Hello, my name is Maria Fernanda Ames, an Alumni of USIL in International Business with a double degree in Business Administration from San Ignacio University, as well as an MBA
from SIU.

 


I currently work as a business analyst, in charge of analyzing the management indicators of the various areas with the aim of reducing risks and increasing opportunities. The USIL allowed me to have a very project-oriented curriculum, which allowed me to develop my analytical skills. My best advice to students is to have the experience of doing an academic exchange to Miami because it gives you another perspective and enriches you culturally since you interact with people from different countries which benefits the student's development.

 


1. Tell us about your role at Aquachile in Miami. What are your main responsibilities
and how do they contribute to the company's success?

 


I am in charge of improving Aquachile's processes. I create management indicators to be able to analyze the performance of all areas. Through these I can know the turning
points, which allows me to generate improvement strategies with an analysis.

 

 

2. How has your experience been working for a company that is so influential in the
global salmon production? What challenges have you faced and how have you
overcome them?

 


The last project I developed was to make a facilitator for the accounting and finance area to currently see the company's debt by clients which allows seeing the performance of each account representative. This allowed us to create internal performance KPIs for the area, which created motivation in the team since it is very important to have almost zero customer debt. In addition, there are many clients who request more than 3 orders a week and have a very limited line of credit which causes the orders to be blocked and cannot be issued due to lack of credit.

 

For this reason, it is extremely important to know which accounts are at their limit or close to beingblocked so that monitoring can be done and the entire process works optimally. With the help of this facilitator, the team has managed to reduce clients' debt by 5%.

 

 


3. As a graduate of USIL in International Business with a double degree in Business
Administration from San Ignacio University, including an MBA from SIU, how do
you believe these degrees have adequately prepared you for your career in a global
environment like Aquachile?

 


These degrees helped me have a more global perspective which allows me to perform in the best way in my current position. Having had the experience of studying in Miami allowed me to get to know different cultures since Miami is a city with a lot of cultural diversity due to the great business opportunity that currently exists.

 


4. Aquachile feeds over 150 million people worldwide monthly. How does it feel to be
part of a company that has such a significant impact on global food supply?

 


The truth is, I never thought about working in this industry. However, it really is a dream to be able to know the process of the product that I consume more than twice a week. Seeing what is behind this product, so important for its nutritional value, is incredible. The process is long, tedious and I like that because there are more things to analyze and implement in the processes.

 


5. What are the key aspects you analyze in Aquachile'smanagement indicators to reduce
risks and capitalize on opportunities in such a competitive market?

 


Through analysis of the different areas we take different strategies to succeed in this very competitive market. The key to success for us is innovation. We annually have innovation contests where workers can participate. Regarding indicators, we base ourselves on the market trend with respect to price. We also work with financial metrics and customer feedback. However, our added value is the purchasing experience and the diversity of product presentations that we offer. Finally, performance indicators in the workers which allow us to see how each one performs.

 


6. Finally, what advice would you give to students considering a career like yours and
an American degree? What skills do you think are crucial for success in the world of
international business?

 


I would suggest that they always seek to have experience in something that they always consume since that will motivate them more to know the processes in a specific way and they will always want to go beyond the agreed responsibilities of a position. The skills that I consider are necessary to succeed in this area are having analysis and problem-solving skills, leadership, and adaptability. I think that the most important thing is interculturality since this helps communication to be more effective at the time of meetings with people who are from other countries