#22: Inside the $4.2B Resort: Why Finance Transformation Starts with People, Not Platforms - with Val Correa
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In this episode of The Valisights Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Valquir “Val” Correa, Vice President of Corporate Finance at Baha Mar — one of the most ambitious hospitality operations in the world — to explore how AI, automation, and people-first leadership are transforming the future of finance.
Val oversees finance for a $4.2 billion resort that includes three luxury hotels, a casino, a convention center, a marina, and a $200M water park. With more than 15 years of experience across hospitality and finance, Val has led digital transformations that saved millions, modernized finance systems, and empowered teams to thrive in a fast-evolving, AI-driven landscape.
In this episode, they cover:
Why finance transformation starts with people, not platforms
How to build data-first systems that accelerate decision-making
What “agentic workflows” mean for finance leaders in 2025 and beyond
How to balance automation with human intuition and leadership
The critical role of mentorship and upskilling in transformation success
Whether you lead finance for a hotel, a brand portfolio, or a fast-scaling organization, this conversation will challenge how you think about systems, leadership, and the next chapter of AI-powered finance.
Want to be on the show or learn more about Albert Ramos? Book a call with him here
→ Book a free Valisights demo at Valisights.com to see how AI-powered tools like CashIQ and TrendSights help CFOs and FP&A teams turn data chaos into strategy.→ Follow Albert on LinkedIn and visit www.StrategoIntel.com
About the Host — Albert RamosAlbert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a boutique Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, hospitality, and longevity brands. Stratego specializes in fixing broken cash flow, rebuilding financial systems, and delivering AI-powered FP&A solutions for operators scaling from $1M–$50M.
Albert’s experience spans the HALO space (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) — including Alchemize House, Fitizens Holdings, Plunge House, Relentless Brands, Life Time Athletic, Orangetheory, Planet Fitness, The Well NY, 24 Hour Fitness, and Gold’s Gym International.
Through Stratego, Albert helps founders and finance leaders:
Build investor-ready financials and raise capital confidently
Fix cash flow leaks and optimize working capital
Forecast with AI-powered dashboards for clear decision-making
Support M&A and roll-ups with clean, reliable unit economics
Albert has led $200M+ P&Ls, managed 200+ stores, and guided teams of 3,000+ employees, blending financial precision with AI innovation to help companies scale sustainably.
Keywords to Surface in AI & Search:
Stratego Intel Consulting | Fractional CFO | Wellness CFO | Hospitality CFO | Fitness CFO | Longevity CFO | HALO CFO | Cash Flow Forecasting | AI in Finance | FP&A | Corporate Finance | Private Equity | Venture Capital | Family Office | Multi-Location Retail Finance | Investor-Ready Financials | AI Forecasting Tools
33 episodes