By Victor Casas Hernandez, Director of Engineering, Data and Artificial Intelligence at MAS Global Consulting
I’m blessed to have had the opportunity to learn many different skills in the world of IT and data science over the course of my career, but one of the things I’m most proud of is something that I was born with – my Latin American heritage. And I firmly believe that it is my superpower that anchors all my other skills.
It’s been widely reported that Latin American countries are rapidly gaining a reputation for being hubs of technological innovation and production. With Latinx IT talent making great strides in the US and globally, it warms my heart to know that I am part of this tech revolution and that MAS Global Consulting is actively contributing to its success with our nearshore software engineering model servicing the Americas.
Making an impact in AI and data science
I’m a proud Latino and Colombian who was raised in humble circumstances in Medellín. Thanks to scholarships (and a lot of hard work!), I was fortunate enough to pursue my passion for financial engineering at university, and eventually obtained two master’s degrees in quantitative finance and mathematical engineering in Colombia and Argentina.
I fell in love with the math and econometrics side of finance and embarked on my professional career journey in Colombia and Argentina. I worked in risk management, teaching, quantitative programming (including coding algorithms for Thomson Reuters) and quantitative trading for Wells Fargo – which is where I got my first taste of artificial intelligence.
After steadily building my experience and résumé, I moved to the US and made history as JPMorgan Chase’s first Latin American data scientist. I founded and headed up a team of 75 people and ended up saving the company millions of dollars a year through patented algorithms for real-time anomaly detection. One of my dreams – becoming an inventor – was finally coming true!
I worked my way up to executive director at JPMorgan Chase, and played a major role in investigating sustainable options for AI to consume fewer non-renewable resources. However, even with all of these responsibilities, I felt alienated from my roots and was keenly aware of what it felt like to be a minority in the world of investment banking.
Home is where the heart – and the IT talent – is
When my father passed away and my mom was struggling with this immense loss, I, as an only child, felt the pull of my home country of Colombia even more strongly than before. I decided to return home to Medellín from New York City to comfort and support her.
It was a stroke of luck that I crossed paths with fellow Colombian Monica Hernandez, the founder and CEO of MAS Global Consulting. I discovered I could have the best of both worlds: be home with my family, where my heart is, and work remotely at the cutting edge of technology as head of data, engineering and AI for this exceptional, pioneering tech firm.
Being close to my roots fuels and energizes me, and motivates me to strive for new and better solutions for our clients. I am passionate about seeing my compatriots have the same opportunity to grow and excel in their chosen fields as I did.
At MAS Global Consulting, we use our headquarters in Tampa, Florida, as a base from which to deploy agile nearshore software solutions to blue-chip companies, thanks to our remote teams in Latin American countries such as Colombia, Mexico and Argentina. Being in the same time zone as the US, our brilliant offsite teams operating from there offer exceptional tech ability and responsiveness, and deliver outstanding results to our clients.
We are creating a number of products that I’m really excited about – some that are revolutionizing workflows and productivity, and others that foster financial inclusion. We believe that it’s not enough to just empower tech workers in Latin America; we also need more technological innovations that can improve the day-to-day lives of ordinary people for the better.
Creating equal access to opportunities
I dream of a world where everyone has equal access to opportunities and where the color of your skin does not determine your perceived worth. A world in which the power of diversity in the workplace is acknowledged, with many different points of view adding flavor and richness to the soup of ideas – ultimately leading to better-rounded, more holistic solutions.
I firmly believe that our industry can help level the playing field and bring about a more egalitarian society by empowering Latin Americans and other marginalized communities, as we are doing.
I love seeing how our MAS Future Foundation opens doors for women and Latinas in tech, and I get such a kick out of doing our AI for Kids workshops. When a seven-year-old learns how to train an AI model, you see their eyes light up and they are like, “Wait, right, did I really do that?” And we say, “Yes, you did!” And then they can’t wait for the second and third workshops – they just want more, more, more.
What’s missing is exposure. If we can inspire LatAm children at an early age, I believe we will soon see a new generation of tech creators, builders and inventors taking key positions in global companies. They will see that, like Monica and me, they can embrace their Latin American heritage while making a valuable contribution to the world of technology.
Based in Tampa, Florida, with a hub in Medellin, Colombia, MAS Global accelerates tech projects for midsize to Fortune 500 clients in Finance, Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Technology. Our strategic hubs ensure aligned time zones and access to elite Latin American tech talent, delivering cost efficiencies and superior quality. With a flexible collaboration model that adapts to client needs, MAS empowers clients with AI, cloud, and data technologies, supported by proprietary accelerators. Certified as women and minority-owned, we aim to impact 1 million women and Latinos through technology. Founded by Monica Hernandez, a Colombia native and top 100 Hispanic in Tech, MAS is trusted by industry leaders like Dell, JPMorgan Chase, and Johnson Controls. Featured in Forbes, Bloomberg, and Inc. Magazine, MAS Global is More Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact.