Over 500 business leaders to discuss Latin America’s role in innovation and economic development in Miami

The Council of the Americas (COA) will bring together prominent business and economic leaders from Latin America this Thursday in Miami to discuss key issues facing the region and the opportunities that lie ahead. More than 500 figures are expected to attend the annual COA Symposium and BRAVO Business Awards, held by the COA for three decades, which has made it one of the most influential gatherings in the region.

“The Symposium has long been a space for dialogue, inspiration for solutions, and innovation that builds on the progress of Latin America,” said María Lourdes Terán, vice president of the Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) Miami and president of the BRAVO Business Awards. Leaders from multinational corporations, multi-Latin corporations, venture capital firms, academia, multilateral institutions, governments, and media outlets from across the Americas will participate in the event, which will take place at the Ritz-Carlton Coconut Grove in Miami.

The region’s role on the global stage has taken on particular relevance at a time of uncertainty in the current geopolitical and economic climate. The Trump administration’s policies, such as the implementation of high tariffs on imports, have changed the trade order, and countries in the Americas have been forced to analyze the effects that this will have on their economies.

Against this backdrop, regional leaders will address the challenges facing the region, but also the future that lies ahead thanks to innovation and new generations. “This year, we’re not only celebrating the companies that drive Latin American business globally, but we’re also highlighting the next generation of leaders who will define its future,” Terán emphasizes.

The event, which will run all day on October 16, will include several panels, keynote presentations, informal talks, and roundtable discussions. Changes in the current geopolitical context will be the focus of the first panel, featuring successful entrepreneurs such as Blanca Treviño, president and CEO of the technology company Softtek, and Luiz R. Vasconcelos, president of FedEx for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Another panel on Latin America’s legacy and leadership will feature several CEOs from long-established companies, including Castillo Hermanos, which encompasses popular brands such as Arizona and Canada Dry beverages and whose history dates back to 1882; Votorantim, a Brazilian company present in 19 countries; and CMPC, a Chilean company that redefines the acronym AI to translate it as “artisanal intelligence.”

Artificial intelligence and its uses will be the focus of another panel in which Jaime Vallés, Vice President for Asia Pacific and Japan at Amazon Web Services, will analyze the development of this technology and the challenges it poses. A talk dedicated to building an AI-ready economy in Latin America will feature Carlos Barrera, CEO of Atlas Renewable Energy, and executives from the multinationals Amazon, Moody’s Ratings, and Equinix.

Innovation will be another key focus of the symposium. Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Brazil’s Embraer, will explain his vision for the future of the air transportation sector. The executive, who has led the company since 2019, has successfully guided it through one of the most complex and high-tech industries in the world. Cristina Junqueira, co-founder and Chief Growth Officer of Nubank, will also discuss the future of finance through innovation.

Finance as a tool for Latin American development will be another topic addressed in a panel featuring executives from Bank of America, CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the insurance company CHUBB, and Mastercard.

On the government side, El Salvador’s Minister of Economy, María Luisa Hayem, along with Indiana Trejos, Costa Rica’s Vice Minister of Foreign Trade, and Héctor Marroquín, Guatemala’s Vice Minister of Integration and Foreign Trade, will discuss opportunities for regional economic integration in Central America.

The stories of two leading companies in the region will also be highlighted: Corporación Multi Inversiones (CMI) and Mercado Libre. CMI is a multinational corporation that has evolved from its origins more than a century ago as a flour and poultry producer in Guatemala to become a diversified multinational with more than 50,000 employees in 15 countries in Latin America and the United States. Mercado Libre, a multinational originally from Argentina, is now celebrating 25 years as one of the major global players in the e-commerce market.

BRAVO Awards

The 30th annual BRAVO Business Awards will also be held during the event. This year, the awards ceremony will celebrate the legacy of leadership in Latin America and highlight the efforts that drive opportunities and the future of the region.

“As we commemorate three decades of the BRAVO Business Awards, our 2025 honorees truly embody the visionary leadership and transformative impact that define progress in Latin America,” said Susan Segal, president and CEO of AS/COA, in announcing the honorees.

To that end, the organization is highlighting the innovation of business leaders. Francisco Gomes Neto will receive the Transformational Leader of the Year award for his “exceptional leadership in guiding Embraer through a period of profound transformation and global expansion,” which has positioned the company “at the forefront of sustainable aviation and advanced mobility technologies.” And Luiz R. Vasconcelos, president of FedEx Latin America and the Caribbean, will be honored with the Dynamic Leader of the Year award for “his role in driving innovation, improving regional connectivity, and strengthening FedEx’s impact on trade, logistics, and economic development throughout the Americas.”

CMI will receive the Corporate Legacy Award, which will be presented to Juan José Gutiérrez Mayorga and Felipe Bosch Gutiérrez. The award recognizes “the multigenerational company for its expansion to 15 countries, boosting its food business, clean energy projects, and sustainable development in Latin America and the United States.”

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