United Arab Emirates

Mildred S. Cruz

Operations & Automations Lead

Turning complex operations into smart, automated systems — so teams work faster, leaders decide better, and businesses grow.

View My Work Download CV

Years of Experience

Organizations Served

Trainings & Certifications

Industries

Staffing · Food · Luxury Retail · Engineering · Pharmaceuticals · Education · Insurance · Banking

Companies I’ve Worked With

Virtual Teammate · Operations & Automations Lead
NMC Green Foods OPC · Remote Consultant
Chalhoub Group · Accountant
Al Habtoor Engineering · Assistant Accountant
Pascual Laboratories Inc. · Internal Audit Supervisor
AMA Computer University · Internal Audit Supervisor
UCPB General Insurance · Internal Audit Assistant
INFOCOM Communications Network · Telecommunicator
United Coconut Planters Bank · General Bank Teller

Virtual Teammate · Operations & Automations Lead
NMC Green Foods OPC · Remote Consultant
Chalhoub Group · Accountant
Al Habtoor Engineering · Assistant Accountant
Pascual Laboratories Inc. · Internal Audit Supervisor
AMA Computer University · Internal Audit Supervisor
UCPB General Insurance · Internal Audit Assistant
INFOCOM Communications Network · Telecommunicator
United Coconut Planters Bank · General Bank Teller

About Me

Operations built on clarity and care

I am an operations, finance and compliance leader with more than 18 years of experience across staffing, retail, engineering, pharmaceuticals, education, insurance and banking. An accountant by profession — BS Accountancy, with a Master in Business Administration — I have spent my career making the numbers behind a business clear, honest and useful.

Today I am Operations & Automations Lead at Virtual Teammate, a US-based virtual staffing company, working as a key partner to the CEO. My mission is simple: help companies unlock their full earning potential while keeping strong governance and compliance — now using AI and automation to make operations faster, leaner and smarter.

What I Bring

Financial Discipline

Clean books, tight controls and reporting leaders can act on with confidence.

Process Excellence

Standard workflows, SOPs and QA systems that keep quality steady as teams grow.

AI-Driven Automation

Practical automation that removes manual work and gives hours back to the team.

Core Expertise

Where I make the biggest difference

Strategic Operations & CEO Support

Data-driven insights, executive dashboards and cross-functional oversight.

Automation & Process Design

Automation frameworks, standardized workflows, SOPs and QA systems.

Data, Dashboards & Reporting

Power BI models, performance dashboards and ATS/CRM/ROI tools.

Finance & Accounting

General ledger, reconciliations, AR/AP, budgeting, forecasting and cost control.

Internal Audit & Compliance

Audit planning, working papers, findings resolution and governance.

Cost Optimization & Growth

Vendor rationalization, tech stack investment and new service-line launches.

Skills & Tools

The toolkit behind the systems

MS Office

Excel

Power BI

Power Query

Google Workspace

SAP

Oracle

QuickBooks Online

HubSpot

Helium 10

Notion

Trello

Canva

AI Tools

Hard Skills

Accounting & Bookkeeping95%

Financial Reporting & Reconciliation95%

Budgeting, Forecasting & Cost Control90%

Internal Audit & Compliance92%

Data Analysis (Power BI)88%

Executive Dashboards & Reporting88%

Automation & AI Tools85%

SOPs & Quality Assurance Systems88%

Project Management88%

Product Research & Supplier Sourcing78%

Copywriting & Social Media72%

Web & Graphic Design70%

Soft Skills

Communication

Clear, confident written and verbal communication with executives, clients and remote teams.

Stakeholder Management

Trusted point of contact for internal and external constituencies at every level.

Project Management

Keeps special projects and initiatives on schedule and aligned to company goals.

Problem Solving

Untangles operational bottlenecks with practical, system-level fixes.

Critical Thinking

Weighs options and risks before recommending a course of action.

Time Management

Prioritizes competing demands so urgent and important work both move forward.

Attention to Detail

Accurate reconciliations, records and audit-ready documentation.

Collaboration

Works smoothly across operations, finance, recruiting and external partners.

Teamwork

A reliable teammate in fast-moving, fully remote environments.

Calendar & Email Management

Sophisticated executive calendar and inbox handling with sound judgment.

Administration

Reports, decks, documentation and follow-through, handled end to end.

Confidentiality & Discretion

Sensitive matters and communication handled with complete discretion.

Experience

Eighteen years of building order

Feb 2026 – Present

Operations & Automations Lead

Virtual Teammate

In detail

Strategic operations & leadership support — act as key partner to the CEO, delivering data-driven insights, executive dashboards and cross-functional oversight across operations, finance and recruiting.
Systems, data & reporting optimization — build and manage advanced Power BI models, performance dashboards and internal systems (ATS, CRM, time-tracking, ROI tools) to enable informed decision-making.
Automation & process excellence — design automation frameworks, standardize workflows and implement SOPs and QA systems to improve efficiency, scalability and team productivity.
Cost optimization & growth enablement — lead vendor rationalization, optimize tech stack investments and support new service-line launches aligned with AI-driven operations and virtual staffing innovation.

Nov 2025 – Feb 2026

Executive Assistant to the CEO

Virtual Teammate

Promoted within 3 months

In detail

Sophisticated calendar management for the CEO — prioritizing urgent and important matters and resolving conflicts to keep operations smooth.
Completed a broad range of administrative work, including preparing reports and presentation decks.
Served as primary point of contact for internal and external constituencies on all matters pertaining to the CEO, handling sensitive communication with discretion.
Assisted with special projects and initiatives, ensuring timely completion and alignment with organizational goals.

Aug 2022 – Nov 2025

Remote Consultant

NMC Green Foods OPC

In detail

Oversaw overall operations of the business end to end.
Evaluated the company's internal and external affairs and formulated systems and procedures.
Designed the company's marketing and promotional materials.
Ensured efficient and effective implementation of existing policies and procedures, proposing improvements where necessary.

Apr 2009 – Apr 2016

Accountant

Chalhoub Group, UAE

In detail

Financial reporting & general ledger — oversaw daily accounting operations, maintained the general ledger and ensured timely, accurate monthly financial reporting.
Reconciliations, compliance & audit support — led post-close reconciliations, maintained detailed financial records and coordinated year-end audits for full compliance and documentation integrity.
AR & AP oversight — managed invoicing, collections and supplier payments, ensuring proper documentation, approvals and adherence to credit terms and timelines.
Analysis, budgeting & cost optimization — supported budgeting and forecasting, performed departmental analysis and drove process improvements for efficiency, accuracy and cost control.

Jul 2008 – Jan 2009

Assistant Accountant

Al Habtoor Engineering, UAE

In detail

Site financial management — maintained site financial records and monitored project completion, ensuring alignment with head-office reporting.
Reconciliation & reporting — reconciled site billing, project ledgers and asset registers against head-office records for accuracy and consistency.
Project cost control — tracked and validated site project cost reports to ensure proper financial oversight and variance management.
Materials & inventory reporting — prepared summary reports for material requisitions and inter-site transfers to support accurate tracking and accountability.

Nov 2007 – Jul 2008

Internal Audit Supervisor

Pascual Laboratories Inc., Philippines

In detail

Audit planning & execution — prepared audit schedules, programs, staffing plans and reporting requirements aligned with the Annual Audit Plan.
Review & reporting — reviewed working papers and audit reports and finalized outputs for submission to Management and the Audit Committee.
Research & continuous improvement — researched audit best practices, methodologies and emerging strategies to enhance audit effectiveness.
Team leadership — supervised, monitored and evaluated staff performance, including conducting annual performance reviews.

Feb 2004 – Oct 2007

Internal Audit Supervisor

AMA Computer University, Philippines

In detail

Audit planning & execution management — led audit planning, scheduling and assignment delegation, ensuring timely completion in line with approved audit plans.
Review & finalization of audit deliverables — reviewed working papers and audit reports, ensuring quality, accuracy and readiness for submission to the Internal Audit Head.
Audit program enhancement — maintained and updated audit program guides to align with company policies, procedures and evolving best practices.
Team supervision & resource planning — oversaw staff performance, conducted evaluations and assessed staffing needs for optimal audit team capacity.

Sep 1998 – May 2003

Internal Audit Assistant

UCPB General Insurance, Philippines

In detail

Audit execution support — assisted in conducting internal audits in alignment with the annual audit plan.
Working papers & documentation — prepared and organized audit schedules and working papers to ensure completeness and accuracy.
Reporting & analysis — summarized audit findings and supported the preparation of audit reports for finalization.
Findings resolution & closure — tracked, documented and helped finalize the disposition and closure of audit findings.

Download full CV

Featured Work

Before, after and the difference it made

Executive Power BI Dashboard

Before: CEO reports built manually in spreadsheets each week.
After: A live Power BI dashboard covering operations, finance and recruiting — refreshed automatically.
Impact: ~3 hrssaved every week, with faster, clearer decisions for leadership.

SOP & QA System for Virtual Teammates

Before: Each virtual teammate worked to a slightly different standard.
After: Documented SOPs, standardized workflows and a regular QA review.
Impact: 1 Standardone clear quality standard for every virtual teammate, every client.

Tech Stack & Vendor Rationalization

Before: Overlapping subscriptions and tools across teams.
After: A reviewed, consolidated tech stack aligned to real business needs.
Impact: ~10%lower software costs by removing overlapping tools.

AI-Enabled Virtual Teammate Model

Before: Routine tasks consumed hours of skilled staff time.
After: An AI-supported delivery model pairing people with practical automation.
Impact: ~3 hrsfreed per teammate each week for higher-value client work.

Figures are conservative estimates, not audited results.

Education

Grounded in accountancy

Master in Business Administration

Baliuag University

2008

BS Accountancy

Philippine School of Business Administration

1998

Trainings & Certifications

Always learning, always applying

AI & Automation

AI Agents AcceleratorGenerative AI Mastermind

Data & Power BI

Power Query CourseCareer Boost with Power BI and AIData Analysis Using Power BICareer Boost with Power BIExcel Course

Marketing & Content

LinkedIn Growth MasteryCanva EssentialsGraphic Design In-Depth CourseContent Marketing Strategies in Social MediaSocial Media Content MarketingEmail Marketing BasicsSMM vs Facebook Ads MarketingIntro to Digital MarketingEffective FB Ads MarketingSEO Basics

Business & Finance

Entrepreneur MasterclassE-Commerce BookkeepingMastering QuickBooks OnlineThe Complete Shopify Dropshipping CourseFreedom Ticket – Helium 10Team and Project ManagementProject Management

Virtual Assistance

REVA Apprenticeship – SurgeReal Estate VA In-Depth CourseReal Estate MLS TasksTranscription JobsASVA MasterclassCareer Service – ProfessionalCareer Service – Sub-professional

Testimonials

Kind words, coming soon

Recommendation coming soon

Recommendations from colleagues and clients will appear here.

Contact

Let's build smarter operations together.

Whether you need cleaner reporting, calmer operations or practical automation, I'd love to hear what you're working on.

EmailSend me an email LinkedInmildred-salisi-cruz

LocationUnited Arab Emirates