Executive Profile

Fully bilingual assistant; ability to work independently, and juggle multiple tasks; self-motivated and team focused. Performs diversified executive-level secretarial duties requiring broad and comprehensive experience, skills and knowledge; high degree of integrity, confidentiality and professionalism in carrying out daily routines as well as projects and other assignments. Highly efficient stress management enables to perform smoothly under pressure.

Education

Translator and Interpreter (English/Spanish & Spanish/English), Prof. Emilio Stevanovich, Argentine Association of English Studies.
Commercial and Secretarial Training, St. Ethnea’s High School,Argentina.
Elementary Schooling, Stella Maris Academy, La Jolla, California; International School, Manhattan, New York, USA.

languages and computer skills

  • Spanish (mother tongue); English (second language):Certificate of Proficiency in English Language (advanced level), Cambridge University (Teacher English as a Second Language/ESL)
  • MS Office and other standard business software packages
  • Communication tools: e-mail, internet, video-conference, phone-conference, etc...

Professional Experience

U.S.Embassy in Buenos Aires Dec 02 – to date

Consular Section: processing of nonimmigrant visas (receiving and screening NIV applications and supporting documentation; assigning visa classification and advising officer of possible or apparent problems; accurately entering amounts of data into automated consular systems; capturing data and images as well as printing nonimmigrant machine-readable visas; reviewing visas and applications for completeness and accuracy; providing general visa information to the public; E Visa Programme: processing and preparing for Conul`s review, all Trade and Investor Visas; acting as supplies and procurement manager for Non Immigrant Visas Section: stock inventory and follow-up, FY budgeting of printed material, etc; performing other required duties that might relate to grade and responsibilities.

Teacher of English as a second language Mar 02 – Dec 02
Home Depot Argentina S.R.L. Dec 99 – Feb 02

Assistant to Regional CEO

(Travelled to USA in December, 1999, to train in head store support centre and stores).

Confidentiality and professionalism were critical to the performance of tasks and responsibilities:

  • independently identify needs; set priorities and necessary procedures;
  • collect and compile data and information as necessary; direct and delegate tasks;
  • receive and review highly sensitive correspondence;
  • independently respond to routine correspondence under own signature or, draft response for CEO’s review;
  • screen a large volume of telephone calls and electronic messages, processing routine and complex inquiries;
  • independently meet visitors, or screen them before meeting with CEO;
  • closely control calendar, with authority to manage schedules and time-tables;
  • coordinate domestic and/or international meetings (three or four party video-conferences);
  • make complex domestic and international travel arrangements, reservations, bookings and schedules (flights, hotels, cars, meetings, etc…); prepare domestic and international expense reports.

Teacher of English as a second language Jun 96 – Dec 99

Canadian Embassy, Buenos Aires May 78 – May 96

Security Liaison Office: assistant to the Security and Intelligence Liaison Officer: again, confidentiality and discretion were critical core strengths, due to the sensitivity of tasks. Excercised ability to work independently, since Liaison Officer served 5 countries in the region, and visited Buenos Aires office once every four weeks; communication skills were essential to keep programmes working in the distance.

Other tasks performed, as time permitted, in collaboration with other Embassy Sections:

Immigration Section: “Investment Immigration Programme”, interpreting for Canadian Provincial Representatives during interviews with local investors/entrepreneurs.

Commercial Section: up-date the section’s data-bank “WIN – World Information Network for Exports” (Feb-Apr95/ Mar- May96)

Political Section: assist the Cooperation Officer with the Canadian AID Programme (May-Oct95)

Commercial Section: Canadian Prime Minister visits Argentina; prior to the visit, assisted as translator (letters, brochures and press-releases); during the visit, acted as interpreter (Dec94/Jan95)

Eaton I.C.S.A., Buenos Aires, Jul–Oct 96. Assistant to both the General Manager and the Controller.

C.S.First Boston, Buenos Aires, Feb 96. Assistant to the Investment Banking Director.

Amacon/Semacon (Freight Conference), Buenos Aires, Apr 74-Oct 77.Supervisor of the River Plate/Europe Section; prepared weekly shipping schedules, controlled manifests, freight tariffs, etc…

Other Activities

  • Teacher of English as a second language (children and adults).
  • Free-lance translator (English/Spanish & Spanish/English).

Miscellaneous

  • “Stress Management Workshop”: Organized and conducted these sessions, bi-weekly, in Canadian Embassy premises, with the attendance of both diplomatic and local staff.
  • Yoga instructor (bilingual)
  • Extensive travelling abroad

References

Attached, latest reference letter (page 3)

Other references may be supplied, upon request.

Buenos Aires

October 7, 2005

To Whom it May Concern:

Maria Luisa “Luchita” Aragno-Olivieri was hired as a Visa Clerk at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina in December 2002. I served as Consul in Buenos Aires until September 2005 and had the opportunity to interact with Luchita and observe her work for nearly three years.

Luchita is a member of the Consular Section's large non-immigrant visa (NIV) unit, responsible for receiving and screening application documents, determining appropriate visa classification, printing, sticking, and quality-controlling finished visas and returning passports and related documents to the more than 100,000 people who apply for U.S. visas each year in Buenos Aires. Luchita was also responsible for handling public inquiries and emergency cases, and she served as the NIV Unit’s administrative officer, monitoring supply inventories and placing procurement orders for new supplies when necessary.

During the three years we worked together, Luchita distinguished herself as one of our most dedicated employees. Her relations with American officials, her Argentine co-workers, and the many members of the public with whom she dealt on a regular basis were excellent. Luchita’s relentless optimism, energy, and sense of humor allowed her to play an important informal leadership role in the office, and she helped the NIV team achieve and maintain an unusually high level of morale, even during periods of very heavy workload.

I would recommend Maria Luisa Aragno-Olivieri without hesitation for any customer service or administrative job. I have sincerely enjoyed knowing and working with Luchita these past three years, and should she decide to move on to another job in the future, I know she would be an asset to any team.

Please feel free to contact me by e-mail at , if I can answer specific questions or provide additional information about Maria Luisa “Luchita” Aragno-Olivieri.

Sincerely,

Robert L. Batchelder

Special Assistant for the

Summit of the Americas

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