10 Members Join the Inter-American Dialogue

Ángel Cabrera, Julieta Castellanos, Arturo Condo, Denise Damiani, Julio Frenk, Gustavo Grobocopatel, Julissa Reynoso, Juan Manuel Urtubey, Roberto Veiga, and María Eugenia Vidal become Dialogue members

Washington, DC – The Inter-American Dialogue welcomed 10 distinguished leaders representing eight countries to its group of more than 100 members. They include Gustavo Grobocopatel, Juan Manuel Urtubey, and María Eugenia Vidal of Argentina; Denise Damiani of Brazil; Roberto Veiga of Cuba; Arturo Condo of Ecuador; Julieta Castellanos of Honduras; Julio Frenk of Mexico; Ángel Cabrera of Spain; and Julissa Reynoso of the United States (complete biographies below).

Dialogue members represent views across the political spectrum and engage actively in the organization’s work, informing, advancing, and conferring credibility on its policy outputs. They share a commitment to democratic governance, social equity, and prosperity, and convene in plenary format every two years at the Sol M. Linowitz Forum to develop innovative, consensus solutions to the Western Hemisphere’s most pressing problems.

“Our members are our most valuable asset. While our members have long and well represented the 23 countries in the Western Hemisphere, we are particularly proud to welcome our first member from Spain this year, a testament to our inclusive and truly global network,” said Dialogue President Michael Shifter.

Members are nominated, vetted, and approved by the Dialogue’s Board of Directors. Eighteen have served as presidents of their countries and eight as heads of multilateral institutions, nine have served as governors, twenty-six have held seats in congress, and over three dozen have served at the cabinet level. Thirty percent are in the business or finance sectors, and seven are associated with the media. Members on leave serving in public office include Chilean President Michelle Bachelet, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, and Argentine Minister of the Economy Alfonso Prat-Gay. For a complete list of members, click here.

Dialogue members will convene again at the 11th Sol M. Linowitz Forum in June 2017.

For press inquiries, contact press@thedialogue.org or +1-202-822-9002.

About the Inter-American Dialogue

The Inter-American Dialogue engages its network of global leaders to foster democratic governance, prosperity, and social equity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Together, we shape policy debate, generate ideas, devise solutions, and enhance collaboration within the Western Hemisphere.

New Member Biographies

Ángel Cabrera (Spain) is president of George Mason University. He previously led the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Arizona and the IE Business School in Madrid. A dedicated business educator, Cabrera has been instrumental in advancing professional ethics and corporate social responsibility.

Julieta Castellanos (Honduras) is rector of the National Autonomous University of Honduras (UNAH). An outspoken rule of law advocate, Castellanos founded UNAH’s Violence Observatory and was a member of the Honduran Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She began her academic career as a professor of sociology at UNAH and served as president of the Teachers Association.

Arturo Condo (Ecuador) is professor of business strategy and competitiveness at INCAE Business School. He previously served as the school’s president and co-led its Center for Women’s Leadership. Condo is a founding member of the Central American Private Sector Initiative. He has authored over a dozen books and international business and has advised private companies as well as multilateral organizations.

Denise Damiani (Brazil) is founder and CEO of Denise Damiani Consulting. She was previously vice president of operations at Itaú Technology and partner at Accenture and Bain & Co. A trained engineer, Damiani is one of Brazil’s most widely praised software entrepreneurs. She serves on the board of numerous private companies and non-profit organizations, including Mulheres do Brasil and WorldFund, and is a member of the Brazilian Institute for Corporate Governance.

Julio Frenk (Mexico) is president of the University of Miami. He previously served as secretary of health in the administration of President Vicente Fox and was subsequently dean of Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Frenk is credited with expanding access to healthcare for millions of uninsured Mexicans.

Gustavo Grobocopatel (Argentina) is chairman of Grupo Los Grobo, a leading agribusiness and investment company with operations in Argentina, Uruguay, and Brazil. Widely recognized for his commitment to corporate social responsibility and entrepreneurship, Grobocopatel sits on the board of numerous non-profit organizations and associations, including Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, Escuelas del Bicentenario, and Asociación Empresaria Argentina (AEA).

Julissa Reynoso (United States) is partner at Chadbourne & Park LLP. She previously served as US ambassador to Uruguay and deputy assistant secretary of state for Central American, Caribbean, and Cuban affairs. Reynoso has extensive policy and legal experience throughout Latin America as a private arbitrator and senior US diplomat.

Juan Manuel Urtubey (Argentina) is governor of Salta province. He previously represented Salta as a member of Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies, where he served as chairman of the Constitutional Affairs Committee and Peronist Caucus, and was secretary of state of the province.

Roberto Veiga (Cuba) is co-founder and general coordinator of Cuba Posible, a civil society project and platform for political dialogue and analysis is Cuba. He was previously editor of Espacio Laical, a lay Catholic publication.

María Eugenia Vidal (Argentina) is governor of Buenos Aires province. She previously served as deputy mayor and minister for social development of Buenos Aires city in the administration of President Mauricio Macri. Vidal was first elected to the city legislature of Buenos Aires in 2007 and has advised Argentina’s National Social Security Administration, Ministry of Social Development, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

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