Leadership Team

Fernando is the current CEO of Barbachano International (BIP) and also co-founder and Mexico CEO of Challenger Gray & Christmas S.C. Fernando currently directs both companies and has positioned them amongst the industry leaders in their respective categories.  Before joining Barbachano International, Fernando was a Financial Advisor for New York Life and a Sales & Marketing Manager for Ernest & Julio Gallo in Los Angeles and in Mexico.  He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a Major in Finance from San Diego State University and has been awarded the Certified Personnel Consultant (CPC) designation by the National Association of Personnel Services.  Fernando is a recognized industry expert by Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Twin Plant News, and Mexico Now, and a frequent speaker and writer on leadership, career management, multicultural recruiting, and talent retention.  He is a board member and current Secretary for the Economic Development Corporation in Mexico, and a member of The Society of Human Resource Management in the USA.  He is a member-owner of NPAworldwide, the Recruiting Network with offices in over 50 countries.  Fernando is bicultural and bilingual.

Octavio is an Executive Search Director for Barbachano International and heads the Sales, Marketing, Executive Management and Diversity & Inclusion search division in North America and South America with a particular focus on Agriculture, Food & Beverage, Energy, Industrial, and Financial Service Practice groups.  Octavio has over 10 years’ experience with companies like Morgan Stanley, UBS, and Union Bank Financial Services advising C-level executives, business owners, and high net worth investors with strategic financial decisions and 5 years of senior management experience in the food processing industry.  Octavio earned his Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of California Riverside where he graduated with honors (Cum Laude) and obtained a Professional Certificate in Investment Banking from New York University.  He is proud to consider himself multicultural having lived in Mexico, the United States, Italy, and China, as well as being a native speaker in both English and Spanish.  Octavio is a recognized writer and speaker on career management and D&I.

Gloria is a Senior Executive Search Manager and Florida Branch Manager at Barbachano International (BIP) where she is a Practice Leader for Executive Management, Sales & Marketing, and Human Resources North and South America. She has over 20 years’ experience in Human Resources, Sales, and Marketing with past HR leadership roles supporting major startups such as Qualcomm Inc. and later on Branching out into the Staffing Industry where she led a very successful Staffing company as a Branch Manager at PrideStaff. She joined BIP in 2012 focusing on Medical Device/Biotech, Automotive, Electronics, Consumer Products, Industrial sectors. Gloria studied at Chapman University – Focusing on Human Resources and is also a Certified Personnel Consultant by the National Association of Personnel Services. She has in-depth experience working in multicultural environments and is fluent in Spanish, French, and English.

Hector is Managing Director for Challenger Gray & Christmas in Mexico.  He is a Certified Outplacement Career Coach with previous experience leading our outplacement coaching division.  He began his career as a Supply Chain Manager with Grupo Cetto, the second largest Mexican winery, then moved into the financial services real estate development industry, and for eight years was Mexico National Sales Director for AT&T (Alestra).  He has a Master’s degree in Human Resources and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.  Hector is also an active Board Member of the Human Resources Association of Tijuana, Mexico, and has been a member of the Mexican Association of Business Administrators.  He is a recognized lecturer and speaker in the areas of organizational development, leadership, career management, and strategic sales and Marketing for numerous universities and business trade associations in Mexico.

Nelly is the Outplacement Director for Northeastern Mexico at Challenger Gray & Christmas S.C., where she has been instrumental in expanding the firm’s career transition services since joining in 2007. She brings more than 25 years of experience in human resources, leadership development, and organizational consulting across both corporate and entrepreneurial settings. Before joining Challenger, Nelly held HR leadership roles at Delphi and Delco Electronics. In 1994, she founded Scala Consultores, a respected training and organizational development firm based in Reynosa, Mexico. Nelly holds a Master’s in Organizational Development from Universidad de Monterrey, an MBA, and a Bachelor’s degree in English-Spanish Translation from UANL. She is certified in Team Building by the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science and is also a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner. Her training includes Gestalt Psychotherapy and Emotional Intelligence, which she integrates into her coaching and facilitation work. A specialist in team-building and leadership development, Nelly has worked extensively with multicultural groups throughout Mexico and the U.S. She is a member of the American Society for Training & Development and a longtime advocate for women in business, having served as President and active member of the Reynosa Association of Professional Women since 1985. Outside of her professional work, Nelly enjoys creating spaces for personal growth, connecting with her community, and spending time with family—values that are at the heart of her coaching style.