Vice President

Gio provides extensive leadership, management guidance and charitable planning expertise in serving Sterling’s foundation and non-profit clients. He leverages his proven project, operations and portfolio management skills to ensure the charitable organizations Sterling manages are fully compliant and efficiently achieving the philanthropic goals of their donors. Moreover, Gio has been recognized with several awards for earning the highest client satisfaction scores. His ability to uncover client needs, develop solutions and achieve goals ensures each of Sterling’s clients receive personal, customized attention and services is highly regarded.

Prior to joining Sterling, Gio was a leader in PricewaterhouseCooper’s (PwC) Public Sector Practice where he led multiple projects that provided project/program/portfolio management, strategic planning, financial management, change management, and business process improvement support and services to public sector organizations. Gio was hand-picked to lead PwC’s largest and most complex public sector project, valued at over $300 million, providing financial improvement and audit readiness services to the government. His successful leadership of over 300 project members and 28 teaming partners across ten simultaneous task orders ensured the government organization was “audit ready” for the first time in their history.

Gio is also a combat veteran having served in the U.S. Army as an officer for over 20 years. With multiple tours of duty and combat deployments around the world including Iraq, Afghanistan, Haiti and border surveillance of the former East-West German border, he honed his expertise in leading, organizing, planning and supervising activities to achieve a common goal. For his meritorious service and success, Gio was recognized with accelerated promotions and was awarded many decorations including two Bronze Stars, a Legion of Merit and a Valorous Unit Award.

Gio's community service and philanthropic contributions include building homes with Habitat for Humanity, teaching financial literacy with Junior Achievement and leading community service projects with the Knights of Columbus. He also helps service members and their families with the USO, supports wounded veterans at Fischer Houses and assists veterans in Veterans Administration hospitals. Gio is a supporter of the National Children’s Health System, Best Buddies International, the Wounded Warrior Project and the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. He is a past board member of the Hispanic Alumni of Notre Dame and the Notre Dame Club of Washington, DC.

Having earned both military and business strategic planning certifications including Balanced Scorecard strategy execution, Gio is an expert in guiding organizations to develop their strategic vision and implement the processes and actions needed to realize that vision. Gio holds the distinguished Project Management Professional certification from the Project Management Institute and is Lean/Six Sigma certified (Green Belt). Gio earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree from The George Washington University where he was inducted into the Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society.