COA Symposium Convenes Leaders to Discuss Latin America's Evolving Business Landscape

Miami, October 13, 2022—On October 28, Council of the Americas will host the Council of the Americas Symposium at the University of Miami’s Donna E. Shalala Center. The annual event will gather business visionaries and pioneers from across industries and geographies to address the most pressing topics facing businesses in Latin America and the world. More than 350 high-impact leaders from the Americas are expected to join in person, including speakers from multinational corporations, multilatinas, Latin American tech unicorns, venture capital firms, media, NGOs, and academia.

“The caliber of business leadership seen at the Symposium exemplifies constant innovation and promotes distinct ways to inspire upcoming generations of the Americas—a fundamental aspect for the future of the region in times of evolution," said Susan Segal, President and CEO of Americas Society/ Council of the Americas (AS/COA).

Prior to the public Symposium, the Council of the Americas will also host three private roundtables for CEOs (co-chaired by Susan Segal and Ashley Grice, BCG BrightHouse), chief sustainability officers (chaired by Pedro Pereira, SAP), and chief people officers (co-chaired by Pablo Claver and Jorge Becerra, Boston Consulting Group), consolidating COA’s community of C-level business leaders gathering to exchange challenges, opportunities, and best practices.

“We are honored to host business leaders from across the Americas at our annual signature event in Miami. In one day, executives across different industries and sectors benefit from gaining a broad snapshot of Latin America’s business landscape and hearing directly from the players shaping it,” said Maria Lourdes Teran, Vice President of AS/COA Miami.

The full-day conference will cover five major themes, ranging from environmental sustainability and Latin America’s tech entrepreneurship boom to the future of work. The event content tracks include:

Advancing the ESG Agenda

Business leaders will discuss how companies are implementing ESG policies to advance the region’s sustainability and social agenda, from achieving net-zero carbon goals to utilizing technology for social impact. Speakers include Amy Barnes, Marsh; Brian Burlingame, JeffreyGroup; Eduardo della Maggiora, Betterfly; Gabriela Frias, CNN en Español; Fernando Gonzalez, CEMEX; Marcos Gunn, Chubb Group; Eric Loeb, Salesforce; Juan Carlos Mora, Bancolombia; and Adriana Noreña, Google.

Disruptive Players in Latin America’s Tech Ecosystem

Entrepreneurs and venture capitalists from some of the most important technology ventures in Latin America will speak on how their Latin American “unicorns” are leading the way to promoting inclusion and advancing digitalization in the region. Speakers include Francisco Aldaya, Bloomberg Línea; Adolfo Babatz,Clip; Pierpaolo Barbieri, Ualá; Jorge Bercerra, Boston Consulting Group; Marlene Garayzar, Stori; Hernán Kazah and Nicolás Szekasy, Kaszek; and Brynne McNulty Rojas, Habi

Latin America’s Talent Imperative

People-strategy experts and key players in the technology sector will discuss opportunities to leverage technology as a transformative tool for Latin America’s workforce. Speakers include Alejandro Anderlic, Salesforce; Pablo Claver, Boston Consulting Group; Nicolas Kaplun, Globant; and Karime Mitre, Banco de Crédito del Perú.

Navigating an Evolving Business Landscape

Industry thought leaders spearheading business evolution and innovation across different industries in the Americas will discuss how businesses remain resilient in an ever-changing region and world. Speakers include Gaston Bottazzini, Falabella; Andrés Gluski, AES Corporation; Fernando Iraola, Bank of America; Andrew H. Martin, Pfizer Inc.; Cristina Palmaka, SAP; and Cecilia Tornaghi, Americas Quarterly.

Private Sector Alliances for Development

Executives from participating organizations in the Partnership for Central America will share opportunities for accelerating financial inclusion in the Northern Triangle. Speakers include Enrique Bolaños, INCAE, Juan Pablo Mata, Apex/Grupo Mariposa; and Darren Ware, Mastercard.

Following the Symposium, the Council of the Americas will celebrate a night of outstanding leadership in the Americas during the 27th BRAVO Business Awards. We will be recognizing the previously announced extraordinary leaders: Adriana Noreña (Social Impact Leader of the Year), Hernán Kazah and Nicolás Szekasy (Visionary Investors of the Decade) and Pierpaolo Barbieri (Visionary CEO of the Year), along with the company Falabella (Digital Transformation of the Year).

Sponsors: Bank of America, JeffreyGroup, The AES Corporation, HSBC, Mambu Americas, Pfizer, Apex, CHUBB Latin America, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, Mastercard LAC, Salesforce, SAP, Softtek, Diageo Plc, and Medtronic. 

In Partnership with: Inter-American Development Bank   

Media Partners: Americas Quarterly, Bloomberg Línea y CNN en Español. 

For more information, visit: www.as-coa.org  

Media Contacts: 
Yndira Marín | ymarin@as-coa.org | 1-646-386-6523 

Camilo Giraldo Gallo | cgiraldo@jeffreygroup.com | 1-352-283-2961 

AS/COA Media Relations | mediarelations@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8333