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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.
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 [...]
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.
Editor’s Note: Into the Storm and Beyond
With this edition of Latin Trade, we bring you two issues in one: both the commemorative issue to showcase the 15th BRAVO Business Awards, including past winners and the honorees of 2009, and some of our regular features, including the economic outlook for 2010 in countries around the region.
Colombia’s security strategy lures travelers back
“Five years ago, it would have been impossible for people to travel by highway from Bogota to Medellin,” said Luis Guillermo Plata, Colombia’s minister of commerce, industry and tourism. “Many people drove to this Inter-American Development Bank meeting by car.”
Whither Panama?
Industry leaders gather for a frank talk about the future and Panama’s hopes of weathering the global recession.
