Ximena Harris was born and educated in Lima, Peru, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. She entered the perishables industry in 2000 doing International Sales of Fresh Produce for a Peruvian Asparagus exporter. In 2004 she was promoted to Head of the Perishable export department (Air & Ocean) of UPS Supply Chain Solutions. Now a big fish in a small pond, Ximena wanted to relocate but UPS wasn’t the company to further her journey.
Reaching out to her contact at CFI, she qualifies her hiring as “an experiment.”
“Chris had a vision. He and I had worked together and I think he knew I’d just thrive in the CFI atmosphere. It’s like a family, but it’s a place where you can speak your mind, express yourself, and make friends who understand what you go through. He was right. The respect, the camaraderie, CFI was just a natural fit for me.” Ximena started in imports but quickly moved to the more fast-paced area of exports.
With a focus on Latin American products for global distribution, Ximena has started many multi-modal transit programs and became an industry leader for retail and perishable logistics. Her extensive portfolio keeps her busy traveling, though less frequently during the pandemic, as she aims to continue connecting Latin America to Asia, Australia, Europe, and the Middle East all via the USA.
Ximena is a problem solver. As a strong woman who makes it crystal clear that she’s rather fond of the “ugly truth,” Ximena Harris loves putting the pieces of a puzzling problem together to find a solution. Understanding that honesty is important when issues arise in logistics, she prides herself on being the first one to make the call, to reach out and work through problems.
“I like to be the first to help, to see situations from the inception to the resolution. But I try to always have a solution before I call. I want to always be proactive,” she explains. “Luckily, in this business, you know pretty quickly if the solution will work. I love this business because you can see those successes as they add up. It’s rewarding.”
Not only are the rewards Ximena’s, but she’s also created a team of all-stars and strong partnerships with clients that acknowledges the importance of every person in the process. She credits the roles they all play in making the business a success.
Although passionate and dedicated to her work, Ximena has a rich life when she’s not traveling for CFI. She does pilates every day, crediting her love of exercise with her need to keep up with her two granddaughters. An avid cook, host, foodie, and entertainer, even in her off-hours the love of seeing people happy and sharing experiences drives her. CFI is gladly and thankfully along for the ride.
