Javier Restrepo

Revenue growth, turnaround and multi-unit operations executive with 30+ years of leadership across education, hospitality, fintech, real estate and publishing. Proven record of rebuilding underperforming teams and businesses, including increasing monthly sales to $1.2M, launching a fintech platform that attracted 50,000 users, and converting a school from an $11,400 monthly loss to a $5,000 profit within 60 days. Secured a strategic alliance generating an average of $90,000 in additional monthly net earnings for the company.

Entrepreneurial leader skilled in business development, sales transformation, operational improvement, strategic partnerships and team development. Fluent in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French; 4th Degree Black Belt in Taekwondo.

Business Development & Change Management Director - Victory Martial Arts - Multi-state

(2023-01 - 2026-12)

Multi-state martial arts organization with 40+ locations across eight states and 300+ full-time employees.

• Turnaround & Restructuring: Lead comprehensive reviews of underperforming schools and develop targeted improvement plans spanning operations, sales, marketing, training and employee engagement.
• Revenue Growth Strategy: Design and execute marketing, sales-process and customer-engagement initiatives to strengthen customer acquisition and revenue performance.
• Strategic Alliance & Profit Growth: Negotiated and secured a strategic alliance generating an average of $90,000 in additional monthly net earnings for the company—projected to be over $1,000,000 in its first year.
• Operational Excellence: Analyze and streamline workflows to improve efficiency, reduce costs and strengthen service delivery.
• Leadership Development: Retrain teams, facilitate team-building and implement engagement strategies that improve employee skills, accountability and productivity.
• Publishing: Co-wrote, edited and published Victory for Life, 7 Life Skills to Victory, an Amazon No. 1 Best Seller.

Owner/Founder - Tarjeta Azul - Paraguay

(2019-01 - 2023-12)

Fintech virtual bank, Paraguay.

• Business Growth: Launched and scaled a fintech virtual banking platform to 50,000 users through targeted marketing, customer-acquisition and sales strategies.

General Manager & Owner/Founder - Arthaus Boutique Hotel - Asunción, Paraguay

(2012-01 - 2023-12)

Upscale 40-room hotel in Asunción, Paraguay, recognized as the highest-rated property in its TripAdvisor category.

• Operations & Guest Experience: Directed hotel operations and built a service culture centered on personalized guest experiences, operational consistency and customer satisfaction.
• Customer Service: Earned guest praise for attentive, needs-based service and the dedication of the hotel team.

External Consultant - Invursa - Asunción, Paraguay

(2022-05 - 2022-09)

Real estate development and management company in Asunción, Paraguay.

• Revenue Growth: Revitalized an underperforming sales team, increasing average monthly sales fivefold within 30 days and reaching $1.2M in monthly revenue within five months—a 1,400% increase over pre-engagement performance.

School Program Director - Victory Martial Arts - Multi-state

(2002-01 - 2012-12)

Multi-state martial arts organization.

• Top Performance: Received "Highest and Best Performing" recognition for five consecutive years.
• Revenue Growth: Enrolled 220+ new students annually versus a goal of 144 and consistently generated $30K+ in monthly revenue.
• Turnaround: Converted a failing school from an $11,400 monthly loss to a $5,000 monthly profit within 60 days.

Life Coach – Founder/Owner - Quantum - Paraguay

(1996-01 - 2002-12)

Life-coaching and personal-development organization in Paraguay.

• Seminar Leadership: Founded and led an organization that served 1,000+ participants annually and produced more than 10,000 graduates.

Director – Chief Editor - Discurso

(1991-01 - 1993-12)

Latin American literary-criticism publication; internationally acclaimed author Isabel Allende served on the Board of Directors.

• Turnaround Leadership: Revived a publication facing bankruptcy, growing it to 350+ subscriptions and securing placement at 300+ universities, including all eight Ivy League institutions.
• Editorial & Market Strategy: Directed editorial operations, marketing and academic outreach to expand membership and establish a strong university presence.

Bachelor of Arts - Creative Writing - Hamilton College