Council of the Americas Announces First Group of Honorees to Celebrate the 25th Anniversary BRAVO Business Awards

An internationally acclaimed figure in Latin music, a transformational visionary, and an innovative global business leader—this year’s first group of awardees are Latin American leaders who have reached the pinnacle of success in their respective fields and have left a lasting footprint in the region:
Carlos Vives, Luis Alberto Moreno, and João Carvalho de Miranda

Miami, June 26, 2019 – After 25 years of recognizing inspirational leadership in Latin America and gathering key players from  business, government, and multilateral institutions, Council of the Americas (COA) is pleased to announce the first group of leaders to be honored at the special 25th Anniversary BRAVO Business Awards, taking place in Miami, Florida, on October 25.

This landmark year, the signature COA event will celebrate an important milestone of a quarter century honoring individuals who have helped drive long-term positive impact in the Americas. The past decades have witnessed many important changes in Latin America, from the rise of the middle class to the leap into the digital age, and COA has been proud to offer a one-of-a-kind regional platform to recognize inspirational leaders who have been instrumental in shaping the future of the region.

“Our 2019 BRAVO Business Award honorees represent extraordinary purpose to drive economic and social development in Latin America, and we want to recognize them as exceptional role models in their fields,” says Americas Society/Council of the Americas President and CEO Susan Segal. “We are pleased to celebrate our twenty-fifth annual awards this year as we continue to highlight the most brilliant and diverse leaders in the hemisphere.”

Here is the first group of remarkable innovators who are leading transformational change in the hemisphere through their work:

• Carlos Vives, multiple Grammy award-winning artist, will receive the BRAVO Social Impact Leadership Award in recognition of his work at Tras La Perla. Thanks to his reach as an internationally renowned singer-songwriter, Carlos founded this initiative that actively promotes improving the quality of life in his hometown by bringing together numerous allies under the slogan, "United for Santa Marta." Among the initiative’s various projects, the urban renewal project of the Pescaíto neighborhood is a powerful example of the transformation of this iconic district, the birthplace of Colombian soccer and the carnival tradition, into one that thrives on sports and culture. Additionally, under Carlos Vives’ leadership, Tras La Perla has successfully overseen important milestones since its creation in 2015, such as the creation of the Water Fund and the participation in the Inter-American Development Bank’s Emerging and Sustainable Cities Program, which permits financing for the city’s development and establishes a long-term action plan.

•  Luis Alberto Moreno, president of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), will be honored with the 25th Anniversary BRAVO Legacy Award in recognition of his transformational impact on the IDB during his three-term presidency. Under his leadership, the IDB Group has consolidated its role as the principal source of long-term financing for Latin America and the Caribbean, while providing cutting-edge knowledge and technical advice for social, economic, and institutional development.  The organization has also strengthened its relationship with the private sector and launched cross-cutting initiatives in areas including sustainable cities, climate change, and digital transformation. Moreno has also championed internal gender equality and diversity at the IDB, and he has vastly expanded the bank’s portfolio of partnerships with the private sector, academia and civil society. Moreno is a member of the Board of Trustees of the World Economic Forum and a member of the International Olympic Committee.

• ​ João Carvalho de Miranda, CEO of Votorantim S.A., will be recognized as the 2019 BRAVO CEO of the Year in honor of his outstanding performance leading the company’s investments and achieving the significant transformation of Brazil’s largest diversified conglomerate despite challenging local market conditions. Aside from reducing debt, he diversified Votorantim’s asset portfolio in a variety of areas, including wind farming, to close 2018 with a consolidated net revenue of R$31.9 billion and consolidated adjusted EBITDA of R$6.9 billion—a remarkable achievement in a time of adversity.

The awards will be preceded by a full-day business conference, which brings together visionary business and government influencers, entrepreneurs, and industry pioneers to exchange insights and discuss the latest business trends and the most pressing issues affecting the region.

Sponsors: HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LLYC (LLORENTE & CUENCA), The AES Corporation, Boston Consulting Group, Microsoft, FedEx Express, Grupo Assa, Mastercard, and SAP

Media partners: CNN en Español and Financial Times

Symposium partner: Inter-American Development Bank

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

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

Council of the Americas (COA) is the premier international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, open markets, the rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Council's membership consists of leading international companies representing a broad spectrum of sectors, including banking and finance, consulting services, consumer products, energy and mining, manufacturing, media, technology, and transportation.