Business and Government Leaders to Gather at Annual COA Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards

MIAMI, October 15, 2018 – On November 2, Council of the Americas will bring together prominent leaders from the region for the Symposium and the 24th BRAVO Business Awards at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami. The Symposium and Awards Ceremony will gather 400 business and government leaders from the Americas for a high-level interactive dialogue on business and social trends, ranging from the globalization of multilatinas and the adoption of new technologies to the evolution of corporate social responsibility and gender equality policies. The Symposium will be live webcast.

“It is an honor to have this outstanding group of business leaders in Miami for a one-day meeting to discuss the opportunities and challenges that companies face in Latin America,” said Americas Society/Council of the Americas President and CEO Susan Segal. "From the public sphere, we are excited to welcome Panama's Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, a true role model in both the public and the private sector.”

In the morning session of the Symposium, top-level executives from multinational companies and leading multilatinas will discuss how the rapidly changing economy is impacting and transforming Latin America’s private sector.

Beyond Latin America: CEOs leading global growth, transformation and expansion
CEOs of global multilatinas will analyze the expansion strategies that have contributed to their success in both emerging and developing markets. Panelists: Fernando González, CEMEX; João Miranda, Votorantim S.A.; Fabio Schvartsman, Vale; and Blanca Treviño, Softtek. Moderator: Andrés Gluski, AES Corporation and President of the AS/COA Board of Directors.

Digital culture management: the balance between new technologies and the working environment
Senior executives will discuss the importance of finding a balance between new technologies, such as artificial intelligence or big data, and an agile work environment to drive innovation, adaptability and efficiency in companies. Panelists: Ana Paula Assis, IBM Latin America; César Cernuda, Microsoft Latin America; Francisco Garza Egloff, Arca Continental; Fernando Iraola, Bank of America Merrill Lynch; and Vernon Murray, Emerson Automation Solutions. Moderator: Gabriela Frias, CNN en Español.

The power of purpose: creating shared value
Leaders from diverse sectors will analyze the evolution of corporate social responsibility towards a new model of value chains associated with the company's mission that generate impact on society and business models. Panelists: Carlos Mario Giraldo Moreno, Grupo Éxito and Claudio Muruzábal, SAP Latin America and the Caribbean. Moderator: Wendy Woods, The Boston Consulting Group.

The morning will close with a special discussion on gender equality and inclusion by the Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama, Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Katia Bouazza, HSBC, and Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, Greenberg Traurig. Moderator: Susan Segal, AS/COA.

In the afternoon, there will be three concurrent sessions focused on topics of interest to various business sectors, including the role of the Chief Innovation Officers in the transformation of companies in the region, investment in Panama and its growth in the past decade, and the development of talent in the new global economy.

Following the conference, six outstanding leaders from the Americas will be recognized at the 24th BRAVO Business Awards:

• Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama - Innovative Leader of the Year
• Fabio Schvartsman, Vale CEO - CEO of the Year
• Eduardo Tricio Haro, President of Grupo Lala - Transformational Leader of the Year
• Eugenio Von Chrismar, CEO of Banco de Crédito e Inversiones - Financier of the Year
• Carlos Mario Giraldo Moreno, CEO of Grupo Éxito – Dynamic CEO of the Year
• Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, Vice President of Greenberg Traurig – Visionary Leader of the Year

Sponsors: HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LLORENTE & CUENCA, The AES Corporation, The Boston Consulting Group, Bombardier, Emerson, Florida International University, IBM, Microsoft, SAP, Softtek, and Tocumen International Airport.

Media Partners: CNN, EFE and Financial Times

Partner of the Symposium: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

For more information, please visit: www.as-coa.org/bravo

Follow the discussion on Twitter: #BRAVObiz | @ASCOA

Press Contact:
Yndira Marin | ymarin@llorenteycuenca.com | 1-646-386-6523.
AS/COA Media Relations | mediarelations@as-coa.org | 1-212-277-8384 | 1-212-277-8333.