Leaders Convene at COA Symposium to Discuss Latin America's Transformational Moment

MIAMI, September 24 — On October 16, the Council of the Americas will host the 2025 COA Symposium and 30th BRAVO Business Awards at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove, Miami. Celebrating three decades of impact, this landmark event will gather top executives, entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and regional business figures from across industries to explore the key issues and breakthrough opportunities shaping Latin America and the global economy, including innovation, AI, sustainable growth, regional economic integration, and the future of finance and technology.

Over 500 leaders from multinational corporations, multilatinas, venture capital firms, academia, multilateral institutions, government, and the media from across the Americas are expected to attend, setting it up to be one of the region’s most influential business forums.

"The Symposium has long been a place for dialogue, inspiring solutions and innovation that builds on the progress Latin America has made," said Maria Lourdes Teran, vice president of AS/COA Miami and chair of the BRAVO Business Awards. “In today’s uncertain geopolitical and economic climate, the region’s role on the global stage is more critical than ever. This year, we’re not only celebrating the companies that are elevating Latin American business globally—we’re also spotlighting the next generation of leadership that will define its future."

Centered on the theme of “Driving Latin America’s Future: Innovation, Competitiveness, and Global Integration,” the day-long symposium will explore the most critical issues shaping the region’s present and future through a series of panels, keynote presentations, fireside chats, and afternoon roundtable sessions. The symposium will bring together a unique group of business leaders and visionaries from across industries and geographies who are driving Latin America’s business agenda forward. Distinguished topics and speakers include:

Latin America’s Opportunity in Today’s Evolving Geopolitical Context

• Luiz R. Vasconcelos, SVP & President, FedEx Latin America & Caribbean
• Blanca Treviño, President & CEO, Softtek
• Andres Velasco, Dean, School of Public Policy, London School of Economics & Political Science, and former Minister of Finance of Chile
• Shu Nyatta, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Bicycle Capital
• Moderated by Andres Gluski, President & CEO, The AES Corporation

Legacy and Leadership—A Century of Latin American Excellence

• Roberto Lara, CEO, Castillo Hermanos
• João Schmidt, CEO, Votorantim
• Francisco Ruiz-Tagle, CEO, CMPC
• Percy Moreira, CEO, Itaú USA & Head of International Private Bank, Itaú
• Moderated by Tracy Francis, Senior Partner & Managing Partner Latin America, McKinsey & Company

Vision, Values, and Growth—Inside the CMI Multilatina Journey

• Felipe Bosch, Chairman, CMI Capital
• Juan José Gutiérrez, Chairman, CMI Foods
• Moderated by Jorge Becerra, Emeritus Senior Partner & Senior Advisor, BCG

Embraer—Re-defining the Future of Air Mobility

• Francisco Gomes Neto, President & CEO, Embraer
• Moderated by Brian Winter, Editor-in-Chief, Americas Quarterly

Artificial Intelligence—A Once-in-a-Generation Economic Opportunity

• Jaime Vallés, Vice President, Asia Pacific & Japan, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Shaping the Future of Finance through Innovation

• Cristina Junqueira, Co-Founder & Chief Growth Officer, Nubank
• Moderated by Luis Alberto Moreno, Managing Director, Allen & Co and former President, IDB

Beyond Latin America’s Fintech Frontier

• Annali Duarte, Head of Latin America, Global Payments Solutions, Bank of America
• Antonio Silveira, VP for the Private Sector, CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
• Juan Ignacio de Lorenzo, SVP & Head of Distribution for Consumer Lines, CHUBB Latin America
• Moderated by Alejandro Anderlic, Head of Government & External Affairs for Latin America, Salesforce

25 Years of Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact with Mercado Libre

• Introduction by Julio Figueroa, Head of Latin America, Citi
• Ariel Szarfsztejn, President of Commerce and Incoming CEO, Mercado Libre
• Moderated by Susan Segal, President & CEO, AS/COA

Building the AI-Ready Economy in Latin America

• Carlos Barrera, CEO, Atlas Renewable Energy
• Shannon Kellogg, VP of Public Policy, Amazon
• John Medina, Senior Vice President, Global Project & Infrastructure Finance Group, Moody's Ratings
• Moderated by Antonio Silveira, VP for the Private Sector, CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean

Opportunities for Regional Economic Integration in Central America

• Maria Luisa Hayem, Minister of Economy of El Salvador
• Manuel Tovar, Minister of Foreign Trade of Costa Rica
• Hector Marroquín, Deputy Minister of Integration and Foreign Trade of Guatemala

Following the Symposium, the Council of the Americas will honor a select group of companies and individuals who embody the visionary leadership and transformative impact that define progress in the Americas at the 30th BRAVO Business Awards. This year’s distinguished honorees will be recognized with the following awards:

• Mercado Libre will be honored with the BRAVO Company of a Generation Award. This recognizes the 25 years of breakthrough innovation, impactful leadership, and long-term value creation that have made Mercado Libre a symbol of Latin American entrepreneurship and the region’s most valuable company. The award will be accepted by Ariel Szarfsztejn, president of Commerce and incoming CEO.
• Francisco Gomes Neto, president & CEO of Embraer, will be honored with the BRAVO Transformational Leader of the Year Award for his exceptional leadership in guiding Embraer through a period of profound transformation and global expansion. He has successfully positioned the Brazilian aerospace company at the forefront of sustainable aviation and advanced mobility technologies.
• Luiz R. Vasconcelos, president of FedEx Latin America & Caribbean, will be honored with the BRAVO Dynamic Leader of the Year Award for his role in driving innovation, improving regional connectivity, and strengthening the impact FedEx has on trade, logistics, and economic development across the Americas.
• Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI) will receive the BRAVO Corporate Legacy Award, accepted by Juan José Gutiérrez Mayorga, chairman of CMI Foods, and Felipe Bosch Gutiérrez, chairman of CMI Capital. The award recognizes the multigenerational enterprise for expanding across 15 countries while advancing its food business, clean energy projects, and sustainable development throughout Latin America and the United States.

In partnership with: CAF - Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean

Sponsors: Amazon, CHUBB Latin America, LLYC, Atlas Renewable Energy, Bank of America, Castillo Hermanos, Moody’s, Salesforce, The AES Corporation, BlackRock, FedEx, and Grupo Mariposa

Knowledge Partner: McKinsey & Company

Media Partners: Americas Quarterly, Bloomberg Línea, CNN en Español, El País, Estrategia & Negocios, and Exame

For more information, visit http://www.as-coa.org/bravo2025 

Press Contacts:

Patricia Martínez de Aragón | pmartinezdearagon@llyc.global 

Luciana Sabillon | lsabillon@as-coa.org 

AS/COA Media Relations | mediarelations@as-coa.org