Career Biography

Francisco Roman is a lawyer with a solid track record as in-house counsel and legal department leader. He holds a degree in Law and Political Sciences from the University of Lima and a master’s in Administrative Sciences and Finance from Metropolitan College at Boston University.

Over the past 15 years, he led the legal department at DP World in Peru. In this role, he adopted a consistently business-oriented approach, aligning legal strategies with the company’s operational and commercial needs. One of his major accomplishments was leading the successful negotiation of two key addenda to the DBFOT concession agreement for the Callao Port in 2010 and 2018. These negotiations were critical to securing the construction and operation of phases 1 and 2 of the Muelle Sur container terminal, representing a total investment of $500 m. His legal acumen enabled the company to navigate complex regulatory challenges, including government bureaucracy, environmental permitting, and lender-driven financing regulations.

His expertise in competition law and the maritime industry also proved instrumental in leading two successful tariff reviews before the Transportation Regulatory Board over a ten-year period. These efforts unlocked significant new revenue streams that helped finance further terminal expansions. Collectively, these contributions helped position DP World as the country’s leading container terminal operator, capturing over 65% market share.

In 2019, Roman led the corporate restructuring of newly acquired logistics business units, integrating them into DP World’s global structure. He advised corporate headquarters on finance, tax, and M&A operations, including the divestment of vessel-related maritime services. These initiatives helped reposition the legal department as a strategic business partner and embedded legal thinking into the company’s local organsational culture. He was recognised as a “Top Contributor” in performance evaluations for three consecutive years.

To further enhance his capabilities, Roman completed training in legal operations at ESADE in 2023. In 2024, he joined Yobel SCM, a Peruvian focused on logistics and supply chain management with operations across Latin America. As legal corporate manager and secretary of the board, he has played a central role in the company’s financial restructuring, leading legal due diligence efforts for a secured bond issuance and strengthening corporate governance practices. Simultaneously, he has reorganised the legal department to better align with the company’s evolving needs, introducing annual goals, KPIs, and quality control processes.