes.
Director of Operation/Plant Manager
INDUSTRIAS GALAXIA
01.1995 - 1 2000
- Operations Management of High-Volume Sheet Metal Plants: Oversaw the operation management of three high-volume sheet metal plants. Led management teams, formulated and managed budgets, and monitored expenses for each plant. Managed purchasing activities to maintain optimal supply levels and ensured adherence to contract timelines.
- Management of China Import Program: Established and cultivated relationships with Chinese suppliers and component manufacturers as part of the China Import Program management.
- Contract Negotiation: Negotiated contracts with local government entities as well as with industry leaders such as Siemens, GE, and Schneider Group.
- Supplier Relationship Development: Developed and maintained relationships with international and local suppliers to support company operations.
- Direction of Injection Molding Program: Led the injection molding program, overseeing processes such as progressive die casting, metal stamping, MIG/TIG welding, and spot welding. Managed associated budgets and controlled costs.
- Manufacturing Efficiency Enhancement: Strategically planned workflow, equipment placement, and space requirements to enhance manufacturing efficiency.
- Regulatory Compliance: Ensured that all manufacturing processes complied with relevant government laws and regulations.
Industrial Engineer
CHIPS AND TECHNOLOGIES
01.1992 - 01.1995
- Consulted with customers and clients to collect feedback for use in revamping production procedures.
- Monitored and optimized production processes to increase throughput and improve quality.
- Supervised production workers to determine problematic areas and implement solutions for optimized production.
- Reduced downtime and increased production capacity with strong maintenance plans.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to develop and implement process changes.
- Led process improvement projects that resulted in substantial reduction of waste materials during production runs.
Education
B.S., Industrial Engineering (BSIE) -
Fresno State University
Fresno, CASkills
- Analytical Skills & Thinking
- Decision-Making
- Problem-solving abilities
- Strategic leadership
- Organizational Skills
- Continuous Improvement
- Professionalism
- Effective Communication
- Team building
- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Multitasking Abilities
- Maximizing productivity, processes, and quality
- Increasing shareholder ROI
- Strengthening bottom-line financial performance
- Six Sigma Black Belt Certification
- Lean Manufacturing Certification
- Project Management
- Supply Chain Management
- Microsoft Office
- AutoCAD
- Solid Works
- MRP (MACOLA)
- CRM (Saleforce)
- SIGOB
- ERP (ISTMO)
- ERP (SAP)
Timeline
Director of Operations
AMB Logistica & Suministros, SA
09.2019 - Current
Secretary General
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS
01.2016 - 01.2019
District “Regional” Manager
FASTENAL PANAMA
01.2008 - 01.2012
Plant Manager
EMI Industries
01.2003 - 01.2007
Engineering Manager
EMI Industries
01.2002 - 01.2003
Process Engineer
EMI Industries
01.2001 - 01.2002
Project Engineer
TELTEK Inc.
01.2000 - 01.2001
Director of Operation/Plant Manager
INDUSTRIAS GALAXIA
01.1995 - 1 2000
Industrial Engineer
CHIPS AND TECHNOLOGIES
01.1992 - 01.1995
Vice Minister
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS
1 2019 - 06.2019
Deputy Secretary for Presidential Goals
MINISTRY OF THE PRESIDENCY
1 2014 - 1 2017
B.S., Industrial Engineering (BSIE) -
Fresno State University