Grace Gamero

Director of Strategic Operations | Fractional COO

Grace Gamero

I help companies whose operations have outgrown their structure — the point where growth stops being limited by demand and starts being limited by how the work actually gets done.

23+ years building SOPs, KPI frameworks and scalable systems: from a portfolio delivering 3,000 homes a year to teams building their first operating system.

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Houston, Texasgrace_gamero@outlook.com

23+

Years of Leadership

3,000

Housing Units / Year

11

Concurrent Projects

29,100+

Developer's total delivered

About

Director of Strategic Operations

I spent 23+ years in construction. Most of them as the only woman in the room.

Born in Argentina, I moved to Mexico in 2002 and built my career there: from cost control on public infrastructure — the Cozumel International Airport expansion, the island's stormwater system, the reconstruction after Hurricane Wilma — up to Director of Construction, the first woman to hold that role in the company. I'm based in Houston today, working across the US and Latin America.

What I do today: I fix operations that have outgrown their structure. SOPs and clear decision rights. KPI frameworks leadership can steer by. Diagnostics that find where capacity really breaks. The structure to open the next site, market or product line without breaking the team.

It looks the same in a 30-person startup and in a portfolio delivering 3,000 units a year.

Heavy industry is an unforgiving classroom: mistakes are expensive, visible and immediate. The discipline transfers. The industry doesn't have to.

I also write on operational leadership. My book NO ENCAJES — El Método Lean By Me™ para liderar sin perderte (Lean By Me Press, 2026) distills what those 23 years taught me. → noencajes.com

Graciela B. Gamero — Grace, to those who know her.

Expertise

Core Competencies

Building the Operating System

  • ◆SOPs from Zero
  • ◆Decision Rights & Governance
  • ◆First KPI Framework
  • ◆Scale Readiness

Operational Excellence & Portfolio Scalability

  • ◆SOPs & Governance Frameworks
  • ◆Lean Process Improvement
  • ◆Multi-Site Standardization

KPI & Data-Driven Operations

  • ◆Power BI Dashboards
  • ◆KPI Framework Development
  • ◆Performance Analytics
  • ◆Operational Diagnostics

Financial Performance

  • ◆P&L Management
  • ◆Margin Optimization
  • ◆Cost Control
  • ◆ROI Protection

Cross-Functional & Matrix Leadership

  • ◆Distributed Teams
  • ◆Vendor Consolidation
  • ◆Strategic Procurement
  • ◆Asset Management Partnership

Change Management & Tech Adoption

  • ◆Technology Systems Adoption (ERP/PMS/CRM)
  • ◆Community Openings & Transitions
  • ◆L&D Strategy
  • ◆Organizational Readiness

Career

Professional Experience

Current

Fractional COO

Independent Consulting

– Present

  • Advise residential and infrastructure developers on operational transformation, scalability, and portfolio-wide consistency frameworks.
  • Design SOPs and governance structures to standardize operations across multi-site portfolios, reducing performance variability.
  • Conduct operational diagnostics to identify performance gaps and deploy targeted, measurable improvement plans aligned to business goals.
  • Coach executive leadership on KPI implementation, data-driven decision-making, and organizational readiness for growth.

Director of Construction & Operations

Vivo Grupo Inmobiliario

Regional oversight across Southeast Mexico

–

  • First woman to hold a director-level role in the company.
  • Directed multifamily residential portfolio operations across 11 concurrent communities, delivering ~3,000 housing units annually for a developer with 29,100+ homes delivered.
  • Served as operational right-hand to the CEO, jointly developing financial projections and cash flow strategies, and reporting KPIs, risks, and delivery forecasts at the executive level.
  • Led portfolio-wide design and governance of SOPs, operational standards, and Lean frameworks across all communities.

22%

Efficiency Improvement

18%

Cost Reduction

  • Drove cost reduction through workflow standardization, vendor consolidation, and procurement optimization, directly improving NOI and margin performance.
  • Built KPI dashboards using Power BI, enabling data-driven decisions and continuous operational improvement across the portfolio.
  • Oversaw organizational readiness for new community openings: onboarding frameworks, role-based training programs, and team capability plans.
  • Built and led a geographically distributed matrix operations structure, coordinating project directors, engineering teams, and supply chain functions.
  • Partnered with Finance and Asset Management on portfolio budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and ROI protection.

Operations Manager — Progressive Roles

Vivo Grupo Inmobiliario

Progressive roles across the residential portfolio lifecycle

–

Progressed through roles of increasing responsibility, building deep expertise across the full residential portfolio lifecycle:

Supply Chain & Logistics

End-to-end supply chain, warehouse operations, and resource logistics ensuring availability and cost-efficiency across the portfolio.

Systems & Technology

ERP implementation and optimization (Enkontrol, Neodata, Opus); experience directly transferable to enterprise PMS and CRM platforms.

Financial & Cost Control

Budgeting, cost estimation, change management protocols, and standardized cost analysis to safeguard portfolio margins.

Quality Assurance & Audit

Site inspections, internal audits, and construction verification enforcing corporate quality standards across communities.

Strategic Procurement

High-stakes negotiations with contractors and suppliers, driving profitability across multi-site matrix operations.

Prior Leadership & Technical Experience

–

Technical Business Manager

2008 – 2010

Mexican Chamber of the Construction Industry (CMIC)

Represented the construction sector before municipal planning councils. Coordinated training and certification programs for construction professionals.

Technical Office Manager

2006 – 2008

SYASA México

Managed technical and financial planning for vertical residential developments. Prepared bids, technical proposals, and economic feasibility analyses.

Cost, Planning & Budget Manager

2002 – 2006

Consorcio Desarrollador del Caribe (CODECASA)

Directed technical and financial documentation for public infrastructure projects, including supervision of civil works for the Cozumel International Airport expansion.

Credentials

Education & Executive Development

IPADE Business School

Senior Management Program (AD)

Harvard Case Method Methodology

MIT Professional Education

Mujeres en Liderazgo: Sé un Agente de Cambio

Women in Leadership: Be an Agent of Change · 2024 · 10-week program · 8 CEUs

International Six Sigma Institute

Lean Six Sigma White Belt

2025

ICAMI

Executive Development Program

Universidad Anahuac

Advanced Managerial Skills Diploma

PMI Houston Chapter

Active Member

Project Management Institute

Tools & Languages

Technology & Systems

Business Intelligence

Power BI — Data VisualizationOperational DashboardsData-Driven Decision Making

Property Management & ERP

EnkontrolNeodataOpusPMS / CRM Platforms

Project & Portfolio Management

JiraTrelloZohoProcorePrimavera P6AgileLean Frameworks

Productivity & Collaboration

Microsoft 365 (Expert)SlackAutoCADGantt Planning

Languages

ES

Spanish

Native

EN

English

Professional Working Proficiency

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

What do you specialize in?

I specialize in operations that have outgrown their structure: designing SOPs and decision rights, building KPI frameworks, running operational diagnostics, and preparing organizations to scale. I've done it in a portfolio delivering ~3,000 housing units a year across 11 concurrent communities, and the same discipline applies to a 30-person company building its first operating system. 23+ years of experience.

Where are you based?

I'm based in Houston, Texas. I have extensive experience working across Mexico and the United States, with regional oversight across Southeast Mexico during my tenure at Vivo Grupo Inmobiliario.

What industries do you work in?

Startups and growth-stage companies building their first operating system, real estate and construction, infrastructure — and any multi-site or multi-project operation. As a Fractional COO I focus on operational transformation, consistency and readiness to scale, regardless of sector.

What are your key achievements?

I achieved a 22% improvement in operational efficiency and 18% cost reduction at Vivo Grupo Inmobiliario through SOP design, vendor consolidation, and procurement optimization. I directed 11 concurrent communities delivering ~3,000 housing units annually for a developer with 29,100+ homes delivered, and built KPI dashboards in Power BI to drive portfolio-wide data-driven decisions.

What education and credentials do you hold?

I hold a Senior Management Program (AD) from IPADE Business School using the Harvard Case Method; Mujeres en Liderazgo: Sé un Agente de Cambio (Women in Leadership: Be an Agent of Change) from MIT Professional Education (2024), a 10-week program worth 8 CEUs; a Lean Six Sigma White Belt from the International Six Sigma Institute (2025); an Executive Development Program from ICAMI; and an Advanced Managerial Skills Diploma from Universidad Anahuac.

Let's Connect

Ready to Transform Your Operations?

Whether you're building your first operating system, strengthening the one you already have, or getting ready to scale into the next site, market or product line, I'd welcome the opportunity to discuss how I can help.

grace_gamero@outlook.comConnect on LinkedIn

Houston, Texas, United States