All Entries in the "Main Articles" Category
Mauricio Funes: A Leftist in Prime Time
Funes, a political neophyte, is the quintessential non-politician. He is sometimes at odds with the more radical elements in the FMLN, the party of former leftist guerrillas, who as the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front waged a 10-year war against the U.S.-backed government until a 1992 peace treaty. But his candidacy finally brought to power the FMLN. The Funes victory ended the lock on national power that the right-wing ARENA party had held for 20 years.
Ricardo Martinelli: How a Supermarket Magnate Came to Lead the Nation
Panamanian entrepreneur Ricardo Martinelli enjoyed the wealth and acclaim accorded to a captain of retail and industry. But his experience in government sparked a determination to make a difference in the lives of Panamanians.
Mexico Takes a Break From M&A
Fewer companies came to the table in 2009 as the economy made deal-making harder to digest for some. Even telecommunication tycoon Carlos Slim’s appetite waned. But the deals that did go down were intriguing and foreshadowed what may lie ahead.
Brazil Turns up the Deal-making Heat
As the global financial crisis shook up Brazil’s economy, sturdier companies snatched up their more vulnerable rivals, some at bargain-basement prices. Now, with the economy back on track, more mergers and acquisitions are on the horizon, especially in the retail and consumer goods sectors.
The Cost of Opportunity
A Colombian social entrepreneur takes on the education deficit.
Mexico’s Jet Set
Eager to shed its reputation as the bargain basement for American manufacturers, Mexico is staking its industrial ambitions on a loftier sector – jet planes. It has some high-flying help. The world’s No. 3 aircraft maker, Bombardier Aerospace, is about to break ground on its fourth plant in Querétaro, a bustling industrial hub 140 miles northwest of the Mexican capital.
Personal Development Lands DHL At Top – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
If you think that work and fun don’t mix, you’d be surprised by the atmosphere at DHL Bolivia, the country’s leading courier and express mail service provider.
Christus Invests In Employees, Sees Returns – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
t Mauricio Zambrano, head of human resources for Monterrey-based Christus Muguerza Group, believes in having fun – even for those people who save lives for a living.
More Than Drinks and Spirits at Diageo – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
Diageo, whose operations span 180 countries and territories and has a broad scope of spirits, wine and beer brands, wins frequent accolades for its positive work environment.
Colombia’s Biggest Bank Meshes Diverse Corporate Cultures – Best Workplaces in Latin America 2009
So successful are BanColombia’s efforts to instill a unified corporate culture in its different units, that all but one of the group’s seven subsidiaries made the top 25 Great Places to Work in Colombia. All seven made the cut for the top 100 in Latin America.
The 15th Annual Latin Trade Symposium & BRAVO Business Awards
Led by Mexican President Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, winners of the 15th bravo Business Awards walked down the red carpet to the evening gala to receive their 2009 awards for excellence and achievement. More than 350 leading business executives, government officials, academics and environmental and humanitarian leaders attended the 15th bravo Business Awards dinner and ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Miami on October 30.
LT Holiday Gift Guide
Extravagant and not-so-extravagant gifts for your loved ones: from a BMW Z4 to a simple bottle of her perfume to a five-figure all-electric motorcycle.
Outlook 2010: Consensus Economic Forecast
Five years of stellar growth came to a crashing halt late last year as the global economic recession took hold. A year later, governments around the world have instituted economic stimulus packages that seem to have stemmed the worst effects of the crisis and have set the stage for a recovery in 2010 – at [...]
Waiting for the U.S. To Grow
Many Mexicans cannot remember having lived through a recession like the current one.
Economists are forecasting Mexico’s economy will shrink by 7 percent this year, its worst economic setback in eight decades and one of the deepest contractions of any Latin American nation.
With Oil Prices on the Rise Venezuela Set to Rebound in 2010
Now the nascent financial recovery in industrialized nations appears set to pull Venezuela’s oil-dependent economy out of its slump, keeping it from becoming collateral damage in the global meltdown.
Pinning Hopes On a Bumper Crop
Argentine economists warn that the government’s restrictive economic policies, combined with a lack of access to international financial markets, will thwart any rapid return to the heated expansion of recent years.
Mining To Recovery
Strong gold exports offered Peru a needed lifeline during the global financial turmoil of the past year. Now, copper, silver, zinc and lead could help lead the economic recovery in the resource-rich nation.
From Bad To Worse?
Although the rest of Latin America and parts of the Caribbean are showing early signs of economic recovery, experts said there are few indications Central America is emerging from its worst economic crisis in the past quarter-century.
Caribbean Grapples with Downturn
The worldwide economic crisis has interrupted the Caribbean’s most robust rate of sustained economic growth since the 1960s. From Antigua to Trinidad & Tobago, nations are grappling with a slump in exports, a decline in tourism, rising fuel costs, higher unemployment and a drop in both foreign direct investment and remittances.
15th BRAVO Business Award Winners
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.
Leader of the Year: Felipe Calderón Hinojosa – Chief Executive for a Changing Nation
Steeped in the traditions of Mexico’s conservative political forces, Felipe Calderón Hinojosa was a youthful stalwart of the National Action Party that his father Luis Calderón co-founded. The 47-year-old Calderón, who was born in Morelia, Michoacán, fought against the odds to reach the top.
Innovative Leader of the Year: Andrés Velasco – Steward of Chile’s Wealth
SANTIAGO, Chile — Political exile, classical economics training and a stint as a trade negotiator helped shape Andrés Velasco’s view of the world. When it comes to managing Chile’s finances, the finance minister is unapologetically pragmatic.
“Governments ought to behave like sensible families,” insisted the 48-year-old economist. “When you have extraordinary income, you should save a [...]
Financier of the Year: Enrique García – Banker to Latin America
Banker to Latin America for more than three decades, Enrique García is an advocate of less government and a booster of private enterprise.
CEO of the Year: Daniel Servitje – Baker to the World
Bimbo, the Mexican baked-goods giant, now is on its way to becoming just as ubiquitous around the world. This achievement belies the down-to-earth demeanor of CEO Daniel Servitje.
Social Responsibility CEO of the Year: Lorenzo Mendoza – Compassionate Industrialist
Personal tragedy forged Lorenzo Mendoza’s values. When his father, Lorenzo Mendoza Quintero, died suddenly at age 55, his mother was forced to take over the family business, Empresas Polar. It helped prepare her son to take the helm of Venezuela’s largest food and beer producer 12 years later.
Pioneering CEO of the Year: Federico Restrepo Posada – Manager for Progress
In a region where privatization has long been in vogue, the leadership of Empresas Públicas de Medellín has shown that a public sector company can be successful, efficient and profitable.
Technology CEO of the Year: Laércio Cosentino – Programmer for Performance
TOTVS is one of the hottest software companies in South America, yet CEO Laércio Cosentino chose the site of a former Benedictine monastery to set up headquarters, miles from the high-rise technology hubs of the flashier Berrini and Vila Olímpia districts.
Environmental Leader of the Year: Douglas Tompkins – Preserver of the Land
The notion that Douglas Tompkins is a living, breathing dichotomy is not lost on the man himself. The multimillionaire who made his fortune in the apparel business followed a calling to become a dedicated conservationist in the second act of his professional life.
Humanitarian of the Year: Rebeca Villalobos – Guardian of the Needy
Rebeca Villalobos took 10 years to find her path. With $500 of start-up capital and a few borrowed chairs, she opened her first medical clinic in 1991 and began offering treatment for just $2 a visit.
Celebrating the 15th Bravo Business Awards 1996 – 2009
This commemorative issue also honors the previous 14 groups of BRAVO Business Award winners by providing updates on their lives and careers on the following pages.
