Carmen Richards – Senior VP, International Wealth Management Advisor, Merrill of Bank of America

Carmen Richards is Senior Vice President International Wealth Management Advisor for Merrill a Bank of America Company. One of most important financial institutions in US. She is an accomplished professional and dedicated philanthropist, Carmen began her financial career in 1994. As Managing Director for Citibank Mexico, Carmen was part of the Due Diligence team for the Casa de Abaco acquisition. She also was responsible for that firm’s “affluent and ultra-high-net-worth segments” of local and international clients – supervising more than 120 points of contact and 795 financial advisors. During that time, Carmen became very active in Mexico‘s cultural activities and was part of the “Circle of Friends of Museo Tamayo” among others cultural organizations.

Carmen joined Merrill Lynch in December 1999. She was a member for six years of the national board for the Merrill Lynch Women’s Exchange, which supports and encourages women financial advisors nationwide. Carmen advocacy to women development and philanthropy makes her a relevant reference in Miami her hometown. She has built a wealth management practice around high profile women clients and Global families in the international and domestic market. Carmen holds a Bachelor’s degree in Robotics and Computer Science from Universidad La Salle in Mexico City and an MBA (Masters of Business Administration) from IPADE (Instituto Panamericando de Alta Direccion de Empresas) her MBA has been certified by Harvard Business School. Carmen holds Series 7, Series 66 and insurance licenses and is candidate for CPWA designation.

Maria de Lourdes Dieck-Assad – VP of Hemispheric Affairs, University of Miami

María de Lourdes Dieck Assad, Ph.D., is the Inaugural Vice President for Hemispheric and Global Affairs at the University of Miami in Florida, USA. She was appointed by President Frenk, to lead the Hemispheric and Global initiatives across all Schools and Colleges of the University, with the aim or becoming the Hemispheric University, and become the Hub for the Americas. Dr. Dieck has been an Academic Leader in Macroeconomics at EGADE Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey, where she served as Dean of the School from 2011 until 2016 when she was named Dean Emeritus. She previously served as Director General of Tecnológico de Monterrey at its Santa Fe Campus in Mexico City and she was also Dean of the School of Government, Social Sciences and Humanities at the same institution. She has held academic leadership positions within Tecnológico de Monterrey and with other prestigious international institutions including Trinity University and Brookings Institution, both in Washington DC.

Dr. Dieck Assad served as Ambassador of Mexico to Belgium and Luxembourg and as Chief of the Mexican Mission to the European Union and Permanent Representative to the European Council (2004-2007). For her distinguished diplomatic service, she was decorated with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Belgium, awarded by Royal Decree. In Mexico´s Federal Government she served as Under-Secretary of Economic Affairs and International Cooperation at the State Department (2003-2004), as Chief of Advisors to the Secretary of the State Department (2003) and as Chief of Advisors to the Secretary of the Economy (2002-2003). Dr. Dieck Assad has been an economic consultant to several international institutions including the World Bank in Washington D.C. from 1985- 1987. In 2010 she was appointed as a professional Board Member at two subsidiaries of Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), the Mexican state oil company: PEMEX Petrochemicals ad PEMEX Gas and Basic Petrochemicals, and served until 2015. She also served as Independent Board Member for the CFE Generation VI company from January to September of 2017, when she left the position to start the present one at the University of Miami.

Dr. Dieck Assad served on the Board of The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), where she was elected for the period 2014-2017 in representation of AACSB´s Latin American accredited and member institutions. She has also been a member of the Board of Trustees of the Association of MBAs (AMBA) for the period 2015-2017. In 2016 she was appointed to the Accreditation Board of EQUIS (EFMD), where she also serves as a founding member of the EFMD Global Network Americas.

Dr. Dieck Assad´s areas of research and teaching centers on macroeconomics, monetary policy, globalization and the Latin American economic context. She has published extensively on economic issues and economic policy, one of the most recognized is her collaboration with Nobel Prize winner Paul A. Samuelson, William D. Nordhaus and José de Jesús Salazar, on “Macroeconomía con aplicaciones a México” (1998,2001) as well as “Macroeconomía con aplicaciones a América Latina” (2006). She is a sought after conference speaker, contributor and media commentator in Latin America, the US, Europe and Asia on Latin American economic development, innovation and competitiveness, European integration and globalization, global business education transformation and leadership.  She has been the recipient of many distinctions including the Sally Butler International Scholarship, the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation and the International Fellowship from the American Association of University Women.

Dr. Dieck Assad earned her Ph.D. in Economics (1983) from The University of Texas at Austin (USA), where she was a member of the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, a Master´s degree in Economic Development (1976) from Vanderbilt University (USA) and a Bachelor in Economics Cum Laude (1975) from Tecnológico de Monterrey (Mexico).

Clementina Gay – Executive Director, USMCOC-IA

Clementina Gay is the Executive Director of the Inter-American Chapter of the United States- Mexico Chamber of Commerce, based in Miami, Florida.

Mrs. Gay’s professional experience started as an associate for the law firm GARCIA JIMENO in 1997 in Mexico City where she engaged in litigation proceedings and conducted arguments at local and federal courts as well as participating in all aspects of various litigation procedures regarding civil, administrative, bankruptcy, Real Estate, contracts, trademarks and employment matters.

In 1999 she joined MIDITEL in Mexico City where she worked as in-house counsel in corporate and telecommunications transactions. Mrs. Gay engaged in primary negotiations and conducted arguments at local, federal and administrative courts as well as serving as lead counsel in various litigation proceedings.

In 2001 Mrs. Gay joined the AMERICAN EXPRESS COMPANY in Mexico City as in-house counsel where she was head of commercial contracting drafting as well as lead counsel in negotiations for corporate transactions with top national and international corporations.

Mrs. Gay joined the CAMILO A. BECERRA law firm in Los Angeles in 2008 as Chief of Staff and Head of Administration and Collections. On 2016 she worked at 4e BRANDS NORTH AMERICA, LLC as an Administrative Services and Legal Coordinator where she handled corporate transactions, commercial contracting relationships, intellectual property protection and proved ongoing assistance regarding business opportunities in Mexico and the US.

Mrs. Gay is a Juris Doctor from Universidad Panamericana School of Law in Mexico City (Summa Cum Laude) where she earned an Academic Merit Scholarship. She is certified to practice law in Mexico and she has postgraduate studies in the US in Business Law and Real Estate.

Ana Paula Gonzalez – Innovation & Partnerships Director, 500 Startups

Ana is passionate about the intersection of VC, tech and impact. Currently, she is Dir. for Innovation & Partnerships at 500 Startups, where she oversees the 500 Startups Miami office, as well as 500 Startups global partnerships to develop nascent ecosystems around the world. A dancer at heart, in her free time Ana practices yoga, enjoys travel, friends & a good book.

Jeannette Guzman – USMCOC-IA

Jeannette is part of the Inter-American Chapter of the United States- Mexico Chamber of Commerce, based in Miami, Florida.

With 15 years of professional experience in nonprofit institutions in Mexico, Jeannette has worked in the fund raising and institutional development areas in organizations that support children in multiple vulnerable situations. Guzman has worked in promoting best practices in fundraising and philanthropy in the boards of a variety of institutions, as well as in development planning, annual giving and grant making.

She studied Banking and Finance in Mexico’s EBC university and had postgraduate studies in fund raising with Procura in conjunction with the University of Indiana. In her free time, Jeannette enjoys jogging, the art of quilting, and spending quality time with family and friends.

Malvina Longoria – Former General Counsel, Master Card

Experienced executive and lawyer admitted in New York and Florida with excellent management as well as written and oral communication skills in English and Spanish; read and conversant in Portuguese. Strong executive leadership and interpersonal skills, team player who appreciates diverse cultural methods of working and doing business. Flexible with strong ability to prioritize, a perceptive and agile leader who has a legal practicing style to protect and facilitate business. Strong business acumen and decision-making skills.

Raquel Mocholi – Business Developer & Project Manager, Shambhala Love

Raquel is known for her intuition, clarity and intellect, helping her clients redefine success, visualize their dreams, and ultimately create a life that not only feels good, but is an authentic extension of personal truth. Raquel is the founder of Shambhala Love – an initiative birthed through her personal journey, and a natural inclination for identifying emerging concepts, key brands and influencers, coupled with her professional training as an engineer, designer, and entrepreneur. With an expertise in creating strategic alliances for wellness, beauty and lifestyle brands, Raquel has developed her own holistic programs, capsule collections, and activations for private clients and like-minded companies in Europe and in the United States.

Ruby Pantoja – Head of Payments Partnerships LATAM, Facebook

Ruby joined Facebook in 2017 as the Head of Payment Partnerships in Latin American based in Miami. She is responsible for optimizing Facebook payment systems as a Digital Merchant, as well as leading country payment initiatives to make it easier for people to shop directly on Facebook’s family of apps. After having worked for companies such as SWIFT, Mastercard, and Western Union, she has more than 15 years of payments experience throughout her carrier. While at SWIFT, she held the position of Regional Country Director for Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, and Central America, working closely with Central Banks, Central Securities Depositories and Banks to improve Real Time Gross Payment Systems, cash management processes, cybersecurity programs, and Compliance/AML practices. Prior to SWIFT, she was the Vice President and Business Leader of Digital Payments for MasterCard in Latin America leading initiatives in mobile payments, disbursements, and personal payments through card networks. She also worked for Western Union in several leading business development and marketing positions in Canada, Brazil and in the US. She holds an MBA from Laurier University in Canada, and Management of Financial Transaction Services from Solvay Brussels School in Belgium with a B.Sc. in Electronics Engineering from Universidad del Cauca in Colombia.

Constanza Peuriot – Founder/Managing Director/Mother of Dragons

A three-sport star athlete in High School, Constanza was born in Argentina and moved to Madrid, Spain, at the age of one. She attended Universidad Pontificia Comillas and Northeastern University in Boston where she completed her Bachelors in International Business. After flipping the tassel over to the left, she moved to New York City to start her career at Havas Media (formerly known as MPG) as a Global Marketing Coordinator, quickly moving up the ranks to become the Global CEO’s right hand. At the early age of 29 she became SVP Global New Business at BPN, where she supported more than 40 offices around the world in global new business pitches and marketing efforts.
At LNH her responsibilities include carrying the whip to make sure everything runs smoothly. But she does it with a smile and a personality that is loved by everyone she spends more than 30 seconds with. Chief People Officer, Culture Curator, Director of Client Services and Superwoman are among the titles that have been proposed by her co-workers. She prefers I Get SH*%T Done Director.

Nuria Richards – Executive Manager, Piero Atchugarry Gallery

Studied the Bachelor of Arts at UNAM in Mexico City and is a Graduate in Art Business from Sotheby’s where she focused on Financial Development through art in its local and international capacity.  She is an expert in Modern and Contemporary Latin American art, currently involved with projects in the United States, Mexico, and Europe.  Nuria lives in Miami and is the Director of Atchugarry Art Center, a space that she runs pursuing the promotion of  art, culture, knowledge, international exchange, and communication. 

Instagram handle @nuriarichards 

Monica Vazquez  is Senior Vice President General Manager ABANCA USA one of most important financial institutions in Spain. Monica began her financial career in 1998 as Managing Director. She was in ABANCA responsible for ABANCA of Affluent Segments (ABANCA Personal) supervising more than 400 financial advisors, responsible for the products and offer. Also, Monica has participated and coordinated a lot of important projects for the bank as the shell of EVO Bank and recently the buy of Deutche Bank in Portugal.

Monica is the General Manager for ABANCA US since July 2018. Providing leadership and management to the business and fully responsible for the day-to-day running. Providing business change and transformation creates allegiance in efforts to achieve business goals and facility business growth and profitability     .

Monica holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Law and a Master Degree in Business. She also has a high knowledge of European an American banking regulations and market. She has directed numerous value success projects.

She as well has developed a lot of community service and volunteering because of her earth and human compromise. Monica is one of the primary founders of Executive Women Galicia, Women Leadership Spain-US Chamber of Miami and Women Committeed in the US-Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Inter-American Chapter.