Key Executives is pleased to announce The Top 25 COOs of Miami for 2024. These leaders excel in guiding their companies, which operate out of Miami’s vibrant business ecosystem. Miami companies contribute over $340 billion annually to the nation’s economy. Leveraging their expertise, acquired from diverse backgrounds and industries such as finance, healthcare, construction, technology, and retail, this year’s awardees are experts in navigating challenges including market fluctuations, regulatory changes, and talent retention, among other areas.
This year’s awardees include Shaw Rietkerk, the Chief Operating Officer of AdaptHealth, whose extensive experience in healthcare leadership has significantly enhanced the company’s position in the in-home healthcare solutions industry, empowering patients to be independent and improve their overall well-being. Connie Valencia is another standout, serving as Chief Operating Officer of Hayden AI. Under her leadership, Hayden AI has revolutionized urban mobility with cutting-edge AI-driven solutions, leveraging advanced camera systems and sensor technology to optimize traffic flow and enhance safety. Finally, George Adornato, serving as Southeast Chief Operating Officer of Suffolk Construction, has over 17 years of expertise in construction management. His leadership has been instrumental in propelling the company's growth and diversification strategies.
With backgrounds spanning multiple industries, these COOs exemplify the breadth of expertise and versatility of Miami’s executive ranks. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of The Top 25 COOs of Miami for 2024.
1. Soledad Muné
Chief Operating Officer, Latin America, Everest Insurance
Soledad Muné is the Chief Operating Officer in Latin America of Everest Insurance. Muné joined Everest’s international insurance division in early 2023 as interim head of international underwriting operations, where she played a role in advancing the company’s international strategic initiatives. Everest Group is a global underwriting company providing property, casualty, and specialty reinsurance and insurance solutions for customers.
Muné has nearly two decades of industry experience. Prior to joining Everest, Muné held senior positions at Chubb in both Singapore and the U.S., where she led personal lines and independent partner distribution for Asia Pacific. She holds a master's degree from New York University and a master’s degree in statistics with honors from Central Connecticut State University.
2. George Adornato
Chief Operating Officer, Southeast , Suffolk Construction
George Adornato began his professional career 17 years ago and today, he is the Chief Operating Officer in Southeast of Suffolk Construction. Suffolk is a national enterprise founded in 1982 that provides construction management services with vertical service lines that include real estate capital investment, design, self-perform construction services, technology start-up investment and innovation research and development. The company currently serves clients in 12 offices across the U.S. and has 2,600 employees, earning an average of $5.5 billion in annual revenue.
Adornato has construction experience in various sectors, including commercial, office, residential, condo, multi-family, hospitality, healthcare, university, student housing, K-12, corporate, automotive, data centers, retail, government, international, design build, light industrial, heavy civil, and transportation. Adornato first got his start in 2007 as a Senior Vice President at Coastal Construction Company, his latest role before joining Suffolk Construction.
3. Shaw Rietkerk
Chief Operating Officer, AdaptHealth
Shaw Rietkerk, Chief Operating Officer of AdaptHealth, joined the company in 2018. AdaptHealth is a provider of at-home healthcare solutions including home medical equipment (HME), medical supplies, and related services. The company provides a full suite of medical products and solutions designed to help patients manage chronic conditions in the home and adapt to challenges in daily living.
Prior to his current position, Rietkerk served as Executive Vice President of revenue cycle management at Brightree. He has over two decades of healthcare service leadership experience, with a background in revenue cycle management, operations, business process outsourcing, account management and process optimization. Prior to joining Brightree in 2015, Rietkerk was Senior Vice President, worldwide operations at M*Modal, a healthcare technology provider of clinical documentation solutions.\
4. Thomas Cornish
Chief Operating Officer, BankUnited
Thomas Cornish is the Chief Operating Officer of BankUnited. BankUnited is a national bank headquartered in Miami Lakes, Florida. It provides a range of banking and related services to individual and corporate customers through banking centers located in the state of Florida, New York metropolitan area and Dallas, Texas and a suite of wholesale products to customers through an Atlanta office focused on the Southeast region.
Cornish served as the bank's President, Florida region from March 2014 through December 2016. From 2003 to March 2014, Cornish served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Marsh and McLennan Agency, Florida region. Prior to that, he held several senior leadership positions with SunTrust Bank from 1983 through 2003. Cornish earned his bachelor’s degree from Florida International University.
5. Damon Green
Chief Operations Officer, Modivcare
Damon Green is the Chief Operations Officer of Modivcare, a healthcare services provider. The company was created to address the social determinants of health (SDoH) by providing non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), personal care, nutritious meals, and remote patient monitoring. He has 28 years of experience, beginning his career in 1996.
Before joining Modivcare, Green was a Chief Executive Officer of SpineOne and before that a President and Chief Executive Officer at United Medical Systems. Earlier in his career he worked with the United States Marine Corps as a staff judge advocate. Green graduated from George Mason University - Antonin Scalia Law School with a JD, from UCF College of Business with a master’s degree and from Villanova University with an undergraduate degree in political science.
6. Danny Rivera
EVP, Chief Operating Officer, Driven Brands
Daniel Rivera is the Chief Operating Officer of Driven Brands. He joined the company in November 2012 as Chief Information Officer. Driven Brands, headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, is the largest automotive services company in North America, providing a range of automotive services, including paint, collision, glass, vehicle repair, oil change, maintenance and car wash. It is the parent company of multiple North American automotive service businesses, including Take 5 Oil Change, Take 5 Car Wash, Meineke Car Care Centers, Maaco, 1-800-Radiator and A/C, Auto Glass Now, and CARSTAR. In 2014, Rivera was named Meineke Brand President and in 2020, Rivera was named Group President of the maintenance segment, in addition to President of Take 5 Oil Change.
Prior to his current roles, Rivera was the Senior Director of application development, business intelligence, infrastructure, and security at AutoNation. Prior to his role at AutoNation, he worked at several large corporations, including GE, Motorola, and Burger King Corporate. Rivera holds two degrees from Florida International University, including a JD and a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering.
7. Todd Scartozzi
Chief Operating Officer, Retro Fitness
Todd Scartozzi began his professional career 32 years ago and today, he is the Chief Operating Officer of Retro Fitness. Retro Fitness was founded 20 years ago, and provides members with access to exercise, health, and fitness. The company has 200 health clubs open or in development since its founding. Scartozzi is a fitness executive with a long-standing career in the fitness industry. He guided one of Planet Fitness’ largest multi-unit operations, facilitating the expansion of private equity group Exaltare Capital’s portfolio from 15 to more than 100 locations in six states and two countries.
Scartozzi first got his start in 1992 as Senior Vice President of operations at Omni Hotels. From there, he went on to Morgans Hotel Group, before eventually rising to Chief Operating Officer at EXALTARE Capital Partners, his most recent position prior to joining Retro Fitness.
8. Cory Wiegert
Chief Operating Officer, Integra Connect
Cory Wiegert began his professional career 27 years ago and today, he is the Chief Operating Officer of Integra Connect. Integra Connect is a precision medicine company that provides real-world data and analytics capabilities for oncology. The company utilizes data from more than 11 million patients and advanced technologies to enable specialty care providers, health systems, payers, and life sciences companies to help improve patient outcomes, provider decision-making, business operations and performance, and clinical research. Wiegert oversees and manages company operations, Integra precision oncology, population health and cloud EHR and revenue cycle products and services.
Wiegert previously served as Vice President of Product Management for IBM Watson Health, where he led the launch of major projects, including IBM’s first cloud-based offerings in healthcare. Prior to joining IBM, he was Vice President of Product Management at Sterling Commerce, where he led the end-to-end product strategy and life cycle of their selling and fulfillment software suite. Wiegert also served at Siebel Systems, where he was responsible for the implementation and design of their sales force automation, call center, integration technology, and analytic solutions. Wiegert graduated from Carroll University with an undergraduate degree in analytical chemistry.
9. Jackie Morales
Chief Operating Officer, Security Benefit
Jacquline Morales is the Chief Operating Officer of Security Benefit. Security Benefit Corporation, through its subsidiary Security Benefit Life Insurance Company, is a Kansas-based insurance company that has been in business for 130 years, and serves clients in the U.S. retirement market. As COO, Morales oversees business operations and helps execute the company’s growth strategy.
Throughout her more than thirty-year career, Morales has held roles and helped chart growth strategies, including a role at an Insurtech start-up in New York. Prior to that, Morales worked for Bestow in Dallas, where she was the Chief Insurance Officer and Board Director. Other previous leadership positions include Chief Operating Officer and Board Director for legal and general America and several different Head of Operations positions during her 10 years at AXA Equitable. Morales received her bachelor’s degree in humanities and a master’s degree in finance from Southern Methodist University. She is a licensed insurance agent and has served on numerous committees for industry trade groups.
10. Patrick Tournoy
Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations, Arcserve
Patrick Tournoy began his professional career 30 years ago and today, he is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Operations at Arcserve, a data protection vendor and unified data resilience platform provider. Arcserve offers solutions to manage, protect, and recover all data workloads, from SMB to enterprise, regardless of location or complexity. Arcserve solutions aim to eliminate complexity while bringing cost-effective, agile, and scalable data protection and certainty across all data environments.
Before joining Arcserve, Tournoy held other senior leadership roles, including Advisor to private equity portfolio companies, Global Vice President of Business Operations and Strategy at Diebold Nixdorf, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of an online marketing company, Chief Executive Officer of a private equity-owned IT reseller, and strategy consulting at Bain and Company. He earned a master's degree in engineering at the University of Leuven and a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Louvain-la-Neuve.
11. Mitchell Fonseca
Chief Operations Officer, Cyxtera
Mitchell Fonseca is the Chief Operations Officer of Cyxtera. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Centersquare is a retail and wholesale colocation and interconnection provider, enabling digital infrastructure solutions for enterprises and service providers. Fonseca has over 15 years of experience in data centers and digital infrastructure. His expertise spans product management, operations, sales, finance and business development.
Prior to his current position, Fonseca served as Senior Director of Strategy and Operations at General Electric. Before General Electric, he joined Digital Realty, through their acquisition of Telx. At Digital Realty, Fonseca served as Director of Global Product Management for colocation and services. Prior to Digital Realty, he served in positions of increasing seniority at Terremark, and later Verizon, from 2005 until January 2015, culminating as Director of Product Management for Verizon Terremark. Fonseca received his bachelor’s in computer science from Wittenberg University and his master’s degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University.
12. Alex Watson
Chief Operating Officer, Cisive
Alex Watson is the Chief Operating Officer of Cisive. For more than 40 years, Cisive has provided background screening and monitoring services, working with large and highly regulated industries to optimize their talent programs and make their workspaces safer.
With over 20 years of experience in senior leadership roles, Watson is an experienced operations executive. He has worked within the RELX information and analytics businesses, leading global editorial operations for the Elsevier Science and Health division of RELX. Watson previously served as Executive Vice President of Global Operations for LexisNexis, where he also held the role of Chief Operating Officer at LexisNexis Legal and Professional. Watson's early career was in software and data services startups in the UK. He holds a master's degree in English language and literature from the University of Edinburgh.
13. Alberto de Solo
Chief Operations Officer, CareMax
Alberto de Solo is the Chief Operations Officer of CareMax. Founded in 2011, CareMax is a care delivery system that utilizes a proprietary technology-enabled platform and multi-specialty, whole person health model to deliver comprehensive, preventative and coordinated care for its members. The company has multiple health and wellness centers, and over 200,000 Medicare Value-Based Care members across 10 states.
de Solo joined Managed Healthcare Partners in 2011 as Chief Financial Officer. Before joining MHP, he worked as a Financial Advisor at Merrill Lynch, where he managed over $150 million for his clients. He specialized in the areas of investment management, small business consulting, private banking, investment strategies, and financial risk modeling. Prior to that, de Solo was a Founding Partner of a local point of sale computer company. de Solo graduated from Florida International University with an undergraduate degree in accounting and finance.
14. Josh Remillard
Chief Operating Officer, Dane Street
Josh Remillard is the Chief Operating Officer of Dane Street. Dane Street is a national provider of independent medical examination and peer review services to the workers’ compensation, auto, disability and group health markets.
Remillard has 12 years of experience in the U.S. claim services marketplace. He began his career in claims at Liberty Mutual and joined Dane Street in 2014 where he has held a variety of operational management and client facing roles. In his current role, Remillard develops scalable operational models which can support expansion and oversees IME and peer review operations for workers’ compensation, disability, health plan, and auto divisions. He is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire and holds a bachelor’s degree in political science.
15. Wilfredo Jauregui
Chief Operating Officer, Viamericas
Wilfredo Jauregui is the Chief Operating Officer of Viamericas. Viamericas offers money transfer, bill payment, check processing and top-up services at agent locations across the United States, and a network of thousands of pay-out locations throughout Latin America, India and Asia.
Jauregui has over 35 years of experience in financial services, banking and consulting. Throughout his career he has held C- level, Member of the Board of Directors and senior leadership roles. His professional certifications include CAMS, Certified Technology Auditor and Certified Security Administrator, and has received training and certification in ISO, Six Sigma and Total Quality Management. He is a veteran of the US Marine Corps. Jauregui graduated from AICS, Montgomery with a master’s degree in management information systems and from East Carolina University with an undergraduate degree in business.
16. Richard Ferranti
Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer, International Finance Bank
Richard J. Ferranti serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operations Officer at International Finance Bank, a bank specializing in community-banking services. Rick's diverse background in bank technology and operations stem from his many years of experience in major banks, as well as a launch and growth of a startup bank in the New York City area.
Ferranti first got his start in 1976 as a vice president of CITI Corp. From there, he went on to Safra National Bank, before eventually rising to Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President at Alma Bank, his latest role prior to joining International Finance Bank. He is also a Certified Public Accountant. Ferranti earned an MBA in banking and finance from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Wayne State University.
17. Dean Coulson
Chief Operations Officer, CentroMotion
Dean Coulson is the Chief Operations Officer of CentroMotion. CentroMotion designs and delivers highly engineered products that enhance the safety, reliability and productivity of equipment used in transportation, agriculture, construction, mining and demanding industrial environments. Coulson is responsible for all aspects of operations and manufacturing, including Leadership of Continuous Improvement and Strategic Project Management. His career spans more than 25 years, serving in leadership roles throughout numerous areas of business.
Coulson first got his start in 1997 as a Process Engineering Specialist at Meritor. From there, he went on to Blue Bird Corporation, before eventually rising to Chief Operating Officer at Balfour and Co., formerly American Achievement Corporation, his most recent position prior to joining CentroMotion. Coulson graduated from Penn State University with a master’s degree in quality and manufacturing management and an undergraduate degree in aerospace and aeronautical engineering.
18. Mike Wilson
President and Chief Operating Office, OBM International
Mike Wilson is the President and Chief Operating Office of OBMI, a global master planning, architecture and design firm. The firm was founded in 1936 in Bermuda and has since expanded its reach internationally, with offices in various locations including the Caribbean, the United States, and Asia. OBMI Architecture specializes in creating sustainable designs that blend into their natural environment. It has pursued a range of projects, such as resorts, hotels, residential developments, and master planning initiatives.
Wilson began his professional career as a chartered accountant with KPMG in London, where he spent 10 years restructuring and running various companies. He holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting and financial analysis from Newcastle University and is an associate chartered accountant.
19. Donna McPherson
Chief Operations Officer, Frida
Donna McPherson is the Chief Operations Officer at Frida, a manufacturer of baby products intended for newborn babies and their parents. She has over 20 years of experience in global leadership, marketing, and product supply. Frida offers a line of products for childcare needs, including saline kits, snot spray, hygiene filters, washers and nail fillers. The company was founded in 2014, and has more than 100 employees.
Before joining Frida in October 2023, McPherson was the Executive Director of SCJ New Ventures at SC Johnson. She also served as a Board Member at Balmer Lawrie - Van Leer Limited, a manufacturer of industrial packaging solutions. McPherson graduated from Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University with a master’s degree in strategic planning and from Western Governors University with an undergraduate degree in marketing management.
20. Carlos Ferrera
Chief Operating Officer, Solstice Benefits
Carlos Ferrera joined Solstice as the Chief Operating Officer in 2005. Solstice is an ancillary benefits company, specializing in dental and vision insurance. The company serves employer groups in both the commercial and public sectors, and also works with individual clients on the public exchange and through private coverage.
Ferrera began his career with Cigna Dental and Vision in March 1988 serving in various roles, including Director of Administrative Services, Director of Provider Relations and Vice President of Claims Administration. Prior to joining Cigna, Ferrera spent over six years in the United States Air Force protecting command, control and communications systems. He has a background in healthcare, systems and sales, including his position as the Vice President of Operations and Systems with SafeGuard Health Enterprises. Ferrera holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Barry University and has also achieved a six sigma black belt certification.
21. Steve Miller
Chief Operating Officer, Catalyst Pharmaceuticals
Steve Miller is the Chief Operating Officer of Catalyst Pharmaceuticals, a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on in-licensing, developing, and commercializing medicines for patients living with rare and difficult-to-treat diseases. He is responsible for Catalyst’s product development program, which includes all aspects of chemistry and manufacturing controls, quality systems, contract operations, and development planning. Miller has 25 years of experience in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, joining Catalyst in 2007.
Miller previously served as Executive Director for Research and Development Operations at Watson Pharmaceuticals and as Vice President of Research and Product Development at Royce Laboratories. He has also managed medical device development groups at Baxter Diagnostics and worked as an Analytical Chemist for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Miller received his doctorate in physical organic chemistry at the University of Miami.
22. Connie Valencia
Chief Operating Officer, Hayden AI
Connie Valencia is the Chief Operating Officer of Hayden AI. Hayden AI specializes in AI-driven solutions for smart cities, focusing on traffic management and urban mobility. Leveraging advanced camera systems and sensor technology, the company gathers real-time data on traffic flow and pedestrian movement to optimize traffic signals, improve safety, and reduce congestion. The company’s technology also facilitates dynamic pricing for curbside parking, helping cities manage curb space more efficiently. Hayden AI aims to create sustainable transportation systems, reduce emissions, and enhance the quality of urban life.
Before joining Hayden AI, Valencia held positions as Director of Process Improvement at Elevate and FirstService. Earlier in her career she worked with Arthur Andersen Official as an audit associate. Valencia graduated from the College of Business at Florida Atlantic University with an MBA and from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee with an undergraduate degree in business administration.
23. Maria Balboa
Chief Operating Officer, Ensolvers
Maria Balboa began her professional career 17 years ago and today, she is the Chief Operating Officer of Ensolvers. Ensolvers is a technology company that specializes in software development, software architecture, product development, software outsourcing, testing and IT staff augmentation solutions. Ensolvers helps solve engineering problems regardless of the language, operating system or team involved. The company engages in planning estimations and iterations, while also tailoring team structure to meet client requirements for development, maintenance, monitoring, and infrastructure.
Balboa first got her start in 2007 as a Software Engineer at LIFIA. From there, she went on to Globant, before eventually rising to Software Engineer at Despegar.com, her latest position before joining Ensolvers. Balboa graduated from the Universidad Nacional de La Plata with an undergraduate degree in computer science.
24. Benoit Boisset
Chief Operating Officer, Netevia
Benoit Boisset is the Chief Operating Officer of Netevia. Netevia is a financial technology company focused on transforming business transactions and facilitating global growth. Netevia aims to help businesses of all sizes, across various locations, to succeed in the digital economy. Since its inception, Netevia has established a global financial platform to help modernize transactions for millions of businesses worldwide, particularly in emerging markets.
Boisset began his career in 2008 and has 16 years of experience. Before joining Netevia, Boisset held positions as Chief Operating Officer at FasterPay and Paymentwall, Inc. Earlier in his career he worked with ACMSI as an IT Software and Systems Engineer. Boisset graduated from the Université Montpellier II with an undergraduate degree in software development and ERP.
25. Bahron Alipour
Chief Operating Officer, Social Mobile
Bahron is the Chief Operating Officer at Social Mobile. Social Mobile is an enterprise mobility solutions provider that designs, engineers, and manages custom mobility solutions for clients in all industries, from healthcare to retail to defense. It employs a team of certified Android Enterprise experts that deliver fully custom mobility solutions including hardware, software, managed mobility services, connectivity, and more. As a part of the social mobile executive team, Alipour brings his global operations and financial management experience to the company.
Before joining Social Mobile, Alipour honed his skills across enterprise-focused industries. He has over 15 years of knowledge and experience in business working with Forbes business executives and Fortune 500 corporations in management, global logistics, budgeting, and cost analysis. Alipour earned his bachelor’s degree in business from Florida International University and his master’s degree in business administration from Nova Southeastern University.