Fabian J. Ortega A.
Business & AI transformation leader. Multi-site operating models. Former President and CEO.
fabian@aka.holdingsLinkedInGitHubSenior operating roles where AI has to run inside a real business: transformation, operations, chief of staff, strategy. Based in Miami; U.S. and Latin America.
I have run and built multi-site businesses from the owner's seat: President of a vehicle distributor with about 1,000 people and $100M+ in annual sales, co-founder and CEO of a parts company grown from zero to about $30M with a 100+ site franchise network, and co-founder of a hospitality platform grown to 200+ units in nine U.S. cities. More than 15 years on boards in the United States and Latin America.
I lead change the same way every time: find where the business loses value and who owns the problem, redesign the work, then choose the tool — increasingly AI — and govern it. Today I own and operate AKA Holdings and build its AI systems; inaugural cohort of Boston University's MS in AI in Business. Bilingual English and Spanish.
- 01President of a $100M+ vehicle distribution company with about 1,000 employees, within a group of about $130M; three consecutive years in General Motors' President's Club.
- 02Co-founded a parts and distribution company and grew it from zero to about $30M in annual sales; built a national franchised network of 100+ locations on one operating model; five years as Peugeot's best service dealer in Latin America.
- 03Won new manufacturer representations from Japan, Germany, France and the United States, including GM/Chevrolet, Isuzu, Peugeot and Mercedes-Benz.
- 04Grew a hospitality platform from 3 to 200+ units across nine U.S. cities, at an approximate $20M pre-pandemic valuation.
- 05Built a direct-to-consumer beverage brand from zero and sold it.
Own and govern a holding of operating companies in art, design and technology, and lead their AI adoption under a written governance framework: budgets, legal and privacy rules, brand standards, price limits, approval thresholds and escalation.
Designed and operate the group's AI systems — CEREBRO, MAGOS, FABI, MULTA — under AKA Technologies.
Led the group's vehicle distribution company (General Motors, Suzuki and Isuzu Trucks, GM parts distribution and authorized workshops) across six dealerships nationally: about 1,000 employees and $100M+ in annual sales, within a group of about $130M. Reported to the board and its chairman.
Expanded the brand portfolio by winning manufacturer representations from four countries, then built the OEM standards, commercial processes, CRM, pricing and channel expansion each brand required. Vice President, Development, 2004–2005.
Co-founded and led the group's parts, aftermarket and vehicle company, growing it from zero to about $30M in annual sales with a team of about 120, serving 2,000+ B2B customers a month across 25+ vehicle brands.
Built and operated a national franchised battery-center network of 100+ locations on one operating model. Held the Peugeot franchise for Ecuador; sold Mercedes-Benz; represented AC Delco, KYB and about fifteen further parts brands; supplied the General Motors plant and other national assemblers.
Grew a furnished-rental and hospitality platform from 3 apartments to 200+ units across nine U.S. cities. Led growth strategy, revenue management and pricing, marketplace distribution, customer experience and CRM. Wound the business down when COVID ended the model.
Produces work for contemporary artists with master craftspeople in Nepal, India, Mexico, Uzbekistan and Mali. Work exhibited at Art Basel Miami Beach, Art Basel Paris, Art Week Tokyo, FIAC Paris, Zona Maco, NADA Miami and Museo Jumex.
Runs the commercial side of a made-to-order art rug brand: artist collaborations, collections, production quality with master craftspeople, and sales direct, online and to the design trade. Test bed for the group's AI operating layer.
Built a direct-to-consumer beverage brand from zero — positioning, product, packaging, go-to-market and distribution — and sold the brand.
More than 15 years of board-level work across automotive, mobility, real estate, hospitality, education, services, social impact and art: objectives and metrics, budgets, restructuring, execution tracking and growth. Boards include AngloAutomotriz, Cetivehiculos, Motortrack, MB Motors, Nuovo Properties, Cetitur Ecuador, Colegio Espíritu Santo, Tecnológico Espíritu Santo and Inlingua Language Centers.
Alternate Director, Fundación Leónidas Ortega Moreira (more than 2,000 full student scholarships granted). Board of Directors, Picolini's Animal Rescue, Miami. Founding Member, Young Presidents' Organization, Guayaquil Chapter.
MS in AI in Business — in progress, inaugural cohort (expected 2028).
University of Miami, Miami Herbert Business SchoolBachelor of Business Administration, Marketing; Minor in Business Management & Organization. Dean's List; Provost's Honor Roll.
University of Notre Dame, Mendoza College of BusinessUndergraduate business studies; credits transferred to the University of Miami BBA.
Anthropic Academy: Claude 101, Introduction to Subagents, AI Fluency: Frameworks & Foundations (2026). Disney Institute: Disney's Approach to Quality Service. General Motors, Peugeot and KYB manufacturer training programs.
Coursework projects (2026)Two evaluated agentic workflows (n8n) for support-ticket triage and grounded market intelligence, UT McCombs program.
SkillsBusiness transformation · operating-model redesign · multi-site and franchise operations · P&L leadership · AI strategy and governance · revenue management and pricing · DTC and e-commerce · go-to-market · board governance · change management · KPI and executive dashboards · U.S.–Latin America · English and Spanish, native fluency.