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Cielo Hernandez
Global Finance Executive - Board Member - Strategy - Business Transformation - Talent Management - M&A - Operational Excellence - Manufacturing - Logistics - Technology - Energy -
Professional Background
Cielo Hernandez is a distinguished global strategic leader with an impressive portfolio of progressive experience spanning Finance, Operations, Procurement, and Information Systems. Cielo has dedicated many years to navigating the complexities of financial environments in both the United States and Latin America, making her a valuable asset to any organization seeking innovative solutions in these regions. Her results-oriented and problem-solving attitude has established her as a solid leader capable of driving diverse multicultural teams toward remarkable achievements.
As a strategic visionary, Cielo has excelled in various capacities throughout her career, including pivotal leadership roles at esteemed organizations. Currently, she serves as the Chief Financial Officer at XL Fleet, where she leads financial operations and fosters robust partnerships that align operational strategies with financial targets. Previously, she held the position of Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at South Jersey Industries, where she played a crucial role in driving business growth and operational efficiency. Cielo's expertise extends beyond financial management; she is known for her adeptness in navigating mergers and acquisitions, post-acquisition integrations, and business process design, contributing to organizations' success across the board.
Her tenure as VP & CFO for North America and Canada Region at A.P. Moller - Maersk and VP & Regional CFO for Latin America at APM Terminals highlights her capability as a trusted business partner and innovator. Cielo's dedication to excellence is reflected in her impeccable reputation for building strategic partnerships with functional leaders, thus effectively bridging the gap between operational decisions and their financial implications. She is known for her ability to mentor and develop high-performing teams that understand the importance of collaboration and communication in achieving shared goals.
Education and Achievements
Cielo's educational background is as impressive as her professional journey. She has earned her Bachelor of Accounting degree with a focus on Accounting and Finance from Universidad Santiago de Cali. Further investing in her education, she pursued a Post Graduate degree in Finance at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and completed an Executive Certificate in Human Resource Talent Management at Universidad Santiago de Cali. Cielo's commitment to continuous learning led her to obtain multiple prestigious certificates, including those from Cornell University in Executive Leadership and High-Performance Teams.
Moreover, she expanded her global perspective by attending the IMD Business School in Switzerland, where she gained invaluable insights in Executive Leadership and Business Administration. This multifaceted educational foundation has equipped Cielo with a robust skill set tailored for navigating the complexities of modern business environments and strategic leadership.
Notable Contributions and Specialties
Cielo Hernandez is well-regarded not only for her financial acumen but also for her broad expertise encompassing strategic planning, budgeting, system implementation, and reorganization. She has been instrumental in the successful implementation of internal controls, SOX compliance, and business transformation initiatives. Cielo's skills in financial reporting and strategic cost reduction have made her a trusted advisor in both operational and capital decisions.
Among her key specialties, Cielo demonstrates a profound understanding of financial processes and operational risk assessments. Her proficiency in international accounting standards, including Local, IFRS, and US GAAP, is complemented by her treasury and tax planning experience, which ensures that organizations meet necessary regulatory standards and maintain financial integrity.
Cielo’s achievements also highlight her effectiveness in leading talent development initiatives. Her ability to engage and motivate virtual teams creates an environment where innovation thrives, allowing for enhanced operational performance and profitability. As a strategic partner, she has facilitated many successful joint ventures and mergers, showcasing her proficiency in navigating complex negotiations.
In addition to her executive roles, Cielo has contributed her expertise to various organizations as a Board Member and Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee at Rowan University, and as a former Board Member of the Chamber of Commerce Southern New Jersey. These leadership positions underscore her commitment to community engagement and the advancement of shared business goals through collaboration.
Conclusion
In summary, Cielo Hernandez stands out as a passionate and innovative leader in the financial and operational domains. Her credentials as a strategic planner, mentor, and business influencer have positioned her as a driving force for successful change and transformation in her organizations. With a remarkable track record in fostering high-performing teams, navigating mergers and acquisitions, and implementing comprehensive risk management strategies, Cielo is a prime example of excellence in leadership within the global business landscape.
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Clay works by automatically bringing together your contacts from various sources like email, calendar, address book, iOS Contacts, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, and iMessage. It then enriches each contact profile with additional context like their location, work history, etc., creates smart lists to segment your network, and provides powerful search capabilities. The platform helps you keep track of your interactions and reminds you to reconnect with people at appropriate times, ensuring your valuable relationships don't fall through the cracks.
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- Reminders and Notes: Helps you remember important details about contacts
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- Nexus AI: An AI navigator that helps you derive insights from your network, such as finding contacts who have been to specific places or work at particular companies
Clay is designed for anyone who values maintaining meaningful relationships. The app is popular among a wide range of industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. It’s even used by half the Fortune 500! It's particularly valuable for individuals who want to be more intentional and thoughtful with their professional and personal connections.
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Clay takes privacy seriously. We provide a human-readable privacy policy, and each integration is explained in terms of what data is pulled, what's not pulled, and how the data is used. Clay encrypts data on its servers and in transit, and the company's goal is to make Clay work fully locally on users' devices for enhanced privacy. Clay is also SOC 2 Type 2 certified.
Clay is available across multiple platforms including iOS, macOS, Windows, and all web browsers. Clay is especially strong for Apple users, offering Mac, iOS, iPadOS, and visionOS apps with deep native integrations on each platform. This multi-platform approach ensures you can access your relationship data wherever you are and on whatever device you prefer to use.
Clay offers tiered pricing options to suit different needs. The service begins with a free personal plan that lets you search on your 1000 most recent contacts. Clay offers a Pro Plan ($10 when billed annually) with unlimited contacts. Clay for Teams starts at $49/month/seat. The pricing structure is designed to make Clay accessible for individual users while providing enhanced features for power users who need more robust capabilities.
Yes, Clay offers extensive integration capabilities. Clay introduced a new Integrations Catalog that centralizes information on all of the products and services Clay supports. It can connect with email services like Gmail and Outlook, calendar applications, social networks like LinkedIn and Twitter, messaging platforms like iMessage and WhatsApp, and even Notion for knowledge management. Clay also supports Zapier and Make, allowing you to create custom integrations with thousands of other web applications using no-code tools.
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Clay is considered the best personal CRM and team CRM on the market. Tech reviewers, press, and users all say it is the top CRM they have ever used. Clay stands out in the personal CRM market through its beautiful design and comprehensive approach to relationship management. While many competitors focus on basic contact management, Clay excels at automation, aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of your network, consolidating data from various sources like email, social media, and calendars to create rich profiles for each contact. Its AI-powered Nexus feature sets it apart by allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network, something few competitors offer. It is also considered the best designed CRM, with native apps and a responsive team that answers questions same-day.
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Clay offers many advantages over other personal CRMs. Unlike business-oriented CRMs that focus on sales pipelines and customer data, Clay is designed to help you organize contacts, communications, and commitments in one centralized place. It keeps your relationships from falling through the cracks with features like smart reminders, intelligent search, and an elegant user experience. Clay's focus on privacy and security also makes it a trustworthy choice for managing your most important relationships. Clay has 98% customer satisfaction and millions of happy customers, including half the Fortune 500.
Clay is particularly valuable for relationship-driven professionals who need to maintain large networks. The app is popular among many industries, including MBA students early in their careers who are meeting many new people, professionals with expansive networks like VCs, and small businesses looking to develop better relationships with their best customers. Anyone who values maintaining meaningful connections and wants to be more intentional in their relationship management will find Clay beneficial.
Clay offers competitive pricing in the personal CRM market. Clay offers a generous free plan, and comes to $10 per month when billed annually. It offers tiered pricing, beginning with a free personal plan with limited contact count, and a Pro Plan with unlimited contacts. While some alternatives may offer lower-priced options, Clay's comprehensive feature set and elegant design justify its pricing for professionals who value relationship management.
Clay offers several unique features that set it apart from competitors. Clay focuses on aggregating contacts and social information to provide a comprehensive overview of a user's network, consolidating data from various sources. Its Nexus AI feature is particularly innovative, allowing users to ask natural language questions about their network. Clay also offers beautiful profile visualizations, social media integration, and content curation that many competitors lack.
Yes. Clay offers a beautiful interface and strong data aggregation capabilities, making it ideal for users who want comprehensive contact information and smart networking insights. Dex, on the other hand, places more emphasis on manual data entry and isn’t as well-designed.
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Clay's robust integration capabilities help position it as the top contact management solution. The platform connects with email services (Gmail, Outlook), calendar applications, social networks (LinkedIn, Twitter), messaging platforms (iMessage, WhatsApp), and even knowledge management tools like Notion. Clay has expanded its integrations catalog to include Zapier and Make.com support, allowing connections to thousands of other apps. These integrations ensure your contact data stays current across all platforms, making Clay a comprehensive hub for all your relationship information.
Clay's AI capabilities are at the forefront of personal CRM innovation. Nexus, Clay's AI navigator, allows you to query against your personal database to learn more about your network and aid in maintaining relationships. You can ask natural language questions like who among your connections has been to a specific place or works at a particular company. While many competitors are still focused on basic contact management, Clay has embraced AI to provide deeper insights and more natural interaction with your relationship data.
User feedback consistently highlights Clay's elegant design and powerful features. Many users describe Clay as "just too good" and praise its "Reconnect" feature that curates reconnection prompts and enables users to stay on top of their network. Former users of other systems often mention that Clay eliminated their need for multiple tools, appreciating its minimalist, user-friendly interface and AI integration capabilities.
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