María Luisa Hayem Brevé has over 20 years of experience in trade, financial inclusion, and economic development. She began her career in 2003 as counselor of the Permanent Mission of El Salvador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

From 2009 to 2016, she worked at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and later at the Consultative Group to Assist the Poor (CGAP) in Washington, D.C., leading projects to expand financial services for underserved populations in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa. Since 2019, she has served as minister of economy of El Salvador, driving efforts to attract investment, boost exports, promote innovation, and create jobs.

María Luisa holds a master's degree in Law and Diplomacy, with a focus on Economic Development and International Business, from The Fletcher School at Tufts University (USA). She earned her bachelor´s degree in Economics and Business at ESEN (El Salvador), and also holds a Project Management Certificate from Georgetown University (USA) and a French Language Diploma from La Sorbonne (France).