Panel 1: Corporate Entrepreneurship
Rodolfo Pittaluga
President, Deloitte Latin America
As a practicing attorney in South Florida for more than 20 years, Mr. Pittaluga has significant experience in representing banks and other lending institutions, creditors, insurance companies, creditors’ committees, landlords, liquidating trustees, liquidators and Chapter 7 and Chapter 11 trustees in complex, commercial litigation matters in state and federal courts (including bankruptcy courts) throughout the United States and other countries. Prior to joining Deloitte, Mr. Pittaluga was a partner in the commercial litigation department of an international law firm (in Miami, Florida), where served as the partner-in-charge of that firm’s South Florida offices’ Creditors Rights & Bankruptcy Practice.
Carlos E. Botero
CEO - Inexmoda
Mr. Botero holds a Master of Science in International Management from Oxford Brookes University and is the CEO of Inexmoda, the Institute for Fashion and Exports of Textiles Apparel, a private, not-for-profit, service foundation, which researches and enables design, marketing and sales processes in the textile-manufacturing-distribution sector. This is also the institute that organizes Colombiatex and Colombiamoda, two of the most important fashion fairs in Latin America. Before Inexmoda, Mr. Botero was for 7 years the Executive Director for the Cotton-Fibers-Textile-Apparel Chamber in the National Business Association (ANDI Colombia), representing and being the spokesperson for this Chamber in the negotiation of commercial treaties between Colombia and the United States, Northern-Triangle Countries, Canada, MERCOSUR, Mexico and EFTA. Also, during this period, he managed the lobby before the United States Congress for FTA Ratification.
Between 1998 and 2000, Mr. Botero was the Secretary of Finance for the State of Risaralda (Colombia), being Deputy Governor on several occasions, and also has a strong financial background working for very important companies in Colombia like Leasing Suramericana, Fiduciaria Suramericana and Fiduciaria del Valle.
In 2000, Mr. Botero was acknowledged by Revista Dinero (one of the most important business magazines in Colombia) as one of the successful young adults under the age of 35.
Luis Fernando Reyes
VP & President, Whirlpool Mexico
Luis F Reyes was named President, Whirlpool Mexico, on April 1, 2009. Prior to this assignment, Reyes was vice president of LAR International, a sales organization that serves 45 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, located in Miami, Florida. Reyes began his career with Whirlpool in 1983 as director, Marketing, Consul, Brazil. He then served in positions of increasing responsibility as manager, finished product procurement in Benton Harbor, Michigan to then move back to Brazil as vice president, Marketing & Sales, Whirlpool Brazil. He was promoted Vice President Global Product Development Cooking and relocated to Comerio, Italy. Later on, in January 2003 he became Vice President of NARSO in Miami to then move to Vice President of LAR International in July of 2007.
Prior to joining Whirlpool, Reyes worked for five years at IBM in La Paz, Bolivia. A native of La Paz, Bolivia, Reyes earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Later on in 1978 he earned his MBA from the University of South Carolina in the USA.
Whirlpool Corporation is the world's leading manufacturer and marketer of major home appliances. Headquartered in Benton Harbor, Michigan, the company manufactures in 12 countries and markets products under 17 brand names in more than 170 countries.
Panel 2: Latins Targeting the World
Founder & Managing Partner, LaNao Group
Evaristo Treviño Berlanga was born in Mexico City in 1979. He obtained his law degree from Universidad Iberoamericana. He practiced litigation for more than four years before moving to Hong Kong where he studied and graduated from the Master of Laws in Chinese and Comparative Law being the first - known - Mexican Lawyer to obtain such degree in China. From 2007 to 2009 he worked for a law firm in Hong Kong with offices in China advising Latin-American companies with their businesses in China.
In 2009 he founded La Nao Group, a services firm dedicated to represent companies doing business between Latin America and China. Through La Nao Group he has already achieved important representations, international transactions, joint ventures, and mergers. He has recently set up the first Mexican franchise in Hong Kong and the second in greater China.
As an activist, Evaristo Treviño Berlanga is co founder and vice president of MEXCHAM, a non- for-profit company dedicated to grow the commercial and cultural relationship between Mexico and China, heading the Hong Kong and Macau chapter. MEXCHAM is soon to become the first Chamber of Commerce in China from a Latin American country.
President, Delta Latin American Markets
Luis Fernando Pardo is the President of Vivo Trading, founded in 2005 and based in Caracas, Venezuela. The company is focused on the development, design, import, market and distribution of low priced consumer products in the Venezuelan market; it also offers consulting services to local companies.
He is also linked with Delta Latin America Market Advisors, founded in 2003 and based in Caracas, Venezuela. It has the representation and business development of multinational companies in the region, such as: California Cedar Products Company, Stockton California and Mitsubishi Pencil Company, of Tokyo, Japan.
Luis obtained his Masters in Business Administration degree in 1980 from Babson College; since then his career has proven to be a great success and full of great and exciting achievements. He became General Manager, President and Vic-President of renowned consumer goods companies in Venezuela and is also the Director of many associations as well.
His outstanding corporate experience served as a platform to become a serial entrepreneur starting his own businesses in 2003 and 2005.
Senior VP Worldwide, BBDO
Panel 3: Banking in Latin America
Richard L. Carrión
CEO and Chairman of the Board, Banco Popular
Richard L. Carrión is the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Popular, Inc., a publicly traded financial holding company. Banco Popular, a wholly owned subsidiary of Popular, Inc., is Puerto Rico's leading depository institution.
After obtaining a Bachelor's Degree from Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania and receiving a Master’s Degree in Information Services from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Mr. Carrión joined Banco Popular in 1976.
From the outset, the young entrepreneur developed and implemented innovative initiatives while driving the bank's growth and profitability. While Mr. Carrión was President of Banco Popular, Popular completed the acquisition of various financial institutions, including Banco de Ponce, Banco Roig, Seminole Bank, First State Bank of Southern California, Gore Bronson Bancorp in Chicago, Aurora National Bank, Quaker City Bank in California, and Kislak National Bank in Florida, among others. At the time of the acquisition, Banco de Ponce was the second largest bank in Puerto Rico.
Jose Castello
Head of Capital Markets at Sovereign Bank
Panel 4: Private Equity Investment in Latin America
Juan Navarro
Founder, The Exxel Group
Juan Navarro, is the founder and CEO of The Exxel Group. Educated at the British School in Montevideo, Uruguay. He has a degree in Business Administration from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Before founding The Exxel Group in 1991, he worked for more than 10 years with Citicorp, both in Buenos Aires and in New York.
The Exxel Group, is an Argentina-based private investment company engaged in sourcing, structuring and lead investing in buyouts of companies worldwide. Since 1992 through a series of limited partnership arrangements with institutional investors in the United States and Europe, for which affiliates of Exxel serve as general partners, Exxel has invested over U$S 5,2 billion in 106 companies in a wide range of industries.
Alberto Osio
Co-Founder, Angel Ventures
Alberto began his professional career at Herdez Group, one of the largest food companies in Mexico. Since the beginning, Alberto showed interest for actively participating in the decision making process of a company and the involvement with the General Administration of a company of this size. Alberto continued his growth within the food industry with Hormel Foods, a strategic partner of the Herdez Group in the United States. Alberto was part of the group that analyzed the expansion of the group to China while also supervising the Hispanic market in the United States.
After the completion of various studies at Harvard Extension School and Anahuac University, Alberto decided to strengthen his academic preparation and enrolled to the Business School of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT Sloan as a Sloan Fellow (a very selective program for business leaders). Afterwards, Alberto obtained his Masters in Business Administration from the same institution. It was during this period that Alberto decided to start his own business as well as advising other potential businesses. Thus, Alberto participated in WBPN, where he won one of Wharton’s business plans competitions and founded Yolia Health.
Yolia Health is a story of success for any Mexican entrepreneur. With an idea that came from his father, Alberto perfected it and developed a business plan. This resulted in several business plan competitions awards from MIT and Harvard; he also obtained funding from investors around the world. All these events have contributed to the fact that his idea is being supported by several institutions and individuals, insuring strategic alliances that will lead him to the consolidation of his project.
Recently, Alberto Co-founded Angel Ventures Mexico, one of Mexico's first Angel Network and one of the few Angel Groups that operates a sidecar fund. AVM has plans to expand to several cities in Mexico and in the US. These, among other achievements, have made Alberto a guest speaker in several conferences and workshops, as well as being named one of the 30 promises in the 30’s by Expansion magazine of the CNN group.
Panel 5: Entrepreneurship in Latin America
Luis Barrios
Co-Founder & CEO, Hoteles City
Luis Barrios, CEO and founder of Hoteles City is one of Latin America’s leading hotel managers. Hoteles City is a hotel chain founded in 2002 with the idea of tapping an unattended market in Mexico.
Today, Hoteles City has nationwide coverage in the main cities ranging from Mexicali in the Northwest to Cancun in the Southeast. In less than five years, the Company’s management has been able to open on average nine hotels per year. This explosive growth has been the result of the passion, experience and great vision that Luis Barrios has of the hospitality industry: to offer the best value for quality by providing a superior standardized product at an affordable price. All current City Express hotels are leaders in each of its respective markets.
Luis Barrios, has 18+ years of experience in hospitality being the CEO of the biggest Latin American Hospitality Company. During his time as CEO of Grupo Posadas, he expanded the company’s portfolio of hotels to the US, Brazil and Argentina, created de Fiesta Inn brand, the first Mexican budget business hotel chain, and took the company public in 1992. After working at Posadas, Luis Barrios was invited to join an international resorts developer Company, he gave advice to American businessmen who wanted to enter the country in the travel and leisure market and got several offers in different companies; which he all denied due to his entrepreneurial spirit and business opportunity on the market he knew well and loved. He wanted to do something of his own and even at age 50 proved himself an entrepreneur with the stamina and passion to build the biggest low-cost and environmentally conscious hospitality chain in the country and becoming the leader of its market in less than three years. This company is Hoteles City.
Mr. Barrios holds an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin, Class of 1978. He is member of the board of Actinver Brokerage House and NAFINSA Bank as well as Vice-president in the international branch of the Mexico City Hospitality Association.
Anabel Pérez
Founder & CEO, Novo Payment, Inc.
Anabel Perez is president and CEO of NovoPayment, Inc., Latin America’s leading prepaid program manager and service provider. NovoPayment launched the first prepaid general-purpose card of its kind in Latin America to not require a bank account, and is the first company in the region to offer mobile P2P (peer-to-peer) funds transfer platform using SMS (short-message service).
As NovoPayment’s top executive, Ms. Perez oversees the development and operation of end-to-end prepaid programs in partnership with financial institutions, mobile operators, utilities, government agencies, retailers, microlenders, and consumer goods and services companies.
Ms. Perez has more than 22 years of experience in banking and payments including commercial and retail banking, product development, operations, and sales and marketing. Most recently she served as senior vice president of Venezolano de Credito, a leading Venezuelan financial institution, where she has held various leadership positions.
Ms. Perez has participated in several important industry forums, including the Harvard Business School’s Global Poverty Forum (2005), the MasterCard Worldwide Forum on Prepaid Cards (2007), and the Federal Reserve Bank of Venezuela’s Forum on Banking and Payments Systems (2007). In 2008, she received the International Business Leaders Award from the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce in the category of innovations/innovative business practices and was a finalist in the Best Latin American Executive category at the 5th Annual Stevie Awards for Women In Business. In 2010, she was chosen one Latin America’s Top 25 Businesswomen by Latin Business Chronicle and in 2007, she was nominated for the prestigious Cartier Women’s Initiative Award and the Bravo Business Award.
Ms. Perez holds a law degree from Venezuela’s Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and has received certifications from IESA (Venezuela’s leading business school) in marketing and from the Bank of America’s executive management and retail banking programs.
Francis Durman
Presidente, Durman Esquivel
Panel 6: Human Capital Entrepreneurship
Laura Elizondo
Founder, Lexium
Ms. Laura Elizondo Williams has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources from the Universidad de Monterrey, Mexico and a degree in Education from the Universidad Regiomontana, Monterrey, Mexico. In addition, it pursued a Master’s Degree in Educational Innovation, from the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León. She is founder and co-founder of: CIEXE (Centro de Investigación y Experimentación Educativa), which provides research work in educational issues; SOI Center, a company dedicated to the development and implementation of education technology; Sistemas Orientados al Intelecto, a company related to the marketing and distribution of education technology; Sistemas Educativos Empresariales. In 2005, all of these companies became in the Lexium group, which aims to be the leader in educational technology in Latin America.
One of Ms. Elizondo’s principal activities is the publication of workbooks, books, and programs whose main objective is to develop and enhance the intellectual and emotional abilities of people of all ages, and to develop work-related competencies. Throughout her professional career, Ms. Elizondo has published more than 150 different educational publications that are currently being used by more than 95,000 people throughout Mexico and Latin America. She currently offers lectures related to Educational Innovation throughout Mexico.
Felipe Howard
Co-Founder, Latitud90
Panel 7: Serial Entrepreneurs in Latin America
Eric Soulavy
President, Bavarian Motors Venezuela
Eric Soulavy is the CEO of Bavarian Motors, BMW importer for Venezuela certified in 2006 as the 1st Importer in Latin-America to be 100% certified in the program Quality Management (QMA), it also obtained the prize for the achievement of the country with more sales growth of the Latin American Region in 2005.
Eric entrepreneurial career began in 2000 when he became owner and partner of Motocicletas Bavarian (Importer of BMW Motorrad in Venezuela) # 1 Importer of BMW Motorcycles in the Latin American Region since 1998 (only Importer Markets).
In 2003 he convinced BMW AG that Venezuela was a suitable market for the MINI brand being one of the only 2 Importers to receive the Importer ship contract of this brand to South-America and achieved the # 1 position in sales of the region in only 6 months of sales.
Then in 2004 he became Owner/Partner 50% of Motocicletas Bavarian of Costa Rica (BMW Motorrad importer for Costa Rica).
In 2005 Eric won a prize as the most successful General Manager of the Latin American Region (only Importers Markets) in the period: June 2004/June 2005 (Best Sales Mix, Best Inter Firm Comparison, Best Customer Satisfaction Index, Premium Market share leadership, Higher After Sales Absorption on Flag Ship Dealer in Caracas, reached and surpass the Business Plan projections agreed with the Regional Office in terms of Parts Wholesales and Vehicles Wholesales purchased thru BMW AG in the same period).
In 2006 Prize for the achievement of the country with more sales growth of the Latin American Region in 2005; Eric’s success within the Bavarian Corporation finally consolidated in 2008 when he became the CEO of Bavarian Motors, BMW Importer of Venezuela.
Javier Quiros
Chairman & CEO, Toyota Costa Rica
Mr. Javier Quiros – has a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de Costa Rica. He is President of Purdy Motor, Toyota importer for Costa Rica. One of the most solid and successful corporations in Central America. He is also founder and president of many other companies in Costa Rica: Banco del Comercio; 1st private bank of Costa Rica, Toyota Slatillo, Toyota Coautitlan, Hino Purdy Cocada de Mexico, to name a few.
Mr. Quiroz lives in Costa Rica. He is married to Ms. Mariella Tanzi and has 3 daughters. In 2009, Mr. Quiroz was named business man of year by “El Financiero” (one of the most read magazines in the area). In addition, he was named among the 100 business man in central America by Revista Suma.
Panel 8: Social Entrepreneurship
Maria Pacheco
Founder, Kiej de los Bosques
Maria Pacheco is the founder of Wakami World, an organization dedicated to linking rural communities to markets, as a way to generate a prosperity that starts in the remote villages of Guatemala, and other countries in the future. Wakami World, in alliance with FedEx, has recently launched www.wakami.net, an online store, with fulfillment from the United States, were it can ship products to more than 50 countries. Currently, Wakami World, and its partner organizations – Kiej de los Bosques and Communities of the Earth, are incubating 18 rural companies, which will incorporate 600 rural women to markets.
Maria was also co-designer of a National Program for Economic Development, which was an IDB/World Bank loan of $60 million for Guatemala. This program is designed to provide 300 rural groups with the technical assistance and public infrastructure required for national and international success. This program in currently being implemented by the Guatemalan government.
Maria has also been a consultant for United Nations Foundation, in developing a program to generate sources of income for communities living in or around natural World Heritage Sites, at the same time they protect the ecosystem. A pilot project was carried out in Sian Kaan Reserve (forests, lagoons and reef system) in southern Mexico.
A fullbright scholar with a masters degree in agriculture from Cornell University, Maria served as co-founder and first female president of the Guatemalan Rural Entrepeneurship Association (AGER), and is part of the Aspen Institute Global Leadership Network, belonging to the Central American Initiative (CALI). Last june, Maria with other Aspen fellows , launched the VITAL VOICES Central American Network, to facilitate that WOMENS VOICES in the region be heard!! May 25, a Central American summit will take place, with 500 women participating.
Veronica Baz
Managing Director, CIDAC
Veronica Baz is the General Director of the Research Center for Development AC (CIDAC). She studied political science at the Autonomous Technological Institute of Mexico and later earned a Masters on Business Administration degree at Duke University. She wrote the book Grow despite Mexico and is also a co-author of the book The Power of Competitiveness. She is a columnist in the newspaper Reforma and also has her own Blog Alt-Neg in the same newspaper's website; her most common subjects are business analysis, human capital and the entrepreneurial phenomenon. Veronica is a usual speaker on trends, opportunities and business practices in Mexico and worldwide.
Panel 9: Tech Entrepreneurship
Jorge L. Rodriguez
Founder, Paciv
Jorge Luis Rodriguez Gonzalez was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He is the son of Esther González González and Benito Rodríguez Lozano, Spanish immigrants that arrived in Puerto Rico back in the 1960’s. Jorge is the fourth of five children’s.
Jorge Luis Rodriguez Gonzalez has over 20 years of experience in the areas of process control systems, instrumentation, commissioning and qualification and computer system validation for the life sciences and electronic industry. He holds a graduate business degree from Harvard Business School, Master in Business Administration from the University of Puerto Rico and a Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Syracuse University.
He is a license Professional Engineer in Control Systems in Puerto Rico and Indiana. He has worked as a control system engineer in various positions with Westinghouse Electric, Eli Lilly & Co. and J&J.
Jorge is the Founder, President and CEO of PACIV, a control system engineering firm. PACIV has offices in Puerto Rico, United States and Europe and has approximately 100 associates. Biotechnology, Pharmaceutical and Medical Device companies in the world such as Amgen, AstraZeneca, Bristol-Myers Squib, Boston-Scientific, Becton-Dickinson, Eli Lilly & Company, GSK, Johnson & Johnson, Merck, Pfizer, Roche Diagnostics, Schering-Plough, Wyeth, and other multinational clients in related industries such as AES, Bowen Engineering, Coca-Cola, Honeywell, Pharmadule and Veolia.
Jorge is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sofscape Caribe, Inc., President of the Puerto Rico Construction Cluster and a member of the Board of Directors of the “Puerto Rico Supreme Court Historic Foundation” and “Fundacion Chana y Samuel Levis”.
Guillermo Oropeza
Founder, Docsolutions
In 2001, Guillermo and his family created a vibrant company in the Document Management and Business Process Outsourcing sectors of the Mexican market by fulfilling one of the most necessary services to companies and institutions in the private and public sectors: an efficient and precise access to their own information. With over 600 employees, over 10 thousand square meters of information production lines, and a complete suite of document management services, processes and proprietary world-class technology, DocSolutions duplicates sales on average every year, is actively penetrating the private and public sectors in Mexico, and has recently begun its internationalization process.
Prior to DocSolutions, Guillermo worked for The Boston Consutling Group as Senior Associate, after gaining his MS and BS degrees in Mechanical Engineering, with a specialization on production processes from MIT. Part of Guillermo’s hobbies include half and long distance triathlons, and spending quality time with his family.
Fabian Segura Salazar
CFO & Country Manager, ITS Latin America