As CFO at PayCargo, Carolina Demi (MAcc ’14, BBA ’13) operates in a sector little-known outside the circles of those who use it, yet that affects us every day. A B2B online payment and supply-chain financing platform for the freight and cargo industries, it pays transporters upfront. This saves the receiving company time, speeding cargo release and reducing fees. “It pays for the whole shipment on your behalf,” Demi said.
The Coral Gables, Florida–based company works with logistics companies across ocean, air, trucking and rail, supporting more than 6,000 vendors worldwide, including some of the world’s largest retailers. PayCargo aims to modernize an industry that still relies on antiquated methods, where shipping paperwork and invoices are manually recorded, reconciled and cross-checked – a paper-heavy process ill-suited to today’s global supply chains.
“We are trying to automate that process,” Demi said, pointing to a new AI-powered invoice automation product that digitally matches invoices, reconciles payments and reduces human error between carriers and receivers.
Demi immigrated to the U.S. from Honduras after graduating high school, following her family’s move. She expected to be an architect or engineer, but ended up pursuing accounting in what she called a “happy accident.” A professor at Miami Dade College encouraged her to consider it. She was reluctant at first – both of her parents are accountants – but then she recognized the profession's many opportunities. FIU's welcoming atmosphere was also heartening – especially to a recent immigrant. “They make it easy to navigate and there is a lot of help,” she said. “I didn't ever feel like I didn't belong.”
While at FIU, Demi joined the Association of Latino Professionals for America, which served as a gateway for networking and meeting prospective employers. She also decided to specialize in tax – first personal, later corporate. “I thought it was unique,” she said.
She began her career as an intern at PwC before moving into the corporate sector at MasTec. After leaving MasTec, she joined PayCargo as a controller to help implement the company’s global tax compliance function. She became interim CFO in 2023 and was named to the permanent role a year later.
The challenges of her role include working across countries, sectors and transportation modes, compounded by the wide range of record-keeping systems used by shippers and receivers. Artificial intelligence can help harmonize those processes by identifying commonalities and building scalable solutions. “We are building new products to enhance the shipping industry,” Demi said.
When not leading her team of 13, Demi is with her husband and young sons, and baking is her creative outlet. Her churro cheesecake recently took second place in a company baking contest.