Alejandro P. Bulgheroni and Bruce Flatt Honored at Americas Society 37th Annual Spring Party 

New York, June 7, 2017—Americas Society is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2017 Gold Medal, awarded at the Society’s 37th Annual Spring Party held June 6 in New York City: Chairman and President of Bridas Corporation Alejandro P. Bulgheroni and Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Asset Management Bruce Flatt. Over 500 leading figures from the private and public sectors and the philanthropic and cultural spheres in the Americas attended the celebratory gala held at Cipriani Wall Street, which also featured a special tribute to the late David Rockefeller, Americas Society Founder and Honorary Chairman.

“Tonight we are extremely pleased to honor Alejandro Bulgheroni and Bruce Flatt, two outstanding individuals whose achievements and leadership are an inspiration to the entire hemisphere," said Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA) President and CEO Susan Segal.

Segal also thanked the attendees for their unwavering support of Americas Society over the years: “The Spring Party, which has been held for close to four decades, is one of our most important annual fundraising events. This year, through your generous contributions, you have helped raise over $1.5 million—an impressive achievement. These funds are important to support our mission and activities in the U.S. and abroad.”

AS/COA Chairman Andrés Gluski presented Alejandro P. Bulgheroni with the Gold Medal, underscoring his achievements in innovation, service, sustainability, and environmental preservation. “This evening we recognize Alejandro’s extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit, leadership, and business acumen,” said Gluski. “These characteristics have made him a dynamic leader over his many companies, the business community in Argentina, as well as across the region and the many countries where he conducts business.”

“I am truly honored to receive the Americas Society Gold Medal this year,” said Bulgheroni. “Since the beginning, our commitment has been with our country.  This position has been well understood by the different governments throughout the years, though it has not been always easy. The current government has implemented the right measures to spur foreign investment and build confidence in Argentina again.”   

Alejandro Bulgheroni is an Argentine entrepreneur with an extensive background in the energy and agriculture sectors. An industrial engineer by training, since 1965 Bulgheroni has developed businesses guided by the principles of innovation, environmental conservation, investment in people, and job creation. Currently, he is Chairman and President of Bridas Corporation, an independent oil and gas holding company and one of the largest private firms in the Argentine energy sector; Chairman and President of Bridas Energy Holdings Ltd.; and Director and Chairman of Beusa Holdings, Inc., which is active in oil and gas in the United States. A leader in high technology agricultural and sustainable energy developments, Bulgheroni is President of Inversora Agroindustrial Global S.L., and President and CEO of Agroland S.A. and Nuevo Manantial S.A., with activities in olive oil, powder milk production, forestry, and cattle, as well as alternative energy projects. He is also Vice President of Fundación Educando, a non-profit organization that supports the design, development, and implementation of literacy and non-formal education programs across Argentina. He serves on the boards of several public and private companies.

Scotiabank CEO Brian Porter introduced Brookfield Asset Management CEO Bruce Flatt as a Gold Medal honoree. “Bruce Flatt is a Canadian corporate champion,” said Porter. “Across the globe, Brookfield is reshaping skylines and building infrastructure that is critical for economic growth—all while creating significant value for shareholders and investors. Brookfield and Bruce Flatt’s legacy is most deserving of the Americas Society’s Gold Medal and one all Canadians should be enormously proud of.”

“It is an honor to receive this recognition,” said Flatt. “Brookfield has a long history with Latin America that stretches over a century. We continue to be a significant, long-term investor in the region—across Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Chile, and Mexico—and we are deeply committed to the communities in which we operate. We firmly believe in Latin America’s prospects and look forward to continuing to contribute to its growth.”

Bruce Flatt is Chief Executive Officer of Brookfield Asset Management, a leading global alternative asset manager with approximately $250 billion of assets under management. He joined Brookfield in 1990 and has been CEO for 15 years. Under his leadership, Brookfield has established a global presence across over 30 countries, with a focus on the real asset sectors of real estate, renewable power, and infrastructure. Previously, he ran the company’s real estate operations, including the acquisition out of bankruptcy of Olympia & York in New York in the early 1990s, developing a buildout model which was then completed with Brookfield’s renewable power and infrastructure businesses, and the scaling up of its private equity business. Recent transactions include the acquisition of Colombian hydro company Isagen, Canary Wharf in the UK, and a major stake in the General Growth Properties in the United States. Flatt has been on more than 20 public company boards over the past two decades.

The Americas Society Gold Medal is the highest and most distinguished award given by the organization to private individuals for their leadership and contributions to the worldwide business community, commitment to social and environmental responsibility, and active involvement with art and education initiatives across the Americas and beyond. Previous recipients of the Gold Medal, first presented in 1977, include David Rockefeller, Miguel Alemán Velasco, César Alierta, Alberto Baillères, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Gustavo A. Cisneros, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Oscar de la Renta, Antonio del Valle, Jamie Dimon, Laurence D. Fink, Carlos Fuentes, Enrique García, Enrique Iglesias, Muhtar Kent, Andrónico Luksic, Thomas F. McLarty, III, Manuel Medina-Mora, Luis Alberto Moreno, Stanley A. Motta, Peter Munk, Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, William Rhodes, Julio Mario Santo Domingo, Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo, Roberto Egydio Setubal, Mario Vargas Llosa, Lorenzo H. Zambrano, and Ernesto Zedillo.

Press Inquiries: Please contact mediarelations@as-coa.org | +1-212-277-8384 or +1-212-277-8333.

Americas Society is the premier organization dedicated to education, debate and dialogue in the Americas. Established by David Rockefeller in 1965, our mission is to foster an understanding of the contemporary political, social and economic issues confronting Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada, and to increase public awareness and appreciation of the diverse cultural heritage of the Americas and the importance of the inter-American relationship.