Advisory Board Members

Cipriano López

VP OF INNOVATION

Luis Fernando Restrepo

PRESIDENT

Georgia Tech Alumnus IMGT 1979

He is President of Crystal S.A.S and is on the Advisory Board of the President of Georgia Tech.

Crystal was founded in 1945 in Medellín, Colombia. It is a company that creates, produces, and sells socks, underwear, t-shirts, tissues, and value-added services for manufacturing companies. Its major customers are large chain stores across Colombia, Central and South America, as well as in the United States, and Europe.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial management from Georgia Tech and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

Ricardo Sierra

PRESIDENT

Ricardo Sierra Fernández graduated in Business Administration from the Eafit University and later completed a postgraduate degree in political studies there. He studied the TRIUM Executive MBA program at the London School of Economics, the Paris School of Commerce, and New York University. His background is in the financial sector, where he held credit analysis, planning, and brokerage roles between 1989 and 1994. He joined Corfinsura’s investment banking in 1994 and left in 2005, when he joined the management team of Cementos Argos S.A. as Vice President of Corporate Finance, a position from which he co-led the organization’s transformation process. In 2012, after the spin-off of Cementos Argos, he became Vice President of Corporate Finance at Grupo Argos, where he played an important role in the business expansion process.

Celsia generates, transmits, and sells efficient energy from renewable sources (water, sun, and wind), with thermal backup in Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Honduras.

The company brings energy to the homes of more than 1 million customers, is contributing to the improvement of the quality of life of families and the competitiveness of companies that drive the development of the regions where they operate. It also supplies energy from its power plants in the long term through power purchase agreements and in the short term through the energy market.

Luis Alberto Botero

PRESIDENT

Luis Alberto Botero is the President and CEO of Alianza Team, a multinational company with operations in Colombia, Chile, the United States, Mexico and alliances in Asia and Europe with more than 2,600 direct collaborators. Previously, Luis held different management positions in the Corona Organization, including Vice President of Corporate Marketing and General Manager of Floors and Walls, General Manager of the Toilets and Sinks Unit, and Commercial Manager where he worked for 15 years.

 Alianza Team is a food products manufacturer and distributor. The company offers olive oils, margarines, spreadables, butter, and bakery products. Team Foods serves customers worldwide. Its main activity consists in production of different types of vegetable and animal oils and fats that are intended for use by individual customers and the industrial sector in general.

Jose Manuel Restrepo

PRESIDENT

Restrepo is an economist from the Universidad del Rosario, a specialist in private finance from the same university, a Master of Science in Economics from the London School of Economics, and a Doctor of Business Administration in Higher Education Management from the University of Bath in the United Kingdom.

The designated rector has an outstanding professional career of more than 25 years in the academic world and in positions of high national government. He was Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of the Universidad del Rosario, Chancellor of the College of Higher Administration Studies (CESA) and Chancellor of the Business University Foundation of the Bogotá Chamber of Commerce (Uniempresarial). He has also served as a university professor and researcher and is the author of several books and articles. He recently served as Minister of Finance and Public Credit in the administration of former President Iván Duque. Prior to that, he was Minister of Commerce, Industry and Tourism.

The EIA University was established in 1978 at the initiative of renowned people from the academic world, the government, and the business sector. Its higher education mission is the training of engineers with a global vision and academic excellence.

In 2010, the University was granted Institutional Accreditation for the first time for a period of four years, according to Resolution 2203 of March 30, 2010, which is also considered one of the great milestones in institutional history.

Claudia Restrepo

PRESIDENT

Claudia graduated with an undergraduate degree in business administration and the specialization in Political Studies from EAFIT. In addition, she has a master’s degree in advanced studies in Philosophy from the Complutense University of Madrid and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical Bolivarian University.

From her professional career, her performance as Secretary of Education of the Government of Antioquia stands out; Vice Mayor of Education, Culture, Recreation and Sports of Medellín; manager of the Medellín Metro and deputy director of Comfama.

She has 20 years of experience in the design and management of social outreach programs and projects related to education, culture, citizenship, and habitat. In addition, she has extensive academic experience as a teacher.

EAFIT is a private university with a student body of nearly 10.000 undergraduate and 3.000 graduate students, about 350 full-time faculty and an extended community of over 60.000 alumni. As one of the largest universities in Medellín, EAFIT offers 25 undergraduate degrees, 47 masters’, 6 doctoral programs, 38 graduate certificates, and an ample portfolio of executive education programs.

As opposed to traditional university structures based on academic departments, at the core of its schools, EAFIT is organized by knowledge areas.

Lina Velez de Nicholls

PRESIDENT

She graduated from the undergraduate degree in Business Administration and a specialization in Political Studies from EAFIT. In addition, she has a master’s degree in advanced studies in Philosophy from the Complutense University of Madrid and is currently pursuing a doctorate in Philosophy from the Pontifical Bolivarian University.

From her professional career, her performance as Secretary of Education of the Government of Antioquia (one of Colombia’s 32 departments) stands out; She is Vice Mayor of Education, Culture, Recreation and Sports of Medellín; manager of the Medellín Metro, and deputy director of Comfama.

She has 20 years of experience in the design and management of social outreach programs and projects related to education, culture, citizenship, and habitat. In addition, she has had extensive academic experience as a teacher.

The Chamber is a leading entity in the region, with a focus on business services, and clear objectives on three fundamental fronts. This institutional registry management, the development of projects aimed at the formalization, modernization and competitiveness of entrepreneurs, and the transformation towards the simplification and virtuality of services, is possible today thanks to the work and trust of the entrepreneurs of the region.

Juan David Escobar

PRESIDENT

Juan is a systems engineer from Eafit University, with a specialization in electronic business from Tecnológico de Monterrey and a master’s degree in administration from the same institution.

He also holds a master’s degree in actuary from Georgia State University, senior management studies from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, and digital transformation from the University of Virginia, among other courses associated with project management and leadership.

Suramericana was founded in 1944 as a company dedicated to underwriting property insurance. Today, the company specializes not only in insurance solutions, but also in trends and risk management. It is the market leader in Colombia and has operations in El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, México, and Uruguay. In 2016, Suramericana S.A. consolidated its presence in Latin America, because of the acquisition of RSA (Royal & Sun Alliance) operations in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, and Colombia.

Juan Manuel Mogollón

MANAGING DIRECTOR FOR COLOMBIA

Juan Manuel Mogollón is a professional with more than 20 years of experience in building high-performance teams, succeeding in fast-paced and changing environments. With a deep knowledge of the global trends of the IT industry in Colombia. He has a master’s degree in management from Boston University and various degrees from renowned institutions such as Universidad de los Andes and INALDE Business School. Prior to joining Globant, he served as SAP Country Manager for Colombia and Ecuador.

 Globant is a software engineering and information technology company originally from Argentina with headquarters in Luxembourg. together with MercadoLibre, Olx and Despegar.2 In July 2020, its capitalization on the New York Stock Exchange reached 6.5 billion dollars, equivalent to twice the value of the Argentine state oil company. At the beginning of 2020, Globant acquired the company BiLive.

Jaime Galviz

GENERAL MANAGER

Jaime Galviz, a technology industry veteran with 25 years of experience working for Microsoft, has been the General Manager of Microsoft for the South Andean region since July 1, 2022.

Jaime is an industrial engineer, trained at the Universidad de los Andes. He has complemented this training with business, management, and strategic marketing programs at the INALDE Business School in Bogotá, and the University of Michigan and Columbia University in the United States. Additionally, he has attended the IPEC’s (Institute for Professional Excellence) training program in coaching and has been part of the High-Performance Leadership Program at Saed Business School, Oxford University.

Jaime returned to Colombia in 2020 to occupy the General Management of the country after having spent the last 10 years in the Middle East and Africa. In that region he served as Microsoft’s Marketing and Operations Manager for the region from February 2017 until his return to Colombia. Prior to that, he had been Director of Business, Marketing and Operations for the Gulf region. Prior to that, Jaime spent 14 years in South America, strengthening Microsoft’s business operations in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela, where he made invaluable contributions in the creation of new sales territories and business groups.

Microsoft is an American multinational technology company that produces computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services, headquartered on the Microsoft campus located in Redmond, Washington. “Microsoft” is an acronym for microcomputer and software. The company develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports personal computers, servers, electronic devices, and services. Its best-known products are the Microsoft Windows operating system, the Microsoft Office suite, Internet browsers, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Edge. Its flagship products are the Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface line of touch screen devices in hardware. In 2016, it was the world’s largest software company by revenue6 and one of the most valuable in the global market.

Juan Luis Aristizabal

PRESIDENT

Juan has extensive experience in the construction sector including real estate developments, infrastructure projects and concessions, general construction, and vertical integration investments, both in Colombia and other countries in the Americas.

He is an innovative and entrepreneur in the construction industry who has championed open innovation and digital transformation to increase productivity and minimize delays or cost overruns. He is an active promoter of the massive penetration of the BIM standard to transform a lacking economic sector in the global economy.

“Sustainability is my passion, and I am totally committed in reduction of CO² emissions, single-use plastics, oil fuels and polluting materials in construction. Also, I believe in the importance of sustainable projects in all the life spam of the asset, including efficient operation and maintenance.” Juan earned his bachelor’s degree in computer science and holds a master’s degree from Iowa State University.

Conconcreto develops, builds, designs, and manages infrastructure, building and housing projects with the highest quality and efficiency standards for various sectors including airport, logistics, commercial, and institutional. The company’s internationalization strategy is focused on Central America and South Florida, through the identification of business opportunities and specialized allies that allow it to add value in the life cycle of construction projects.

Diego Marulanda is a philosopher and theologian from the UPB. He has a Master’s degree in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University of Rome and a PhD in Theology from UPB with his thesis focused on the “Gift of Fullness”, where he raises the concept of “Gift” as delivery and service, incorporating it, in the rectory that begins, as delivery of knowledge to society.

He has served as rector of the San José Missionary Seminary, director of the Department of Liturgy of the Archdiocesan Curia and worked as a leader in the peace processes in the city in 1994 and 1995. Likewise, he was chaplain, dean of the School of Theology, Philosophy and Humanities of the UPB and research professor.

The Pontifical Bolivarian University (UPB) is a private and Catholic Colombian university. It offers 75 undergraduate degrees, 109 specializations, 62 master’s degrees, and 10 doctorates. Its student population amounts to 25,823 students. Since 2018, the UPB has had Multicampus High Quality Accreditation, granted by the Ministry of National Education for a period of six years.

Its main campus (Laureles) was certified in 2019 as “Carbon Neutral” by ICONTEC​ and in 2020, the impact ranking of Times Higher Education (THE), positioned the institution in the top 10 globally for their contributions to the Sustainable Development Goal.

Maria Bibiana Botero

PRESIDENT

Maria Bibiana is a lawyer and political scientist from the Universidad de los Andes with an MBA from the same institution and a Scholar in Marketing and Sales from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.

The new president of ProAntioquia has been connected to Bancolombia since 2007, where she led different areas, and from there she has actively participated in various civic initiatives and the promotion of inclusive leadership. Maria Bibiana has stood out for her integrity, for her inspiring leadership, her ability to generate consensus, and her great human quality.

She is part of several women’s communities: Women in Connection, Women on Boards, and Women Leaders. She is the mother of two children – Gabriela and Federico. She is an optimistic woman and happy to work for the development of Antioquia and Colombia.

ProAntioquia is an institution that promotes the sustainable development of Antioquia and from Antioquia for Colombia. With this purpose, it convenes, articulates, and mobilizes business, public, social, and academic capacities as its institutional essence.

Alejandro Mesa

CEO

Alejandro is a member of Abundance360. Abundance360 is Singularity University’s highest-level program run by Singularity Founder Dr. Peter H. Diamandis.

He is president of Premex, a company centered on a support service model for animal protein producers, so they can produce more and better-quality protein. He has a bachelor’s degree in food and resource economics from the University of Florida and holds an MBA from Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management.

It is an ecosystem for innovation where new technologies grow and come together to add value to the nutrition industry ­– both human and animal – with real solutions based on evidence.

To achieve its purpose, the company is constantly building a network of people and allies who want to contribute their experience, knowledge, and capabilities to speed up processes and design solutions that generate a more significant impact.

David Escobar

PRODUCTION ENGINEER

David Escobar Arango is a production engineer from EAFIT University and a master’s in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. During his professional career, he has worked as a Planning Analyst at Suramericana de Seguros S.A., Planning Director at Tania S.A.; and Human Talent analyst, manager of some projects and Director of Information Management at Orb​itel. In addition, he was private secretary of the Mayor’s Office of Medellín, Director of the Administrative Department of Planning of the capital of Antioquia, Vice President of Corporate Markets of UNE EPM Telecommunications, and Executive Director of Interactuar. Currently he is the director of the Comfama Compensation Fund and president of the Superior Council of the EAFIT University, where he was also a student representative and vice president of the Student Organization.

The company works so that the workers in Antioquia and their families connect from the possibility with consciousness, freedom, productivity, and happiness; so that they develop their capacities, transcend, and build the future they imagine. To do this, it is inspired by a middle class that reimagines itself, educates itself, is more educated, and is a better citizen. A better citizen who consumes responsibly, thinks about their integral health, and takes care of nature.

Comfama connects purposes. It does so because it imagines a middle class that reflects on its decisions, participates in, and builds society, takes charge of its life, its country, and its relationship with the world. She embraces diversity, manages her well-being, and decides to climb, by herself, the ladder of opportunities to discover herself and the world. Comfama is convinced that there is no progress if there are no actions, individual or collective, that become habits. We build happiness with what we do or stop doing.

Diego Mantilla

PRESIDENT

Diego has extensive experience in company management, supply chain and processes. In his career he has had the opportunity to accumulate experience in processes, talent, restructuring, design of the route to the market and new channels. By location and scope, she has had the opportunity to work in various countries and multicultural environments.

Specialties: Experience and knowledge in company management, supply chain and strategy.

Additional experience and knowledge in Projects, Six Sigma and Processes.

Transportadora Comercial Colombia S.A. (TCC) is a package transport company. Its headquarters are in Medellin, Antioquia, Colombia. It was founded in 1968. TCC provides express parcel services, international cargo transportation, national land and air cargo transportation. It also offers contract logistics, warehouse management and distribution services.

Manuel Acevedo Jaramillo

PRESIDENT

Manuel has more than 17 years of experience in the educational sector, nationally and internationally, contributing to education, finance, and cooperation projects. He has served as director of the Agency for International Cooperation and Investment of Medellín and was head of the International Business Department of the EAFIT School of Administration, activities that he has combined with teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in Colombia and in the abroad.

In addition, he served as director of the Center for Innovation, Consulting and Entrepreneurship — now the Directorate of Innovation — and director of the Bogotá campus and dean of the School of Administration.

CES University is an autonomous, private, non-denominational, non-profit, and self-sustaining university in the city of Medellín. It was recognized by the Ministry of National Education of Colombia, as a high-quality university. Similarly, through Resolution 013602, of Dec. 9, 2019, issued by the Ministry of National Education (MEN), Universidad CES received the renewal of the High-Quality Institutional Accreditation for a period of six years.

The CES University has as substantive functions teaching through classes in different areas of knowledge, research that now extends to innovation and generation of knowledge-based companies, and the extension that it executes through advice and consultancy to companies and public and private entities in Colombia and the Latin American region.

Gustavo Villa

CEO

Georgia Tech Alumnus: CE 1988

Gustavo began his career in the construction field leading important housing, commercial and industrial projects. In 1991, he directs his work for the foundation of his company CNV Construcciones, adding operating segments in institutional and state areas. CNV Construcciones stands out as an important company that transforms public spaces, among which schools, convention centers, production plants and hospitals stand out. Currently, his company has operations in Colombia in the cities of Bogotá, Medellín, Barranquilla, and additionally in Panama.

In addition to his role as CEO of CNV Construcciones, he is part of the Board of Directors of Community Guarantees Latin America (financial profitability consultancy) and of the Sergio Arboleda University in Colombia (Business School), he has also participated in community issues, he is currently member of the board of directors of the University-Business-State Committee of Medellín and is part of the strategic committee of the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution of Medellín of the World Economic Forum.

José Manuel Bern

VICE PRESIDENT EMPRESAS BERN

Georgia Tech Alumnus: CE 1997

José serves as Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Empresas Bern. He also serves as the Chairman of Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Panamá and, he serves as a Secretary and Director of Tropical Resorts International Inc. His work earned him the recognition of the Council of Outstanding Young Engineering Alumni Award from Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering in 2017. Empresas Bern has developed more than 180 projects, 8,500 housing constructions and today has 3,337 employees. Through his company, José has strengthened tourism, investment, and real estate development in Panama City. Empresas Bern develops residential, tourist, and business spaces located in prime areas of the city. José has ownership stakes in several Panama City hotels including Panama City the Hotel Intercontinental, Westin, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, and Gamboa.