Gustavo Bolaños

Gustavo Bolaños has a diverse work experience that spans multiple industries and leadership positions. Gustavo started their career at KPMG Costa Rica in 1987, where they worked as a Senior Consulting Manager for ten years and implemented over 200 consulting projects in the LATAM region. Gustavo then became the COO and Senior Manager of Consulting at KPMG's joint venture with EXACTUS/SOFTLAND LATAM, where they led a team of 50 consultants and implemented ERP systems in over 200 midsize companies in LATAM.

In 2002, Gustavo joined Walmart as the Agribusiness Division CIO for Central America Retail Company (CARHCO), which was later acquired by Walmart. In this role, they led a team of 200 employees and was responsible for development, infrastructure, data management, and tech support. Gustavo also established technology corporate standards, system consolidation, data center consolidation, and business continuity and disaster recovery plans for a group of 14 companies spread across five countries.

In 2007, Gustavo took on a new role at Walmart as the International Director of Technology & Strategy. In this position, they led business relationship management and market strategy for multiple international markets, including Chile, Mexico, Central America, the UK, Canada, China, South Africa, Japan, and Argentina. Gustavo worked closely with both in-country and international technology teams to define strategy and product portfolio needs, as well as the annual operating plan. This role accounted for $1 billion in revenue.

Overall, Gustavo Bolaños has demonstrated strong leadership and strategic skills throughout their career, consistently achieving successful outcomes in various sectors and organizations.

Gustavo Bolaños has a varied education history. In 1982, they obtained a Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.) in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Costa Rica UCR. Following that, they completed an Associate's degree in Retail Management from NorthWest Arkansas Community College between 2012 and 2015.

In 2001 and 2002, Gustavo pursued an Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) with a focus on Business Administration, Management, and Operations-MAEXXII at INCAE Business School. Gustavo further expanded their business knowledge by obtaining a Certificate in Business Administration and Management from Harvard Business School Executive Education in 2019.

Additionally, Gustavo obtained various certifications to enhance their skill set. Gustavo acquired certifications such as "Jodi Glickman on Pitching Yourself", "Data Analytics for Pricing Analysts in Excel", "Data Science Foundations: Fundamentals", "Storytelling with Data", and "Strategic Thinking" from LinkedIn in 2020.

Continuing their professional development, Gustavo pursued a certificate in Data Analytics from Cornell University between 2020 and 2021.