“Mexico Mi Amor.” This phrase was emblazoned on T-shirts sold by enterprising teenage friends Manuel Sanchez and Fernando Arriaga amidst Mexican civil unrest in the mid-1980s. The two launched their small business to promote the country’s unique beauty, designing all logos and images, marketing their product and “chasing invoices,” Sanchez explains. “It was an amazing […]
Features Region: Latin America
Federico Fregoso Contreras – Pemex
Volatility in the oil and gas industry and energy policy reforms in Mexico make structuring and negotiating contracts challenging for an oil company like Pemex, so having an experienced attorney like Federico Fregoso Contreras has made the process easier. “We have contract templates and have adjusted them accordingly, and we have focused on bringing our […]
Ricardo Palacios – Playa Hotels & Resorts
Make you own beer? Swim with the dolphins? Endless drinks in an infinity pool? An ambitious tourist could make a full day of recreating at Playa Hotels & Resorts in Mexico now, even during the COVID-19 pandemic—but not a few months ago. The pandemic hit the tourist industry hard last spring—and Mexico was no exception. […]
Francisco Jose Vazquez – Financiera Independencia
Credit him with foresight, Francisco Jose Vazquez having seen—pre-pandemic—the need for Financiera Independencia to provide online services. Mexico teems with millennials whose personal and professional lives are just as wired as their counterparts elsewhere. The same holds true in Brazil and California, where Vazquez oversees this Mexico City-based loan company’s subsidiaries. Not only were easier […]
Alvaro Gutierrez – RB
During an infectious disease pandemic, cleaning products are essential, and there are few household cleaners better known than Lysol. As the regional legal director for Mexico and Latin America at RB, maker of the iconic disinfectant spray, Alvaro Gutierrez is tasked with keeping product approvals moving, changing product labels to reflect the times, and streamlining […]
Renata Cunha Giuliani – Akamai Technologies
When Renata Cunha Giuliani joined Akamai Technologies, there was no welcoming bouquet on her desk or procession of new colleagues stopping by to wish her well. That happens these days when people onboard in a pandemic, although like other Akamai employees working remotely, she was given a budget for establishing her home office. Giuliani’s joining […]
Augusto Martínez – Eli Lilly and Company
An in-house attorney who’s doing their job well knows they’re a voice for the company’s growth. It’s about saying “yes” as much as possible—while making sure what they advise also complies with legal and ethical standards. Saying yes in the face of a global pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to Augusto Martínez, the Latin American […]
Rodrigo Bustos Deaza – Efecty
Financial inclusion: It’s a necessity for bringing people and companies into the socioeconomic mainstream. Especially in countries where much of the citizenry dwells in remote areas and thus lacks access to traditional banking. In Colombia, that inclusionary effort is largely spearheaded by Efecty, a Bogota-based company that for nearly a quarter-century has melded technology with […]
Natalia Gaspar – Philip Morris International
Not only is it a shrewd business move; it’s the right thing to do. So says Natalia Gaspar, senior counsel for Philip Morris International’s Central American arm. The Marlboro Man as we knew him has dismounted from his steed. Cigarettes are fast becoming yesterday’s product and Gaspar—a nonsmoker—has joined many colleagues in saying, “So be […]
Josefina Hernandez – American Tower
You’re living in a remote region of Paraguay and a family member is sick—perhaps with COVID-19—and you need to call an ambulance. Or you need to research symptoms on a smartphone and contact a mother or brother. But you can’t. Cell phone service in parts of this region—as well as in portions of Argentina—is nonexistent, […]
