Latin Trade presents the Top 50 Businesswomen in Latin America 2015, an annual list of the most powerful women in business in the region.
The list includes CEOs and Presidents from companies in energy, insurance, manufacturing, technology, food, banking, tourism, automotive, aerospace, and more.
Many of the names on our list include women who have won awards for their achievements, or have made significant contributions through their leadership skills, such as steering their companies successfully through the financial crisis of 2008 and other challenges.
Their achievements are even more remarkable given that the number of female CEOs in Latin America is still lower than other regions, according to experts. That is why many of our honorees are actively working to promote a more equal business climate through foundations and CSR initiatives for female entrepreneurs.
The list includes pioneers such as Adriana Machado, the first woman to serve as General Electric’s CEO in Brazil, while others, such as Isabel Noboa (CEO Consorcio Nobis) are at the helm of some of the largest companies in their countries and in the region. A new name on the list is Irina Maslennikova, the new Vice President and Regional Manager of Xerox Latin America (click here for our exclusive interview with Maslennikova).
With the names categorized by sector, the areas with most women leading companies are in technology, banking and conglomerates:
Insurance
Sofía Belmar, General Director of Metlife Mexico
Belmar began her career with insurance firm Metlife in 2010, but has been in the Mexican insurance industry for 23 years.
She took over in May 2015 as Metlife’s director for Mexico, after previous director Carmia Abad stepped down in order to pursue personal and professional goals.
With a 15 percent market share, Metlife is one of the leading insurers in Mexico. It is number one for life insurance, at 30 percent and third place in medical expense insurance with a 16 percent market share.
Ivanyra Correia, CFO Zurich Insurance Group Brazil
Correia comes from a long career in finance before becoming the CFO of insurance giant Zurich in early 2014.
Among her previous posts are CFO South America and Asia at Penske Logistics, General Finance Manager at Votorantim, Bank of America Vice President – Latin American Investment Banking Group San Francisco, Miami and Sao Paulo, and Corporate Manager at Unibanco.
Correia graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Production Engineering at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, and an MBA from University of Pennsylvania- The Wharton School.
Alexia Keglevich, CEO Assist-Card
Keglevich began her duties as CEO of ASSIST-CARD International Holding in 2006, but her career with the company spans almost 15 years.
ASSIST-CARD is the largest travel assistance organization in the world, with presence in 197 countries and 8 million customers per year. As CEO, Keglevich increased revenues and Ebitda by more than 45 percent in 2013.
In the past Keglevich has served as Product Manager and Credit Card Manager at Santander Rio.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communication from the Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, and an MBA from the Universidad Austral Buenos Aires.
Energy
Scarlett Alvarez, Chief Stakeholder Officer, AES Corporation
Alvarez is the Chief Stakeholder Officer at global energy company AES, and has more than a decade’s experience in the electricity sector. Her career at AES began in 2002 as Director of Investor Relations, and she has also served in the Ministry of Finance, New York Office.
Among other positions she’s held are debt refinancing coordinator at Venezuela’s public telecoms firm.
Alvarez holds a Business Administration degree from the Universidad Metropolitana in Venezuela and post-graduate degree in capital markets from New York University.
María Eugenia Coronado, CEO Gas Natural Fenosa Colombia and Andean Region
Coronado’s career began as an Audit Manager at Price Waterhouse, where she was in charge of financial audits and consulting to companies in the energy sector.
Her first position at Gas Natural began in 2001, as Financial Director and then in 2004 she was assigned the position of Finance and Strategic Planning at Gas Natural Italia.
She was named the company’s Executive President for Colombia and the Andean region in 2007.
Coronado graduated with a Public Accountant degree from Colombia’s Universidad Javeriana.
Adriana Echeverri, Chief Strategy and Development Office anad Vice President of Strategy and Growth, Ecopetrol
Echeverri was named Vice President of Stragegy and Growth at Colombia’s largest oil firm, Ecopetrol, in June 2013, where she covers strategic and investment planning and M&A operations, among others.
Previously Echeverri has served as the company’s Chief Financial Officer and Vice President of Finance. She has been with Ecopetrol since 1994.
Echeverri studied Finance and Foreign Affairs and an MBA at the Universidad Externado de Colombia, and an post-graduate course in Senior Management at the Universidad de los Andes.
Sylvia Escovar Gómez, CEO Terpel
Silvia Escovar is the CEO and Vice President of Commercial at Colombian gas and oil firm Terpel. The company has operations in Colombia, Panama, Ecuador, Chile, Mexico and the Dominican Republic.
Terpel’s most recent move was in September 2015, when it announced its offer to purchase Petrobas Colombia’s 114 gasoline stations, as well as convenience stores and a lubricant manufacturing plant. Terpel already has the largest network of gasoline stations in Colombia.
Silvia Escovar holds a Bachelor’s degree from Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, with studies at the Sorbonne in Paris.
Banking and Finance
Cate Ambrose, President and Executive Director of the Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association
Ambrose is the President and Executive Director of the Latin American Private Equity & Venture Capital Association, LAVCA, and a guest lecturer at the Wharton School.
LAVCA is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to supporting the growth of the private equity and venture capital industry in Latin America.
Before LAVCA, Ambrose was Chief of Advocacy for the Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor, a United Nations initiative. There she directed research projects on business regulation and property rights in Mexico, Brazil and Guatemala, as well as Asian and African countries. Ambrose holds an MPA in International Economic Policy from Columbia University, and received her BA in Latin American studies from St. Lawrence University and the Universidad de Madrid.
María Asunción Aramburuzabala, CEO Tresalia Capital
With a net worth estimated at $5.2 billion, María Asunción is the second richest woman in Mexico.
She is the CEO of Tresalia Capital, a company with diverse investments in large companies in Mexico, as well as management of private equity, real estate, infrastructure, technology and venture capital.
Aramburuzabala majored in Accounting at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, ITAM, and also holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago.
Katia Bouazza, Co-Head of Global Capital Markets for the Americas, HSBC
Bouazza became the Co-Head of Global Capital Markets for the Americas at HSBC in 2011. Under her leadership, she has helped the bank expand its business throughout the region. She was previously the head of HSBC’s debt capital markets team, and constantly features in rankings of the world’s most powerful women in finance.
Sonia Dula, Vice Chairman for Latin America, Bank of America Merrill Lynch
Sonia Dula is responsible for running the Bank of America’s wealth management business across Latin America, with more than 400 financial advisers based in Montevideo, Santiago, Panama, Geneva, New York, Miami, California, Arizona and Texas.
Previously Dula was CEO of Grupo Latino de Radio as well as CEO of Telemundo Studios Mexico.
Dula holds a degree in Economics from Harvard and an MBA from Stanford University.
Julie T. Katzman, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Inter-American Development Bank
Julie T. Katzman earned her current post at the Inter-American Development Bank afater 18 months of joining as General Manager of the Multilateral Investment Fund.
She oversees the bank’s overall operations, as well as actively promoting progressive diversity, inclusion and women’s economic empowerment.
She is also on the Board of Directors of the MacArthur Foundation, the International Center for Research on Women and the Board of Advisors of the Instituto de Empresa in Madrid.
Katzman studied at the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, and holds a Master’s in Management from the Kellog School, Northwestern University, and also attended the American University in Cairo and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Violy McCausland-Seve, CEO Violy & Companay
Violy McCausland-Seve has been carrying out value-added transactions and advisory services for 30 years. She is the CEO and President of Violy & Company, a boutique investment bank founded in 2003 that offers financial advisory services, mergers and acquisition, corporate reorganization and restructuring, and sweat equity advisory services. Among the firm’s strategic partners are The Americas Group, Merril Lynch and PanAmerican Capital Group.
McCausland-Seve has personally led some $65 billion in successful transactions, and is recognized as the most successful banker in Wall Street focusing on Latin America.
Anabel Perez, President and CEO at NovoPayment
Perez has a career of 25 years in banking and developing and implementing payment products. She has pioneered financial services and mobile initiatives in Latin America.
Perez co-founded NovoPayment, a leading financial technology services firm, in 2004. Among the company’s clients are Avianca, Zurich, Unilever and Samsung.
Before NovoPayment, Perez was the Senior Vice President of Retail Banking at Venezuela’s Banco Universal.
Perez studied law at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and completed the Stanford-Endeavor Innovation & Growth Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Eduaction.
Claudia Politanski, Executive Vice President Itaú Unibanco
Politanksi has been with Brazil’s Ituaú Unibanco since 1991, and has held posts such as Deputy Officer of Legal Support, Vice President for Legal and Internal Ombudsman Areas, and general legal counsel. She was promoted to Executive Vice President in February 2013.
Politanski holds a law degree from the Universidade de Sao Paulo, a Master’s in Law from the University of Virginia and an MBA from the Fundacao Dom Cabral in Minas Gerais.
Gema Sacristán, Chief, Financial Markets Division at Inter-American Development Bank
Sacristán has been with the IDB since 2008, where she began as a FutureBankingLab Manager. She then became the manager of the institution’s beyondBanking program, Lead Investment Officer of the Financial Markets Division, until being appointed to her current role as Chief of Financial Markets Division in 2013.
Before the IDB, Sacristán held several position in Santander, such as Vice President of Latin America Corporate Finance.
Sacristán holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business Administration from the Autonomous University of Madrid, a Master’s in International Business and Trade from Madrid’s Complutense University, an Advance Degree in International Business and Finance from the New York University and a Master’s in Sustainability from Cambridge University.
Tourism and Hospitality
Chieko Aoki, CEO Blue Tree Hotels
Brazil’s Chieko Aoki launched Blue Tree Hotels in 1997, one of the largest hotel chains in Brazil. She is a member and participates in several regional organizations in both the public and private sectors, such as the Brazil-Japan Group of the Federation of Industries of the State of São Paulo and the Businesspersons’ Council of Latin America.
Aoki holds a Law degree from the University of São Paulo, and courses in Business Administration from Sofia University in Tokyo and Hotel Administration at Cornell University, USA.
Automotive
Mary T. Barra, CEO General Motors Company
Barra took over as CEO of GM in January 2014, and is also a member of the firm’s board of directors.
GM is the number one company in Latin Trade’s Top Auto Manufacturers ranking 2015, with an 18 percent market share in the region.
Barra has previously served as the executive Vice President of GM’s Global Product Development, Purchasing & Supply Chain, Vice President of Human Resources, as well as several engineering and staff posts.
Barra holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in electrical engineering and a Masters in Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Isela Costantini, President and Managing Director General Motors Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay
Costantini’s career with General Motors began in 1998 as a Strategic Marketing Analyst, and climbed through several posts, including, Brand Manager, Manufacturing Superintendent and Program Manager. In 2012, she was named President and Managing Director for the carmaker’s Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay operations.
Costantini studied Communication and Advertising at the Pontifica Universidade Catolica do Parana, Brazil, and holds an MBA in Marketing and International Business from the Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University Chicago.
IT and Technology
Ursula Burns, Chairwoman and CEO of Xerox
Burns has been the Chairwoman of Xerox since 2010 and its CEO since 2009.
She has been with the company since 1980, after she completed her Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Columbia University.
Burns is also a board director of Exxon Mobil Corp. and American Express Corp, and is actively involved in non-profit organizations such as FIRST, National Academy Foundation and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
She is the first woman to succeed another woman as head of a Fortune 500 company.
Marta Clark, Vice President Latin America, Adobe
Clark began her career with software giant Adobe 17 years ago as a distribution manager for the Central America and Caribbean region, before becoming distribution manager for the entire Latin Americna region.
Marta Clark holds a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the Politécnico Grancolombiano, and participated in Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management’s Woman Senior Leadership Program.
Irina Maslennikova, Vice President and Regional Manager Xerox Latin America
Maslennikova took on her current role in July 2015, but her career with Xerox spans more than two decadesm with posts including managaer of Xerox Mexicana.
During her time at the Mexican operations of Xerox, she conquered the local market and was co-leader of a program where she mentored high-potential women in other companaies, as well as substiantially increasing the female staff in Mexico.
Maslennikova holds a doctorate in Environmental Protection and speaks seven languages.
Cheryl McDowell, VP Finance & Business Operations at Oracle Corporation
McDowell has more than 25 years’ experience in financial and strategy management.
She was appointed Oracle’s VP of Finance & Business Operations in 1998, where among her responsibilities include leading finance business decision support for Latin America, lead the Latin American business operations team and is a member of the Oracle Women’s Leadership Steering Committee.
Prior to her career at Oracle, McDowell served as CFO at American Express Brazil and Argentina.
McDowell graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Political Science and French from the University of Wisonsin-Madison.
María Murillo, Finance Director Microsoft LATAM
Murillo is responsible for the financial oversight of Microsoft’s Latin American operations and the company’s nine subsidiaries across the region. She is also responsible for the Finance organization, which provides financial support of the company’s sales, marketing anad services divisions in the region.
Murillo holds an MBA from the University of Florida.
Adriana Noreña, Managing Director, Spanish Speaking Latin America, Google Latin America, Brazil
Noreña has been in charge of the tech giant’s business in the region since June 2011. With Google, she has been the Sales and Online Operations Director in Brazil and then Latin America, and Country Director in Argentina. Before Google she was Marketing and Business Development Director, Avaya; New Business and Planning Manager, Elma Chips, a division of PepsiCo. She holds a degree in Business Administration from the Colombian Universidad Icesi, and MBA from Babson College, U.S. and a Master’s in Technology Management from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Blanca Treviño, President and CEO Softtek
Treviño is CEO of Softtek, Latin America’s largest provider of IT. The company, headquartered in Monterrey, Mexico, has offices across Latin America. U.S., Europe and Asia, and it’s clients include several Fortune 500 companies.
In August 2015, the firm announced its acquisition of Spain’s Itarvi Consulting, a move that gives the company a larger foothold in the European country’s IT market, as well as access to Latin American multinationals seeking to expand to Europe.
Treviño studied Computer Science at the Instituto Tecnológico de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. (Picture: Jalisco Campus Party/Flickr)
Sophie Vandebroek, Xerox Chief Technology Officer
Vandebroek serves as Chief Technology Officer at Xerox, as well as President of Xerox Innovation Group. Her responsibilities include Xerox’s global research labs in Europe, Asia, Canada and the U.S.
Previously with Xerox she has served as chief engineer, vice president of the Xerox Engineering Center.
In September 2015, Xerox was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for North America for the second consecutive year. Companies are selected for the index based on a comprehensive assessment of long-term economic, environmental and social criteria that account for general as well as industry-specific sustainability trends.
Vandebroek is in the Women in Technology International Hall of Fame.
Vandebroek holds a Master’s in Mechanical Engineering from KU Leuven, Belgium, and a PhD in electrical engineering from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y.
Sandra Yachelini, Regional Director for Latin American SMEs, Microsoft
Yachelini has a 25-year career in the software industry, and was appointed to her current position in January 2013.
Previously she served as General Director of Microsoft Argentina and Uruguay, where she achieved the Subsidiary of the Year award due to the substantial growth under her leadership.
Yachelini holds a degree in Electronic Engineering from Argentina’s Universidad Nacional del Rosario, and has studied post-graduate courses in administration, economics and marketing at the Harvard Business School, London Business School and the IAE Business School.
Groups and Conglomerates
Adriana Cisneros, CEO and Vice Chairman of Organización Cisneros
Adriana Cisneros is CEO of Cisneros, a Florida-headquartered conglomerate with business in media, tourism development, property investment and consumer products across the U.S., Latin America and China. Among its subsidiaries are Miss Venezuela, Cisneros Media Distribution (previously Venevision International), Venevision, and Tropicalia, a tourism and real estate development in the Dominican Republic.
Cisneros graduated with a BA from Columbia University and holds a Master’s in Journalism from the New York University and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. (Picture: Adriana Cisneros/Flickr)
Susana de la Puente
Among de la Puente’s current titles are Executive Director at Futura Schools, Executive Board Member at Grupo Wiese-Peru and Founder and Principal Consultant at Private Investment Banking Advisory Practice in Peru and New York.
Grupo Wiese is a conglomerate with presence in the financial services, real estate, retail, investment fund and shipping sectors.
She is also a Senior Advisor at Hypatia Capital Group, a private equity and advisory firm focused on sponsoring femal CEOs.
Previously she was Vice Chairman for the Latin American division of JPMorgan.
De la Puente studied business administration and management at the Universidad del Pacífico in Peru, and an MBA at the Arthur D. Little School of Management in Boston.
Iris Fontbona, Owner of Grupo Luksic
With a fortune estimated at $11.7 billion, Iris Fontbona is the richest woman in Chile and the 10th wealthiest woman in the world. She co-owns with her children Grupo Luksic, a conglomerate with business in mining, industry, finance, food and telecommunications.
The group controls 65 percent of miner Antofagasta, has a controlling stake in Quiñenco, and owns two hotel chains in Croatia.
Louise K. Goeser, President Siemens Mesoamerica
Chicago-born Goeser heads Siemens Mesoamerica, which includes the German multinational’s operations in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean.
Goeser began her professional career at Westinghouse Electric, where she stayed for 20 years and climbed through several ranks.
In 2005, she became President of Ford Mexico, where she achieved a record investment of $3 billion in one year, and created12,000 jobs.
She holds a Mathematics degree from Pennsylvania State University and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh.
Carmen Rosa Graham, Board Member at Backus, Ferreycorp, Interbank, Entel and Camposol
Carmen Rosa Graham is one of Peru’s top businesswomen, and holds several high-profile posts. She is a member of the board of directors at Interbank, Camposol, Nextel and Ferreyros.
In the past she has been the Dean of the Universidad del Pacífico, President of IBM Colombia, IBM Peru and IBM Bolivia.
Graham graduated with a bachelor’s in Administration from the Universidad del Pacífico, and has completed post-graduate studies at Georgetown University, Harvard Business School, Universidad de Monterrey and the Adolfo Ibañez School of Management.
Gabriela Hernández Cardoso, General Counsel, General Electric Latin America
Gabriela Hernández is one of Mexico’s leading businesswomen. Before becoming General Counsel at General Electric Latin America, she was Mexico’s Vice Minister of Communications, Director of Telecommunication Policy at Mexico’s Ministry of Communications, and from 2010 to 2013, she was President of General Electric Mexico.
Under her leadership, General Electric Mexico has grown 25 percent.
Among other activities, she has taught at the Universidad Iberoamericana and the Instituto Autónomo de México, ITAM.
Hernández has a Law degree from Mexico’s presitgious Escuela Libre de Derecho.
Ernestina Herrera de Noble, Chairwoman Grupo Clarín
Ernestina Herrera is the largest shareholder of Argentina’s Grupo Clarín, the country’s largest media conglomerate with net sales of more than $2.08 billion in 2014, a 39 percent increase from the year before.
She also serves as the director of the group’s newspaper, Clarín. The newspaper’s website is the 10th most visited in Argentina, according to analyst firm Alexa.
Adriana Machado, Government Affairs & Policy General Electric
Machado was the first woman to serve as GE’s CEO for Brazil, from 2011 to 2013. Currently she is the company’s Latin America Government Affairs & Policy VP, a position she’s held since July this year.
Machado has won awards including the Brazilian Order of Aeronautical Merit for her contributions Brazil’s aeronautical sector, and is also a founder of the MIDAS Group, an organization of women in government relations.
She studied Political Science in the Universidade de Brasilia.
Isabel Noboa, CEO Consorcio Nobis
Since 1997 Isabel Noboa has been at the helm of Consorcio Nobis, one of Ecuador’s largest business groups with operations in agriculture, industry, real estate and tourism.
Other roles Noboa has held include President of the INCAE Business School in Ecuador and President of the Ecuadoran Competitiveness Committee.
Noboa also dedicates her time to several philanthropy causes, and is the founder of FANN, an adoption foundation, and founder of Fundación Nobis, which benefits more than 100,000 people in Ecuador living in poverty.
Noboa holds a degree in Economics from the University of London and post graduate studies in Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Fabiola Sojet, President and General Director GE Colombia
Colombia-born Sojet began her career with General Electric in 2005 in Stamford, Connecticut. After one year and a half she took the opportunity to go to Colombia as Director of Commercial Development. In 2011, Sojet was appointed President of GE Colombia.
GE Latin America accounts for 6 percent of the company’s global operations, and the Colombian division contributed with a growth rate of more than 100 percent in 2011, when GE grew 30 percent in Latin America.
Sojet graduated as a Chemical Engineer from the Universidad del Valle in Colombia, and has completed post-graduate studies in Finance and Administration.
Engineering, Construction, Mining
Marcela Drehmer, CFO Odebrecht
Drehmer was appointed CFO of Brazilan engineering firm Odebrecht in 2013.
Previously she served as the CFO of petrochemical company Braskem.
In 2014, she was elected Latin Trade CFO of the Year, and also became the first woman to receive the distinction.
Her professional career began with Credit Suisse in Boston in 2000 as a corproate finance intern.
Drehmer studied Business Administration at the Universidade de Salvador-Bahia, and a post-graduate degree in Finance from the Instituo Brasileiro de Mercado de Capitais in Sao Paulo.
Mariela García de Fabbri, CEO Ferreycorp
Under Mariela Garcia’s leadership, Peruvian conglomerate Ferreycorp has grown three-fold in revneues and workers.
García was appointed CEO in March 2008, after a 20-year career with the company. Previously she served as its Chief Financial Officer.
Among her achievements as CEO are the purchases of Gentrac Corporation, the exclusive distributor of Caterpillar in Guatemala, El Salvdor and Belize, the distribution business of Mobil in Guatemala and Chile’s Trex.
She studied Economics at the Universidad del Pacífico and a Master’s of Business Administration from INCAE and the Universidad Adolfo Ibanez.
Communications
Luisa García, Partner and CEO Llorente & Cuenca Andes Region
García began her award-winning career with Spanish consulting firm Llorente & Cuenca in Madrid in 1999. From there she was appointed to set up the firm’s business in Panama, and through her leadership it became the leading communications consultancy firm in Central America.
Currently she is responsible for the company’s business in the Andes region, which includes Peru, Colombia and Ecuador.
García studied Media at the Complutense University in Madrid, and also holds a post-graduate degree from the University of Phoenix.
Aerospace
Donna Hrinak, President of Boeing Brazil, President Boeing Latin America
Since November 2014 Hrinak is responsible for the development and implementation of Boeing’s strategy in Latin America. She was appointed President of the aircraft company’s Brazilian operations in October 2011.
Before these posts, she was the Vice President of Globala Public Policy and Government Affairs of PepsiCo, and previously was the corporate affairs director of Kraft Foods for Latin America and the European Union.
Hrinak also has strong diplomatic experience, having served as the U.S. ambassador to Brazil, Venezuela, Bolivia, Dominican Republic, and deputy assistant secretary of state for Mexico and the Caribbean.
Hrinak holds an honorary doctorate of humanities from Michigan State University, where she graduated with a bachelor’s in Social Science.
Manufacturing
Neivia Justa, Communications and PR Director for Latin America, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
Neivia Justa became Goodyear’s Communications and PR Director for Latin America in June last year, where she oversees the company’s planning and development of public relations, advertising, digital and internal communications strategy in the region.
Previously Justa served as Senior Adviser at EdgeMakers, Head of Communications at General Electric Brazil, Senior Marketing Services Manager at Schincariol (Brazil’s third largest brewery), Product Communications Manager at Natura (Brazil’s second-largest cosmetics firm), and Group Product Manager at Timex, among others.
Justa holds a bachelor’s in Social Communication from the Universidade Federal fo Ceará, and post-graduate studies from FGV Sao Paulo, Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing, and an executive course from Dartmouth University-Tuck Business School.
Food
María Fernanda Mejía, President Kellogg Latin America
Before becoming the President of Kellogg Latin America, Mejía was at Colgate-Palmolive, where she served as Corporate VP of Marketing for Europe/South Pacific, and President and CEO of Colgate-Palmolive Spain.
She was named President of the Latin American division of Kellogg in November 2011, and in 2012 she became a member of the Kellogg’s Company Global Leadership Team.
Mejía graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Industrial Engineering, and a concentration in industrial distribution from Texas A&M University.
Organizations/Non-profit
Linda Rottenberg, CEO and Co-founder of Endeavor
Rottenberg’s many distinctions include Innovator for the 21st Century by Time Magazine, one of the top 100 innovators in the world under 35 by the MIT Technology Review and 1st female chair of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East.
She co-founded Endeavor, a pioneering non-profit organization in the field of high-impact entrepreneurship in emerging markets. In the region it has presence in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay, but also has satellite offices in South Africa, UAE, Turkey, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt and Morocco, among others.
Rottenberg is also a bestselling author, with her book Crazy is a Compliment: The Power of Zigging When Everyone Else Zags.
Rottenberg holds a degree in Social Studies from Harvard and a JD from Yale Law School. (Picture: Bureau of IIP/Flickr)
Susan Segal, President and CEO of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas
Segal was elected President and CEO of the Americas Society and Council of the Americas in August 2003.
Her experience includes 30 years in the Latin American private sector and other emerging markets. She also serves on the board of directors of Mercadolibre, Scotiabank, Tinker Foundation and the Latin American Venture Capital Association, as well as being a mentor and supporter of entrepreneurs in Latin Aamerica.
Segal has been honoured with awards from governments, such as the Orden Bernardo O’Higgins, Grado de Gran Oficial in Chile, and the Orden Mexicana del Aguila Azteca from Mexico.
Retail
Anna Christina Ramos Saicali, CEO and President B2W Companhia Digital
Ramos leads B2W, the largest online retail company in Latin America, with operations in Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Mexico. The firm is planning to expa