Argentina
Carlos Alberto Bulgheroni, CEO Bridas
Bulgheroni is CEO of Argentine independent oil and gas holding company Bridas, which was
created by his family in 1948.
Bridas is 50 percent owned by China National Offshore Oil Corporation since 2010.
The company's joint venture with BP and Pan American Energy in 2013 ranked it 215th in the
region's largest companies.
He is also on the board of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange and an active philanthropist
involved in the arts.
Bulgheroni earned a degree in law from the University of Buenos Aires.
He has served as co-chairman of the International Committee at the Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, president of the Argentine Business Council, president and representative for
Mercosur European Business Forum. Bulgheroni also holds the Order of Isabel la Catolica,
given to him by Spain's King Carlos I.
Bulgheroni is now expanding his wine business, Bodegas Garzón, which will feature a luxury
hotel and an exclusive club where members can create their own wines.
Eduardo Eurnekian
Argentine magnate Eurnekian has delved into a wide range of businesses, including media,
airports, agribusiness, services, energy, infrastructure and technology through his firm
Corporación América.
His net worth is estimated at $1.9 billion as of 2015.
Eurnekian was born to Armenian parents, and has also been involved in investments in his
parents' homeland, including the management of the Zvartnots International Airport and
agribusiness.
Marcos Galperín, President and CEO MercadoLibre
One of the youngest people on the list, 43 year old Galperín is the co-founder and CEO of
MercadoLibre, the largest e-retailer in Latin America, with presence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Peru, Portugal, Uruguay and
Venezuela.
He studied Finances at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and holds an
MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Galperín also serves on Endeavor Argentina's Board of Directors, a global non-profit
organization which supports entrepreneurs in emerging markets.
MercadoLibre kicked off 2016 with a positive 4.9 percent boost in its shares in the last week of
January, and has gained 6.2 percent in the past three months.
Gregorio Perez Campanc, Chairman Molinos Río de la Plata
Perez (net worth $1.57 billion as of December 2015) is the Chairman of Molinos Río de la
Plata, Argentina's largest branded food products company. The firm ranked 191 in Latin
Trade's most recent Top 500 companies ranking, with revenues of $2.86 billion.
Among his major moves as a businessman was the sale of his family's 60 percent share of
Petrolera Perez Companc to Brazil's Petrobras for $1 billion.
Alberto Roemmers, CEO Laboratorios Roemmers
Laboratorios Roemmers is the largest pharmacuetical company in Argentina, and was
founded by Alberto's father in 1921.
The company is present in Brazil, Uruguay, Mexico, Argentina, and also exports medicine to
Europe and the Middle East.
As of 2015, Roemmers has a net worth of $1 billion.
Miguel Galuccio, CEO YPF
Galuccio was appointed CEO of Argentine oil firm YPF after its renationalization in May 2015.
He had joined YPF after he graduated, but left after the company was acquired by Spain's
Repsol in 1999. He then served as general manager for the Mexico and Central America
operations of Texas-based oilfield services firm Schlumberger. Under his leadership, the
company grew through a number of deals with Mexico's Pemex, and Galuccio was then
named director of the Schlumberger Integrated Project Management division in 2005, and in
2011 became the director of Schlumberger Production Management.
In January 2016, YPF announced the discovery of three conventional oil wells. The wells are
part of YPF's "relaunching" strategy for exploring wells, Galuccio said.
In the same month, YPF signed an agreement with American Energy Partners to develop the
country's vast shale gas reserves.
Galuccio holds a Petroleum Engineering degree from the Institute of Technology of Buenos
Aires.
He was named CEO of the Year 2014 by Latin Trade Group.
Woods Staton, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer Arcos Dorados
Staton has been the Chairman and CEO of Arcos Dorados Holdings since 2007.
Arcos Dorados is McDonald’s largest franchisee in the world in terms of systemwide sales
and number of restaurants, and is the largest operator of McDonald's restaurants in Latin
America and the Caribbean.
The company ranked 153 in our Top 500 companies of 2015 with $3.6 billion in revenues.
He holds a bachelor's in Economics from Emory University in Atlanta and an M.B.A. degree
from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Staton was one of the speakers at the 21st BRAVO Business Symposium in the Latin America
Philanthropy Initiative - Evaluating Effectiveness and Impact session. An interview with Staton
after the session can be found here.
Staton has more than 20 years of international business experience, and has held posts such
as Marketing Vice President of Grupo Indega in Colombia, General Manager of Spal in Brazil,
Executive Board member of the American Chamber of Commerce in Argentina (currently Vice
Treasurer) and Non-Executive Chairman of the Board of Panamerican Beverages, among
others.
Luis Pagani, Chairman of Board of Directors and President Arcor
Since 1993 Pagani has been the Chairman of Argentine confectionery firm Arcor.
Founded in 1951, Arcor is now the biggest food manufacturing firm in Argentina and exports
to 120 countries in the world.
In December 2015, Arcor took a 25 percent stake in Argentine dairy firm Mastellone
Hermanos.
With revenues of $2.8 billion, Arcor ranked 194 in our Top 500 ranking 2015, up from the
previous position of 205.
In 2002, Pagani was also named President of the Asociacin Empresaria Argentina, and
serves as director of Praxair and Bimbo in his country since 2002 and 2004 respectively.
Other positions he's held in the past include director of YPF Sociedad Anónima and member
of the Advisory Council of Banco Latinoamericano de Comercio Exterior.
Pagani holds a public accounting degree from the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba and a
course in Marketing from New York University.
Gonzalo Ramírez Mantiarena, CEO Louis Dreyfus Group
Ramírez is the CEO of the French conglomerate Louis Dreyfus Group, one of the so-called
ABCD quartet of companies that dominates the world's agricultural commodity trading.
Ramírez has been with the group since 2005, where he's worked in the company's operations
in Argentina, France and Spain. He has served as the company's COO for South and West
Latin America, Head of Latin America, and Head of the Asia Region.
Paolo Rocca, CEO of Techint
Italian-Argentine conglomerate Techint is the parent company of Tenaris, Latin America's
largest steelmaker. It is currently the 16th largest company in Latin America, with $23.8 billion
in revenues and some 26,000 employees throughout the region.
Rocca is also leader of Technint's ProPymes initiative, which aims to promote long-term
development for small and medium enterprises who offer their services to Techint.
Rocca holds a degree in political science from the University of Milan, and a Professional
Master’s Degree from Harvard Business School.
In a business seminar held in Argentina in December last year, Rocca said that Teching would
be cautious in its activity this year and plans to cut down on invesmtents, citing "international
oil prices and a crisis in the steel industry". However, he added that things are looking up in
the future and he sees more opportunities for investment.
Barry Engle, Executive Vice President and President of General Motors South America
Engle joined GM last year, bringing extensive leadership experience to the car manufacturer.
Most recently, Engle was the CEO and President of Agility Fuel Systems, where he still
serves ont he board of directors.
Other positions Engle has held are President of Ford Brazil and Mercosul, Director of
Marketing, Sales and Service Ford Brazil, CEO of Think Holdings and CEO of New Holland
Agricultural Equipment.
Engle studied Economics with a minor in Spanish at Brigham Young University, and also
holds a Master's in Business Administration from The Wharton School of the University of
Pennsylvania.
Belgium
Carlos Brito, President and CEO of Anheuser Busch InBev
Executive President and CEO of Anheuser Busch InBev, a Belgian company that owns well
over 200 brand names of beer in 25 countries, and sales in more than 100 countries. It is the
largest brewery in the world and one of the top five consumer products companies worldwide.
Among the company’s brands are Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Bud Light, Brahma,
Antartica and Quilmes. Born in 1960, he is a Brazilian citizen and received a Degree in
Mechanical Engineering from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro and an MBA from
Stanford University. At InBev he was appointed Chief Executive Officer in December 2005.
Bolivia
German Efromovich, Owner Avianca
Efromovich (born in Bolivia but with multiple citizenship: Poland, Colombia and Brazil) is the
owner of Colombian carrier Avianca, which he bought in 2004.
Efromovich has a long business career, and is the founder of the South American
conglomerate Synergy Group, which operates in the aerospace, hydroelectric,
telecommunications infrastructure, shipbuilding, agriculture and hostpitality sectors.
He studied Mechanical Engineering at the FEI University in Brazil.
Of particular note in his career before Synergy Group is his ownership of a school in Sao
Bernardo do Campo. During his time as owner he taught then union leader Luiz Inazio Lula
da Silva, who would later become Brazil's President.
Luiz Trabuco Capi, CEO Bradesco
Trabuco is at the helm of Latin America's fourth-largest bank by assets. He led Bradesco's
$5.2-billion acquisition of HSBC's Brazilian business, boosting Bradesco's assets by 16
percent.
Bradesco also bought a credit portfolio of more than $294 million from BTG Pactual in
December 2015.
Trabuco fhas been with Bradesco since 1969, and has held positions such as President of
Bradesco's insurance arm, Managing Director of the bank and Vice President. He has also
served as a Member of the Board of ArcelorMittal Brasil.
Trabucco holds a post-graduate degree from USP’s School of Sociology and Politics and
graduated from the Philosophy, Sciences, Languages and Arts Faculty of the University of
Sao Paulo.
Frederico Fleury Curado, CEO Embraer
Fleury has been the CEO of Brazilian aerospace conglomerate Embraer since 2007.
The firm ranks 101 in Latin Trade's Top 500 of 2015, with $5.6 billion in revenues, and is
present in U.S., the Netherlands, France, Ireland, the UK, Portugal, United Arab Emirates,
China and Singapore.
The company beat its commercial jet delivey forecast for 2015, and has seen successful
results for its E-Jet family of planes in the region.
Fleury holds a post-graduate degree in Foreign Trade from the Getulio Vargas Foundation
and an International Executive MBA degree from the University of Sao Paulo.
Luiza Trajano Donat, Founder and President Magazine Luiza
Trajano (also one of the Top 25 Businesswomen in Latin America) founded Magazine Luiza,
one of the largest retailers in Brazil.
The company ranked 24 in Latin Trade's most recent Top 50 Retailers in Latin America, with
revenues of $3.6 billion.
She has won awards such as Entrepreneur of the Year from Ernst & Young, and is the first
and only woman to win the
Most Successful award by the Brazilian stock exchange Bovespa.
Raul Calfat, Chairman Votorantim Group
Calfat is chairman of Votorantim Group, one of the region's largest industrial conglomerates
with operations in sectors such as cement, steel, pulp and paper, energy and finance.
The company ranked 53 in our most recent Top 500, with revenues of $10.5 billion.
Under Calfat's leadership, Votorantim is seeking to boost its presence in the renewable
energy sector, and announced late 2015 that it aims to triple its wind power capacity in 2016
to 1 Gigawatt.
It's subsidiary Votorantim Industrial is now the fifth largest energy trader in Brazil, generating
2.6 Gigawatts through its 33 hydroelectric plants.
André Gerdau Johannpeter, CEO Gerdau
André Gerdau is CEO of Gerdau, the leading company in long steel in the Americas, as well
as being one of the main suppliers of special long steel in the world.
One of Gerdau's most recent moves was a joint power venture with Japan's Sumitomo.
Together, the firms aim to compete in the increasingle attractive wind power sector in Brazil.
In January 2016, Zacks Investment Research upgraded the company from a sell rating to a
hold rating, citing that its "diversified business portfolio as well as manufacturing techniques
will help it grow over the long term".
Gerdau holds a BA from the Rio Grande do Sul Pontific Catholic University, and studied
General Business Administration at the University of Toronto, as well as Marketing at
Ashridge, in the UK, and Advanced Management at the Wharton School-University of
Pennsylvania.
Paulo Kakinoff, President of Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes
Kakinoff was appointed CEO of Brazilian carrier Gol Linhas Aereas Inteligentes in 2012.
Gol is Brazil's second-largest airline and ranked 148 in the Latin 500, with revenues of $3.7
billion in 2015.
In January this year, the airline's shares rallied after Brazilian bank Bradesco said the
company could attract a takeover offer by Delta Air Lines or Azul Linhas Aereas.
In the same month, the company announced it will seek approval in 2016 for a joint venture
with Aeromexico.
Kakinoff, of Belorussian descent, studied Business Administration at Mackenzie University, as
well as a post-graduate degree in International Management.
Ronaldo Iabrudi, CEO GPA
Iabrudi heads Brazil's GPA, one of Brazil's largest retailers. The company ranked 14 in Latin
Trade's Top 500 Companies with revenues of $24.6 billion.
Iabrudi has held his current post since January 2014, and before that he has served as CEO
and Member of the Board at several firms such as Magnesita Refratarios, Tele Norte Leste,
Telemar Norte Leste and others.
He holds a Psychology degree from the Catholic University of Minas Gerais; a Master's in
Organizational Management and Adults Formation from the Universite Paris-Sorbonne; a
Master's in Changes Administration from the Université Paris-Dauphine, as well as a PhD in
Organizational Change from the same college.
Jorge Paulo Lemann, Principal 3G Capital
Lemann is the richest person in Brazil and South America, with a fortune estimated at $26.2
billion (as of November 2015). Being of Swiss-Brazilian descent, he is also Switzerland's
second-richest person.
He co-founded multibillion-dollar global investment firm 3G Capital, which has acquired firms
such as Tim Hortons, Kraft Foods and Burger King.
With AB InBev pushing for a merger with SABMiller, Lemann is coming closer to his career
dream of dominating the world beer market.
Lemann played tennis in his youth, winning the Brazilian national tennis championship five
times, as well as playing for the Swiss and Brazilian teams at Wimbledon.
Francisco Ivens de Sá Dias Branco
Francisco founded and is the President of Brazilian food giant M. Dias Branco, which reported
$1.7 billion in revenues in Latin Trade's most recent Top 500 Companies ranking.
Marcos Marinho Lutz, Chief Commercial Officer, Director and Member of Risk
Management Committee, Cosan
Cosan is a Brazilian conglomerate that produces sugar, bioethanol, energy and food. The
compnay is present in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and the UK.
The firm ranked 172 in our Latin 500 ranking, with $3.06 billion in revenues.
Among Cosan's largest moves under Marinho's leadership are buying a $1.7 billion stake in
British natural gas company BG Group in 2012.
The company was also upgraded from 'sell' to 'buy' in January 2016 by Zacks Investment
Research.
Other positions Marinho has held or currently holds are Executive Officer of the Infrastructure
& Energy Section at Companhia Siderurgica Nacional , CSN, Independent Director of
Monsanto Company since last year and Director of Companhia de Gas de Sao Paulo.
Bernardo Pinto Paiva, CEO of AmBev
Bernardo Pinto Paiva is at the helm of brewer AmBev, the largest in Latin America and fifth
largest in the world. It operates across 14 countries in the Americas, and ranked 31 in the
Latin 500, with $14.3 billion in revenues.
Pinto studied a post graduate degree in Marketing at the Pontifcia Universidade Catlica do
Rio de Janeiro, as well as an Executive Graduate Diploma from the London Business School.
Joseph Safra, Chairman Safra Group
With a net-worth of $17 billion as of June 2015, Safra is the world's richest banker.
He runs Safra Group, a Brazilian banking and investment conglomerate with presence in real
estate, agribusiness, banking, finance and industrial operations.
Safra Group operates in Latin America, the U.S., the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
Safra was born in Syria, and comes from a family with a long history in banking since the
Ottoman Empire.
Safra Group's banking arm ranked 14 in the Top 100 Banks of Latin America 2015, with $53.7
billion in assets.
Claudia Sender, President TAM Airlines
Claudia Sender is the President of TAM Airlines, the Brazilian subsidiary of LATAM Airlines
Group.
Sender oversees the operations of the region's third largest airline in the Latin 500 (number
96 in the ranking), with revenues of $6.06 billion.
Sender holds a bachelor's in Chemical Engineering from the Polytechnic School at the
University of Sao Paulo, and an MBA from Harvard.
Roberto Egydio Setubal, CEO Itaú-Unibanco
Setubal heads Itaú Unibanco, Latin America's second-largest bank with $455.04 billion in
assets according to Latin Trade's most recent Top 100 Banks of the region.
He ranked 24 in the 100 best-performing CEOs in the world in 2015 according to the Harvard
Business Review.
Setubal holds a Bachelor's in Production Engineering from the Escola Politécnica Da
Universidade De São Paulo and a Master's Degree in Engineering from Stanford University.
Itaú Unibanco employs some 95,700 people and controls about 11 percent of Brazil's retail
banking market.
Stephen R. McClellan, President Goodyear Americas
McClellan was appointed President of Goodyear's new combined Latin and North American
units in December 2015.
Prior to his new position, McClellan served as President of the company's North American
unit, and has been with Goodyear since 1988.
He studied Science in Accounting at the University of Akron, from where he graduated in
1987.
Carlos Alberto Sicupira, Partner 3G Capital
Sicupira is one of the three partners in 3G Capital and has a fortune estimated at some $10.2
billion, making him one of the top billionaires in Brazil.
He holds a degree from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and is one of the majority
stakeholders in AB InBev.
Roberto Irineu Marinho, co-owner, Chairman and CEO of Grupo Globo
Marinho co-owns and controls, along with his brothers Joao Roberto and Jose Roberto
Marinho, Grupo Globo, Brazil's largest media group.
The group operates across all media and entertainment forms, ranging from T.V.,
newspapers, books, music and cinema, and has joint ventures with 20th Century Fox,
Universal Studios, NBC Universal, MGM and Paramount Pictures.
The firm's T.V. subsidiary Rede Globo is one of the largest in the Americas.
Brian J. Porter, President and CEO Scotiabank
Porter heads Bank of Nova Scotia, better known as Scotiabank, one of the leading banks in
Latin America.
Porter's career with the firm began in 1981, where he has held executive positions such as
Global Banking and Markets, Global Risk Management, Group Treasury and International
Banking.
Porter holds a Bachelor's degree in Commerce, as well as an Honorary Doctor of Laws, both
from Dalehouse University. He also completed the Harvard Business School's Advanced
Management Program.
Ronald Pantin, CEO Pacific Exploration and Production Corp.
Mr. Pantin has been the CEO of Toronto-based energy firm Pacific Exploration and
Production Corp. (formerly Pacific Rubiales) since 2007. Apart from Colombia, Pacific also
operates in Peru, Belize and Mexico, and its activities include oil and gas exploration, coal
and mining.
Canada-based Pacific is one of the largest independent oil firms operating in the region, and
reported revenues of $4.9 billion in Latin Trade's Top 500 companies.
Pantin has 24 years of experience in the oil sector, during which he's served as a PDVSA
executive and President of Enron in Venezuela.
He also serves as Director of US Oil Sands and CGX ENergy.
He holds two Bachelors of Science degrees in Petroleum Engineering and Management
Science from Mississippi State and two Masters of Science degrees in Petroleum
Engi/Users/DavidBuchanan/Desktop/100 most powerful.txtneering and Industrial Engineering
from Stanford University.
Colombia
Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo, President Grupo Aval
Sarmiento is the wealthiest man in Colombia, with a net worth of almost $13 billion.
As President of Grupo Aval, he oversees the operations of a third of Colombia's banks.
Grupo Aval also operates in tlecommunications, real estate, banking and financial activities
within Colombia as well as Central America. One such firm is BAC-Credomatic, which is
present in Central America, Mexico and Florida, U.S.
Jaime Gilinski Bacal, CEO Banco GNB
A banker, real estate developer and philanthropist, Gilinski is the third richest person in
Colombia.
Among his projects are the Panama Pacifico real estate development in Panama City, and
owns 7.3 percent of Spain's Banco Sabadell, the fifth largest bank in the European country.
Among his philanthropy initiatives, he and his wife Raquel Gilinski created the Jaime and
Raquel Fellowship at the Harvard Business School, which awards MBA scholarships to
students from Colombia and Panama.
Carlos Ardila Lulle
Carlos Ardila Lulle heads Organización Ardila Lulle, a conglomerate with operations in media,
agroindustry, cars, packaging, communications, textiles, sport teams and beverages.
Examples of the organization's companies are Postobon (beverages), RCN (media), and the
Atlético Nacional football team from Medellín.
Lulle is from Bucaramanga, in the Colombian department of Santander, and studied civil
engineering at the National University of Colombia.
Carlos Enrique Piedrahita, CEO Grupo Nutresa
Carlos Enrique Piedrahita became the CEO of Colombian food-processing conglomerate
Grupo Nutresa in 1999.
The Medellin-based company is present in the U.S., Mexico, Central America, Chile,
Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador as well as Malaysia, where it entered the Asian
country's coffee market through the acquisition of 44 percent of Dan Kaffee.
The firm reported $2.7 billion in revenues in Latin Trade's Top 500 ranking.
Piedrahita's mentor was Nicanor Restrepo, who is considered a key figure in Medellin's
economic and industrial development.
Alejandro Santo Domingo, Santo Domingo Group
Colombian-American Alejandro (net worth $4.6 billion as of 2015) manages his family's Santo
Domingo Group, a conglomerate of companies in media and brewing, and previously the
controller of airline Avianca until it was sold to Germán Efromovich. It controls the Bavaria
Brewery and has a 14 percent stake in SABMiller.
Santo Domingo also serves as managing director of New York-based Quadrant Capital
Advisors.
He is heavily involved in philanthropy, serving on the Colombian Board of Directors of
Endeavor, member of the Latin American Conservation Council, Delete Blood Cancer and his
family's own foundation, dedicated to helping Colombia's poor.
José Alberto Velez, CEO Grupo Argos
Velez leads the Colombian conglomerate Grupo Argos, a firm with investments in cement and
energy, and present in Colombia, Panama, U.S., Central America and the Caribbean. The
company reported $3.7 billion in revenues in LT's most recent Top 500 Companies ranking.
Velez was named Investor of the Year in the 2015 BRAVO Business Awards, for leading the
transformation of a cement company into a large, successful diversified conglomerate. The
judges acknowledged "the smooth execution of a string of six acquisitions, and a recent
equity offering, that placed Grupo Argos as a leading multilatina operating in Colombia, the
United States, Central America and the Caribbean".
He studied Adminsitrative Engineering at the Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and then a
Master's in Engineering Science at the University of California. He has also completed
specialized courses at Harvard, the MIT, Columbia University, Northwestern University,
Unversité La Sobrone and received an Honoris Causa Diploma from the Metz National
School of Engineers, France.
Chile
Enrique Cueto, CEO LATAM Airlines Group
Cueto was one of the main agents in the deal to fuse Brazil's TAM Lineas Aereas with Chile's
LAN. The deal was reached in 2012 and LATAM is now the region's largest carrier in terms of
passenger traffic and fleet size.
Cueto holds a Commercial Engineering degree from the Pontífica Universidad Católica.
Iris Fontbona and family, owners of Antofagasta
The Fontbona family, led by Iris, own the mining conglomerate Antofagasta.
The firm ranks 109 in the Latin 500 with $5.2 billion in revenues, and is one of the largest
copper miners in the world.
Iris Fontbona's fortune is valued at $11.7 billion as of 2015.
Andrés Navarro, CEO Sonda
Navarro is the founder and CEO of Sonda, a Chilean IT giant that reported $1.4 billion in
revenues in Latin Trade's most recent Top 500 ranking. He also serves as director of
SalfaCorp, one of the largest Chilean firms in construction and real estate.
Other posts Navarro has held include director of LAN Airlines, Chilevisión and Viña Santa
Rita.
Navarro holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Pontífica Universidad Católica.
Horst Paulmann, Founder Cencosud
German-Chilean business magnate Paulmann founded Cencosud, the largest retailer in
Chile, and the fourth-largest in Latin America with revenues of $17.6 billion in Latin Trade's
most recent Top Retailers ranking.
Jaime Soler Botinelli, CEO Cencosud
Botinelli has been the CEO of Latin America's fourth-largest retailer since the beginning of
2015.
Under his leadership are the company's hundreds of stores in a variety of formats, as well as
department stores, offices, malls and the firm's own financial service arm.
Botinelli holds a Commercial Engineering degree from the Universidad de Chile, and also
graduated from the Executive Development Program from the Kellog Graduate School of
Management of the Northwestern University.
Sandro Solari, CEO Falabella
Solari is at the helm of Falabella, the eighth largest retailer in Latin America and second in
Chile, according to Latin Trade's Top 50 Retailers. The company registered revenues of $11.5
billion.
Solari studied Civil Engineering at the Universidad Católica de Chile, and also holds an MBA
from the MIT's Sloan School of Management.
Roberto Angelini Rossi, President Inversiones Angelini
Roberto Angelini heads one of South America's largest conglomerates with operations in
energy, forestry, mining, fisheries, technology, insurance and agriculture.
Angelini studied Civil Engineering at the Pontífica Universidad Católica de Chile.
Luis Enrique Yarur Rey, President Banco de Crédito e Inversiones
Yarur is President of Banco de Crédito e Inversiones, BCI, a Chilean instutition created by his
family specializing in several services such as securities brokerage, insurance and asset
management. BCI is number 23 out of 100 in Latin Trade's Top 100 Banks of 2015, with
assets worth $39.2 billion. It is Chile's third-largest privatley owned bank.
Under Yarur's leadership, BCI acquired Miami-based City National Bank in October last year
for $947 million.
Yarur holds an MBA from the IESE Business School.
Alvaro Saieh, Chairman Itaú Corpbanca
Saieh is Chairman of Itaú Corpbanca, one of Chile's largest commercial banks.
He also controls media group Copesa, which publishes the most read news outlets in the
country.
In the tourism sector, Saieh owns the Four Seasons Buenos Aires, Four Seasons Carmelo
and the Grand Hyatt Santiago.
Eliodoro Matte, President CMPC
Matte (net worth $2.7 billion as of 2015) is the President of Chilean forestry firm CMPC, a
company founded by his father Eliodoro Matte Ossa.
The company he heads ranked 120 in the Top 500 Companies of Latin America, with
revenues of $4.8 billion.
He studied Civil Engineering at the Universit of Chile and an MBA at the Booth School of
Business, University of Chicago.
Domincan Republic
José León Asensio President Grupo Leon Jimenes
Asensio is Chairman of Grupo Leon Jimenes, one of the Dominican Republic's largest
business conglomerates which dominates the country's cigarette and beer businesses.
Asensio holds a degree in Business Management from Babson College.
The Leon Jimenes brewery division, the largest in the Caribbean, makes Heineken, Bohemia,
Miller and Presidente, while its tobacco division makes Marolboro cigarettes and León
Jimenes cigars.
Felipe Vicini Lluberes
Feipe belongs to the third generation of the Dominican Republic's wealthiest family. He is
President of Vicini Group and the Comité de Estrategia e Inversiones.
Grupo Vicini is present in the food and beverages, tourism, real estate, energy, finances, retail
and communication industries.
Felipe studied Communication at the Northwestern University in Illinois, U.S.
El Salvador
Ricardo Poma, CEO Grupo Poma
Mr. Poma is CEO of family-business conglomerate Grupo Poma, which operates automobile
dealerships, real estate development and construction, industrial manufacturing and hotels,
as well as non profit organizations.
The company car division, Excel Automotriz, is the biggest automobile distribution company in
Central America, and represents leading brands such as BMW, Mitsubishi, Toyota and Ford.
The hotel division, Real Hotels and Resorts, operates Marriott International, InterContinental
and Choice Hotels in Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and Miami, Florida.
Poma has an industrial engineering degree from Princeton University and an MBA from
Harvard Business School. He was honored as Social Responsibility CEO of the Year at the
2014 Bravo Business Awards for his dedication to culture, education, and health programs in
his native El Salvador.
France
Jean-Charles Naouri, Chairman & CEO Groupe Casino
Naouri has been the CEO of French retailer Groupe Casino since 2005, and also serves as
the firm's controlling shareholder.
Casino ranked 12 in the Latin 500 ranking of 2015, with revenues of $27.5 billion, and number
two in Latin Trade's Top 50 Retail Companies.
Naouri studied at Harvard University and a PhD in Mathematics in France.
He has served as a civil servant in France, and was the designer of the reforms in the French
financial markets in the 1980's, helping liberalize the country's markets through the elimination
of credit restriction and easing currency controls.
Guatemala
Dionisio Gutierrez Mayorga, Co-President Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI)
Agro-industrial conglomerate CMI, co-led by Gutierrez, is one of the largest corporations in
Central America. It operates in the milling, livestock, restaurants, real estate, finance and
energy industries.
One of the company's recent moves was a pet food factory, it's first move to expand towards
Latin American and the Caribbean.
Its restaurant division runs the Pollo Campero chain, present in Guatemala, El Salvador,
Mexico, Costa Rica and the U.S.
Gutierrez holds a PhD in Sociology and Political Science from the University of Salamanca.
Mexico
Carlos Slim Helú
President and CEO of Grupo Carso, América Móvil, Telmex and Samsung México, all
telecommunications companies. He is the most powerful man in Latin America with a fortune
of $77.1 billion, after increasing his wealth by $2.4 billion over the past year. Since 2008 he
has been buying shares in The New York Times. In 2012 he acquired the Spanish soccer
team Real Oviedo and 30% of the Leon and Pachuca teams in Mexico. In 2014 he
consolidated his energy-related companies into Carso Energy.
Germán Larrea Mota-Velasco, President Grupo México
President and CEO of Grupo México, the country’s largest mining company and the third
largest copper producer in the world. The Group’s Ferrocarril Mexicano, is the largest rail
transport operator in the country. He also is majority shareholder in MMCinemas and
Cinemex. He is the second richest man in Mexico even though his fortune recently declined
from $14.6 billion to $13.9 billion. He owns 75% of the American company Southern Copper
Corp, is a director of Banco Nacional de México, and in 2014 stepped down from Grupo
Televisa’s Board of Directors.
Alberto Bailléres González, President Grupo BAL
President of Grupo BAL, a conglomerate of companies in mining, retail, finance, fashion and
insurance. The most prominent of these are Peñoles, GNP and El Palacio de Hierro. He is a
member of the Board of Directors of BBVA Bancomer, Televisa, Femsa and Grupo Kuo. 2015
BRAVO Business Award winner, “Transformational CEO of the Year”
http://latintrade.com/transformational-ceo-of-the-year-alberto-bailleres-gonzalez-chairmangrupo-bal/
Ricardo Salinas Pliego, President Grupo Salinas
President of Grupo Salinas, which has companies in telecommunications such as Total Play;
the media, including TV Azteca and Proyecto 40; transportation, including Italika; and financial
and retail services, Banco Azteca and Elektra. His wealth stands at $8 billion, and last year
his companies provided earnings of $700 million.
Eva Gonda de Rivera, Shareholder Femsa
Shareholder with a 50% interest in Femsa, the largest franchise bottler of Coca-Cola products
in the world, and owner of the retail chain Oxxo, which operates in Mexico and Colombia.
Femsa has interests in the beer industry, through its ownership of the second largest equity
stake in brewer Heineken, with operations in over 70 countries. When her husband Eugenio
Garza died in 2008, she and her four daughters inherited his fortune, including 50% of
Femsa’s shares. She is the richest woman in Mexico with assets of $6.7 billion.
María Asunción Aramburuzabala Larregui, President Tresalia Capital
President of private equity Tresalia Capital. It focuses on funding startups, early growth and
buyout investments. Previously she was shareholder and Vice-Chairman of the Board of
Grupo Modelo-AB InBev; Vice-Chair of the Board of Televisa; shareholder and adviser of
América Móvil and ICA; and board member of Banamex. Her net worth is $5.6 billion.
Daniel Servitje Montull, CEO Grupo Bimbo
President and CEO of Grupo Bimbo, the largest maker of bakery products in the world, with a
presence in 22 countries. His fortune is valued at $4.9 billion. In 2014 Bimbo acquired
Canadian Canada Bread, and Vachon, and Ecuadorian Supan, and more recently Spanish
Panrico. Grupo Bimbo increased its revenue by almost 14% in 2015 measured in Mexican
pesos, and rendered a 30% plus 1-year return to investors. 2009 BRAVO Business Award
winner, “CEO of the Year”
http://latintrade.com/ceo-of-the-year-daniel-servitje-baker-to-the-world/
Juan González Moreno, President Grupo Maseca
President of the corn flour producer Grupo Maseca (Gruma) since his father and founder of
the company, Roberto González, died in 2012. He has led an impressive international
expansion that has taken Gruma to the U.S., Europe and China, while maintaining a solid
financial performance. The world’s largest tortilla maker gets close to 75% of its revenues
outside Mexico, and has been a notable outperformer in the Mexican Stock Exchange for the
past five years.Juan Gonzalez has a 12.8% stake in Banorte. In 2015 his wealth came to $4.7
billion.
Jerónimo Arango and brothers, President Grupo Cifra
President of Grupo Cifra and member of the Board of Directors of Walmart de México y
Centroamérica, the country’s largest retail supermarket chain. Arango and his family sold part
of their retail business to Walmart in 1991. The Cifra package included supermarket chains
Superama, and Bodega Aurrerá, and clothing stores Suburbia. Together with his brothers
Manuel and Plácido he has a fortune of $4.3 billion.
Antonio del Valle, President Mexichem
President of Mexichem, one of the world’s largest producers of plastic tubing and one of the
biggest chemical manufacturers in Latin America. The company has implemented an
audacious expansion strategy. Since it is a producer of basic chemicals, Mexichem gained
margin and market strength, systematically acquiring clients and suppliers. It built its presence
in more than 30 countries, where it holds over 120 production plants. Antonio del Valle’s
wealth is tallied at $3.7 billion. He also participates in the finance industry with Grupo BX, is a
partner in Banco Popular Español, in oil with CP Latina, and is a minority owner of the
chemical distributor Grupo Pochteca.
Emilio Azcárraga Jean, President and CEO Grupo Televisa
President and CEO of Televisa, the largest television company in Latin America. Televisa
exports its programs and formats to the U.S. through Univisión and, directly, to other 50
countries. Aside from advertising revenue on TV, Televisa operates a cable network and a
direct-to-home satellite television system, among many other business lines. Emilio Azcárraga
has a fortune of $3.1 billion. In 2014 he pulled out of other telecom business areas, when he
sold a 50% stake in Iusacell to Grupo Salinas for $717 million. Azcárraga is a member of the
board of Grupo Financiero Banamex.
Carlos Hank Rhon, President Grupo Financiero Interacciones
President of Grupo Financiero Interacciones, a group founded in 1992, which comprises an
insurance company, a brokerage house and a bank. Aseguradora Interacciones, Aisa, is one
of the largest auto insurance companies in Mexico. Hank owns Hermes, a conglomerate
involved in construction, energy, transportation and tourism. His wealth has been estimated at
$2.1 billion.
Álvaro Fernández Garza, CEO Grupo Alfa
CEO and board member at Grupo Alfa, one of the largest diversified Mexican conglomerates,
operating in aluminum components for the automotive industry (Nemak), petrochemicals
(Alpek), branded foods (Sigma) telecom (Alestra) and hydrocarbons (Newpek), in over 25
countries. Fernández served in several positions within the Group such as CEO and
President at Sigma Alimentos, Vice President of Consumer Small Business Market of Alestra.
He has been a Director of Vitro, of Grupo Mexicana, PYOSA, Consejo Regional de BBVA
Bancomer and Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Monterrey. He is Director of Alestra, Alpek
Campofrio Food Group, and Cydsa, among others. He is also a member of the Latin
American Board at Georgetown University. 2013 BRAVO Business Award winner, “CEO of the
Year”
Armando Garza Sada, chairman Grupo Alfa
Chairman of Grupo Alfa, one of the largest diversified Mexican conglomerates, operating in
aluminum components for the automotive industry (Nemak), petrochemicals (Alpek), branded
foods (Sigma) telecom (Alestra) and hydrocarbons (Newpek), in over 25 countries. He served
in various in the group in Sigma, Alestra and Alfa itself. He is board member at Puerto de
Liverpool, Gigante, Cydsa, and the University of Monterrey. He holds a degree form MIT and
an MBA from Stanford University.
Carlos Slim Domit, Grupo Carso
Chairman of Grupo Carso (holding), Grupo Sanborns (retail), co-Chairman América Móvil
(telecom), and Teléfonos de México (telecom). Grupo Carso, the flagship of the
conglomerate, built in 30 years by Carlos Slim Helú, is present in retail, industrials, energy,
and infrastructure and construction. It’s one of the largest groups in Latin America.
2012 BRAVO Business Award winner, “Investor of the Year”
Francisco José Calderón Rojas, Member of Femsa Board of Directors
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Franca Industrias. He has been Director of Alfa ,
Alpek and Femsa. He also holds a 7% stake in Femsa, the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the
world, and owner of the retail chain Oxxo and of 200-store drugstore chain, Farmacon.
Rufino Vigil González, President Industrias CH and Grupo Simec
President of Industrias CH and Grupo Simec, Mexico’s largest steel producer with a presence
in the United States and Canada. His fortune totals $1.25 billion. In 1999 his company merged
with the steelmaker Grupo Ruvi, and in 2001 he bought Simec.
David Peñaloza Alanís, President and CEO Pinfra
Chief Executive Officer and General director of Promotora y Operadora de Infraestructura,
Pinfra, a construction company in which he replaced his father David Peñaloza Sandoval in
2013. Pinfra operates 18 toll-road concessions in Mexico, and has been involved in the
construction and operation of ports and other large infrastructure projects. The company has
assets in cement and concrete, and road maintenance. The Peñaloza family fortune has been
calculated by Forbes at $1.2 billion.
Panama
Pedro Heilbron, CEO Copa Holdings and Copa Airlines
Heilbron has been with Panama's flagship carrier Copa since 1988.
Under his leadership, Copa acquired Aero República, the second-largest airline in Colombia,
in 2005, as well as Copa's IPO in the New York Stock Exchange in the same year.
He also led the carrier's partnership with Continental Airlines in 1998.
Copa ranks 210 in the Top 500 ranking, with $2.6 billion in revenues in 2014, up 16 percent
from the previous year.
Currently the airline serves 73 destinations in 31 countries in the Americas with a fleet of over
100 airplanes.
Heilbron holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the College of the Holy Cross in
Worcester, Mass., and an MBA from George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
2006 BRAVO Business Award winner, “CEO of the Year”
Stanley Motta, President and Director Motta Internacional
Stanley Motta is the President of international importer and distributor of consumer goods
Motta Internacional. The company operates duty-free stores in more than 25 airports in Latin
America and the Caribbean. Motta is majority shareholder and Chairman of the Board at
Copa Holdings, ASSA Group, Inversiones Bahia, among others. Stanley Motta founded the
Central America Leadership Initiative. He is member of the Advisory Board of EGADE
Business School (Tecnologico de Monterrey) and the IESE Business School in Barcelona,
Spain. Motta is board member of the Trust for the Americas, affiliated with the Organization of
American States and a member of the Latin America Conservation Council.
Jorge Quijano, Administrator of the Panama Canal Authority
Administrator of the ACP, the branch of the Panamanian government that manages the
Panama Canal, one of the world's major commercial thoroughfares. Nearly 5% of world trade
crosses the Isthmus through the Canal. In fiscal year 2015, it moved more than 340.8 million
tons, up 4.3% from 2014. The position of head of the ACP took on a new challenge in 2006,
when Panama announced the expansion of the Canal by creating a new lane of traffic which
would allow 14,000-TEU vessels (triple the current Panamax vessel capacity) to transit the
80-kilometer (50-mile) waterway. The project should be completed in 2016, some 1.5 to 2
years past the original target date. The final cost is not clear, as the builders’s consortium of
Sacyr, Impregilio, Jan de Nul and Constructora Urbana, have outstanding claims that exceed
$2.3 billion. The original price tag of the project was $5.2 billion.
Peru
Eduardo Belmont Anderson, owner of Belcorp
Belmont is the owner of Belcorp, a Lima-based direct sales cosmetics company, which he
founded in 1968. The company is now present in 16 countries in the Americas, and has more
than one million female beauty consultants. The company is reported to have revenues that
exceed $2 billion. Belmont holds degrees from both Harvard Business School and the
University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
2015 BRAVO Business Award winner, “Social Sustainability CEO of the Year”
http://latintrade.com/social-sustainability-ceo-of-the-year-eduardo-belmont-ceo-belcorp/
Roque Benavides, CEO Buenaventura
About 11% of Peru's GDP, 50% of its foreign reserves and 20% of its fiscal revenues comes
from extractive industries. Buenaventura, the company controlled by Benavides, is the largest
owner of mining rights in Peru among precious metals companies. The company operates five
wholly owned mines, three other with partners, and is developing the Tambomayo and San
Gabriel Projects. The Company also owns 43.7% of Minera Yanacocha, a precious metal
producer, and 19.6% of Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde, a Peruvian copper producer.
Benavides is a Board Member of Banco de Credito del Peru, Unión Andina de Cementos and
Sociedad Minera El Brocal, as well as serving as Board Member of the Mining and Petroleum
Society of Peru since 1988. He holds a B.S. in Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic
University of Peru and an M.B.A. from Henley Management College, UK.
Eduardo Hochschild, Chairman, Hochschild Mining
Eduardo Hochschild leads mining firm Hochschild Group, which has investments in silver and
gold projects and operates in Argentina, Peru and Chile. He is also a majority shareholder in
Peru's second-largest cement maker, Cementos Pacasmayo, which became the first Peruvian
cement company to trade in the New York Stock Exchange in 2012.Since 2003, he is the
director of the Banco de Crédito del Perú, and insurance company Pacífico-Peruano Suiza
Compañía de Seguros y Reaseguros. Hochschild holds a Bachellor’s degree in Mechanical
Engineering and Physics from Tufts University.
Carlos Rodríguez Pastor, Chairman, Intercorp, Peru
Rodriguez Pastor is the head of Intercorp, one of the largest Peruvian holding companies.
He served as Vice-President at Citibank, and, Managing Director at Banco Santander in New
York. Since 1995 he is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Intercorp. He is also Managing
General Partner of the Nexus Group, Chairman of Interbank, and director of Casa Andina,
Supermercados Peruanos, Innova Schools and NG Restaurants. According to Forbes, his
current net worth is $2 billion. Grupo Intercorp is one of Peru's largest companies, and
operates in finance, hospitality, restaurants, real estate, entertainment and education.
Rodríguez received a BA degree in Social Sciences at the University of California, Berkeley,
and an MBA from Dartmouth College, Tuck School of Management.
Dionisio Romero Paoletti, CEO CrediCorp
CrediCorp is the largest financial holding company in Peru, with commercial banking,
insurance and investment banking services.
Romero is also the vice chairman of Alicorp, the largest Peruvian consumer goods company,
with operations in South, Central and North America. Alicorp is the eighth Peruvian company
in our Latin Trade 500. Credicorp’s subsidiaries include Banco de Crédito, MiBanco, BCB,
Grupo Pacífico, Atlantic Security Bank, Prima AFP, and Credicorp Capital. The group posted
net interest revenues of $2.1 billion and a net income of $886 million in 2015.
Romero holds a Bachelor of Economics and International Relationships from Brown
University and a Master’s in Business Administration from Stanford University.
Spain
César Alierta, CEO Telefónica
César Alierta is the CEO of Spanish telecoms giant Telefónica, one of the largest telecom
companies in the world, the second by revenue in the region according to our Latin Trade 500
ranking (at number 6), and the largest foreign multinational corporation in the region. The
company has presence in 21 countries and a customer base of over 327 million accesses.
Telefónica has focused a large part of its growth strategy in Latin America. Alierta took on the
role in 2000, and has since spearheaded the company's significant expansion in Latin
America. Alierta holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law at the Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain,
and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration at Columbia University in New York, U.S.
Before Telefónica, he served as CEO of tobacco firm Tabacalera, Co-Chairman of Altadis, and
the founder and president of Beta Capital.
Rafael Villaseca Marco, CEO GN Fenosa
Villaseca oversees the operations of GN Fenosa, one of the largest energy firms with
operations in the region. The company reported Latin American revenues of $8 billion in Latin
Trade's Top 50 Energy Companies of 2015.
Villaseca studied industrial engineering at the Unviersidad Politecnica de Cataluña, and holds
a Master's from the IESE Business School.
Before being appointed to his current post in 2005, he was Executive Directof of Enegás,
Chairman of Grupo INDRA, and President of the Spanish Energy Club, among other highmanagement positions.
Jesús María Zabalza Lotina, CEO and Vice Chairman at Santander Brasil
Zabalza is the CEO of Santander Brasil, the Spanish bank's largest subsidiary in the
Americas, a position he's held since 2014. Santander derived 19% of its underlying profit in
2015 from its Brazilian operation. It obtained 12% in Spain, 7% in Mexico, 5% in Chile, 4% in
Argentina
Prior to being Santander Brasil CEO he had executive posts on La Caixa, Argentaria and
BBV, as well as being vice president of Banco Santander in the Americas.
Zabalza holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Universidad de Bilbao.
Switzerland
Marisol Argueta de Barillas, Senior Director, Head of Latin America, at the World
Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is one of the most prestigious and influential non-profits in the
globe. The organization convenes some eight world and regional meetings per year, in which
leaders discuss and shape global agendas. Argueta studied law at the Academia Británica
Cuscatleca in her native El Salvador, and also holds a graduate degree in diplomacy from the
University of Oxford, and studied at the International Peace Academy, Harvard University and
New York University. She also served as El Salvador's foreign minister.
Laurent Freixe, Executive Vice President Nestlé S.A., Head of Zone Americas
Nestlé is the world’s largest food company, with operations in 197 countries and $89.7 billion
worldwide sales, and $39.5 billion in the Americas in 2015.
Nestlé posted $14 billion revenues in Latin America in 2014: $5.2 billion in Brazil, and $3 in
Mexico. Freixe was appointed with his current post in October 2014, after having been
Executive Vice President Nestlé Zone Director for Europe since 2008. He began his career
with Nestlé in 1986 in France in sales and marketing.
He studied at the Ecole de Hautes Etudes Commerciales du Nord (EDHEC), Lille, France,
specializing in business administration, as well as the Program for Executive Development,
IMD, Switzerland.
UK
Thierry Roland, Chief Executive, Latin America HSBC
Thierry Roland is Head of Global Banking and Markets for the Americas since April 2015. He
succeeded Argentine Antonio Losada, who had been appointed Chief Executive for the Latin
America business in 2012. In 2015 HSBC obtained nearly 7% of its close to $15 billion
Banking and Markets revenues in Latin America. Thierry was previously Group Treasurer of
HSBC Holdings plc based in London, a role he held from January 2010. He was appointed a
Group General Manager in February 2013. His experience includes serving as Deputy Group
CEO for HSBC Argentina Holdings, Deputy Head of Retail in HSBC Bank Brazil, Director of
HSBC Argentina Holdings, President and CEO of HSBC Bank Argentina and President and
CEO of HSBC Argentina.
United States
Fernando J. Acosta, President Avon Latinoamérica
President of Avon Latinoamérica, the largest region of the company of direct sales of
cosmetics. The Argentine received a salary of $3.25 million in 2014. He moved to Avon in
2011 after 19 years at Unilever. He is the head of Global Brand Marketing of Avon.
Jane Fraser, CEO Citigroup Latin America
CEO of Citigroup Latin America, a financial group with a presence in 23 countries in the
region, and which represents 15 percent of the parent company’s global net profits. She took
under her direction the bank’s Mexican operation, which was previously run as a separate
division. Now she has to oversee the exit of the bank’s retail businesses from Brazil,
Colombia, and Argentina, to focus on the corporate clientele. She is the first woman to head
the Latin American businesses, and the first to sit at the board of governors of Mexican
Banamex. Jane Fraser has an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School and an M.A. in
Economics from Cambridge University.
Jordi Botifoll, President of Cisco Latin America
Botifoll is President of Cisco Latinoamérica. Cisco is an information technology enterprise with
a worldwide presence. In 2012, the Spaniard took over leadership in the region for the
company, which he joined in 1999 as CEO of the affiliate in his country. He is Vice-President
of the American Chamber of Commerce in Spain, and sponsors a good number of
philanthropic projects.
Juan N. Cento, President and CEO FedEx Latin America and Caribbean
President and CEO of FedEx Latin America and the Caribbean, a package delivery company
with a presence in 46 countries throughout the region. Cento joined FedEx in 1989 as CEO
for South and Central America, where it acquired MultiPack. He is a board member of the
insurer Assurant and the financial company Logyx.
Juan Pablo Cuevas, Managing Director, Head of Global Transaction Services, Latin
America and the Caribbean, Bank of America
Cuevas is Managing Director and Head of Global Transaction Services for Latin America and
the Caribbean at Bank of America. The bank finances multi-nationals and governments.
Cuevas has been with Bank of America for more than 25 years. He is a member of the ChileUnited States Chamber of Commerce in Miami and a member of the Un Techo Para Mi País
foundation, which fights poverty in the region.
Eduardo Eraña, President of Visa International for Latin America and the Caribbean
Eraña heads Visa International for Latin America and the Caribbean, the producer of bank
credit cards, debit cards and prepaid cards, with 3.7 million commercial partners in the region.
Originally from Mexico, Eraña was appointed to his present position in 2002 and has been
with the company for 32 years.
Claudio Muruzábal, President, Latin America and the Caribbean, SAP
Muruzábal is German software giant SAP's leader for the Latin American region. With more
than 25 years in the IT industry, Muruzabal successfully lead the evolution of NEORIS from
being the IT branch of CEMEX, to becoming a global fast growth business and IT consulting
company. During his 10 year tenure, NEORIS achieved global partner status with SAP.
Previously, Muruzabal served as vice president of NCR’s Teradata for Latin America and the
Caribbean. He has a MBA from The Fuqua School of Business of Duke University, and a
degree in Business Administration from the Catholic University of Argentina, where he also
obtained certification as a public accountant.
SAP worldwide posted $23.1 billion revenues, and $3.4 billion profits worldwide in 2015. It
currently serves some 29,300 clients across all of Latin America and of all sizes and
industries.
Gerardo Mato, CEO Global Banking for the Americas at HSBC
Mato is the CEO of Global Banking for the Americas of HSBC, one of the leading banking
groups in the region, mainly in Latin America, the Caribbean and Canada. He is a member of
the Council of the Americas, an organization of businessmen for the economic and social
development of the western hemisphere.
Romaine Seguin, President UPS Americas
Seguin oversees UPS's Americas unit, a package delivery company with a presence
throughout the continent. Seguin has been with the company for more than 30 years and was
appointed as present in 2010. She is a member of the Dean’s Council Business School at the
University of Florida and of the Board of Directors of the World Trade Center of Miami.
She has held a number of management posts in UPS, such as Managing Director of UPS
South Europe, Gulf South District Manager and Minnesota District Manager.
Tim Sheldon, President and CEO Marriott Latin America
Sheldon was named President and CEO for Latin America and the Caribbean for Marriott in
May 2015, replacing Craig S. Smith. The company has more than 100 hotels and resorts, and
70 under development, 14 brands in 24 countries in the region, including Marriott, RitzCarlton, Bulgari, Gaylord, and Moxy. Sheldon was previously the company's Global Chief
Operations Officer. Under Sheldon's leadership in his previous role, the firm launched mobile
check-in and check-out, a first in the hotel industry.
Uruguay
Gabriel T. Rozman, President TCS Iberoamerica
Rozman is the President of Tata Consultancy Services Iberoamerica, and IT, Consulting and
business process outsourcing (BPO) services, with presence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile,
Uruguay, Mexico, Portugal and Spain. As President of TCS, he is responsible for the
company's Ibero-american, Middle Eastern, African, Russian and Eastern European
operations. Before holding his current position, Rozman was international Consulting Director
and as a Regional Partner at Ernst & Young for 30 years, where he was in charge of
Management Consulting for countries such as Japan, Korea, Italy, Spain, and several in Latin
America. He holds an M.B.A. from University of California, Los Angeles and a B.S. in
Business and Economics from California State University.
Venezuela
Adriana Cisneros, CEO Organización Cisneros
Adriana Cisneros is CEO and Vice Chairman of Organización Cisneros, a company in media,
entertainment, real estate, tourism, digital media and consumer products. Organización has
an audience of more than 550 million viewers on its Venevisión and other channels.
She took over as CEO of the company in 2013 from her father Gustavo Cisneros, and is the
third generation of the family to hold that position. Cisneros Group provides content for more
than 100 countries, including several in Latin America, the U.S., Spain and China.
The company has also developed a number of corporate social responsibility programs,
including Mujeres Emprendedoras, that teaches business skills to women, and CI@se, the
first educational channel in Latin America to offer educational programming and teacher
training 24 hours a day. Cisneros holds a Bachelor’s from Columbia University and a Master’s
Degree in Journalism from New York University, as well as being a graduate of Harvard
Business School’s Program for Leadership Development.
Enrique García, Executive President and CEO CAF
In 2011 García was re-elected for his fourth five-year term as Executive President of CAF
Development Bank of Latin America. During his terms CAF’s equity multiplied by 10, total
assets by 18, and its loa portfolio by 25. Prior to his position at CAF García served as minister
of Planning and Coordination of his native Bolivia. He was also Head of the country's
Economic and Social Cabinet, and member of the board of the Bolivian Central Bank.
García is vice president of Canning House and a member of the board of the Inter-American
Dialogue, the Advisory Council of the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown
University. He is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Latin American Program at the
Woodrow Wilson Center, the Dean’s Council at the Kennedy School at Harvard University. He
holds a Bachelor’s degree, and a Master’s degree in Economics and Finance from St. Louis
University, and doctoral studies at American University.
Lorenzo Mendoza, CEO Empresas Polar
Mendoza owns Empresas Polar, one of Venezuela's largest companies. He is the third
generation in his family to control the company.
Empresas Polar owns a brewery and food business that includes Pepsi Venezuela.
The company is also active in corporate social responsibility through Fundación Empresas
Polar, which carries out programs aimed at boosting education, training for work,
entrepreneurship and social development.
Mendoza holds an Industrial Engineering degree from Fordham University and an MBA from
MIT’s Sloan School of Management.
Eulogio del Pino, CEO PDVSA
Eulogio del Pino took over Rafael Ramírez as CEO of Venezuela's state oil company PDVSA.
Prior to his current position he was head of exploration and production at the firm, and has
been a member of the company's board of directors since 2005.
From 1990 to 1994, he was the President and Vice President of the Venezuelan Association
of Geophysicists.
PDVSA is the country’s largest employer and taxpayer. In 2014 PDVSA ranked at number one
in Latin Trade's Top 500, making it the largest energy firm in Latin America.
Del Pino holds a degree in Geophysics from the Universidad Simón Bolívar, and a Master's in
Oil Exploration from Stanford University.