Tomas Reyes is a seasoned executive with more than 35 years of progressive leadership experience across financial services, manufacturing, education, and the nonprofit sector. Throughout his career, he has established a reputation as a strategic problem-solver and systems thinker, consistently delivering impactful results in global, complex environments. His expertise spans strategic sourcing, operational and enterprise risk management, Lean transformation, and regulatory compliance—skills he has applied with measurable success in both public and private sectors.
Tomas currently serves as the Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives at CTLEAD (Latinos for Educational Advocacy and Diversity), a nonprofit dedicated to empowering Latino communities through education, civic engagement, and public policy. In this role, he leads multi-state advocacy programs, community mobilization efforts, and leadership development initiatives designed to advance educational equity. His work includes designing and implementing metrics frameworks, advising charter school founders, and shaping public policy communications—all while strengthening the organization’s internal operations and external impact.
Earlier in his career, Tomas spent over two decades at General Electric, where he held leadership roles across GE Capital, GE Energy, GE Industrial Systems, and GE Global Learning. As Corporate Learning & Development Sourcing Leader, he oversaw a $30 to $50 million annual spend, delivering enterprise-wide cost efficiencies while enabling the rollout of GE’s Learning 2.0 and Lean transformation initiatives. He previously led sourcing and procurement operations for GE Capital’s global headquarters, where he played a key role in a $50 billion corporate restructuring, implementing vendor governance and risk frameworks to ensure compliance, agility, and continuity through major divestitures.
As GE Capital’s Operational Risk Business Lead, Tomas led the enterprise-wide rollout of risk control frameworks across regulated finance portfolios totaling more than $100 billion. His work in capital planning, CCAR stress testing, and regulatory engagement with agencies such as the OCC and FDIC resulted in best-in-class risk intelligence programs and improved governance transparency. As a senior leader in GE’s capital strategy teams, he directed the development and approval of probability of default and loss-given default models for more than 50 financial products, serving over one million customers and supporting the company’s capital adequacy objectives.
Tomas’ early contributions at GE Industrial Systems and GE Energy further underscore his versatility and operational depth. He led Lean manufacturing transformations across multiple facilities, facilitated cross-functional kaizen events, and implemented kanban, visual management systems, and inventory reduction strategies. These efforts yielded double-digit improvements in cycle time, ergonomics, and throughput, benefiting aerospace, healthcare, and energy operations globally.
Fluent in English and Spanish, Tomas brings international business experience across North America, Latin America, Europe, Australia, and India. He holds an MBA from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Kenan-Flagler Business School and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering from the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. He is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and holds four U.S. patents related to procurement and component design innovations. Over the years, he has spoken at industry forums and led internal training programs on procurement best practices, supplier engagement, and operational excellence.
Outside of his executive roles, Tomas has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to mentorship and financial literacy. For over 10 years, he has volunteered with Junior Achievement USA, helping students develop essential life skills in career readiness and economic empowerment.
Now actively exploring board and advisory opportunities, Tomas offers a rare combination of technical acumen, regulatory insight, and cross-sector leadership. He is particularly interested in working with mission-driven organizations and mid-cap companies that are embracing artificial intelligence, digital transformation, or education-focused initiatives. With a collaborative spirit and a clear orientation toward results, Tomas Reyes stands ready to contribute strategic oversight, governance discipline, and transformational leadership at the board level.
Character: Tomas Reyes is a values-driven leader known for his integrity, commitment to service, and passion for empowering others.
Knowledge: With over 35 years of experience, Tomas possesses deep expertise in manufacturing, risk analytics, strategic sourcing, and operational excellence.
Strategic: He has a proven ability to design and lead complex initiatives that align operational efficiency with long-term organizational goals.
Communication: Tomas is an effective communicator and public speaker who engages diverse stakeholders through clarity, insight, and purpose.
