At a time when COVID-19 has exacerbated existing inequalities by increasing unemployment and poverty rates, the creation of sustainable, inclusive economies in Central America is of critical importance for the region and the entire hemisphere. As part of the Central America in Focus series, the Georgetown Americas Institute convened business leaders to discuss specific strategies for sustainable social impact and employment opportunities in Central America. The virtual event was moderated by Alejandro Werner, incoming founding director of the Georgetown Americas Institute.
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María Eugenia Brizuela de Ávila is a businesswoman, lawyer, and executive coach. She started HSBC’s corporate sustainability office in Latin America in 2007, retiring in 2015. She has actively participated in socially oriented service institutions such as Patronato del Hogar del Niño, Fudem, Junior Achievement Global Board, Vital Voices, Fundación Empresarial para el Desarrollo Educativo (FEPADE), and Salvadoran think tank FUSADES. The first Latin American member of the International Board of PLAN International, she has served as the first woman in multiple positions, including minister of foreign affairs for El Salvador, president of Banco Salvadoreño, and president of an insurance company. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from INCAE Business School. In 2007 she received La Palma de Oro from El Salvador’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry in recognition of her lifetime achievement.
Jonathan Fantini-Porter is a former government official with experience leading complex mission-focused operations in the White House, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Congress. He is co-founder of and executive director for the Partnership for Central America, which was launched by Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House in May 2021 to address the root causes of migration from Central America. He serves as a member of the Humanitarian Committee of the U.N. Refugee Agency's U.S. advocacy body, an advisor to an Amnesty International Coordination Group, and a consulting fellow at the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies. Fantini is a graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University.
Dr. Alejandro Werner (moderator) is the incoming founding director of the Georgetown Americas Institute and a non-resident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute. He recently completed almost nine years as director of the Western Hemisphere Department at the International Monetary Fund.