Ileana Fernandez

Senior Finance Executive with 20+ years of experience leading capital allocation, investment strategy and financial governance across multinational environments. Extensive experience managing large-scale investment portfolios (>$400M) and advising senior leadership through executive and board-level financial insights that drive strategic decision-making. Strong background in treasury, liquidity management and banking relationships, with deep exposure to multi-market investment environments, financial modeling (NPV, IRR) and capital deployment strategics.

Recognized for influencing high-stakes decisions by translating complex financial data into clear, actionable recommendations at the C-level.

REAL ESTATE FINANCE LEAD - WALMART - Central America

(2024-01 - 2026-12)

• Owned and optimized a $400M+ regional investment portfolio, leading capital allocation across five Central American countries
• Led financial structuring and investment evaluation for multi-country expansion initiatives, prioritizing projects based on IRR and strategic return thresholds
• Led investment discussions and presented strategic recommendations in executive and governance forums, influencing capital deployment decisions at senior leadership level
• Drove >15% profitability improvement through disciplined investment prioritization and portfolio management
• Partnered directly with senior leadership to align capital allocation with long-term growth strategy and market expansion priorities

COMMERCIAL FINANCE & PLANNING LEAD - WALMART

(2023-01 - 2024-12)

• Led financial strategy for commercial investments, optimizing return across pricing, margin and inventory initiatives
• Built executive-level performance frameworks, enabling data-driven decision-making and unlocking $8M in value recovery
• Manage multi-country financial planning, improving capital efficiency and reducing working capital cycles to <40 days

OPERATIONS FINANCE LEAD - WALMART

(2021-01 - 2023-12)

• Led financial performance for a multi-country operation (+800 stores & eCommerce), enabling real-time, data-driven strategic decisions
• Delivered $200M in value creation through operational optimization and strategic resource allocation
• Developed executive reporting frameworks to support high-frequency performance reviews and leadership decision-making

REAL ESTATE FINANCE LEAD - WALMART

(2018-01 - 2021-12)

• Improved financial modeling prioritizing projects with ROI higher than 13%
• Optimized P&L reporting (business plan and forecast) in just one unit and with less than 2% of variation

TREASURY LEAD - WALMART

(2016-01 - 2018-12)

• Led regional liquidity and funding strategy, supporting capital allocation decisions across multiple markets
• Managed banking relationships and negotiated financial structures, improving cost of capital and financial flexibility
• Provided strategic visibility into cash and liquidity positions, informing executive-level decision-making
• Centralized treasury operations, increasing efficiency by 30% and strengthening financial control frameworks

SENIOR TREASURY MANAGER - DOLE - North America and Latin America

(2012-01 - 2016-12)

• Led regional treasury operations across North America and Latin America, managing multi-country liquidity and banking structures
• Optimized banking relationships and financial structures, improving efficiency and control across markets
• Drove automation and standardization initiatives, delivering 25% efficiency improvements
• Supported strategic financial decisions through cash flow analysis and capital management insights

OTHER RELEVANT ROLES

(2001-01 - 2012-12)

• International Treasury & Back Office Manager
• Regional Cash Manager
• Cash Analyst

MBA - Banking and Finance - Universidad Latina Costa Rica (2010-12)

Bachelor's - Business Administration - Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica

Public Accounting - Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica