Shalah Leonardo

Operations executive who builds what does not exist yet. Specializes in entering organizations with no governance, no dashboards, and no execution cadence — and installing the infrastructure that turns chaos into predictable performance. Deep experience spanning multi-site direction, C-suite reporting, cross-functional alignment, and large-scale vendor ecosystems across corporate, commercial, and hospitality sectors.

Comfortable reporting to Group CEOs and Board-level committees; fluent in translating operational data into strategic insight. Currently completing Lean Six Sigma Green Belt.

Interim Operations Lead at MVDS Business Solutions (2025-06 – 2025-12)

• Stabilized operational delivery during a leadership gap; managed cross-functional workflows and maintained client service continuity until permanent leadership was appointed

Head of Operations (Contract-to-Hire) at MESA CPA (2024-01 – 2025-06)

Partnered directly with founding partners to operationalize a newly launched service line; implemented the VTO framework, built company culture from the ground up, and established town halls as the communication backbone.

• Wrote SOPs in ClickUp, built automations in HubSpot, managed contractor performance on Deel, and implemented 15Five for team check-ins — installing workflow visibility, client tracking, contractor management, and performance management where none existed
• Handed over a fully operational foundation to the permanent hire; engagement completed successfully following operational readiness confirmation

Assistant Vice President — Operations at Fortis Investment Corporation (2022-01 – 2024-10)

Promoted to AVP, functioning as head of operations with direct reporting line to the Group CEO; sole owner of the organization's full P&L across commercial leasing, P86M OPEX + P50M CAPEX.

• Built operational governance from nothing: monthly business reviews, Capex dashboards, vendor KPI scorecards adopted by finance and procurement as the company-wide standard
• Restructured vendor contracts, resolved ~70% of legacy vendor debt, maintained SLA compliance throughout organizational restructuring
• Created cross-functional alignment systems across operations, finance, procurement, and HR; established SOPs, accountability frameworks, and escalation protocols that cut decision friction
• Delivered monthly operational performance and risk assessments to the Board; translated operational data into executive insights that influenced C-suite and investment committee strategy

Account Lead — Largest Account in UAE at CBRE & Global Workplace Solutions (2010-03 – 2022-08)

• Led multiple high-stakes projects during a 4-year engagement with Nissan, scaling contract value 70% through service expansion; received highest NPS score across the account portfolio and recognized as top-performing account lead
• Managed the largest account in the UAE within CBRE's GCC operations; directed commercial, corporate, and hospitality sites across three markets with constant revenue growth year over year and SLA compliance above 98%
• Contract Manager for Mars Inc. across Dubai and Egypt; restructured the vendor ecosystem overseeing 100+ vendors to deliver 16% operational cost reduction
• Added Keysight to the UAE portfolio and led the office refurbishment — a high-stakes, time-critical project; delivered on scope, timeline, and budget under compressed deadlines when no other resource was available
• Served as primary operational interface for Fortune 500 clients including Morgan Stanley and Citibank; managed contract renewals, quarterly business reviews, and escalation resolution with consistent satisfaction scores above 95%
• Supported Citibank's operational transition across 7 GCC markets; ensured service continuity, regulatory compliance, and vendor management during a complex multi-jurisdiction migration

Bachelor of Science in Computer Science – AMA Computer College