Armando Romo Borja

Joined SOMA in 2022 as Commercial Director for the Construction Area, with the objective of coordinating the procurement process efforts, and achieving the best commercial contracting terms in the bidding process of all the company’s projects, such as the following:

• Soho House Mexico City, integrated by a 4-keys private club in a 19th century property, and a 9,800 sqm construction of a 73-keys hotel.
• Park Hyatt Corporate Offices, a 30-story building development with a 32,070 sqm construction area, and 24,570 sqm GLA; Park Hyatt Hotel and Residences, with a 38,430 sqm construction area, 155 keys and 23 residences in a 30-story building; Park Hyatt Hotel Los Cabos, with a 39,705 sqm construction area, 163 keys and 19 residences.
• Antara Expansion Project, a development of a shopping center with 30,904 sqm commercial GLA, 76 stores, 1 department store with 50,342 sqm GLA, in a 100,500 sqm construction area; it includes a 43-story building which is considering a Rosewood Hotel in a 22,322 sqm construction area, with 142 keys.
• Torre Reforma Colón, a multiple-use complex, with 8 basement parking floors and shops, a 61 story building, with 40 levels for office spaces and 20 levels for hotel, with heliport, at an approximate 500,000 sqm construction area (project under reconfiguration).
• Anima Village Los Cabos, a high-end shopping center development, with 20 stores and restaurants, and a beach club with an approximate construction area of 30,000 sqm.
• Soho House Los Cabos, reception area building, perimetral roads, and a beach club in 18,500 sqm.

The total budget for all enlisted projects was $770M US. During my time at SOMA, $270M US (out of the $770M US) were negotiated. I achieved a 10% average savings according to the final offers received.

• Project Director, involving Pre Construction Purchasing Manager for MDP/Equinix including further Construction Management effort of two Data centers in Querétaro, Mexico, one with construction of 10,500 sqm, with a $212M MXN budget and $7.2M USD (MEP Equipment by Owner), and a second Data Center, with an 11,200 sqm construction area, a $224 M MXN budget and 9.3M USD (MEP Equipment by Owner), complying with the required standards of safety, quality, environment, governance and LEED certifications.
• Project Director in the Espacio Condesa project for Fibra Plus, involving pre-construction services and Construction Management of 100,000 sqm of basement parking lots and 36,000 sqm of a shopping center.
• Real State portfolio leader for HSBC, with over 1,100 buildings. Responsible for the areas of data management, payments, contracts renewal, permits and licenses, as well as contract renewals and transactions for new branches, establishing a relationship of trust and respect with the HSBC Corporate Services Management, and achieving favorable negotiations for the client, by renewing and obtaining lease contracts below inflation costs.
• Led the Project Team for FedEx Mexico's program, overseeing logistics implementation in over 100 locations. Collaborated with FedEx project managers on business case development, space acquisition, lease negotiations, and permit acquisition through an independent agent. Managed improvement works, equipment installation, safety, IT, and compliance with budget and construction schedule. During the peak season from November 2017 to January 2018, achieved significant savings of 28% against the approved budget for the total lease period (5 years), 22% in capital funds, and 39% in fixed expenditures, in collaboration with the team.
• As Project Director for Brinks/PanAmericano, led and supervised four simultaneous projects, establishing JLL as a trusted Project Management services provider. Achieved a 5% cost savings in the Tlalnepantla Vehicular Shop through optimized construction procedures, and a 10% savings in the construction schedule by implementing changes to the general contractor's field logistics and procedures.
• As Torre BBVA Procurement Director, I coordinated with project and construction directors, overseeing the procurement of services for licensing, design and construction for three projects in total: an Operation Center, a Data Center, and the main tower (Torre BBVA) in line with the project Master Plan. I collaborated with BBVA's Real Estate Corporate Projects, Purchases, Risk Management, and Legal Services, establishing connections for acquisitions based on the master plans of two key projects. My responsibilities included managing purchases for long-term procurement projects, achieving a 5% savings on total purchases (approximately $1,200M USD) while standardizing procurement processes for transparency and fairness. I also maintained a link with BBVA's Corporate Purchases area in Madrid, Spain, ensuring compliance with the master plans of three hyper projects.

• Assistant Commercial Director, responsible for the promotion of earth drilling contracts within the Chicontepec Paleonchannel, as well as for different contract models for Pemex Deep Water projects.

• Construction Engineer and Project Manager for the following projects: Deep Sewer System of Mexico City, the 7th North Line of the city’s Metro system, the Tuxpan, Veracruz thermoelectric plant, among others.
• Project Manager for the Mabe Stoves Plant and for a Cuauhtémoc Beer plant in Navojoa, Sonora.
• Project Manager for the 8th Line of the Metro system in Mexico City, the Banamex Corporate Building in Santa Fe, Mexico, and the Urban Train in the city of San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• Bidding Projects Director for national and international construction and infrastructure projects. I oversaw the different stages of the process: selection, contract risk analysis and mitigation, formulation of proposals, and closing. The projects were located in various countries, such as Mexico, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Panama, Chile, Venezuela, Colombia, Argentina and Guatemala.