Council of the Americas to Present Vice President Isabel de Saint Malo BRAVO Innovative Leader of the Year Award

MIAMI, Sept. 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Council of the Americas (COA) is pleased to announce that Isabel de Saint Malo de Alvarado, Panama's vice president and minister of foreign affairs, will receive the Innovative Leader of the Year Award at the twenty-fourth edition of the BRAVO Business Awards, on November 2 in Miami. The vice president and minister of foreign affairs will join COA's group of winners which this year includes business leaders from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the United States.

The leader will be honored for her role in the promotion of public policies that have improved government efficiency and the lives of millions of Panamanians. De Saint Malo de Alvarado was instrumental to develop Bill 56 in 2017, mandating the inclusion of at least 30 percent of women on the boards of public institutions, positioning Panama as leader in the goal of achieving gender equality in the workplace. Additionally, she promoted the creation of the National Council on Gender Parity and the Gender Equality Seal for companies.

As minister of foreign affairs, de Saint Malo de Alvarado has attracted foreign investment, strengthened bilateral relations, and increased the exchange of knowledge with strategic partners. In June 2017, she made history with the opening of the Panamanian Embassy in China.

"For more than two decades, the BRAVO awards have recognized the leadership and excellence of political, business, and social leaders committed to the transformation of the Americas," said Americas Society/Council of the Americas President and CEO Susan Segal. "Vice President de Saint Malo de Alvarado has greatly contributed to the renewal of the public sector in her country and is a point of reference in the search for gender equality and female empowerment throughout Latin America."

The remaining honorees are:

• Fabio Schvartsman, CEO of Vale, will be honored as CEO of the Year for his work leading one of the most successful multinational companies in the world.
• Eduardo Tricio Haro, Chairman of Grupo Lala, is the Transformational Leader of the Year for his impact on business and society.
• Eugenio Von Chrismar, CEO of Banco de Crédito e Inversiones, will be recognized as Financier of the Year for spearheading BCI's successful internationalization strategy.
• Carlos Mario Giraldo Moreno, CEO of Grupo Éxito, will be honored as Dynamic CEO of the Year for his outstanding performance leading the group's extensive portfolio of brands in several countries.
• Patricia Menéndez-Cambó, Vice President of Greenberg Traurig, will receive the Visionary Leader of the Year Award for her contributions to the expansion of the private sector, as well as for the promotion of diversity in the Americas.

Prior to the BRAVO Business Awards, the Council of the Americas Symposium will bring together more than 400 business, political and social leaders for one of the leading gatherings for business and exchange of ideas in the hemisphere.

Sponsors: HSBC, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, LLORENTE & CUENCA, The AES Corporation, The Boston Consulting Group, Bombardier, Emerson, Florida International University, IBM, Microsoft and SAP.

Media Partners: CNN and Financial Times.

Partner of the Symposium: Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)

For more information, visit: www.as-coa.org/bravo

Follow the discussion on Twitter: #BRAVObiz | @ASCOA

Press Contact:
Yndira Marin | [email protected] | 1-646-386-6523

AS/COA Media Relations | [email protected] | 1-212-277-8384 | 1-212-277-8333

Council of the Americas (COA) is the leading international business organization whose members share a common commitment to economic and social development, the opening of markets, the State of Law and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. The Council of the Americas' partners are global leading companies that represent a broad spectrum of sectors such as banking and finance, consulting services, consumer products, energy and mining, manufacturing, media, technology and transportation.

SOURCE Council of the Americas