15th BRAVO Business Award Winners

Luminaries from the political, financial, trade, environmental and humanitarian fields have been coming to Miami since 1996 to receive the BRAVO Business Awards. This year marks the 15th award ceremony – a milestone in searching for and recognizing the deserving champions of trade, finance, technology and politics, as well as some of the lesser-known heroes in social fields in Latin America and the Caribbean. The BRAVO Business Awards celebrate achievement and excellence – a yearly salute to what works in the region. The line-up for 2009 is equally stellar. The winners represent eight different countries and multiple fields of achievement. They range from the president of Mexico, who is taking giant steps for innovation and reform in the second-largest country in Latin America, to a social activist who set up medical clinics for the poor in Costa Rica, one of the smallest nations in the area. They also include a series of unsurpassed chief executives. Their companies include one of the largest bread-making companies in the world – a Mexican group that is conquering foreign markets; the largest industrial group in Venezuela that never forgets to give back to the community; the Brazilian technology firm that used a series of acquisitions to claim its place among the Top 10 business management software companies in the world; and a utility company in Medellin that has proven state-managed corporations can contribute to the bottom line, as well as be a lifeline for progress. This year’s BRAVO Business Awards also showcase the finance minister of Chile, who has shown that deft handling of the economy has a second act in a country known for good management, as well as the head of Latin America’s home-grown lending agency, now a staple in the region. Also part of the winning list is the former head of a leading clothing brand, who has worked almost 20 years creating one of the largest land preserves in the world in Chile. Each of these winners has achieved great success in their areas, but each of them also has a story of how it happened. The stories begin here.

Nominations for the 16th Bravo Business Awards are open. Vote by clicking here.