Panel 1: Corporate Entrepreneurship
Luis Fernando Reyes
President, Whirlpool Mexico
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
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
Ambassador of Panama to the United States
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
Founder & Managing Director, IGNIA
Michael Chu was appointed a Senior Lecturer in the Initiative on Social Enterprise of the General Management Group of the Harvard Business School in July 2003. He is also Managing Director of the IGNIA Fund, an investment firm based in Monterrey, Mexico, dedicated to investing in commercial enterprises serving low-income populations in developing countries, which he co-founded in 2007. He continues to serve as Senior Advisor and a founding partner of Pegasus Capital, a firm in Buenos Aires dedicated to deploying equity capital in Latin America, with a portfolio which includes major companies in Argentina.
Alfredo Hoyos
Founder, Frisby
Mr. Hoyos studied at the Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia. After that he worked two years in Farmer Hatchery in Martinsville, Indiana where he learned the poultry farming business.
Mr Hoyos, founded the company PIMPOLLO, a chicken production and processing company which became the second largest in Colombia. In June 1977 he founded FRISBY in Pereira, Colombia. Today FRISBY has 115 restaurants all over Colombia and just opened the company’s US branch with one in Queens, New York. The company has a very special culture where the employee (referred to as collaborator) has a sense of belonging due to their philosophy and their training systems. The FRISBY’s programs of social responsibility are highly regarded in Colombia.
The Company has a school for people of low and middle socioeconomic status (Status 2 and 3), with 550 students from which they have graduated 9 classes thru High School studies. The company awards a college full tuition scholarship to the best students. Another successful educational program in Colombia are the leadership competitions that the company sponsors for college students, where more than 3.000 students have received their training.
Panel 4: Private Equity Investment in Latin America
Eric Arcese
Divisional Partner Program Manager for Latin American Division, EMC Corp.
Eric is responsible for developing and delivering Partner Programs and Sales Infrastructure that drive growth in EMC’s Latin American Channel Business. He supports a $100 Million partner community and is charged with building the Sales, Training and Incentive tools that support it. Since joining EMC in 1997 Eric has held various Sales and Marketing roles throughout the US. His work has taken him throughout the Americas and Europe; he has been based out of EMC Offices in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C. and is now working out of EMC’s Global Partner Headquarters in Franklin, Massachusetts. Prior to Eric’s current role he managed EMC’s Americas Channel Marketing efforts and prior to that was the Regional Marketing Manager of EMC Latin America. In Sales, as an EMC Account Manager in the United States, he worked in the Mid-Atlantic where he had great success in building new client relationships and consulting to executive management on information infrastructure solutions.
Pierangelo Pacini, Jr.
President, Cartones America S.A.
Pierangelo Pacini is President and Chairman of Cartones America S.A. a manufacturer and marketer of recycled paper and packaging with manufacturing facilities in five countries in Latin America.
After graduating from college Mr. Pacini started a small company which manufactured corrugated packaging in Bogotá, Colombia. Cartones America gradually expanded its operations and presently has 800 employees and operating companies in 5 countries in South America. It has been a pioneer in developing and applying environmentally friendly technologies for the manufacture of recycled paper. It is also involved in several programs related to the social impact and creation of employment of recovered paper industry.
Mr. Pacini earned his undergraduate degree at Babson and an MBA at IMEDE in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Enrique Kramer
Assistant Dean, Universidad ORT Uruguay
Enrique Kramer is the Assistant Dean and Management professor at Universidad ORT Uruguay in Montevideo, Uruguay. He is also International Visiting Scholar at Harvard Business School, doing research on the field of microfinance in Uruguay, mentored by Senior Lecturer Michael Chu. Kramer is also visiting Senior Lecturer at the WHU –Wissenschaftliche Hochschule für Unternehmensführung–, Vallendar bei Koblenz, Germany on a yearly basis since 2004, teaching the full-time MBA “Strategies for Dynamic Market Environments” course.
From 1991 to the present day, he holds the Chair of Business Policy at Universidad ORT Uruguay. In this position he has developed and taught of the entire Department’s courses for undergraduate management and MBA courses.
Professionally, he also works as a consultant, specialising in strategy. In 1991, he founded a textile mill specialised in the production of hook-and-loop closures. He then sold the company to Velcro Group and acted as Managing Director for Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay, being in charge of manufacturing unit in Montevideo, and sales organisation in São Paulo, living part time in this city and Montevideo. Previously he held positions at Price Waterhouse in Montevideo and Boehringer Ingelheim in Barcelona, Spain. In the latter he was a member of the internal counterpart team vis à vis McKinsey & Co. in the strategic evaluation project of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group in Spain.
Kramer has developed of over a dozen case studies on several Uruguayan companies, particularly in the health, soft drinks, apparel, pharmaceutical, software and entertainment industries. Some of theses cases have been prepared with the assistance of exchange students from Univesitat Pompeu Fabra, Universidad de Toledo (Spain) and Endeavor. One of these cases –Video.fon-– was prepared under the guidance of Prof. John Ickis, form INCAE, Costa Rica, and is regularly used in this school.
He holds a CPA and BA in Business degree from Universidad de la República in Montevideo, Uruguay and an MBA from IESE in Barcelona, Spain.
Panel 5: Entrepreneurship in Latin America
Yonatan Bursztyn
Founder & President, Totto
Yonatan Bursztyn is a Colombian entrepreneur who graduated as Industrial Engineer from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In 1987 he acquired a leather factory with 40 employees and turned it into Nalsani S.A, producer of the TOTTO brand, specializing in backpacks, travel luggage and accessories. In 1989 Totto started exporting its products to the US, Hong Kong, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Mexico, and consolidated distribution of backpacks and accessories throughout the Colombian market.
Today, Totto has franchises in more than 20 countries in Latin America and Spain, and has built over two decades one of the most prestigious business of clothing, bag, and accessory design, with high quality standards and technology. Totto plans to have 374 stores by the end of 2009 and more than 700 by 2013. Due to his entrepreneurial achievements and strong social commitment, Mr. Bursztyn was nominated in 2008 by Revista Dinero and Ernst & Young as candidate for the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
Fernando Schaich
Founder, SEG Ingeniería
Fernando Schaich graduated from the Univesidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay as a Chemical Engineer. He joined Shell in 1994 where he was eventually promoted to Technical Services Manager; his main focus was on delivering costs optimization for his customers and the modernization of Shell’s laboratory in Uruguay. During his time in Shell, in 1996, he and two partners from University founded SEG Ingenieria – a company completely focused on achieving cost efficiencies mainly for customers in the Energy Industry. Two years later, in 1998, he left Shell to dedicate full time to his company. Currently, he has managed over 500 projects geared towards the reduction of operating costs, such as energy, telecommunications and logistics. Today SEG Ingenieria has a prescence in three South American countries with its headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay and a staff of almost 80 employees.
In 2007, SEG Ingenieria was selected as an Endeavor Enterprise due to its entrepreneurial character, its innovation and its expansion model. In 2008, SEG Ingenieria was given the prize PRO PYME 2008 for its innovation qualities and the unique qualities of its business.
In addition to running his business, today Fernando is a mentor at Endeavor Uruguay where he participates in tours and gives lectures on entrepreneurship, provides his expertise and his time to new entrepreneurs and businesses that want to succeed in the region.
Arnaldo Garnier
Chairman & CEO, Corporacion Cefa
Executive with more than 20 years of international experience in the industry of the advertising and marketing services , leading operations of more of US$200mm in Latin America. He has worked as President of Garnier Communication Group, a Group that has a strategic alliance with Omnicom Group. From this company he has orchestrated the development of more than 50 Omnicom subsidiaries in the region. Main strengths in the leadership areas, marketing, strategic planning and team work. Fluent in English and Spanish. Oriented towards results, highly motivated and great initiative with additional talents in human resources.
Panel 6: Human Capital Entrepreneurship
Yonatan Bursztyn
Founder & President, Totto
Yonatan Bursztyn is a Colombian entrepreneur who graduated as Industrial Engineer from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In 1987 he acquired a leather factory with 40 employees and turned it into Nalsani S.A, producer of the TOTTO brand, specializing in backpacks, travel luggage and accessories. In 1989 Totto started exporting its products to the US, Hong Kong, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Mexico, and consolidated distribution of backpacks and accessories throughout the Colombian market.
Today, Totto has franchises in more than 20 countries in Latin America and Spain, and has built over two decades one of the most prestigious business of clothing, bag, and accessory design, with high quality standards and technology. Totto plans to have 374 stores by the end of 2009 and more than 700 by 2013. Due to his entrepreneurial achievements and strong social commitment, Mr. Bursztyn was nominated in 2008 by Revista Dinero and Ernst & Young as candidate for the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
Fernando Schaich
Founder, SEG Ingeniería
Fernando Schaich graduated from the Univesidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay as a Chemical Engineer. He joined Shell in 1994 where he was eventually promoted to Technical Services Manager; his main focus was on delivering costs optimization for his customers and the modernization of Shell’s laboratory in Uruguay. During his time in Shell, in 1996, he and two partners from University founded SEG Ingenieria – a company completely focused on achieving cost efficiencies mainly for customers in the Energy Industry. Two years later, in 1998, he left Shell to dedicate full time to his company. Currently, he has managed over 500 projects geared towards the reduction of operating costs, such as energy, telecommunications and logistics. Today SEG Ingenieria has a prescence in three South American countries with its headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay and a staff of almost 80 employees.
In 2007, SEG Ingenieria was selected as an Endeavor Enterprise due to its entrepreneurial character, its innovation and its expansion model. In 2008, SEG Ingenieria was given the prize PRO PYME 2008 for its innovation qualities and the unique qualities of its business.
In addition to running his business, today Fernando is a mentor at Endeavor Uruguay where he participates in tours and gives lectures on entrepreneurship, provides his expertise and his time to new entrepreneurs and businesses that want to succeed in the region.
Arnaldo Garnier
Chairman & CEO, Corporacion Cefa
Executive with more than 20 years of international experience in the industry of the advertising and marketing services , leading operations of more of US$200mm in Latin America. He has worked as President of Garnier Communication Group, a Group that has a strategic alliance with Omnicom Group. From this company he has orchestrated the development of more than 50 Omnicom subsidiaries in the region. Main strengths in the leadership areas, marketing, strategic planning and team work. Fluent in English and Spanish. Oriented towards results, highly motivated and great initiative with additional talents in human resources.
Panel 7: Serial Entrepreneurs in Latin America
Yonatan Bursztyn
Founder & President, Totto
Yonatan Bursztyn is a Colombian entrepreneur who graduated as Industrial Engineer from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In 1987 he acquired a leather factory with 40 employees and turned it into Nalsani S.A, producer of the TOTTO brand, specializing in backpacks, travel luggage and accessories. In 1989 Totto started exporting its products to the US, Hong Kong, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Mexico, and consolidated distribution of backpacks and accessories throughout the Colombian market.
Today, Totto has franchises in more than 20 countries in Latin America and Spain, and has built over two decades one of the most prestigious business of clothing, bag, and accessory design, with high quality standards and technology. Totto plans to have 374 stores by the end of 2009 and more than 700 by 2013. Due to his entrepreneurial achievements and strong social commitment, Mr. Bursztyn was nominated in 2008 by Revista Dinero and Ernst & Young as candidate for the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
Fernando Schaich
Founder, SEG Ingeniería
Fernando Schaich graduated from the Univesidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay as a Chemical Engineer. He joined Shell in 1994 where he was eventually promoted to Technical Services Manager; his main focus was on delivering costs optimization for his customers and the modernization of Shell’s laboratory in Uruguay. During his time in Shell, in 1996, he and two partners from University founded SEG Ingenieria – a company completely focused on achieving cost efficiencies mainly for customers in the Energy Industry. Two years later, in 1998, he left Shell to dedicate full time to his company. Currently, he has managed over 500 projects geared towards the reduction of operating costs, such as energy, telecommunications and logistics. Today SEG Ingenieria has a prescence in three South American countries with its headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay and a staff of almost 80 employees.
In 2007, SEG Ingenieria was selected as an Endeavor Enterprise due to its entrepreneurial character, its innovation and its expansion model. In 2008, SEG Ingenieria was given the prize PRO PYME 2008 for its innovation qualities and the unique qualities of its business.
In addition to running his business, today Fernando is a mentor at Endeavor Uruguay where he participates in tours and gives lectures on entrepreneurship, provides his expertise and his time to new entrepreneurs and businesses that want to succeed in the region.
Arnaldo Garnier
Chairman & CEO, Corporacion Cefa
Executive with more than 20 years of international experience in the industry of the advertising and marketing services , leading operations of more of US$200mm in Latin America. He has worked as President of Garnier Communication Group, a Group that has a strategic alliance with Omnicom Group. From this company he has orchestrated the development of more than 50 Omnicom subsidiaries in the region. Main strengths in the leadership areas, marketing, strategic planning and team work. Fluent in English and Spanish. Oriented towards results, highly motivated and great initiative with additional talents in human resources.
Panel 8: Social Entrepreneurship
Yonatan Bursztyn
Founder & President, Totto
Yonatan Bursztyn is a Colombian entrepreneur who graduated as Industrial Engineer from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In 1987 he acquired a leather factory with 40 employees and turned it into Nalsani S.A, producer of the TOTTO brand, specializing in backpacks, travel luggage and accessories. In 1989 Totto started exporting its products to the US, Hong Kong, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Mexico, and consolidated distribution of backpacks and accessories throughout the Colombian market.
Today, Totto has franchises in more than 20 countries in Latin America and Spain, and has built over two decades one of the most prestigious business of clothing, bag, and accessory design, with high quality standards and technology. Totto plans to have 374 stores by the end of 2009 and more than 700 by 2013. Due to his entrepreneurial achievements and strong social commitment, Mr. Bursztyn was nominated in 2008 by Revista Dinero and Ernst & Young as candidate for the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
Fernando Schaich
Founder, SEG Ingeniería
Fernando Schaich graduated from the Univesidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay as a Chemical Engineer. He joined Shell in 1994 where he was eventually promoted to Technical Services Manager; his main focus was on delivering costs optimization for his customers and the modernization of Shell’s laboratory in Uruguay. During his time in Shell, in 1996, he and two partners from University founded SEG Ingenieria – a company completely focused on achieving cost efficiencies mainly for customers in the Energy Industry. Two years later, in 1998, he left Shell to dedicate full time to his company. Currently, he has managed over 500 projects geared towards the reduction of operating costs, such as energy, telecommunications and logistics. Today SEG Ingenieria has a prescence in three South American countries with its headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay and a staff of almost 80 employees.
In 2007, SEG Ingenieria was selected as an Endeavor Enterprise due to its entrepreneurial character, its innovation and its expansion model. In 2008, SEG Ingenieria was given the prize PRO PYME 2008 for its innovation qualities and the unique qualities of its business.
In addition to running his business, today Fernando is a mentor at Endeavor Uruguay where he participates in tours and gives lectures on entrepreneurship, provides his expertise and his time to new entrepreneurs and businesses that want to succeed in the region.
Arnaldo Garnier
Chairman & CEO, Corporacion Cefa
Executive with more than 20 years of international experience in the industry of the advertising and marketing services , leading operations of more of US$200mm in Latin America. He has worked as President of Garnier Communication Group, a Group that has a strategic alliance with Omnicom Group. From this company he has orchestrated the development of more than 50 Omnicom subsidiaries in the region. Main strengths in the leadership areas, marketing, strategic planning and team work. Fluent in English and Spanish. Oriented towards results, highly motivated and great initiative with additional talents in human resources.
Panel 9: Tech Entrepreneurship
Yonatan Bursztyn
Founder & President, Totto
Yonatan Bursztyn is a Colombian entrepreneur who graduated as Industrial Engineer from Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. In 1987 he acquired a leather factory with 40 employees and turned it into Nalsani S.A, producer of the TOTTO brand, specializing in backpacks, travel luggage and accessories. In 1989 Totto started exporting its products to the US, Hong Kong, the UK, Australia, Singapore and Mexico, and consolidated distribution of backpacks and accessories throughout the Colombian market.
Today, Totto has franchises in more than 20 countries in Latin America and Spain, and has built over two decades one of the most prestigious business of clothing, bag, and accessory design, with high quality standards and technology. Totto plans to have 374 stores by the end of 2009 and more than 700 by 2013. Due to his entrepreneurial achievements and strong social commitment, Mr. Bursztyn was nominated in 2008 by Revista Dinero and Ernst & Young as candidate for the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award.
Fernando Schaich
Founder, SEG Ingeniería
Fernando Schaich graduated from the Univesidad de la Republica Oriental del Uruguay as a Chemical Engineer. He joined Shell in 1994 where he was eventually promoted to Technical Services Manager; his main focus was on delivering costs optimization for his customers and the modernization of Shell’s laboratory in Uruguay. During his time in Shell, in 1996, he and two partners from University founded SEG Ingenieria – a company completely focused on achieving cost efficiencies mainly for customers in the Energy Industry. Two years later, in 1998, he left Shell to dedicate full time to his company. Currently, he has managed over 500 projects geared towards the reduction of operating costs, such as energy, telecommunications and logistics. Today SEG Ingenieria has a prescence in three South American countries with its headquarters in Montevideo, Uruguay and a staff of almost 80 employees.
In 2007, SEG Ingenieria was selected as an Endeavor Enterprise due to its entrepreneurial character, its innovation and its expansion model. In 2008, SEG Ingenieria was given the prize PRO PYME 2008 for its innovation qualities and the unique qualities of its business.
In addition to running his business, today Fernando is a mentor at Endeavor Uruguay where he participates in tours and gives lectures on entrepreneurship, provides his expertise and his time to new entrepreneurs and businesses that want to succeed in the region.
Arnaldo Garnier
Chairman & CEO, Corporacion Cefa
Executive with more than 20 years of international experience in the industry of the advertising and marketing services , leading operations of more of US$200mm in Latin America. He has worked as President of Garnier Communication Group, a Group that has a strategic alliance with Omnicom Group. From this company he has orchestrated the development of more than 50 Omnicom subsidiaries in the region. Main strengths in the leadership areas, marketing, strategic planning and team work. Fluent in English and Spanish. Oriented towards results, highly motivated and great initiative with additional talents in human resources.