Joaquín Salabarría

[email protected] • 507 67678608 • Panama City

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

Dynamic Logistics & Operations Manager with over 10 years of expertise driving efficiency in warehouse and 3PL management across apparel, FMCG, pharmaceutical, and retail sectors. Proven track record in optimizing freight forwarding, PO management, delivering cost savings and streamlining budget management. Experienced leader in ERP's-WMS integration; adept at change management and executing go-to-market activation plans that enhance customer service and operational performance, proficiency to maximize supply chain effectiveness and support business growth.

WORK EXPERIENCE

Logistics & Operations Manager

01/2024 - 05/2025

Aiwa Latin America , Panama, Panama

• As Operations Manager I was responsible for logistics planning, storage organization & design according to inventory rotation, imports & exports coordination; and managing physical distribution operations for Central America, the Caribbean, and Venezuela. 37% of company work force was under my scope. A warehouse of 15,000 m2 with 6 inbound ramps and 7 outbound ramps.

• Responsibilities and achievements.

• Leading operations from regional distribution center located in Colon Free Zone, managing a team of over 50 people (37% of company work force).

• Inbound and outbound process definition with SOP standardization, SLA definition with suppliers such as 3PL and transportation providers.

• I was able to make an outstanding 360° warehouse transformation. In the first five months since I took on the role, I standardised the warehouse, implementing the use of proper and modern equipment such as forklifts, reach trucks and electric pallet jacks, ideal for manipulating home appliances and electronic devices.

• I led the process of acquiring an additional warehouse to expand storage capacity according to demand, directly involved in the warehouse layout design, and structural upgrade.

• In the first three months, I managed to organized storage layout by category and logical order following an ABC pattern, implemented a logical outbound flow according to agin (FIFO: First in, First out), and oversee the supply chain processes, including procurement, inventory management, logistics, and distribution.

• I stablished KPI's to optimised order fullfilment and readiness.

• Picking: time significantly reduced from one (1) week to 48 hrs.

• Inventory efficiency: up to 80% accurate

• On time delivery: remarcable upgrade from one (1) week to 72 hrs.

• Managed to eliminate the cost of staff overtime, reducing payroll expenses by over 60% in the first year.

• Implemented the use of equipment that makes the operation more efficient, managing to complete activities three (3) times faster.

• Container unloading & loading times upgraded from 4 hours to 1.5 hours.

• Led the rates dealing process with service providers in order to document and give visibility to the board of directors, giving my team stewardship mindset and awareness of budget tracking and cost savings.

• Implemented a robust process for purchasing order management, establishing a bidding process to select the best offer giving visibility to the organization at all times by following simple steps:

• 3 supplier quotations

• PO submitting & approval, in case of service before it starts and for product adquisition, PO approved, draft invoice detail given to validate before supplier invoice issuance.

• Fostered partnerships with third-party logistics providers, expanding service capabilities, and accessing new markets efficiently.

• I was trilled to have the opportunity of coaching and trainning new team leaders in operational roles in key areas for the proper functioning of the warehouse: goods receipt, storage, picking, and outbound.

PHC Physical Distribution Manager

12/2019 - 08/2023

Procter & Gamble International Operations , Panama, Panama

• Distribution Centre Manager and startup leader in charge of Inbound and Outbound, responsible for operational coordination, inventory management, and regional customisations SPOC for PHC (Personal Health Care) category

• Warehouse SAP key user for the PHC category in Central America, owner of two main distribution centres located in the Colón Free Zone, Panama (Exports Hub), and Guatemala City (local market)

• Planned monthly inbound ops plan to receive POs in the warehouse from origins: Mexico, Colombia, Germany, Italy, UK & Indonesia

• Followed up on container discharge, cargo reception, quality inspection, and release for sales orders

• Daily inventory reconciliation with 3PL to guarantee timely adjustments

• Budget owner for the category, two main distribution centres in Central America, and responsible for 3PLs stewardship

• Oversaw the customisation process of regular sales product transformations into medical sample presentations for healthcare professionals in Guatemala's local market, Central America, and the Caribbean, following the commercial forecast

• Managed raw material and bill of material inventory

• Led exports, responsible for following up on pick and pack, customisation process, and cargo booking management (sea, air, and land exports)

• Project Leader for standardisation processes related to stewardship and financial compliance

• SPOC of stewardship in the Product Supply team, providing guidance to the organisation to comply with internal controls, and leading simplification ideas to optimise daily business activities

• Category warehouse operation main contact, working alongside the regional purchases team, leading the bidding process with various vendors, SLEA review, and support to close contracts

• Conducted monthly KPI reviews with 3PLs and aligned action plans, focusing on the standard company scorecard

• Owner of the physical distribution process and customisations of medical samples in Guatemala's local market, PHC category

• Leader in Transportation and Warehousing (T&W) loss analysis for cost savings, efficient use of resources, and contribution to category profit

Senior International Logistics Ops Leader

10/2016 - 11/2019

APL Logistics Panama S de RL , Panama, Panama

• Coordinated purchase order (PO) consolidation, for commodities such as: apparel, footwear, handbags and sporting goods, industrial equipment, DG and automotive at Asia HUB´s located in: Hong Kong, Shanghai, Ningbo, Shenzhen province (Xiamen, Yantian, Dongguan), Vietnam (Haiphong & Ho Chi Minh)

• Managed booking, shipping to final destinations: LTAM & the Caribbean

• Acted as intermediary between vendor and buyer, managing all POs once cargo is ready, during consolidation at CFS

• Guided buyer through each step forward: shipping time, carrier allocation, overseas and local services

• Focused on savings and avoiding extra costs, considering incoterms and distances between factories – CFS – port of loading and associated events during shipping

• Confirmed valid rates for LCL & FCL shipments from Asia to LTAM

• Sent shipping instructions to origin teams, such as: routing guide, booking instructions, shipping documentation, important documents and special remarks

• Managed job costing and accruals posting for local and overseas shipments, giving visibility to regional finance team

• Shared costs and revenues in financial closing periods to comply with KPI's performance indicators

• Executed de-consolidation process for inbound, submitting cargo info to SIGA (custom portal), to able broker to work on cargo nationalization, taxes payment or transfer document issuance (DMC) to Colon Free Zone

• Led warehouse operations and valued added services such as: sorting, pick & pack, labeling, repacking, per master box or pcs according to request

• Managed invoicing overseas and local services, including freight, inbound/outbound CFS fees, customs clearance, surveyors, and added value warehousing services

• Reviewed KPI's for imports & exports, covering LTAM final destinations

• Categories: Booking management, shipping instructions, shipping dates (ETD, ETA, ATA, door delivery), invoicing and job costing

• Main operational contact for Panama office, currently leading regional retail accounts and special projects

• Managed PO and booking management for exports departing from Panama HUB to LTAM and USA

• Handled carrier direct and NVOCC shipments

• Managed 3PL and service providers

Port Facility ISPS Management

10/2015 - 10/2016

Hutchison Ports , Panama, Panama

• Inspected and validated safety conditions of vessels during docking and issued security declaration certificate on board

• Supervised inbound & outbound cargo and assigned yard position

• Controlled both, container gate in&out to the special zone of custody, guaranteeing its safety during stand by, until vessel loading or trucking delivery

• Granted the Access of customers, & providers to port facilities for special surveys or cargo inspection

• Revised, audited and updated BASC manual (Business Alliance for Secure Commerce)

• Export & Import supervision

• Tracked container movements, inbound/outbound and railway connections

• Supervised security and escort team

Export Specialist

10/2013 - 08/2014

DHL Global Forwarding S.A. , Panama, Panama

• Arranged weekly booking with airlines/carriers prior to cargo arrival at DHL facility

• Consolidated POs according to destination and priority order for export

• PO forecasting required for bookings

• Cargo data entry input for documents issuance (MAWB & HAWB), print and gather with original documents such as commercial invoices and packing list

• Sent shipment instructions, and packaging order, print labels and hand them over to warehouse team

• Delivered shipment to airline's warehouse on night shift

• Led and managed warehouse services such as: Labelling, packing and palletizing

• Sent departure notice to shipper and destination consignee/notify party along with flight Schedule and cargo documents copies

• Season Spot rates negotiation with airlines according forecast

Import Agent

04/2013 - 09/2013

DHL Global Forwarding S.A. , Panama, Panama

• Shipment tracking from origin to final destination, using both airline and DHL own tracking platform

• Received arrival notices, validated cargo info to make sure it was shipped according to booking and arrival confirmation to customers

• Arranged payments to airline in order to get shipment release once arrival notice was received

• Got local paperwork done for cargo delivery

• Coordinated cargo pickup at airline's warehouse for express delivery or shipment consolidation at DHL warehouse

• Transferred cargo to DHL warehouse, sent invoice and cargo availability message to customer for final pickup

• Executed de-consolidation process for inbound, submitting cargo info to SIGA (custom portal), in order to able broker to work on cargo nationalization, taxes payment or transfer document issuance (DMC) to Colon Free Zone

• Led cargo inspection to make sure merchandise arrived in good shape, including the packaging

• Identified and remarked discrepancies and sent formal claims to carrier regarding damages

• Made all the necessary arrangements for cargo delivery to customers

EDUCATION

Bachelor of Business Administration: Logistics & Multimodal Transportation

01/2014

Universidad Tecnológica de Panamá , Panama

SKILLS

Technical Skills: Operations Management, Inventory Management, Financial Management, Stewardship Reporting, Purchase Order Management, End-to-End Supply Chain Management, Freight Forwarding, 3PL Management

Soft Skills: Project Management, Customer Service, Communication, Problem Solving, Team Collaboration

Tools: SAP Warehouse, SAP Customizations, ERP-WMS management

Other: Logistics Industry Knowledge, Vendor Management, Regulatory Compliance, Pharma customization management