# Manuel Schiappa Pietra

> Manuel Schiappa Pietra is the Miami-based president and CEO of FreeBalance, an Ottawa-founded government technology company. Since taking the role in 2006, he has led a shift toward government-specific public financial management software, customer-led product development and a wider mission linking transparent budgets to citizen outcomes. He also serves as executive director of The Happier Way Foundation, sits on the supervisory board of the Tech Diplomacy Global Institute, and advises the Portuguese Presidency on diaspora engagement.

- **Role:** President and CEO at FreeBalance
- **Organizations:** FreeBalance, The Happier Way Foundation, Tech Diplomacy Global Institute, International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management, World Economic Forum New Champions Community, Conselho da Diaspora Portuguesa
- **Education:** Business Management, South African Institute of Management, Executive education, Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education, Global CEO Program, IESE Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management
- **Known for:** Led FreeBalance's strategic reorganization from 2006 around government-specific software, direct implementation involvement and customer-led innovation., Received the 2011 OCRI Next Generation Executive Award., Led FreeBalance when it received a 2009 Canada Export Achievement Award.

## Career timeline

- **Before 2006** — Built international management experience in companies across North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa, including board and venture-capital activity.
- **2006** — Joined FreeBalance as president and CEO and initiated a new government-focused strategy, organizational restructuring and a customers-for-life planning model.
- **2009** — Led FreeBalance as it introduced its web-native Accountability Suite and won a Canada Export Achievement Award.
- **2011** — Received the OCRI Next Generation Executive Award for leading organizational change, international growth and a stronger social-responsibility mission.
- **2012 era** — Recognized FreeBalance's emerging role as an adviser on government financial, process and technology modernization; later served two years as president of ICGFM.
- **2020** — FreeBalance joined the United Nations Global Compact under Pietra's leadership.
- **2023** — Joined Costa Rican government leaders to announce FreeBalance's role in Hacienda Digital, a broad Ministry of Finance transformation program.
- **2025** — Hosted a FISC session in Timor-Leste on linking national strategies, budgets and measurable outcomes; joined the supervisory board of the Tech Diplomacy Global Institute.
- **2026** — Spoke on next-generation public financial management, digital sovereignty and technology governance, including an April FMI webinar and the July Tech Diplomacy Global Forum at UNESCO headquarters.

## Achievements

- Led FreeBalance's strategic reorganization from 2006 around government-specific software, direct implementation involvement and customer-led innovation.
- Received the 2011 OCRI Next Generation Executive Award.
- Led FreeBalance when it received a 2009 Canada Export Achievement Award.
- Served for two years as president of the International Consortium on Governmental Financial Management.
- Helped expand FreeBalance's public financial management work to 30 governments worldwide, according to current public biographies.
- Joined the supervisory board of the Tech Diplomacy Global Institute in 2025.
- Was named to the Tech Diplomacy Global 50 in 2026.
- Completed the IESE-MIT Sloan Global CEO Program.

## Latest updates

- **2026-07** — Participated in the Tech Diplomacy Global Forum at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on digital sovereignty for open societies.
- **2026-04** — Led an FMI webinar on the next generation of government financial management and lessons for Canada.
- **2026-03** — FreeBalance published work on AI readiness in government financial management as the company prepared FISC 2026 around AI at the service of the state.
- **2025-04** — Hosted a FISC session in Dili on national development strategies, performance management and the shift from accounting to accountability.

## Links

- Website: https://www.freebalance.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manuel-schiappa-pietra

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/manuel-pietra
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-28