The Team

Karen is an Operations Specialist who brings fresh perspective, energy, and precision to every project she tackles. With a knack for streamlining workflows and a natural talent for organization, she helps teams operate more efficiently while fostering clear, collaborative communication. Her upbeat, can-do spirit makes her a valued partner and a catalyst for positive momentum. 

A recent graduate of Baylor University, Karen earned her Bachelor of Business Administration with triple majors in Finance, Marketing, and Management, along with a minor in French. Her academic foundation and versatility allow her to approach challenges from multiple angles and adapt quickly in dynamic environments. 

Passionate about continuous learning, Karen is inspired by PERLUXI’s dedication to personalized growth and is committed to contributing her skills, curiosity, and drive to the success of both the team and the students they serve. 

As a Lead Project Management Specialist at PERLUXI, Tate supports strategic initiatives across fintech innovation, business simulation, and data-driven design. A recent graduate of Baylor University with a degree in Marketing, Tate brings three years of hands-on internship experience focused on product design, brand strategy, and data analysis. 

Tate leads the visual design of XpertSiM, PERLUXI’s proprietary fintech simulation and business modeling platform, guiding both front- and back-end development to ensure functionality aligned with educational and enterprise use cases. He also developed executive-facing dashboards in Power BI for Baker Hughes, enhancing visibility into training and competency operations through automated insights and reporting. 

Tate is passionate about solving intricate problems and building solutions that bridge business goals with user-centered design. His approach is both hands-on and analytically rigorous, anchored in integrity, resilience, and a relentless attention to detail. 

Heston is a Senior Financial Analyst at PERLUXI, where he plays a key role in financial planning and analysis and serves as the informal lead on the firm’s XpertSiM business software initiative. He also supports a major oil and gas client as a Strategy & Growth Initiatives Analyst, helping drive forward-looking decision-making across key business functions. 

Heston began his career at Deloitte during his graduate studies, supporting strategic finance projects for major hospitals, entertainment companies, and a global financial institution. He then joined Teach for America in Greater Tulsa, where he developed a strong foundation in education and leadership before transitioning into finance leadership roles at Etoile Academy and Houston Classical Charter School. At PERLUXI, he has continued to build deep expertise in FP&A, budgeting and forecasting, and financial modeling. 

Heston holds both a Master of Accountancy and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Baylor University. He is passionate about helping businesses solve complex problems, drive sustainable growth, and improve critical processes. 

Outside of his current role, Heston has been active in the education and nonprofit finance space. During his time supporting charter schools, he was selected as a FOX Fellow—recognized as one of 24 emerging leaders in finance and operations within the sector—and currently serves as a regular panelist for Education Pioneers fellowship discussions. These experiences reflect his continued interest in mission-driven work and strategic problem-solving across industries. 

Paulo Preto is an accomplished Program and Project Director with over 25 years of international experience in finance transformation and enterprise technology. He currently leads cross-company ERP transformation initiatives, where he also plays a key role in delivery framework development and stakeholder engagement. 

Paulo’s expertise spans SAP ECC to S/4 conversions, Rise with SAP migrations, Procure to Pay and Order to Cash optimization, stakeholder management at the CXO level, and global finance operations. He has successfully led deployments across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and JAPAC, and has held leadership roles in both consulting firms and multinational corporations. 

His industry experience includes oil and gas, utilities, pharmaceuticals, construction, and manufacturing. Notably, Paulo has managed finance transformation and audit system implementations for oil and gas operations in Africa, including large-scale projects. 

He is passionate about driving operational excellence, building high-performing teams, and delivering value through technology-enabled finance transformation. Paulo is fluent in Portuguese, English, and Spanish, and conversant in French. 

Paulo holds a degree in Business Management from Universidade de Évora and has completed executive programs at Harvard Business School and Universidade Católica Lisbon. He is also certified in project and program management, as well as SAP and finance automation platforms. 

Elizabeth is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 30 years of progressive leadership experience spanning both not-for-profit and for-profit health systems. Widely recognized as a pioneering force in the application of Lean Management methods to healthcare, Elizabeth has been instrumental in translating manufacturing principles into innovative, enterprise-wide strategies that drive operational excellence and quality outcomes. 

Elizabeth’s extensive background includes leadership in outpatient practice management, inpatient nursing, perioperative and procedural services, emergency operations, and hospital support functions. She has consistently demonstrated exceptional business acumen, overseeing more than $432 million in gross revenue and managing operational budgets exceeding $58 million, all while ensuring a steadfast commitment to patient safety, satisfaction, and quality care. 

Certified in advanced Lean methodologies—including 3P (Production Preparation Process), Kaizen Fellowship, and Lean Processes in Healthcare from Virginia Mason Medical Center—Elizabeth has led numerous successful transformation initiatives. Her leadership has earned her multiple accolades, including the Excellence in Nursing Practice Award, the Excellence in Management Leadership Award, and recognition as Outstanding Employee of the Year. 

Elizabeth is also highly skilled in emergency preparedness and business continuity planning, with hands-on expertise in Emergency Operations Center (EOC) design, Incident Command leadership, and recovery strategy development. She has supported major healthcare construction projects by integrating clinical, regulatory, and architectural considerations into effective, patient-centered designs. 

A respected mentor and coach, Elizabeth provides executive oversight for more than 500 employees and fosters the development of high-performing, multidisciplinary teams. Her unwavering commitment to excellence, innovation, and service ensures she continues to make a lasting impact on the health systems and communities she serves. 

Jon is a seasoned finance executive with over four decades of experience helping Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups optimize operations, improve performance, and position themselves for sustained growth. His expertise spans finance, accounting, business transformation, mergers & acquisitions, and mentoring startup CEOs across industries including financial services, oil & gas, telecommunications, medical devices, and manufacturing. 

He has held senior finance roles at Fidelity Investments, KPMG, Verizon, Dow Chemical, and Arthur Andersen, and has advised global leaders such as Saudi Aramco, Baker Hughes, Shell, BP, Michelin, Citigroup, and Cisco. Jon earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting from The University of North Texas and is a Certified Public Accountant. 

Drawn to its collaborative spirit and mission, Jon came out of retired to join the team. He now channels his passion for teaching into equipping non-finance professionals with the tools to understand and leverage financial insights in their work.

Saadi is a finance and strategy leader with over 15 years of experience spanning financial advisory, mergers & acquisitions, accounting, and audit. At PERLUXI, he designs and delivers corporate finance training programs that empower non-finance professionals to engage confidently with financial data—enabling sharper, more informed decision-making across their organizations. 

Over the course of his career, Saadi has advised clients across sectors including utilities, oil & gas, FMCG, real estate, healthcare, and nonprofit organizations. His expertise covers buy-side due diligence, strategy consulting, finance transformation, and internal control design. In recent years, he has served as a change leader for distressed businesses, high-growth companies, and organizations preparing for strategic exits. 

Saadi’s experience includes engagements with leading organizations such as ACWA Power, Baker Hughes, Euronet, HP, Morgan Stanley, Oman Oil, Parsons, Safwah Dairy, Spinneys, Unilever, and USAID. Earlier in his career, he built a strong multidisciplinary foundation at Ernst & Young, working across assurance, transaction advisory, and consulting services. 

He holds a B.Sc. (Hons) in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University and is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), a Certified Internal Auditor (CIA), and a Certified Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA). 

Wendy is a veteran human capital development leader with over 25 years of international experience driving business transformation through cultural change, skill development, and leadership growth. She has worked in major global hubs, including New York, London, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, gaining a profound understanding of diverse cultural dynamics. Wendy’s expertise spans coaching, training, change management, and leadership development. 

She has held senior people development and human resources leadership roles in global organizations, where she spearheaded business transformation and cultural change initiatives, implemented global learning programs, and led teams to achieve award-winning results. In addition, Wendy has served as a consultant, advisor, and executive coach across industries, including Banking and Financial Services, Professional Services, Utilities, the Public Sector, and Nonprofit organizations. 

Wendy holds a master’s degree in international finance & business from Columbia University, a dual bachelor’s and master’s degree in economics from The University of Hong Kong, and a LLB degree from the University of London. She is fluent in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin. 

Richard Dubini is a globally experienced facilitator who brings over 26 years of leadership, coaching, and consulting expertise to PERLUXI’s programs. Drawing on senior sales and marketing roles with industry leaders such as IBM, BMW, and Toyota Captive Bank, Richard blends real-world business acumen with an engaging, results-focused training style. 

He has spent more than a decade coaching executives, managers, and directors from Fortune 500 companies—helping them sharpen leadership skills, deliver compelling presentations, negotiate with confidence, and navigate conflict effectively. His work spans industries from retail and manufacturing to consumer products and oil & gas, and his consulting and credit analysis experience adds a strong analytical dimension to his facilitation. 

Having worked in Belgium, the United States, Germany, and Mexico, Richard brings a truly international perspective to every session. Fluent in Portuguese, English, Spanish, German, and French, he connects with diverse audiences and ensures learning resonates across cultures. Richard holds a degree in Business Administration from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and a graduate degree in Finance from Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ). 

Xavier Tomas is a transformative leader, driving enterprise change and operational excellence across the Energy and Financial Services sectors. With deep expertise in business transformation, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and turnaround management, he empowers organizations to accelerate growth, optimize performance, and achieve seamless business readiness across global markets—including North America, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC. 

Xavier’s multifaceted skill set spans CFO advisory, upstream operations, contract and procurement strategy, capital project leadership, and cutting-edge technologies like cloud enablement and artificial intelligence. His strategic vision and hands-on approach have delivered measurable impact for industry giants such as Baker Hughes, SLB, Halliburton, BP, Shell, UBS, Merrill Lynch, and Honeywell. 

A dual-degree graduate in Computer Science and Accounting from Rutgers College with an MBA in Finance from Rutgers University, Xavier combines analytical rigor with business savvy to lead complex transformations that drive sustainable success. 

Quoc has dedicated his career to helping Fortune 500 companies develop effective Go-To-Market strategies and optimize key business functions, including finance, accounting, supply chain, and production operations. With 30 years of experience in business transformation, he brings deep expertise across multiple industries, including energy, utilities, retail, chemicals, manufacturing, and consumer products.

His specialties include Client Relationship Management, Supply Chain Optimization, Financial Management, Automation, Finance Transformation, Process Assessment and Design, Product Development, and Project Management.

Quoc has worked with leading organizations such as Baker Hughes, Saudi Aramco, Shell, BP, Motiva, GSK, Novartis, Toyota, Michelin, Best Buy, Harley-Davidson, Sears Canada, Celanese, Caterpillar, IBM, and Mylan. He earned his undergraduate degree from Baylor University and an MBA from Duke University. In addition, he is a contributing author to the Business Journals Leadership Trust.