Debbie Faris

Background

About Debbie Faris

Born in Panama, grew up in Venezuela and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering from the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico. Subsequently, I earned a Marketing and International Business MBA from Rice University in Houston, Texas. My career started with Baxter Healthcare, a Fortune 500 Company, spanned from factory floors to boardrooms as I was deployed around the globe. I am bilingual in English and Spanish and worked in Europe, Asia and Australia. My management experience with Baxter involved acquisitions, integration, technology transfers, cost containment, supply chain and downsizing/re-engineering. When my children were toddlers I focused my efforts into motherhood and supporting my husbands commercial photography production company. Our highly creative, award winning photos shoots in Asia, Europe and Latin America are represented by Getty Images. Through my volunteer work, I have chaired many fundraising events and also was President of my children's PTO. Life took a major turn when I was suddenly widowed in 2009 with three young sons, all under the age of 10. At that time, I had started an image and fashion consulting franchise where I was a #1 seller in the US. More importantly, this venture allowed me to support my family and still remain very much involved in my sons life as an only parent. In 2016 I joined the Dooner Group, an advertising and communications consultancy lead by John J. Dooner - Chairman Emeritus of McCann WorldGroup. Our energetic and exciting collaboration included the creation of "The Untold Story", a documentary for Coca-Cola; the repositioning strategy for a Catholic University, and other work for non-profit organizations. I also coordinated John's 2019 induction into the Advertising Hall of Fame. In 2020 I authored "Beyond the Breakpoint" a personal journey about overcoming loss and tragedy. My book has received the AR Golden Seal for independent writers and has touched lives as far away as Australia and England. It can be found on Amazon. In 2022 it was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Books Awards. I continue to give back to my community. As a former trustee of the Board of Directors of the YMCA of South Palm Beach I was the first woman to chair the Annual Fundraising Campaign in 2017 and was a group leader for GriefShare.com, a ministry for the bereaved. I am currently involved in a healthcare consultancy project and am developing Haka Badass Lemongrass, my wellness beverage.