COA Symposium: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

BRAVO Business Awards Gala7 p.m.

Four Seasons Hotel
1435 Brickell Avenue
Miami
Live Broadcast

Live broadcast

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25th Anniversary COA Symposium & BRAVO Business Awards

BRAVO celebrates 25 years at the forefront of transformations taking place in the region with a full-day conference and gala honoring visionaries driving positive change.

COA Symposium: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

BRAVO Business Awards Gala7 p.m.

Four Seasons Hotel
1435 Brickell Avenue
Miami
Live Broadcast

Live broadcast

Share

Overview

This year Council of the Americas Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards celebrate 25 years at the forefront of transformations taking place in Latin America by honoring the region’s most inspiring visionaries.

The annual Symposium is the Western Hemisphere’s premiere full-day business conference, convening 500 private-sector and government influencers, entrepreneurs, humanitarians, and industry pioneers. Following the Symposium, the BRAVO Business Awards' black-tie gala recognizes the exemplary leadership of individuals and organizations that improve lives across the Americas and inspire generations of changemakers.

Read a summary and watch videos of the 2018 Symposium.

Follow the discussion on Twitter: #BRAVObiz | @ASCOA


2019 BRAVO Business Award Honorees

  • Legacy Award: Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank
  • CEO of the Year: João Miranda, CEO, Votorantim
  • Investor of the Year: André El-Mann, CEO, Fibra Uno
  • Technology Leader of the Year: Claudio Muruzabal, President, SAP Latin America and Caribbean
  • Social Impact Leadership Award: Carlos Vives, Founder, Tras la Perla & Grammy Award-Winning Artist
  • Visionary Entrepreneur of the Year: Cristina Junqueira, Co-founder, Nubank
  • Lifetime Achievement: Susana Balbo, Founder, Susana Balbo Wines

Additional Speakers & Special Guests

  • Andrés Gluski, President and CEO, The AES Corporation and Chairman, AS/COA @AndresGluski 
  • Ali Moshiri, Chairman and President, Amos Global Energy
  • Susan Segal, President & CEO, AS/COA @s_segal
  • Fernando Iraola, Global co-head of Large Corporates GTS, Head of Latin America Corporate Banking and Global Transaction Services, Bank of America @BofAML
  • Erika Herrero, CEO, Belcorp
  • Jorge Becerra, Senior Partner & Managing Director, Boston Consulting Group @BCG
  • Fernando González, CEO, CEMEX @Fernandogzz
  • Enrique García, President of the Board, Council of Foreign Relations of Latin America and the Caribbean (RIAL)
  • Kathy Lai, Deputy CEO, Enterprise Singapore
  • Roberto Wagmaister, Founder and CEO, gA @Grupo_ASSA
  • David Bojanini, CEO, Grupo SURA @GRUPOSURA
  • Sunil Gupta, Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the executive program on Driving Digital Strategy at Harvard Business School
  • Katia Bouazza, Managing Director, Head of Latin America Global Banking, HSBC @HSBC
  • Gerardo Mato, Chairman, Global Banking and Markets – Americas, HSBC @HSBC
  • Ana Paula Assis, General Manager, IBM Latin America @IBM
  • Gustavo Martinez, CEO, Latin American Agribusiness Development Corporation (LAAD)
  • Kiki del Valle, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships Mastercard Latin America and the Caribbean @MastercardLAC
  • Osvaldo Gimenez, CEO MercadoPago, EVP MercadoLibre @osvaldo_gimenez
  • Paula Bellizia, Vice President – Sales, Marketing and Operations for Latin America, Microsoft @MicrosoftBr
  • Paula Santilli, CEO of Latin America, PepsiCo @p_santilli
  • Gonzalo Binello, Head of Latin America, Schroders @Schroders
  • Blanca Treviño, President and CEO, Softtek @Softtek
  • Martin Reeves, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Director of the BCG Henderson Institute, @MartinKReeves
  • José Manuel Rodríguez, Anchor and Senior Correspondent, CNN en Español, @josemanuelcnn
  • Juan E. Cento, President, FedEx Express Latin America, @FedEx
  • Marcelo Cabrol, Manager, Social Sector, Inter-American Development Bank, @the_IDB
  • Robert Ivanschitz, Associate General Counsel, Corporate External Legal Affairs, Microsoft Latin America, @Rivansch
  • Rakesh Shalia, VP of Marketing and Communications Latin America and the Caribbean, FedEx Express, @FedEx
  • Erich de la Fuente, Partner and Chairman, LLYC U.S. @edela_fuente
  • Jerry Haar, PhD, Professor & Executive Director, Office of the Executive & Professional Education Florida International University @FIUBusiness
  • Carlos Vela-Treviño, Partner, Head of Privacy & Cybersecurity, Baker McKenzie's Mexico Offices @BakerMcKenzieMX
  • Natalia de Greiff, Vice President, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software, Latin America @greiffn
  • Vidal Garza Cantú, Director of Public Affairs and Strategic Relationships, FEMSA @FEMSA

For more information on the Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards, please visit as-coa.org/bravo.

Enhance your visibility at the Conference:
To create a visible platform for your business or to learn more about sponsorship and partnership opportunities, please contact us:
Mercedes Fernandez, Director, BRAVO Leadership Forums  | mfernandez@as-coa.org | +1 305-779-4987
Maria Lourdes Gallo, Vice President, Miami Office | mgallo@as-coa.org | +1 305-779-4986

Event Registration: 
Carlos Sucre | csucre@as-coa.org | +1 305-779-4976 

Agenda

Agenda

Download a pdf of the agenda.

8:00–9:00 a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast (General Assembly)
Sky Bridge/Grand Ballroom Foyer

9:00 a.m. Welcome Remarks: Susan Segal, President & CEO, AS/COA
Grand Ballroom

Panel I – Leadership in a World of Constant Disruption
Grand Ballroom

  • Ana Paula Assis, General Manager, IBM Latin America
  • André El-Mann, CEO, Fibra Uno
  • Andrés Gluski, President and CEO, The AES Corporation and Chairman AS/COA
  • Gerardo Mato, Chairman, Global Banking and Markets – Americas, HSBC
  • João Miranda, CEO, Votorantim
  • Moderator: Martin Reeves, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Director of the BCG Henderson Institute

9:50–10:35 a.m. Panel II - Building a Customer-Centric Enterprise
Grand Ballroom

  • Paula Bellizia, Vice President – Sales, Marketing and Operations for Latin America, Microsoft
  • Fernando González, CEO, CEMEX
  • Erika Herrero, CEO, Belcorp
  • Claudio Muruzabal, President, SAP Latin America and the Caribbean
  • Paula Santilli, CEO, Latin America PepsiCo
  • Moderator: José Manuel Rodríguez, Anchor and Senior Correspondent, CNN en Español

10:40–10:50 a.m. Leadership Spotlight
Grand Ballroom

  • Blanca Treviño, President & CEO, Softtek  

10:50–11:10 a.m. Networking Coffee Break
Grand Ballroom Foyer

11:10–11:55 a.m. Panel III - Digital Challengers: The Next Wave of Expansion
Grand Ballroom

  • Kiki del Valle, Senior Vice President, Digital Partnerships, Mastercard LAC
  • Osvaldo Gimenez, CEO, MercadoPago and EVP, MercadoLibre
  • Fernando Iraola, Managing Director, Head of Latin America Corporate Banking & Global Transaction Services, Bank of America
  • Cristina Junqueira, Co-founder, Nubank
  • Moderator: Jorge Becerra, Managing Director & Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group

12:0012:40 p.m. A Conversation with Carlos Vives and Luis Alberto Moreno: Expanding Social and Economic Opportunities in Latin America & the Caribbean (en español)

Grand Ballroom

  • Carlos Vives, Founder, Tras la Perla & Grammy Award-Winning Artist
  • Luis Alberto Moreno, President, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Introduction: Juan N. Cento, President, FedEx Express Latin America

The following portions of the conference will not be webcast.

12:50–1:30 p.m. A Conversation with Susana Balbo: An Industry Pioneer Who Broke the Status Quo 
Miami Room

  • Susana Balbo, Founder, Susana Balbo Wines
  • Moderator: Susan Segal, President & CEO, AS/COA

1:30–2:30 p.m.  LUNCH
Grand Ballroom

Afternoon Concurrent Sessions 

2:45–3:45 p.m. Session I – Artificial Intelligence: Responsible Growth for Maximum Impact 
Miami Room

  • Marcelo Cabrol, Manager, Social Sector, Inter-American Development Bank
  • Robert Ivanschitz, Associate General Counsel, Corporate External Legal Affairs, Microsoft Latin America
  • Carlos Vela-Treviño, Partner, Head of Privacy & Cybersecurity, Baker McKenzie’s Mexico Offices  
  • Roberto Wagmaister, Founder and CEO, gA
  • Moderator: Erich de la Fuente, Partner and Chairman, LLYC U.S.

2:45 p.m. – 3:45 p.m. Session II – Redefining Cross Border Trade in the Digital Economy 
Coral Gables Room

  • Natalia de Greiff, Vice-president, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software, Latin America
  • Vidal Garza Cantú, Director of Public Affairs and strategic relationships, FEMSA
  • Kathy Lai, Deputy CEO, Enterprise Singapore
  • Rakesh Shalia, VP of Marketing and Communications Latin America and the Caribbean, FedEx Expres
  • Moderator: Jerry Haar, Professor & Executive Director, Office of Executive & Professional Education, Florida International University

Friday, October 25 (Evening)

7:00 p.m.–12:00 a.m. 25th Anniversary BRAVO Business Awards – Dinner and Awards Presentation (Black Tie) 

7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Cocktail Reception
Sky Bridge/Grand Ballroom Foyer

8:15 p.m. Dinner and Awards Ceremony
Grand Ballroom
 

*More speakers to be confirmed.

Speakers

Luis Alberto Moreno
President, the Inter-American Development Bank

Luis Alberto Moreno is president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the leading source of long-term financing for Latin America and the Caribbean. He also chairs the boards of IDB Invest – the IDB Group’s private sector arm – and the Multilateral Investment Fund, a...

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João Miranda
CEO, Votorantim

João Miranda has been the chief executive officer of Votorantim S.A. since 2014 and served as its chief financial officer and chief investor relations officer from 2009 to 2013. Mr. Miranda is currently the chairperson of Votorantim Cimentos Board of Directors, where he has been...

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André El-Mann
CEO, Fibra Uno

André El-Mann is one of the founding members of E-Group and has more than 30 years of experience in real estate development and management. His experience also includes the acquisition, development, and raising capital to fund real estate projects in various real estate segments...

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Claudio Muruzabal
Chairman, SAP Latin America and Caribbean; President, SAP EMEA South

Claudio Muruzabal is the president of SAP EMEA South, region comprising Southern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. He is also chairman, SAP Latin America and Caribbean. Muruzabal was named to these two roles in July 2020, following his five-year tenure as President of SAP Latin...

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Carlos Vives
Founder, Tras la Perla & Grammy Award- Winning Artist

Carlos Vives is one of the most important figures of Latin music and is known as the pioneer of the Colombian and Latin American sound. Singer, songwriter, actor and entrepreneur, Vives is recognized and acclaimed for merging traditional vallenato with pop and rock elements and...

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Cristina Junqueira
Co-founder, Nubank

Cristina Junqueira started her career in strategic consulting at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). Prior to Nubank, she worked for many years at Itaú Unibanco, dealing with product and marketing for the bank’s consumer loan and credit card businesses. Cristina holds an Engineering...

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Susana Balbo
Founder, Susana Balbo Wines

Susana Balbo studied enology at university and graduated cum laude in 1981, becoming the first qualified female enologist in Argentina. With a career in the wine industry of over 30 years, Susana Balbo is certainly the most well-known Argentinian female winemaker. She was elected...

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Andrés Gluski
President and CEO, The AES Corporation and Chairman, AS/COA

Andrés Gluski was appointed chairman of Americas Society/Council of the Americas in October 2015. He was named President and CEO of the AES Corporation in 2011.

Under his leadership, AES has become one of the leading renewables and clean technologies companies in the world...

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Susan Segal
President and CEO, Americas Society/Council of the Americas

Susan Segal was elected president and CEO of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in August 2003 after working in the private sector with Latin America and other emerging markets for over 30 years. A passionate supporter of Latin America, she joined the organizations...

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Fernando Iraola
Co-Head Global Corporate Sales GTS & Head of Latin America Global Transaction Services, Bank of America

In December 2018, Fernando Iraola was appointed co-head of Global Corporates Sales Global Transaction Services (GTS). Alongside his colleague, Matthew Davies, he leads the origination, sales and delivery of the firm’s transaction services solutions to global corporate clients...

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Erika Herrero
CEO, Belcorp

Erika Herrero became the chief executive officer of Belcorp in February 2018.  She began her career at Procter & Gamble, where she held a variety of marketing leadership positions in Latin America until April 2010 when she joined Belcorp as general manager in Colombia. Herrero...

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Jorge Becerra
Emeritus Senior Partner & Senior Advisor, Boston Consulting Group

Jorge Becerra is emeritus senior partner & senior advisor at Boston Consulting Group (BCG). During his 30+ year BCG career he led the firm’s Financial Institutions Practice in South America since he opened BCG’s first office in the region in 1995. He previously opened and led BCG...

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Fernando A. González was appointed chief executive officer (CEO) of CEMEX in 2014, a leading global building materials company with presence in four continents. CEMEX is dedicated to the production and commercialization of cement, ready-mix concrete, and aggregates, as well as...

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Roberto Wagmaister is CEO and founder of gA (Grupo ASSA), a global technology company that uses digital platforms and transformation services to empower companies. He started gA in 1992 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, together with 16 entrepreneurial consultants, leaving behind his...

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Sunil Gupta
Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the executive program on Driving Digital Strategy at Harvard Business School

Sunil Gupta is the Edward W. Carter Professor of Business Administration and co-chair of the executive program on Driving Digital Strategy at Harvard Business School. Sunil’s current research is in the area of digital technology and its impact on consumer behavior and firm...

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Gerardo Mato
Chairman, HSBC Global Banking & Markets – Americas

Gerardo Mato is chairman of Global Banking & Markets - Americas at HSBC Securities (USA) Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE:HSBC), one of the world’s leading and largest banking and financial services organizations. Mato has more than 25 years of experience in...

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Ana Paula Assis
General Manager, IBM Latin America

Ana Paula Assis is the general manager for IBM Latin America since July 2017. Within her 20+ years of international experience in the IT industry, Ana has devoted her career to strategic business development, change management of large and multicultural organizations, and...

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Osvaldo Gimenez
CEO, MercadoPago; EVP, MercadoLibre

Osvaldo Gimenez has been responsible for leading MercadoPago since 2004, MercadoLibre’s digital payments solution, which is available in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, and Peru. He is in charge of setting MercadoPago’s strategy, defining product priorities...

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Paula Bellizia
Vice President of Sales, Marketing, and Operations, Microsoft Latin America

Paula Bellizia is the VP of sales, marketing, and operations for Microsoft Latin America. She is focused on driving Microsoft’s business objectives and strategies around digital transformation and artificial intelligence, across 35 offices in 21 countries, with more than 2,000...

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Paula Santilli
CEO, PepsiCo Latin America

Paula Santilli is the chief executive officer of PepsiCo Latin America, leading the company’s food and beverage businesses for Mexico, South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. She is responsible for over $7 billion in annual net revenue. Besides being a member of...

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Blanca Treviño
President and CEO, Softtek

Blanca Treviño has been leading Softtek as President and CEO since 2000. Under her leadership, Softtek has become the leading information technology services company in Latin America. Throughout her 30-year career at Softtek, Ms. Treviño has gained international recognition as a...

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Marcelo Cabrol
Manager Social Sector, Inter-American Development Bank

Marcelo Cabrol is a thought leader and strategist, passionate about educational technology, and responsible use of technologies for development and social inclusion. He has over 20 years at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) with experience in operations, business...

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Juan N. Cento
Regional President, FedEx Express Latin America and Caribbean Division

Juan N. Cento has strategic oversight for FedEx Express Latin America and the Caribbean, which consists of approximately 26,000 employees in more than 50 countries and territories. He began his career with FedEx in 1989, when the company merged with the Flying Tigers Line...

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Rakesh Shalia
Vice President, Marketing & Communications, FedEx Express Latin America and the Caribbean

Rakesh Shalia is the vice president of marketing & communications for FedEx Express Latin America and the Caribbean. He is responsible for the planning, management, and execution of all marketing-related functions in the region. Shalia joined FedEx in 2002 as strategic marketing...

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José Manuel Rodríguez
Senior Correspondent, CNN en Español

José Manuel Rodriguez is an anchor and senior correspondent for CNN en Español in Miami, where he does in-depth reporting. Throughout his career, he has covered significant events including the political crisis in Paraguay, elections in Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, and the United...

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Martin Reeves
Managing Director & Senior Partner, Director of the BCG Henderson Institute

Martin Reeves is a managing director and senior partner in the San Francisco office of Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Global Director of the BCG Henderson Institute, BCG’s think tank on business strategy. Mr. Reeves is currently leading research on winning the '20s, advantage...

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Kathy Lai
Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Enterprise Singapore

Kathy Lai is deputy chief executive officer of Enterprise Singapore, overseeing Global Markets. Enterprise Singapore is the government agency championing enterprise development. The agency works with committed companies to build capabilities, innovate, and internationalise. It...

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Erich de la Fuente
Partner and Chairman, LLYC U.S

Erich de la Fuente provides strategic counseling and support to the firm's executives working with clients in the U.S. and Latin America. He has been pivotal in the firm’s development of a broad client portfolio, including key clients in the logistics, IT, and financial sectors...

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Kiki Del Valle
EVP Market Development, Latin America and Caribbean, Mastercard

Kiki Del Valle is the EVP Market Development for Latin America and Caribbean at Mastercard. In her role, she and her team are responsible for executing Mastercard’s digital strategy with LAC digital merchants, fintechs, and technology partners. Along with her team, Ms. del Valle...

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Jerry Haar
Professor and Executive Direction for the Americas, College of Business Florida International University

Jerry Haar is a professor of international business and Executive Director for the Americas as well as Faculty Advisor for Executive Education in the College of Business, Florida International University. He is also a Global Fellow of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for...

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Carlos Vela-Treviño
Partner, Head of Privacy & Cybersecurity, Baker McKenzie’s Mexico Offices

Carlos Vela-Treviño is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Telecommunications, Media and Technology practice group based in the Firm's Mexico City Office. Carlos's practice areas include regulatory and contractual aspects in the fields of communications and mobility, digital media...

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Natalia de Greiff
Vice-president, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software, Latin America

Natalia de Greiff was named vice president, Cloud and Cognitive Software unit for IBM Latin America in March 2019.  Located at IBM's offices in Brazil, her responsibilities include helping clients of all sizes and industries throughout Latin America to thrive in their digital...

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Vidal Garza Cantú
Director of Public Affairs and Strategic Relationships, FEMSA

Vidal Garza Cantú leads the global public affairs and strategic relations department at FEMSA. He is responsible of managing the regulatory agenda for all business units and planning global institutional relationships. Garza is also a professor of Public Policy and Economics at...

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