Cristina Cardenal

About Cristina Cardenal

I operate at the intersection of strategy, data, and execution, and I do my best work in fast-moving environments where clarity and alignment are essential.I tend to get pulled into messy, high-stakes work where a lot is moving and not everything is fully defined yet. I’m the person teams bring in when something is cross-functional, important, and at risk of stalling, and it needs to actually get done.Over the past decade, I’ve worked across chief of staff, strategic operations, and data leadership roles. I’ve built and led global teams, supported executive decision-making, and delivered programs supporting $500M+ in revenue while eliminating thousands of hours of manual work.Most recently, I’m a Sr. Technical Program Manager supporting a high-priority data migration tied to the Capital One–Discover integration (~20M accounts), focusing on testing strategy, data validation, and end-to-end execution.I’m a generalist by design, with a focus on bringing structure to complex programs, aligning stakeholders, and helping teams move forward with confidence.I’ve also led practical applications of AI in operations, from a support chatbot that reduced ticket volume to a recommendation engine that improved upsell conversion. My approach is simple: make AI useful, measurable, and ready to operate in the real world.My leadership style is grounded in empathy, clarity, and curiosity. I value environments where people are trusted, encouraged to ask better questions, and supported to grow.Outside of work, I’m a fan of Broadway musicals, legendary concerts, and unforgettable meals - always open to recommendations.

Experience

1. Senior Technical Program Manager Capital One (Contract)

   Akkodis

   Feb 2026 — Present · McLean, VA, US

   Leading execution within a high-risk, large-scale data migration supporting the Capital One-Discover integration, with a focus on test strategy, data validation, and end-to-end reconciliation.Partnering across engineering, product, and data teams to ensure accuracy, risk mitigation, and on-time execution at scale (~20M accounts).

Education

• Georgetown University McDonough School of Business

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Strategy and Management

  2012 — 2015

• Georgetown University

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), American Studies, Art History

  2007 — 2011