JORGE FARCA MENA
México City
Summary
Accomplished finance leader with over 15 years of experience in Financial Planning & Analysis (FP&A), financial control, and strategic financial management within multinational technology corporations. Expertise in driving financial performance, optimizing P&L, and leading cross-functional teams to implement strategic initiatives across LATAM, EMEAR, and APJC regions. Proficient in leveraging data to extract key insights, enhance forecast accuracy, and develop innovative financial solutions that drive business growth and operational efficiency. Committed to fostering a culture of collaboration and excellence to achieve organizational goals.
Overview
16
16
years of professional experience
Work History
Business Development Manager - Strategic Alliances LATAM-APJC
Cisco Systems
01.2022 - Current
- Company Overview: A global IT leader ($52B+ in sales) specializing in secure and agile internet solutions.
- Led LATAM team through strategic diversification, establishing KPIs to rebuild customer base and reinforce organic growth.
- Implemented new CRM and lead sourcing strategies, collaborating with field sales to significantly build and generate pipeline.
- Established new QBO agendas with quality KPIs, focusing on productivity, conversion rates, and historical data for strategic planning.
- Directed Global Commercial sales strategy in collaboration with Finance Partners, leveraging historical data and addressable markets.
- Rebuilt strategic alliances by removing operational barriers and providing tools, enhancing commercial focus.
- Developed robust financial solutions with Cisco Capital product management, providing critical financial relief to customers.
- Enabled and grew 15% of total Cisco Inc. Latam business amidst a challenging financial ecosystem.
Global Financial Project Controller
Thales
05.2021 - 01.2022
- Company Overview: A French corporation focused on transportation technologies, reducing operational costs and facilitating revenue generation.
- Managed financial performance for Mexico's most significant projects (Linea 1 & Mexico-Toluca Interurban train).
- Managed full P&L for the largest Business Line, ensuring accurate revenue and cost accounting, and proper allocation of shared service expenses.
- Conducted comprehensive project financial reviews to optimize performance and ensure financial health.
- Collaborated with Bid & Proposal teams, providing financial guidelines and optimizing cash management.
- Directed budget, forecast, and variance analysis across project, P&L, and balance sheet levels.
- Established key performance indicators (KPIs) with a strong focus on cash management.
Finance Controller
Cisco Systems
03.2019 - 12.2020
- Company Overview: Americas Service Providers LATAM / EMEAR Finance Controller Demonstrated record of success and achievement, marked by rapid promotions and driving full control of top-line forecasting and bottom-line controls.
- Implemented solid expenditure guidelines which resulted in a 38% reduction of OPEX.
- Improved forecast accuracy by 35% and revenue growth by 20% in an uncertain market with key customers (América Móvil, Televisa & Megacable) through close collaboration with sales and engineering.
- Developed and enhanced business performance dashboards, providing critical visibility to Americas Service Providers LATAM sales directors.
- Reduced audit maps by 20%, ensuring sales and marketing compliance with Cisco booking and revenue policies (USGAAP, SOX).
- Produced streamlined P&L and Balance Sheet reports for rapid variance analysis.
- Developed strong financial solutions with Cisco Capital to provide customers with financial relief.
- Developed financial models that identified optimal sales structures.
FP&A OPEX Management
Cisco Systems
05.2017 - 03.2019
- Company Overview: FP&A OPEX Management for LatAm & US Public Sector Promoted a strategic shift from expense to investment, effectively managing a $900M annual budget.
- Led financial management through unprecedented economic conditions in LatAm (e.g., hyperinflation in Venezuela & Argentina), providing critical insights on P&L impact from economic and FX fluctuations.
- Improved the expense-to-revenue and bookings ratio by 2 points through discretionary spend reduction initiatives.
- Implemented ad-hoc reports and analytical tools, empowering finance leaders to strategically redirect investments.
- Developed headcount structure models that redefined sales organizations.
Financial Planning Manager
Emerson
06.2013 - 05.2017
- Company Overview: A world-class technology and engineering company ($18B+ in sales) operating in domestic and industrial automation solutions.
- Led a team of 5 senior financial analysts, providing world-class financial support and value to diverse business units.
- Restructured finance operations and procedures to support high growth rates and evolving business models, transitioning from product-only sales to complex turn-key projects.
- Implemented robust financial and accounting controls, significantly improving the quality and timeliness of monthly financial results reporting.
- Exceeded entity financial targets with 18% revenue growth and 17.5% operating profit vs. prior year through close collaboration with local management.
- Improved forecast accuracy by 30% on Percentage of Completion accounting methods by establishing a cost structure that provided project stakeholders with true cost visibility and final contribution margin.
- Monitored project cost performance to ensure alignment of execution revenues with estimate-at-completion projections, adhering to USGAAP revenue recognition policies.
- Cultivated strong relationships with 13 Business Units, facilitating their annual planning, budgeting, forecasting, P&L, and balance sheet management.
- Led the development and enhancement of FP&A tools, reducing closing/opening activities and increasing time spent on strategic analysis from 35% to 85%, positioning the team as trusted business advisors.
Americas Segment Financial Planning Manager
Hewlett-Packard
11.2009 - 06.2013
- Company Overview: A global IT leader ($48B+ in sales) in personal systems and printers.
- Developed standard financial reports and in-depth financial analysis that supported senior management's operating plan execution.
- Provided business insights to Sales VPs through comprehensive P&L reporting for the Personal System Group by segment.
- Owned the financial performance, forecasting, and budgeting for the subscription-based service renewals business.
- Collaborated with senior management to develop saving plans, controlling ROI on over US$1.3M of subscriber assets and new monitoring contracts, increasing entity revenue by 23% vs. prior year.
- Achieved a significant inventory reduction, resulting in a $5M cut to Fair Market Value exposure.
- Increased Inventory Turnover (ITO) by 2.5 days, reducing inventory levels of customized PCs with specific SLAs.
- Improved forecast accuracy by 45% by working closely with account teams and building forecast models for top 20 accounts.
Education
MBA - Finance
Universidad Inter Continental
01.2012
Finance & Accounting
ITESM
01.2006
Bachelor’s - Business Administration
Universidad Inter Continental
01.2000
Skills
- Financial Management: Commercial Finance, Forecasting, P&L Management, Budgeting, Variance Analysis, Cash Management, Financial Modeling & Analysis, USGAAP, SOX Compliance, Revenue Recognition
- Strategic Leadership: Growth Strategies, Strategic Planning & Execution, Executive Leadership, Business Development, Business Planning, International Experience, Cross-Border Finance, Team Leadership, KPI Development
- Project & Risk Management: Project Management, Contract Management, Credit Risk Management
- Business Intelligence & Tools: Business Intelligence, Data Analysis, CRM Implementation, Oracle, Hyperion, SAP, Business Objects, Salesforce (SFDC), Microsoft 365, Tableau
LANGUAGES
Spanish: Native
English: Advanced (95%)
Portuguese: Intermediate (25%)
Timeline
Business Development Manager - Strategic Alliances LATAM-APJC
Cisco Systems
01.2022 - Current
Global Financial Project Controller
Thales
05.2021 - 01.2022
Finance Controller
Cisco Systems
03.2019 - 12.2020
FP&A OPEX Management
Cisco Systems
05.2017 - 03.2019
Financial Planning Manager
Emerson
06.2013 - 05.2017
Americas Segment Financial Planning Manager
Hewlett-Packard
11.2009 - 06.2013
Finance & Accounting
ITESM
Bachelor’s - Business Administration
Universidad Inter Continental
MBA - Finance
Universidad Inter Continental