Objective To discuss how to enable growth in Latin America through different tools such as education, religion, international cooperation, and political parties. Firstly, to view education from the private and public perspectives by analyzing CSR practices and political reforms. Secondly, to discuss the intersection between the Catholic religion and politics. Thirdly, to understand the responsibility of countries that have dealt with conflict to help nations that are currently in distress, such as is the case with Ireland and its involvement in the Colombian Peace Process. Finally, to reflect on the role that emerging political parties play in sparking conversations that challenge traditional political views.
Agenda Date: Saturday, April 21, 2018 Location: 140 Commonwealth Ave. Boston College The Heights Room, Corcoran Commons (Lower Campus)
Speakers
Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor Chairman of Intercorp Carlos Rodriguez-Pastor is the Chairman of Intercorp and General Partner of Nexus Group. Intercorp and Nexus Group invest primarily in Peru and the Andean Region and manage portfolio companies in financial services, retail, real estate, education, packaging, leisure, and entertainment. Mr. Rodríguez-Pastor is also involved in education projects as co-founder and Chairman of Innova Schools, founder of PeruChamps, and a member of The Global Advisory Board of Khan Academy. Mr. Rodriguez-Pastor graduated with a BA in Social Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley in 1983 and obtained an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1988.
Felipe Kast Founder of Evolución Política Felipe Kast is currently serving as one of the forty-three Senators in Chile. At age 32, he became the youngest Minister of Social Development under the Piñera’s Presidency. In 2012, Felipe founded the Evolución Política party that is based on right-centrist and liberalist ideologies, alongside Harald Beyer, Juan Sebastian Montes, and Luciano Cruz-Coke. In the past, Mr. Kast served as Minister of planning and Cooperation, Presidential Delegate for Chilean Reconstruction, and Minister of Housing and Urban Development from 2010 to 2012. Also, he served as a Representative in the House of representatives from 2014 to 2018. Felipe earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Masters in Economics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a diploma in Political Economy from the Universidad de La Habana, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.
Eamon Gilmore Former Deputy Prime Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Eamon Gilmore is a human rights advocate in Europe and around the world that lecturing on diverse topics such as governance, political economy, and conflict resolution. In the past, Mr. Gilmore served as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade from 2011 to 2014. He steered Ireland from an IMF bailout and helped it become the fastest-growing economy in the European Union. While serving as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr. Gilmore managed the Northern Ireland Peace Process on behalf of the Irish Government. He also oversaw and renewed Ireland’s development aid program and developed a new government policy to actively engage with the 70 million members of the Irish Diaspora throughout the world. Additionally, he led Ireland’s successful Presidency of the European Union, was President of the EU’s General Affairs Council and was Chairperson-in- Office of the OSCE. In December 2015, Mr. Gilmore was named one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s Top 100 Leading Global Thinkers for championing same-sex marriage in Ireland. Mr. Gilmore graduated from the National University of Ireland and was recently conferred with an Honorary Doctorate in Laws by his Alma Mater, NUI Galway. The Government of France also awarded him the Legion d’Honneur.
Edgar Legaspi Partner at BDT Capital Partners Edgar Legaspi is a Partner and Head of Coverage at BDT & Company for Mexico, Latin America, South America, Spain, and other European countries. He also serves on the Investment Committee for BDT Capital Partners. Mr. Legaspi has more than 25 years of experience in investment banking and principal investments. Before joining BDT, Mr. Legaspi ran Morgan Stanley’s Principal Investments Latin American Group, and he was a Managing Director at Credit Suisse and CEO of Credit Suisse Mexico. Mr. Legaspi was a General Partner and Managing Director at Lazard Frères & Co. He is a trustee of the Gabriela Legaspi and the Alianza Médica Foundations. Mr. Legaspi received an MSC from Northwestern University and an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
Yvette Baez VP Integrated Marketing within Partner Solutions at Univisión Yvette Baez is the Vice-President of Integrated Marketing, a division within the Partner Solutions Team at Univisión. Her team focuses on integration and branded-entertainment solutions for clients such as General Motors, Budweiser, and Boehringer Ingelheim. Ms. Baez has over fifteen years of experience within the Consumer-Packaged Goods industry. She began her career in Brand Management at Johnson & Johnson and subsequently worked on the client-side for brands like Moet Hennessy USA and Advil. In 2009, through strategic development, Ms. Baez led Latinworks’ successful acquisition of Bacardi brands such as Grey Goose, Cazadores, and Bacardi Rum. Additionally, she led the Brand Solutions team at BET, supporting ad sales for the strategy development of advertisers such as Ford and Coca-Cola. Yvette has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Marketing MBA from Clark Atlanta University.
Rafael Luciani Associate Professor of the Practice Rafael Luciani was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and he is a Latin American lay theologian. He is Titular Professor at the Jesuit’s Catholic University Andrés Bello in Caracas. He also holds the equivalent position of Stabile at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome; and Visiting Associate Professor at the School of Theology and Ministry of Boston College. Among his past teachings are Biblical and Dogmatic Christology. He has been Director of the School of Theology and Coordinator for the creation of the Theology Area of the General Graduate Studies (for Lay Scholars) at the Jesuit’s Catholic University Andrés Bello in Caracas. Prof. Luciani holds degrees of Doctor in Theology and Licentiate in Dogmatic Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome; Baccalaureate in Philosophy and Theology from the Pontifical Salesian University of Rome; and Licenciate in Education (with a mention in Philosophy) earned from the Jesuit’s Catholic University Andrés Bello in Caracas.
2017 Conference: Enacting Change
Objective To discuss future expectations of the Latin American region, and explore its ever-changing political and business environment.
Agenda Date: Saturday, April 22, 2017 Location: 140 Commonwealth Ave. Boston College The Heights Room, Corcoran Commons (Lower Campus) Speakers Key Note Speakers
Ricardo Maduro Former President of Honduras Founder and President of Inversiones La Paz Ricardo Maduro is the Founder and President of Inversiones La Paz, a multinational conglomerate focused on the retail of commercial technology, white goods, motor vehicles, and clothing. He is the Founder of the non-profit organization La Fundación para la Educación Ricardo Ernesto Maduro Andreu, which focuses on the improvement of education in Honduras. From 1990 to 1994, Mr. Maduro became the President of the Honduran Central Bank before serving as the President of Honduras from 2002 to 2006. During his time in office, Honduras received debt relief and ratified the implementation of the Central America Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) with the United States. Mr. Maduro also substantially mitigated crime during his Presidency, contributing to a more stable Honduran economy. Mr. Maduro holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Stanford University and graduated from The Lawrenceville School, where he received the Lawrenceville Medal, the highest honor awarded to alumni.
Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg Founder and Chairman of the Strategic Investment Group Hilda Ochoa-Brillembourg is the Founder and Chairman of the Strategic Investment Group, an American investment firm that has pioneered outsourced CIO solutions since 1987. She also serves on the Board of Directors of General Mills, Inc. and the S&P Global Inc. Ms. Ochoa-Brillembourg is a long-time member of the World Economic Forum and has been featured in PODER magazine as one of the “50 most successful women in the U.S.” From 1976 to 1987, Ms. Ochoa- Brillembourg took on the role of Chief Investment Officer of the Pension Investment Division at the World Bank and continued as manager of the World Bank Pension assets until 1996. She was an investment committee member of the Rockefeller Family Fund from 1982 to 2008, and also served as the asset and liability advisor to the Venezuelan government. Ms. Ochoa- Brillembourg completed her Ph.D. program in Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, received a master’s degree in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard, and a bachelor’s degree in Science in Economics at the Universidad Andres Bello in Caracas.
Charles P. Garcia CEO of ALPHA Inc Charles P. Garcia is the CEO of the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA), a leading non-profit organization with the mission to empower and develop Latino men and women as leaders of character for the nation. Under his tenure since 2014, ALPFA’s membership has grown from 12,000 to 76,000 students and professionals. In the past, Mr. Garcia founded Sterling Financial, managing over $2 billion in assets before selling it in 2005. He has worked for four different Presidents in the United States and has served on high profile federal and state government boards. From 2006 to 2011, he became the Chairman of the Board of Visitors of the U.S. Air Force Academy, appointed by both President Bush and President Obama to oversee all operations at the Air Force Academy. Mr. Garcia has a J.D. from Columbia Law School and a B.S. from the U.S. Air Force Academy. In 2016, he was ranked #75 on the Power 500— the 500 Most Influential CEOs in the world.
Panelists
Michael Duncan CEO Global Consumer Unit of Telefonica Michael Duncan is the CEO of the Global Consumer Unit of Telefónica, a Spanish multinational broadband and telecommunications provider with operations in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. His responsibilities range from the development of new products and services to relationship management with various players in the digital field. Mr. Duncan has filled various positions during his 20+ years of experience in Telefonica. After that, he was appointed as the Head of Europe of Telefonica in 2012, Chief Marketing Officer of Telefonica in 2014, and CEO of the Global Video Unit of Telefonica in 2015 before assuming his current role. Before launching his career in the Telefonica Group, he worked in the communications sector in Britain. Mr. Duncan holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Northampton, England.
Roberto Artavia Chariman of VIVA Trust Roberto Artavia is the Chairman of VIVA Trust, a fund that strives to contribute to sustainable economic, environmental, and social development in Latin America by fostering the cooperation between business groups and philanthropic foundations. He is also the President of Fundación Latinoamérica Posible and the President of the Board of the INCAE Business School. In the past, Mr. Artavia has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Global Social Competitiveness Index initiative and has also worked as an academic researcher for the Harvard Business School from 1987 to 2001. Currently, Mr. Artavia is an active strategic advisor to the Interamerican Development Bank, various profit and non-profit organizations, and to the government of 9 countries in Latin America—the latter has earned him the highest civilian merit orders from their respective governments in 2007. Mr. Artavia holds a doctorate degree from Harvard University’s Business School, a master’s degree from INCAE, and a naval engineering degree.
Alvaro Salas Executive Director of The Democracy Lab Alvaro Salas is the Executive Director of The Democracy Lab, a small citizen-oriented think tank based in Costa Rica. His current research in Public Administration and International Affairs focuses on the role of technology to foster innovation in collaborative governance, public and private partnerships, and civic participation in Latin America. He currently works at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at the Program for the Advancement of Research on Conflict and Collaboration (PARCC). Mr. Salas has worked as a Special Advisor to the Government of Costa Rica, Panama, and Honduras. He has also served as an academic consultant, legal advisor, and researcher at the Interamerican Development Bank, the Grameen Creative Lab, the Youth Action Foundation, Gallaudet University, and the United Nations. Mr. Salas holds an MBA from INCAE Business School, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Cornell University, and is currently a Ph.D. student in Public Administration at the Maxwell School at Syracuse University in New York.
Javier Sanchez Lamelas Founder and CEO of Top Line Marketing Consulting Former VP of Marketing of The Coca-Cola Company Javier Sanchez Lamelas is the founder and CEO of Topline Marketing Consulting Group, an organization focused on elevating the standards of marketing departments worldwide through optimal marketing strategy and execution. Mr. Sanchez has over 30 years of global marketing experience. He started his marketing career at P&G in Madrid before joining the Coca-Cola Company in 1996, where he would remain for 20 years and eventually assume the position of Marketing Head in Europe. During his tenure, Mr. Sanchez led the strategic thinking team that launched Coca-Cola Zero worldwide and spearheaded the implementation of one of Coca Cola’s most renowned campaigns—the Choose Happiness campaign. Mr. Sanchez graduated from the University of Navarra with a degree in law and obtained an MBA from IESE in Barcelona.
Antonio Carrillo CEO of Mexichem Antonio Carrillo is currently the CEO of Mexichem, the worldwide leader of plastic pipes and one of the largest chemical and petrochemical companies in Latin America. Mr. Carrillo has coordinated mergers and acquisitions of various sizes and complexities throughout his career. He has served as President of the Energy Equipment Group at Trinity Industries Inc. since 2009. Mr. Carrillo was also a Professor of Finance at the Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México, one of the most prestigious universities in Finance and Accounting of the country. Mr. Carrillo holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration with a major in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical and Electrical Engineering at the University of Anahuac in Mexico City.
2016 Conference
Objective To explore ways in which business and public institutions turn challenges into opportunities, and to discuss how sustainable growth can be attained in Latin America.
Agenda
Date: Saturday, April 23, 2016 Location: 140 Commonwealth Ave. Boston College The Heights Room, Corcoran Commons (Lower Campus)
Speakers Key Note Speakers
Ernesto de Lima Chief Executive Officer Organización DeLima Ernesto De Lima Le Franc is currently the President of Organización DeLima S.A., a Colombian firm with 60+ years of experience and success in insurance brokerage and financial services. Mr. De Lima founded DeLima & Co. in 1953, which became one of Latin America’s most crucial insurance brokerage firms. He established relationships in 1957 with Marsh & McLennan, one of the largest insurance brokerage firms. Since then, DeLima Marsh has distinguished itself as a leading global broker and has received several awards, such as the Business Insurance Innovation Award, the Global Infrastructure Insurance House of the Year, the Risk Innovator, and the CIR Business Continuity Award, amongst others. In 2016, the newspaper Portfolio designated Mr. de Lima as “Businessman of the Year.” Daron Acemoglu MIT Economist Author of “Why Nations Fail” Daron Acemoglu was born in Turkey and raised the United States and received a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics (LSE). Mr. Acemoglu is one of the “10 Most Cited Economists in the World” and was the winner of the 2005 John Bates Clark Medal. He is currently the Killian Professor of Economics at MIT. Mr. Acemoglu is the co- author, with Harvard’s James Robinson, of the New York Times bestseller “Why Nations Fail,” which answers questions such as: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine?
Santiago Peña Andrés Pastrana Minister of Finance of Paraguay Santiago Peña is the current Finance Minister of Paraguay and was previously the youngest member of the Central Bank of Paraguay’s Board of Directors. From 2000 to 2009, he served as an Economist at the Central Bank of Paraguay, during which time he worked in the Open Market Operations Department (DOMA). From 2009 to 2012, he worked as an economist at the IMF in charge of the Africa Department. In 2012, he became a Board Member of the Central Bank of Paraguay. Before he achieved his MPA in Economic Policy Management (PEPM) from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University, Finance Minister Peña received a degree in Economics from the Catholic University of Asuncion in 2001.
Andres Pastrana Former President of Colombia Andres Pastrana Arango served as the president of Colombia from 1998- 2002. During his presidency, Mr. Pastrana dealt with several difficult sociopolitical issues such as Colombia’s decades-long guerrilla war, carried out by left-winged rebel groups, who were actively opposed by the military and right-winged paramilitary organizations. Former President Pastrana also faced a robust narcotics industry, whose illicit drug money infiltrated all levels of society. He successfully negotiated an anti-narcotics agreement with the United States known as Plan Colombia and fought political corruption and instituted reforms to bolster the faltering economy. He earned a graduate degree in public law from San Carlos College in Bogotá, Colombia, and later studied at the Center of International Affairs at Harvard University. Panelists
Juan Pablo García Colombian Publicist Colombian Ted Talk Speaker Juan Pablo Garcia is a Colombian publicist that runs public goods projects. In the last few years, he has traveled with his team to the Colombian jungle and invited FACR guerrilla members to stop criminal action. This has resulted in 17,000 guerrilla members putting down their weapons and returning to their homes. This movement led other countries, such as Uganda, to adopt similar strategic plans. In his Ted Talk “Ideas en Conflicto”, he walks through the creative process of some of the most successful advertising campaigns in the history of Colombia, which were aimed at reducing conflicts among Colombian guerrilla members. He demonstrates that if ideas are communicated with great creativity, they can be convincing enough to transform any nation.
2015 Conference
Agenda Date: Saturday, April 25, 2015 Location: 140 Commonwealth Ave. Boston College The Heights Room, Corcoran Commons (Lower Campus)
Speakers Key Note Speaker
Lorenzo Mendoza Chief Executive Officer of Empresas Polar
Lorenzo Mendoza is the CEO and member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of Empresas Polar, the largest private company in Venezuela and a leading food and beverages group in Latin America. He also leads Fundación Empresas Polar, the largest private foundation in Latin America with programs in education, health and community development. He h as an Industrial Engineer degree and a MBA from the Sloan School at MIT.
Mr. Mendoza was an executive in the merger and acquisitions department of J. Henry Schroder Wagg & Co. Ltd in London (1988-90), and worked as an executive in the corporate banking department of Citicorp/Citibank in NYC (1987-88).
He is currently a Director of the Grupo GEPP; Grupo TELEVISA, the MIT Sloan Board, 8 the Latin American Board Georgetown University, Dean’s Council of Harvard Kennedy School, Group of Fifty (G-50), Latin America Business Council (CEAL), Board of Trustees of the Universidad Metropolitana, , YGL Foundation Board Member, and Latin America Conservation Council (LACC). He is also an Ashoka fellow, and a member of The World Economic Forum, who in 2005 named him a Young Global Leader.
Mr. Mendoza is a recipient of awards such as Poder CNN 2010 “Leadership and Courage Award”, USA , Latin America Industrialist of the Year 2010 by the World Business Forum, Ecuador and 2010 CEO of the Year by America Economia, Chile and Social Responsibility CEO of the Year by Latin Trade Bravo Business Award, USA. He leads different organizations in CSR, with focus in the areas of child nutrition (CANIA), community development and social inclusion through sports (Centro de Desarrollo Deportivo Empresas Polar).
Panelists
Orlando Cabrales Segovia Colombian Vice Minister of Energy
Orlando Cabrales Segovia is a lawyer and an expert in the energy sector in Colombia. He was the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Mines and Energy in Colombia, and has managed issues regarding the access to electric energy, gas, oil production, and renewable energies.
Mr. Segovia was also the President of the National Agency of hydrocarbons from 2011 to 2013. In addition, he was the legal Vice- president of Latin America for British Petroleum and assistant manager for Ecopetrol from 1988 to 1990.
Patricia López Estee Lauder's Vice President
Patricia Lopez is currently the Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of the Estée Lauder and Aerin Beauty brands for North America. In her role at Estée Lauder, Lopez is responsible for the flagship brand of the company in North America.
Previously, she served as Avon's Chief Marketing Officer. While at Avon she was the sole woman to be featured on the 2014 Forbes list of the 15 highest-earning marketing executives.
Prior to joining Avon, Ms. Lopez spent 25 years with the Procter & Gamble Company, holding leadership positions in diverse consumer goods categories and rapidly advancing her career to become the Vice-President for Eastern Europe, among P&G’s top five largest markets.Ms. Lopez was born in Ecuador and raised in Venezuela, and is a Boston College Alumna.
Domingo Cavallo Former Argentinian Minister of Economy
Domingo Cavallo is an Argentine economist and politician. He completed his Ph.D in economics in Harvard University and taught at several universities, including the National University of Córdoba and New York University. Mr. Cavallo served as the governor of Argentina's central bank in 1982, as the minister of foreign affairs from 1989 to 1991, and as the minister of economy in Argentina from 1991 to 1996.
When Argentina was suffering from hyperinflation in the 1990's, he took control of the situation by pegging the peso to the U.S dollar and also instituted a privatization plan in order to boost economic growth.
Julio Borges Venezuelan Congressman
Julio Andrés Borges is a Venezuelan politician and lawyer, and currently a Congressman. Mr. Borges studied law at the Andrés Bello Catholic University, and obtained a master's degree in philosophy at Boston College as well as in public policy at the University of Oxford.
Mr. Borges co-founded the center-left political party Primero Justicia. In the 2000 parliamentary elections, he was elected to the National Assembly, representing Primero Justicia and Miranda State until 2005. Borges also ran for president in the opposition primaries for the Venezuelan presidential elections of 2006, but dropped out to support Manuel Rosales, former governor of Zulia State.
Rodrigo Bandeira de Mello M.I.T Visiting Prof. for Intl. Business and Prof. at Getulio Vargas Foundation
Rodrigo Bandeira de Mello is Associate Professor of Strategy and Coordinator of the International Business Research Forum at Getulio Vargas Foundation in São Paulo, Brazil (FGV-EAESP). He is currently a Visiting Professor at Université Paris Dauphine, Lyon III for Doctoral and MBA courses. He was also a visiting scholar at The Wharton School in 2000 and currently at MIT. His research interests include non-market- based competitive advantages in emerging economies.
Mr. Bandeira de Mello is the chair of the strategy division of the Brazilian Academy of Management (ANPAD), and was elected director of international affairs for 2013-2014.
2014 Conference
Objective To guide and stimulate discussions about entrepreneurship, politics, and social action in order to deepen the students’ understanding of the multifaceted nature of conducting business in Latin America.
Agenda Date: Saturday, March 29, 2014 Location: 140 Commonwealth Ave. Boston College The Heights Room, Corcoran Commons (Lower Campus)
Panels
1. Business & Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurs from different regions and industries explore the main challenges that an entrepreneur faces when starting, growing and managing a venture in Latin America. The conversation explores issues around the role of entrepreneurs in Latin America, the importance of promoting entrepreneurship, and the future that lays ahead for entrepreneurs in the region. Panelists: - Francisco Aristeguieta - José Hermosillo - Daniel Spechar - Mario Valdivia
2. Social and Political The social-political panel aims to provide insight on the current issues that hinder the progress of Latin America. Furthermore, we will explore how the region is reacting to such obstacles and what measures are being taken to overcome them. Panelists: - Carlos García - Leopoldo Martínez - Nelson Ortiz
Speakers Key Note Speakers
Francisco Aristeguieta Chief Executive Officer Citigroup, Inc. Asia Pacific
Francisco Aristeguieta joined Citi in Venezuela in 1994. Currently, he is the CEO of Citigroup Latin America.
Before this role, he served as Citi Transaction Services (CTS) Head for Latin America & Mexico, managing the Institutional Client Group's (ICG) core product set: Cash Management, Trade, Custody, Corresponding Banking and Export Agency Finance. He was a member of the Banco Nacional de Mexico (Banamex) Executive Committee and of the CTS Global Executive Committee.
Prior to that role, Mr. Aristeguieta served as CEO for the Andean Region Cluster of countries and Colombia directly. During that time, he was responsible for all the business in Colombia and the Andean Region Cluster (Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador & Bolivia).
Mr. Aristeguieta is a member of the Citigroup Global Executive Committee. He is also Vice Chairman and member of the Board of Directors of Banco de Chile, the largest financial group in Chile. He is a member of the Board of Citigroup Foundation, the Association of American 5 Chambers of Commerce of Latin America, The Americas Society and Council of the Americas. He has been a member of The Young Presidents Organization (YPO) since 2003. He was also Chairman of the Board of Colfondos in Colombia, the third largest pension funds manager in that market.
Mr. Aristeguieta joined Citigroup in 1994 as Vice President and Senior Relationship Manager for the Corporate Bank. Before joining Citigroup, Mr. Aristeguieta worked for Vestcor Partners for which he covered debt capital markets for Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil. Prior to that, he worked for Petroleos de Venezuela's (PDVSA) Project Finance Group.
Mr. Aristeguieta holds an M.B.A. from Brunel University in London, England, obtained under a British Council and Petroleos de Venezuela scholarship, a graduate degree in banking and finance and an undergraduate degree in business administration with a major in management both from the Universidad Metropolitana in Caracas, Venezuela.
María Emma Mejía United Nations Colombia Permanent Representative Executive President of Pies Descalzos Foundation
María Emma Mejía Vélez is a Colombian journalist and diplomat. She served as the 2nd Secretary General of the Union of South American Nations from 2011 to 2012, as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia from 1996 to 1998, and as the Ambassador of Colombia to Spain from 1993 to 1995.
She currently works as Executive President of Pies Descalzos Foundation, a charity founded by the Colombian singer-songwriter Shakira, and collaborates as a journalist for El Radar, a Colombian investigative television news program that airs in Caracol TV.
After graduating from the Gimnasio Los Pinares high school in Medellín, she worked for a short time as a fashion model. She went on to study Social communication at the Pontifical Bolivarian University, before going on sabbatical to London where she held various jobs, including working for the Colombian Consulate and the BBC. While in London, she also studied cinematography and television which lead her to direct two films by the age of 23. When she returned to Colombia, Fernando Gómez Agudelo, a pioneer of the Colombian television industry, named her assistant to the writer and director Bernardo Romero Pereiro.
Ms. Mejía entered politics thanks to her work as a film director, when President Belisario Betancur named her Director of the Cinematographic Fomenting Company (FOCINE), making this her first public post. Her work as Director of FOCINE was seen as successful for achieving greater State support for the Film Industry of Colombia.
After her work in FOCINE she became attracted to the ideas of Luis Carlos Galán, and it was his 6 assassination which drove her to become more politically active, this time working with the presidential electoral campaign of César Gaviria Trujillo as Secretary General of the campaign. After the election, Gaviria Trujillo named her as head of the Presidential Security Advisory Council on Medellín. As head of this advisory council, she was faced with a barrage of existing and growing problems that included the violent rule of Pablo Escobar that had transformed Medellín into a battle field of car bombs explosions, drug trade, and shanty towns.
During her tenure as Colombia’s foreign minister, María Emma Mejía worked to solve these problems, participating as a government negotiator in talks with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – FARC) and Ejército de Liberación Nacional (National Liberation Army--ELN), working with the United States to stem the illicit drug trade, and overseeing a significant drop in the number of violent incidents at the Colombian-Venezuelan border. Ms. Mejía has been presidential adviser for security in Medellín and the Colombian ambassador to Spain, as well as the minister of education. She holds degrees from the Universidad Pontifica Bolivariana de Medellín and the Universidad del Valle.
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