Registration: 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Conference: 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m....

Location
Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San José
700 meters west from Bridgestone/Firestone, La Ribera de Belen Heredia
San José
Costa Rica
Live Broadcast

Live broadcast

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2015 Latin American Cities Conferences: San José

AS/COA will host our annual conference in San José, Costa Rica.

Registration: 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.

Conference: 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m....

Location
Costa Rica Marriott Hotel San José
700 meters west from Bridgestone/Firestone, La Ribera de Belen Heredia
San José
Costa Rica
Live Broadcast

Live broadcast

Share

Overview

COSTA RICA: A NEW INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

 

In the past year, Costa Rica has faced cases of departures of long-standing international investors. Although the country continues to draw sophisticated investors from around the world, external and internal challenges persist when it comes to attracting greater levels of foreign direct investment (FDI). Since taking office, however, President Luis Guillermo Solís has sought to revamp Costa Rica’s efforts to boost both the volume and nature of FDI.

Americas Society/Council of the Americas, in partnership with Costa Rica’s Ministry of Foreign Trade (COMEX) and the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE), will hold a half-day conference to focus on the country's economic and investment outlook, convening government officials and foreign investors who span various industries.

Confirmed Speakers:

  • Luis Guillermo Solís, President of Costa Rica
  • Alexander Mora, Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica
  • César Arias, Director, Latin American Sovereigns Group, Fitch Ratings (Download his presentation)
  • Doyle Boyd, Solutions Director, Marketing Digital Production and Content Services, Accenture
  • José Rafael Brenes, CEO, National Stock Exchange of Costa Rica (Download his presentation)
  • Dave Dalton, President, General Microcircuits
  • Roberto Echandi, Global Lead, Investment Policy, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank
  • Alberto Franco, Economist, Founder and Consultant, Ecoanálisis
  • Vincent Guglielmetti, Costa Rica Site & Mega Lab General Manager, Intel Corporation
  • Ragnhild Melzi, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas
  • Luis Mesalles,  Associate Economist of the Central American Academy (Download his presentation)
  • Charlie Noel, Vice President of Operations, MicroVention, Inc.
  • Ed Sanchez, Country Officer, Costa Rica, Citi
  • Jorge Sequeira, Managing Director, Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE)

Follow the discussion on Twitter: @ASCOA | #crASCOA

Registration fee: This event is complimentary for all registrants. Prior registration is required.

Event Information: Guillermo Zubillaga | gzubillaga@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8362
Sponsorship Opportunities: Ana Gilligan | agilligan@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8364 
COA Corporate Membership Information: Monica Vieira | mvieira@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8344
Press Inquiries: Adriana La Rotta | alarotta@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8384

In partnership with:
 

 

Agenda

Download a PDF of the agenda.

Baje la agenda en español.

Agenda

8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.  Registration

8:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.  Welcoming Remarks

  • Ragnhild Melzi, Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.  Opening Remarks

  • Luis Guillermo Solís, President of Costa Rica

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.  Panel: Costa Rica and the Region’s Economic Outlook

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.  Coffee Break

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.  Keynote on FDI (via video)

  • Introduction by Christine Zhenwei Qiang, Practice Manager, Investment Climate Unit, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank Group 
  • Keynote by Roberto Echandi, Global Lead, Investment Policy, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank (via video)

11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.  Panel: Costa Rica - Challenges & Opportunities for Foreign Investors

  • Ed Sanchez, Citi Country Officer, Costa Rica
  • Doyle Boyd, Solutions Director, Marketing Digital Production and Content Services, Accenture
  • Dave Dalton, President, General Microcircuits
  • Vincent Guglielmetti, General Manager, Intel Costa Rica
  • Charlie Noel, Vice President of Operations, MicroVention, Inc.
  • Jorge Sequeira, Managing Director, Costa Rica’s Investment Agency (CINDE) (moderator)

12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.  Closing Remarks

  • Alexander Mora, Minister of Foreign Trade, Costa Rica

Speakers

Luis Guillermo Solís
Former President of Costa Rica

Luis Guillermo Solís is the interim director and a distinguished visiting professor at the Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center at Florida International University.

Professor, diplomat and politician, Luis Guillermo Solís Rivera served as 47th president of the...

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Alexander Mora
Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica

Alexander Mora is minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica since May 8 2014, where he oversees Costa Rica’s foreign trade and investment portfolios, as well as the relationship with multilateral organizations like the WTO, OECD, SIECA, among others. Mora has extensive experience...

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Cesar Arias
Director, Latin American Sovereigns Group, Fitch Ratings

César Arias is director in the Latin American Sovereigns Group at Fitch Ratings since May 2011. He is the lead analyst for Central American sovereigns and frontier markets, including Bolivia, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Paraguay, and Suriname. Arias speaks regularly to investors...

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Doyle Boyd
Solutions Director, Marketing Digital Production and Content Services, Accenture

Doyle Boyd is the Global Digital Production Solution Director for Accenture. In this role, he oversees Accenture’s Digital Production New Business service offering.  They support over 60 clients globally with these capabilities. Doyle joined Accenture as part of the avVenta...

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José Rafael Brenes
CEO, National Stock Exchange of Costa Rica

José Rafael Brenes is CEO of the National Stock Exchange and partner-consultant at Ecoanálisis. In the National Stock Exchange, he develops market segment for medium-sized companies with high growth potential and is actively involved in the evaluation and selection of eligible...

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David Dalton
President, General Microcircuits

David G. Dalton is president and CEO of General Microcircuits since 1990. In addition, he serves on the Charlotte Regional Partnership’s New Energy Capital New Technology Advisory Board and is a member of the Charlotte Chamber’s Manufacturers Council. Philanthropically, he has...

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Roberto Echandi
Global Lead, Investment Policy, Trade & Competitiveness Global Practice, World Bank

Roberto Echandi is the investment policy global lead of the Investment Climate Unit of the Trade and Competitiveness Global Practice of the World Bank Group. Prior joining the World Bank Group, he was director of the Program on International Investment at the World Trade...

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Alberto Franco
Economist, Founder and Consultant, Ecoanálisis

Alberto Franco is founder and consultant of Ecoanálisis, associate economist of the Central American Academy, and private consultant. Prior to this position, he was director for Costa Rica at the Inter-American Development Bank, the Inter-American Investment Corporation and the...

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Vincent Guglielmetti
Costa Rica Site & Mega Lab General Manager, Intel Corporation

Vincent Guglielmetti is general manager of Intel Costa Rica since June 2014. As a leader, his main task is to transform Intel Costa Rica from a manufacturing operation to a research and development facility; accompanied by a global services center of excellence. Guglielmetti...

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Ragnhild Melzi
Vice President, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

Ragnhild Melzi is Americas Society/Council of the Americas’ vice president of Public Policy Programs and Corporate Relations. She provides leadership for the organizations’ international programming, which attracts top government officials, global business leaders, and prominent...

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Luis Mesalles
Associate Economist of the Central American Academy

Luis Mesalles is general manager of La Yema Dorada and partner-consultant Ecoanálisis. He is also treasurer of the Costa Rican Union of Chambers of Private Enterprise, member of several boards, columnist for The Nation and author of several publications. Previously he was vice...

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Charles E. Noel
Vice President of Operations, MicroVention, Inc

Charles E. Noel is vice president of operations at Microvention, Inc. where he leads the creation, enhancement and growth of facilities domestically and internationally utilizing expertise in international operations, manufacturing start-up, project management, plant design and...

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Ed Sanchez
Country Officer, Costa Rica, Citi

Ed Sanchez is general manager in Citi Costa Rica. He has been with Citi for 29 years and in that period he has held multiple relevant positions in Corporate Finance and Corporate Banking in various locations including New York, Miami, Brazil, and Venezuela. Sanchez successfully...

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Jorge Sequeira
Managing Director, Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE)

Jorge Sequeira is the managing director of the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE). Sequeira joined CINDE from Trade Promotion Agency of Costa Ricawhere he served for four years. Prior to that, he co-founded and acted as CEO of Exactus Corporation, a business software...

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