Quienes Somos

David Langstaff
The Aspen Institute

In March 2018, David H. Langstaff was named Interim Executive Vice President for Leadership and Seminars at The Aspen Institute. A business and community leader with extensive experience as chief executive officer and director of advanced technology and professional services companies, he currently serves as President of Argotyche, Inc., a consulting and advisory services company. David has been actively involved with The Aspen Institute for over twenty years, as a senior moderator of values-based leadership seminars and as Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Aspen Business and Society Program. Today, David serves as a Member of the Board of Directors of Boston Dynamics, an engineering and robotics design company; as Chairman of Idemia National Security Solutions, a biometric identification company; and as a Director of Premier, Inc, a NASDAQ-listed health care company.  Previously, he was founder and CEO of Veridian Corporation, an advanced technology company that specialized in mission-critical national security programs primarily for the U.S. Government. Veridian was regarded as one of the preeminent companies in its field with a strong values-based culture, and its IPO was recognized by the Financial Times as one of the ten best global IPOs in 2002.  After its sale to General Dynamics, David served as chief executive officer and co-chairman of The Olive Group, a global integrated security company with offices in Dubai, London and Washington, DC, and subsequently as Chairman, President and CEO of TASC, Inc. David is an Executive Fellow for the Center for Higher Ambition Leadership, a member of the Advisory Board of the Open Cloud Consortium, and a Director of the Wolf Trap Foundation. He served as a member of the Board of Directors of The Hitachi Foundation from 2012 until its sunset in 2017, and until 2018 was a member of the Defense Business Board, which provides independent advice to the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense Committee. David performs from time to time as a baroque soloist with amateur and professional orchestras, and was Executive Producer of the Emmy and Grammy-nominated, eight-episode television special on the history of recorded music (Soundbreaking), with the late Sir George Martin, that aired in Fall 2016 on PBS Television, and globally throughout 2016 and 2017. He earned a B.A., cum laude, from Harvard University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration. He and his wife have four children and reside on a farm in Comus, MD.

Enrique Bolaños
INCAE

Enrique Bolaños is the current rector of INCAE, following a distinguished career in international business. He is the first non-academic rector in the history of the institution and the second Nicaraguan rector. Enrique has a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Michigan and is a graduate of the INCAE MBA. Enrique joined INCAE in 2012 as Executive Vice-president to lead the institution’s organizational and financial transformation. In two years he put together an excellent executive team, who helped him to increase financial sustainability of the institution, as well as to initiate other important projects. Before his return to INCAE, Enrique was President and CEO of Flexsys in Brussels, Belgium. He successfully led the company in a challenging business environment, substantially increasing its market share. Under Enrique’s direction, Flexsys generated a great deal of value for shareholders, improved its relation with stakeholders and achieved excellent financial results. These strategic and financial successes eventually helped the company achieve a high price. Before this, Enrique was Vice-president of Flexsys for the Americas, a post he held while based in the U.S.A. Currently, as well as leading INCAE, he collaborates with the Enrique Bolaños Foundation, an initiative started by his father who was President of Nicaragua until 2007. The aim of the foundation is the creation and maintenance of a virtual library open to the public, which holds the largest archive of documents on Nicaraguan history and politics. At the same time, Enrique is a board member of FUNIDES, the Nicaraguan foundation for social and economic development. Enrique is married to Lourdes Chamorro César; he has five children and seven grandchildren.

Tomás Regalado
FUNDEMAS

Tomás Regalado Papini is a partner in LOA Hospitality Group, which manages restaurants and invests in culinary entrepreneurs in El Salvador. He is President of the Board of Directors of Hidroexpo, an agricultural operation that grows and exports greenhouse-grown vegetables. He sits on the board of Grupo CASSA (Compañía Azucarera Salvadoreña), which operates two sugar mills in El Salvador. Within his business endeavors, Tomás is committed to deepening the culture of social and environmental responsibility, and with this ideal in mind, he also participates actively in civil society organizations, such as FUNDAZUCAR, the foundation of the Asociación Azucarera de El Salvador (Sugar Association of El Salvador), which is dedicated to strengthening the sustainability of the sugar industry’s value chain, as well as presiding the Board of Directors of FUNDEMAS (Fundación Empresarial para la Acción Social), a nonprofit that disseminates the culture of social responsibility and sustainability in the Salvadoran private sector. He has a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Edmund A. Walsh School at Georgetown University and an MBA from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. He is married and has three children. Tomás is a fellow of the ninth class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Oscar Artiga
TechnoServe

Originally from El Salvador, but living in Chile and Nicaragua for the last 10 years, Oscar Artiga is the Entrepreneurship Program Director for TechnoServe’s Central American programs, which includes business accelerators in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Panama. He has more than 9 years of experience working in the development sector. In this role, he oversees entrepreneurship programs implementation across Central America, runs fundraising activities and keeps a constant communication with donors, entrepreneurship and SME developing stakeholders in the region. He also leads the entrepreneurship practice in Central America representing TechnoServe´s work in important conferences and events such as ANDE Annual meeting, SOCAP and FLII. Since 2015, serves as an ANDE´s CAM Chapter board member providing advice for the development of the SME and entrepreneurship environment in the region. Oscar has managed projects in West Africa (Burkina Faso) and Chile where he started his work with TechnoServe in 2008. Previous to his work with TechnoServe, Oscar worked in Banco Salvadoreño as process analyst and Operational Risk Officer working in organizational processes, fraud prevention and project evaluation. Between 2016 and 2017 he worked as Project Leader/MIS in Grupo Financiero Uno where he developed commercial projects and market analysis strategies for the operation in El Salvador. He is a passionate educator and has worked as main professor and instructor in DUOC-UC and UAI (both in Chile) and Universidad Thomas More in Nicaragua. He holds an MBA from the Universidad Adolfo Ibanez in Chile, and a BS in industrial engineering from the Universidad Centroamericana in El Salvador.

Stanley Motta
Panamá

Stanley Motta is president of the Board of Copa Holding (NYSE CPA), Grupo ASSA, and Inversiones Bahia, Ltd., diversified holding company with investments in finance, media, trade and distribution sectors in Central America. He is director of Banco General, Televisora Nacional, and several other companies. During the last three decades has expanded its organization throughout Latin America with emphasis on corporate social responsibility. He is president of Sumarse, an organization that promotes CSR. Founding member of ANCON, nonprofit organization dedicated to the conservation of biodiversity, and the Ciudad del Saber (City of Knowledge) in Panama. Founder and trustee of Central America Leadership Initiative (CALI). Member of the Advisory Board of EGADE Business School (ITESM) and IESE Business School (Barcelona, Spain). He is a member of the Board of the Trust for the Americas, associated with the Organization of American States, and distinguished by the Americas Society Gold Medal in 2010. Mr. Motta was President of the Autoridad de la Región Interoceánica (Inter-Oceanic Region Authority), the government body responsible for receiving and managing the assets of the Panama Canal as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties between the United States and Panama. Stanley completed his undergraduate studies at Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Gisela Álvarez de Porras
Panamá

Gisela Álvarez de Porras held several positions in the Executive Cabinet (2004-2009), from Director General of the Internal Revenue Services and Vice Minister of Finance in the Ministry of Economy and Finance, to Minister of Trade and Industry. Whilst in government, she represented the Republic before the Interamerican Center of Tax Administration and led the negotiation of International Treaties to Avoid Double Taxation. She has been a member of the Presidential Commission for the Prevention of Money Laundering, representing the private sector.

As a lawyer specialized in corporate law, mergers and acquisitions and international finance, she was partner of Patton Moreno & Asvat and later founded the Panamanian office of Arias & Muñoz, leading it for its first 5 years. As a tax and estate practitioner, she was managing director of Assets Trust & Corporate Services. She has now established G. Porras & Associates, a boutique law firm specializing in taxation, cross border finance and M&A’s.

Mrs. Porras has received several recognitions for her practice – especially that of promoting women at law (2015) and in 2009 was granted The National Order of the Legion of Honor (France).

Gisela is the current Chairwoman of Vital Voices Panama, an NGO working to empower women, especially teen mothers. She is one of the 7 experts appointed by the President of the Republic of Panama to advise on the adoption of best practices to strengthen the financial platform. She is also a member of the Panamanian Association of Executives and a Fellow of the third class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.
A native of Panama, of Cuban ascend, Gisela is a Sigma Lambda graduate of the Faculty of Law of the National University of Panama and holds a master of science from the Swiss Business School (SBS).

Harry Strachan
Costa Rica

Harry Strachan is a Director Emeritus of Mesoamerica Partners living in Costa Rica and working primarily in the Mesoamerica region.   Mesoamerica is a private equity firm with roots in strategy consulting and M&A advisory services.  Mesoamerica Foundation channels part of the profits and our resources to support pro bono efforts mainly in the area of education.Harry was a partner of Bain & Co from 1979 to 1998 and continues active part time with Bain and Bain Capital in new partner training and Latin American activities.

Harry was a business school professor at INCAE and the Harvard Business School from 1970-1979 and Rector of INCAE in the 1981/2 transition.  In his semi-retirement, a significant portion of Harry’s time is devoted to pro bono activities.  He is President of the Strachan Foundation he established in honor of his parents and grandparents and advisor to ESEN, the Hospital Clinica Biblica and other NGOs.  He teaches, moderates, and does public speaking for INCAE’s, the Central America Leadership Initiative and executive groups like YPO.

Much of his work in Latin America has involved advising Family Business Groups.  An early academic book was The Role of Family Business Groups in Economic Development. In the last 10 years he has written three memoir-type books:  INCAE Memories 1970-1981; Bain Stories From the Early Years:  The Education of a Consultant; and Finding a Path: Stories from My Life.  Harry was born in Costa Rica of missionary parents.  He got his B.A. in Literature from Wheaton College (Ill.), a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and a D.B.A. from the Harvard Business School.  He is married, has two children and five grandsons. His hobbies are golf, poker and reading.

Luis Javier Castro
Costa Rica

“Mr. Luis Javier Castro is a Founding Partner and current President at Mesoamerica, a firm that invests consciously for an abundant Latin America by transforming businesses in the region and creating value for investors and society alike. He is also director of several companies in Mesoamerica’s portfolio, such as Mesofoods, Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy, Zuma Energía, among others.
Luis Javier began his career as associate in Bain and Company; working in strategic cases for several of the region’s largest companies. In 1996, 3 partners and himself founded Mesoamerica and raised the region’s largest private equity fund at the time.
His experience in Bain and Mesoamerica include a large variety of sectors, such as financial services, retail, beverages, airlines, hotels, tourism, and agribusiness. In 2015, Mesoamerica partnered with Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, a Canadian leading pension fund, to invest in spanish-speaking Latin America.
He devotes a significant amount of time to social impact initiatives through several foundations, education institutions and associations. He instituted the Mesoamerica Foundation, which invests in four strategic areas, all of which he is greatly involved, including quality education, advocacy of Sustainabilty in the region through United Way and Asociación Empresarial para el Desarrollo (AED), entrepreneurship, through Yo Emprendedor and regional leadership and institutionalism, through the Central America Leadership Initiative (CALI) and the Aspen Institute.
Luis Javier is the President of AED and also sits on the board of directors of United Way Worldwide, the largest non-profit organization of the world that seeks to mobilize communities to advance the common good. He is a member of the G-50, a select group of business leaders of the Americas, and Young Presidents Organization (YPO), among others.”

Xavier Argüello
Nicaragua

Xavier Argüello has been an advocate and supporter of CALI, his performance, as an entrepreneur in industrial real estate, housing projects, engineering in the Central America region, and his interest in organizations that promote education and economic development, make him an ideal ally for CALI.

In addition to being part of the Board of Directors of CALI, Xavier is a member of the Board of Directors of INCAE, Co-founder of the Mustard Seed Association (ASEMOS), an organization that is dedicated to preschool training with the Montessori method for children of vulnerable communities. He was also Founder and President of the Foundation of the Catholic University of San Pedro Sula as well as the Foundation for Central American Technical Education.

Mercedes Deshon
Nicaragua

Mercedes Deshon is the director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Nicaragua, elected in January 2018. She is also director of Deshon & Cia, a Nicaraguan automobile distributor, as well as a Nominee Director of the International Finance Corporation in commercial banks in Honduras and Costa Rica. She previously worked at Grupo Financiero Uno, where she served as executive director and general manager of Banco Uno (Nicaragua) and was involved in new product development, investments in the energy industry, and social responsibility programs. She began her career at the International Finance Corporation in Washington, D.C. as a financial analyst in Latin American capital markets. Mercedes is also co-founder and director of Vital Voices Nicaragua, an organization that identifies emerging women leaders and empowers them with training, mentorships and access to networks. Mercedes earned a Bachelor’s degree in finance from Georgetown University and a Master’s degree in Management from Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Mercedes is a member of INCAE s National Committee in Nicaragua and is a Fellow of the third class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Ricardo Maduro
Honduras

Ricardo Maduro Joest graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics. He was elected President of Honduras and served his term from 2002 to 2006. Mr. Maduro, a noted reformer, promoted many improvements in the judicial system, worked toward increased transparency and reducing crime. During his term, the economy showed an increasing growth trend, while inflation was reduced and the exchange rate remained stable for the first time in many years. Sound economic and social policies set the groundwork for an unprecedented 57% reduction of the nation’s foreign indebtedness. The newly available resources will help accelerate implementation of the country’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. As a public servant he previously held the offices of President of the Central Bank of Honduras, Economic Cabinet Coordinator and Governor for Honduras before the International Monetary Fund, the Interamerican Development Bank, the World Bank and the Central American Bank of Economic Integration. Additionally, he was elected to the Central American Parliament. He has also been significantly involved in the political arena. His political career includes several positions held within the National Party of Honduras. He successfully led his party as campaign director on two occasions and occupied the position of President of this political organization. Mr. Maduro has an outstanding entrepreneurial track record beginning in 1967 as General Manager in Xerox Honduras, and as Executive Director for “Inversiones La Paz”, an investment company which has substantial holding in the shrimp farming, automotive, appliance, retail and hotel industries. He has obtained various awards including “Entrepreneur of the Year” from the Honduras-American Chamber of Commerce; “Outstanding Entrepreneur” from GEMAH (a major business organization); “Man of the Year” from “El Heraldo”, a leading national newspaper and the Ruben Dario Grand Collar Ordainment – Nicaragua’s highest honor for a dignitary, national or foreign. He is also founder and former president of FEREMA, an educational non-profit foundation which seeks to improve the quality of and access to public education in Honduras. Mr. Maduro is a permanent member of the Advisory Board of the University of Notre Dame’s Kellogg Institute for International Studies. Mr. Maduro’s track record in both the public and private sector make a frequent speaker at many conferences in Honduras and abroad.

Luis Atala
Honduras

Luis Alberto Atala is Executive Vice-President of Ficohsa Financial Group (Grupo Financiero Ficohsa), which provides banking, insurance, and credit card services in Central America. Luis is currently President of the local Board of Insurance Companies (Cámara Hondureña de Aseguradores, (CAHDA), Advisor of the local Honduran Council of Private Company (COHEP), member of National Investment Board (To promote the growth and development of the economy of Honduras in the short, medium and long term). Additionally, he serves as Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Assets Business-Holding Company, a group of businesses in the commercial, real estate development, and health services industries. He participates in various foundations as a board member, Fundación Ficohsa para la Educación Infantil, dedicated to providing access to preschool education to underprivileged children, Director of HONDUFUTURO, a nonprofit organization that contributes to the development of the country, by expanding higher education opportunities for students of high academic potential a by providing scholarship loans and Fundación Amigos del Hospital Maria, a public Children’s Hospital. He lives in Tegucigalpa, Honduras with his wife and three daughters. Luis is a Fellow of the eighth class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Karla Menocal
Guatemala

Karla Menocal is an Entrepreneur in the logistics and transportation business. CPS has been in the market for 27 years. It currently operates in Central America, Miami and Panama, creating more than 200 direct jobs and connecting thousands of local companies and individuals in the world through logistics, transportation, Ecommerce cross border, first and last mile deliveries. Karla understands the importance of an agile, transparent and ethical business environment, so she worked in close cooperation with the Guatemala Tax Administration Superintendence (SAT) in the modernization of customs’ processes. In 2010 and 2017 she received a Merit Certificate from the World Customs Organization based in Brussels, for offering exceptional service to the international customs community through this work. Karla believes that a large part of our current problems are rooted in the way girls are growing up, so by offering them a healthy, safe and fair life we can create a better country. This conviction led her to actively participate in the Board of Directors of Asociación La Alianza, a shelter home for girls who are victims of sexual violence and human trafficking; and the Board of Directors of Vital Voices, global organization dedicated to empowering women and girls. Karla carries her message and reflection to all the spaces she participates in the private sector: Director of the council of FUNDESA (Fundacion para el Desarrollo), founding member of Fundación Guatemala sin Corrupción (Guatemala without Corruption Foundation), Aspen Institute Global Leadership Network member, Central American Leadership Initiative fellow and 2018 Alumna of The Fortune-U.S. Department of State Global Women’s Mentoring Partnership.

Carlos Enrique Mata
Guatemala

Carlos Enrique Mata Castillo is currently Executive President of CBC, Apex, Beliv and BIA. He is Director of AmBev Central America brewing company, the largest brewer in the world. He is co-founder of Ayúdame a Vivir Foundation – AYUVI – dedicated to raising funds to provide free treatment for patients with pediatric cancer in Guatemala. He is co-founder of the Guatemalan chapter of Operation Smile, dedicated to providing an appropriate treatment for children born with a malformation of the lip and palate in Guatemala. He is President of the CEAL Chapter in Guatemala. Leading business community in Latin America to influence economic and social development. In previous years he has participated in the Chamber of Exporters, Chamber of Industry and Business Council of Advertising of Guatemala.

He likes to spend time doing market research, visiting stores and supermarkets to analyze the consumer’s first-hand experience.

Rafael Barraza
El Salvador

Rafael is CEO of Banco Agrícola, one of Central America’s largest banks and part of Grupo Bancolombia, where he had previously been on the Board of Directors.  An economist by training, he served eight years as provost of the Escuela Superior de Economía y Negocios (ESEN), the leading undergraduate institution of El Salvador in the business, economics, engineering and law fields. He was president of the country’s Central Bank from 1999 to 2002 during the country’s successful move towards dollarization. Former governor at the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, IADB and CABEI, he is currently on the board of directors for FUSADES (the Salvadorean foundation for economic and social growth). He holds a BA from Rice University in computer science and a Licenciatura and master’s degrees in economics from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. His interests lie in economics, banking, education and politics and he enjoys gastronomy and technology. He is a Fellow of the second class of the Central America Leadership Initiative and a member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network.

Maria Eugenia “Mayu” Brizuela de Ávila
El Salvador

María Eugenia “Mayu” Brizuela de Ávila is now an Executive Coach and independent member of Boards, public and private companies. She started Corporate Sustainability function in Latin America for HSBC in 2007 and retired in 2015. On August 11, 2004 she had been elected President of Banco Salvadoreño becoming the first woman president of a private bank in El Salvador. When Banco Salvadoreño and Banistmo, the biggest regional bank, forged a strategic alliance, she was elected CEO and Board member, keeping those positions also when HSBC acquired a controlling majority in 2006, becoming one of the few female CEO´s in HSBC.  She has actively participated in socially oriented service institutions such as Patronato del Hogar del Niño; FUDEM, Junior Achievement Global Board, Vital Voices for women development, FEPADE foundation of the private sector for education and FUSADES the most prestigious private sector think tank in El Salvador. She is the first Latin American member of the International Board of PLAN International, an NGO with presence in 70 countries.  She has a solid academic background in Law, Insurance, and Art, with a Master in Business Administration from INCAE. She loves teaching and has done so in Universities in El Salvador, and INCAE Business School. She´s always been breaking female glass ceilings, for example in 1999 she became the first woman to be designated Minister of Foreign Affairs in her country El Salvador. She had been the first female president of an Insurance company too. She received La Palma de Oro, the most prestigious private sector recognition for her lifetime achievements.

Arturo Aguilar
Seattle International Foundation

Jose Arturo Aguilar is an internationally-renown human rights’ defender, investigator and political strategist with over 20 years championing justice and democracy in Latin America.

Most recently, he served as Senior Political Officer to Commissioner Ivan Velasquez, head of the UN-backed International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). The commission has been a driving force in a series of investigations against top government officials, and it even helped inspire a nationwide protest movement in 2015 that led to the resignation and eventual imprisonment of president Otto Perez Molina and at least 40 others for public corruption.

Prior to his work at CICIG, Aguilar was Secretary of Strategic and Private Affairs to Guatemala’s first woman Attorney General, Claudia Paz y Paz, named by Forbes as one of the “five most powerful women changing the world” and a leading candidate for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. A key member during her tenure, Aguilar built key alliances with regional governments in Latin America, Europe and across all levels of the U.S. government. He was also instrumental in developing a large network of political contacts and allies across different sectors of society. The team made strides in the prosecution of organized crime resulting in a significant drop in impunity rates. They also made world history in the prosecution of Efrain Rios Montt, the first former head of state to be convicted of genocide by a court in his own country.

His passion for service began while his home country of Guatemala was still at war. At just 18 years old, Arturo was instrumental to solving the murder of Bishop Gerardi in Guatemala—one of the first landmark cases against the military in the post-civil war era, as an investigator and later Coordinator of the Legal Area of the Office of Human Rights the Archbishop of Guatemala (ODHAG).  The case was immortalized by American novelist and New Yorker contributing writer Francisco Goldman in “The Art of Political Murder: Who Killed the Bishop?” Aguilar went on to champion other cases, eventually landing a key position as the coordinator for strategic litigation at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Guatemala (OHCHR), where he trained and advised large groups of indigenous peoples’ NGOs on strategic constitutional litigation before being recruited by Attorney General Paz y Paz in 2011.

Stace Lindsay
Fusion Venture Partners

Stace Lindsay is president of Fusion Venture Partners, a firm he started in order to bring together: people of great vision who inspire change, engender trust, and are moved deeply to make a difference; insights that have the power to improve our quality of life, protect that which is in danger, or to fix what is broken in our world; and capital that can be deployed with foresight, patience, and commitment to finding ways to be leveraged for economic and social good. In 2014 and 2015 he was the director of strategic initiatives for the Aspen Global Leadership Network, a role he assumed in 2014 to help broaden and deepen the collective impact of the work being done by its 1,800 alumni. He has also been a strategic advisor to senior business, government, and nonprofit leaders throughout the world, having held senior positions at both Monitor Company and the OTF Group, where he worked closely with Michael Porter to adapt his work to emerging markets. He also has significant start-up, turnaround, and operating experience with companies, having been CEO of New England Portable Storage and vice president of business development for Merrimack Pharmaceuticals. He has also been a managing partner in the Latin American-focused venture capital firm Explorador.net. Stace is the co-founder of the Central American Leadership Initiative, part of the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network. Stace has served on the executive committee of the Aspen Network for Development Entrepreneurs and on the board of directors of TechnoServe, a nonprofit organization dedicated to building competitive businesses in rural Africa and Latin America. He has also been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Business School and the University of Adolpho Ibanez Business School in Chile. He is the co-author of Plowing the Sea: Nurturing the Hidden Sources of Growth in the Developing World and author of the chapter “Culture, Strategy and Prosperity” in the book Culture Matters. Stace earned his degrees in international relations from Georgetown University and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He and his family make their home in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Stace is a 2002 Henry Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute, as well as a member of and a senior moderator for the Aspen Global Leadership Network.