Saúl Díaz Ortiz Email & Phone Number

Bogotá, Distrito Capital, Colombia

• Lead the region to accomplish the Regional Business Targets with focus on growth, cost and (financial) risk management including budgeting based on regional and country specificities (incl. strategy development). In 2022 Latin America within Swisscontact has a portfolio of 33 projects, USD 24 Millions, presence in 7 countries, more than 200 collaborators and working with several donors (Switzerland, United States, European Union, Canada, Sweden, Germany)• Lead the Planning-Implementation-Monitoring-Evaluation-Controlling system of project implementation within the region• Analyse market trends and provide regular updates about topical trends in the region. • Lead Country Directors, providing them strategic guidance for business development to growth their country portfolios.• Lead technical actions within the TVET and Skills Development área, advising 15 projects within the region.• Ensure business development through active knowledge and content management inside and outside the region• Develop and maintain strong networks in the public and private sectors and the development community (based on active networking and marketing of our capacity to implement

Guatemala

- Coordinate all activities, both technical and administrative, of Swisscontact in Guatemala- Build trusting relationship at the highest level to create win-win partnerships at the private, public, academia and civil society sectors- Manage the technical team of the various projects in implementation (portfolio 2021: 4 projects funded by Swedish International Cooperation Agency and private Swiss foundations)- Manage projects with focus on TVET and Skills Development- Provide strategic and technical orientation to the projects in implementation in areas like: Productive reintegration of migrant returnees, entrepreneurship promotion, workforce development, value chain development, local and territorial development and MSME development.- In charge of business development for Swisscontact in Guatemala, having an anual turnover of around US$ 3.0 millions in 2022 generated under my administration

Guatemala

- Responsible for adequate operations of the Country Offices in the region (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua).- Line manager of Country Directors, providing senior strategic guidance to them. - Provide technical strategic advisory to selected projects in the regional portfolio of Swisscontact. - In charge of the proper implementation of a portfolio of 11 projects of around USD$ 12 million per year (in 2021) in the 4 countries, financed by various donors (Swedish International Development Agency, Swiss Development Cooperation, Global Affairs Canada, World Bank, European Union, Millenium Challenge Corporation and Swiss private foundations)- Lead the business development strategy in the region with a great focus on diversification of donors for the period 2021-2023.

El Salvador

- Coordinate all the activities, both technical and administrative, of Swisscontact in El Salvador- Build trusting relationship at the highest level to create win-win partnerships at the private, public, academia and civil society levels- Manage the technical team of the various projects in implementation (portfolio 2020: 4 projects funded by Millenium Challenge Corporation and private Swiss foundations) - Manage projects with focus on my technical expertise- Provide strategic and technical orientation to the projects in implementation in areas like: Productive reintegration of migrant returnees, entrepreneurship promotion, financial inclusion, value chain development, local and territorial development and MSME development.- In charge of business development for Swisscontact in El Salvador. The annual turnover in 2020 was around US$1,000,000, generated under my administration.

- In charge of developing innovative ideas related to financial services, one of the four core areas of Swisscontact.- Provide international technical assistance to other offices of Swisscontact in the region: provide technical assistance to Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua's office in areas of entrepreneurship and financial inclusion in various projects.

El Salvador

- Provide technical assistance in the general monitoring of the 15MM euros PAIRCA II Program (with 34 projects in El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Dominican Republic)- In charge of the technichal supervision of 16 projects of the Program (3.7 MM euros)- Make recommendations about the financial and technical implementation of the Program- Coordinate the monitoring and evaluation system, giving early warnings to the Program Director- Elaborate monitoring reports and presentations to inform the status of the Program

San Salvador, El Salvador

• Create new proposals for different international donors• Give technical assistance to more than 100 micro enterprises and 2 artisans associations in subjects like: strategical planning, financial information systems, asociativity and many others• Elaborate technical and financial reports for the main donor of the project• In charge of the elaboration of: annual budget, annual operative plans, monthly goals, strategies to achieve goals and many others• In charge of the monitoring and evaluation department of the project• Create strategic alliances with local actors and other NGOs that could colaborate with the sustainability of the project

San Salvador, El Salvador

• Give technical assistance and training to 73 micro and small enterprises related to the crafts sector, in subjects like: strategical planning, business plans elaboration, asociativity and many others• Elaborate technical and financial reports for the main donor of the project• In charge of the elaboration of: annual budget, annual operative plans, monthly goals, strategies to achieve goals and many others• Create strategic alliances with local actors and other NGOs that could colaborate with the sustainability of the project • Supervisor of the results in the matters of gender equity, child labor reduction and enviromental protection

Economic analysis of the national and international issues that concern the readers. The objective was to transfer all my technical knowledge to the more than 90,000 people per month that visit the salvadorean electronic newspaper CONTRAPUNTO.Visit CONTRAPUNTO: www.contrapunto.com.sv

• In charge of managing and monotoring the development Project: “Knowledge and Conectivity in Santiago Texacuangos”• In charge of the correct insertion of business models related with the technology application inside the local micro enterprises• Cordinate strategical aliances between the local government and the project activities• In charge of identify and strengthen all the productive social networks

• In charge of the planning department, local economic development area• Project manager of: “Educación Financiera para receptores de remesas” (financial education) and “Elaboración de planes de negocios para la Red ALPIMED” (business plans elaboration)• In charge of all the cuantitative analisys of official macroeconomic data for some internal publications • Responsible for the planning of succesful events at national and regional level

Microfinance Sate Of The Art, Finanzas

- Specialized issues about the microfinance industry, social and financial performance, funding strategies, among others.

Master'S Degree, Gestión De Proyectos

Master´s programme with specialized subjects like: international cooperation, international development, project management, monitoring.

Postgraduate Diploma, Local Economic Development

Grantee of a full scholarship from the Netherlands organization for international cooperation in higher education (NUFFIC)

Bachelor'S Degree, Economics

Best Thesis of 2009 from the Universidad Centroamericana "Jose Simeon Cañas"