Regional Roundtable on Sustainable Finance in Latin America and Caribbean 2019

Sandra Abella
Regional Director, Eco Business Fund

Sandra Abella directs the regional operations of Finance in Motion in Latin America and the Caribbean, particularly for the eco.business Fund. A finance and banking expert with 20 years of experience in investment and advisory services, Sandra specializes in green finance, financial inclusion, distribution channel development, credit and risk analysis, and mobile finance. She received her Master’s degree from the University of Sydney and her B.A. from the Universidad Externado de Colombia.

Elizabeth Aceituno
Finance Specialist, WWF

Elizabeth joined WWF’s Finance Practice in 2017, to help influence the financial system to improve integration of environmental risks, deliver investment for sustainable development and eventually drive sustainable practices through other sectors, with a geographical focus on the Americas.

Prior to WWF, Elizabeth was the Director of Corporate Engagement for the Latin America Region at The Nature Conservancy, working with a variety of local and multinational corporations towards more sustainable business practices and investments in natural capital. She also supported TNC’s Impact Investment division, NatureVest, as a project manager working on Blue Bonds.

Before becoming a full-time environmentalist, Elizabeth had a diverse international career in finance, which included mergers & acquisitions, corporate relationship management, and risk analysis in Europe, the US, and Latin America at institutions such as BNP Paribas, Barclays Capital, and ING Barings. Elizabeth has a management degree from the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP) and a diploma in Environmental and Ecological Economics from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). She is fluent in Spanish, French, English, and Portuguese.

Butch Bacani
Programme Leader at UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative

Butch Bacani leads UN Environment’s Principles for Sustainable Insurance Initiative (PSI), the largest collaborative initiative between the UN and the insurance industry. Endorsed by the UN Secretary-General and insurance industry CEOs, the PSI serves as a global framework for the insurance industry to address environmental, social and governance issues as risk managers, insurers and investors—and a global initiative to strengthen the industry’s contribution to building resilient, inclusive and sustainable communities and economies. Developed by UN Environment’s Finance Initiative, the PSI was launched at the 2012 UN Conference on Sustainable Development.

Butch leads PSI activities supporting global policy frameworks such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, as well as the Financial Stability Board’s climate risk disclosure recommendations. He forged the largest collaboration between the insurance industry and cities, wrote the Insurance Industry Development Goals for Cities, forged the PSI’s partnership with the world’s microinsurance community, and co-led the creation of UN Environment’s Sustainable Insurance Forum for regulators. Butch is involved in the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Resilience Initiative, G7 and G20-backed InsuResilience Global Partnership, and Vulnerable 20 Group of Ministers of Finance.

Butch led the global research, consultation and drafting process that created the PSI in 2012, and UN Environment’s insurance and investment programmes from 2006 to 2010, including activities with the Principles for Responsible Investment. He has shaped global insurance industry commitments to address climate change, disaster risks, tobacco risks and illegal fishing; and to protect World Heritage Sites. Butch has authored or contributed to pioneering studies, including the first sustainable insurance study; first global sustainability survey of the insurance industry; first global insurance industry survey of cities, SMEs and climate risks; and a legal roadmap on fiduciary duty and responsible investment. Before the UN, he was in the insurance industry for over a decade, working with leading insurers and reinsurers worldwide.

Mirta Martinez Bazzano
General Manager, Roundtable for Sustainable Finance-Paraguay

Karine Bueno
Head of Sustainability & Corporate Social Responsibility, Santander

Karine Bueno is Executive Superintendent of Sustainable Development at Banco Santander Brasil, with extensive experience in integrating social and environmental practices into strategy and business models. Also worked in a private foundation focusing on public policies of early childhood education.

Olga Cantillo
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Bolsa de Valores de Panamá

Olga Cantillo is Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Bolsa de Valores de Panamá, S.A. She as 29 years of professional experience in the financial industry with a specialty in banking and the stock market. She has been responsible for investment and banking operations in local and regional financial institutions, such as Vice President of Operations at MMG Bank, HSBC Bank Panama, Banistmo Securities, Inc., among others. She holds a Securities Broker License, A Principal Executive License and ULACIT Banking and Finance Studies.

She is Secretary of the Capital Markets Association of the Americas (AMERCA), Treasurer of the Association of Central Securities Deposits of the Americas (ACSDA), Director of the Ibero-American Federation of Exchanges (FIAB), Independent Director of BI BANK Panama, Chairman of the United Nations Sustainable Securities Exchange Working Group (SSE) & World Securities Exchange Federation (WFE) for the incorporation of sustainability into stock exchange operations, Founding Associate of the Association of Corporate Directors – Panama and member of Renaissance Executive Forums Panama. She chaired the Board of Directors of the Latin American Securities Center, was Vice-President of the Board of Directors of Latinex Holdings, Inc. and director of the Panama Nidal Exchange.

Patricia Coimbra
Human Capital, Administrative and Sustainability Vice President, SulAmérica Insurance Brazil & Member of UNEP FI Global Steering Committee

Patricia Coimbra is Human Capital, Administrative and Sustainability Vice President for SulAmérica Insurance Brazil, member of SulAmérica’s Executive, Human Capital and Sustainability Board Committees and President of Human Resources Commission in National Insurance Confederation (CNSeg). She also represents Latin America Insurance Sector at the UNEP FI Global Steering Committee. In 2013, the executive was put in charge of Human Capital and Sustainability at SulAmérica Seguros, where she is responsible for the HR and Sustainability strategy and operation, supporting a team of 5,000 employees, 30,000 brokers and 7 million clients. Before SulAmérica, she worked at OI Participações, SC Johnson and Shell Brazil. Patricia has earned a bachelor’s degree in Information Technology from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio) and a degree in Economics from Universidade Candido Mendes in Rio de Janeiro (UCAM). She also obtained a postgraduate degree in Marketing from PUC-Rio.

Renato Eid
Portfolio Manager, Itaú Asset Management

Mariana Escobar
Financial supervisor, Colombia

Mariana is a professional in international relations and business at Bentley University (Boston) and a master in international relations with an emphasis on economic development at Columbia University (New York). Her work experience has been focused mainly on promoting sustainability in the financial sector. She was a consultant for BSD Consulting, a B-Corp certified firm, where she advised different organizations in the design and implementation of sustainability management strategies and systems. Mariana also led the Citibank Sustainability area in Colombia and was the representative of the Citi Foundation in the country, where she worked with foundations, social entrepreneurs, other private sector companies and the public sector in projects related to economic empowerment and inclusion financial In recent years, Mariana has worked for the Government of Colombia where she was a public policy advisor to the General Directorate of the Department for Social Prosperity and Deputy Director of Mintic Postal Affairs, from where she led the strategies for financial inclusion and support to the country’s FINTECH industry. She is currently the Superintendent’s advisor for issues related to sustainable finance and financial inclusion.

Sonia Favaretto
Sustainability, Communication and Social Investment Director, B3 & President, Brazilian Global Compact Network

Journalist, broadcaster and post-graduate in Business Communication. B3’s Communication, Sustainability and Social Investment Director. Chair of the Board of B3’s Corporate Sustainability Index (ISE). President of the UN Global Compact Network Brazil’s Board and Vice-President of the CDP Latin America’s Board. She was Director of HR and Internal Communication for BankBoston, Superintendent of the BankBoston Foundation, Superintendent of Sustainability and Institutional Communication of Banco Itaú and Director of Social Responsibility and Sustainability of Febraban – Brazilian Federation of Banks. Recognized by the UN Global Compact as SDG Pioneer in 2016.

Gabriel Guedes
Director, Itaú

Itaú Unibanco SA: Officer since July 2017; DGA Credit Superintendent for the Ultra Large, Large, Restructuring, IFs / Institutional Channel & Credit Portfolio Management segments from February 2016 to June 2017; Credit Superintendent of IFs / Institutional Channel, and Retail, Health, Education and O&G for the Ultra Large and Large segments from April 2014 to February 2016.

Main activity of the company: Multiple bank, with commercial portfolio.

Banco Itaú BBA SA: Officer since June 2017; Senior Credit Analysis Manager of IFs / Institutional Channel from April 2011 to April 2014; Credit Analyst / Specialist from 2005 to April 2011; Management Control Analyst from 2004 to 2005; Program trainee from 2003 to 2004 ItaúBBA.

Main activity of the company: Multiple bank, with investment portfolio.

Academic Background: Graduated in Business Administration from IBMEC / INSPER-SP, on 12/2004; Master’s Degree in Economics (not completed – credits made, but thesis not presented) by IBMEC / INSPER-SP on 12/2009 and MBA focusing on Credit by Saint Paul / Moodys on 12/2013.

Leo Heileman
Director for Latin America & the Caribbean, UNEP

Mr. Leo Heileman (Trinidad and Tobago) has been appointed as UNEP´s Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean based in Panama as of February 2016.

Prior to this appointment Leo was the UN Resident Coordinator, UNDP and UNFPA Resident Representative in the Union of the Comoros from March 2015. He was UNDP Resident Representative Interim in Angola and from 2009-2014 UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Equatorial Guinea. Before his assignments with UNDP, Leo worked with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), based in Paris, Nairobi and Mexico.  His various positions included: Senior Programme Officer, Sustainable Consumption and Production (2008-2009); Senior Programme Officer, Business and Industry Unit (2007-2008); Senior Programme Officer, Implementation Unit (2005-2007); Network and Policy Manager,OzonAction Programme (2002-2005) in Paris; Programme Officer, Regional Coordination, Nairobi (1999-2002) and Programme Officer, UNEP Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, based in Mexico (1992-1999). Leo worked in Trinidad and Tobago as Senior Research Officer with the Institute of Marine Affairs from 1979 to 1991 and as Senior Environmental Officer with the Trinidad and Tobago Oil Company Limited from 1991 to 1992.

Leo holds a B.Sc. in Natural Sciences (Natural Sciences with focus on Analytical Chemistry) from the University of the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, a Master degree in Environmental Pollution Control and Operations Research from Pennsylvania State University, USA, a post graduate diploma in Marine Pollution Chemistry from Liverpool University, UK and a post graduate diploma in Management Studies from the University of the West Indies.  He speaks English, French and Spanish.

Miguel Achury Jiménez
Vice President of Planning and Institutional Development, Bancamía

Specialist in Banking and Finance, with undergraduate studies in Public Accounting. Quality Auditor, expert in processes of incorporation and merger of financial entities and organizational transformation. 29 years experience in the Colombian Financial System, in management positions in the areas of Management, Audit, Comptroller, Operations, Administration and Human Management, Risks and Planning, in leading financial, national and multinational entities. Member of the Board of Directors of banking and insurance entities. Currently, Vice President of Planning and Institutional Development in Bancamía, since 2008 and Manager of the Productive Entrepreneurship Program for Peace – EMPROPAZ

Sergio Leitão
Executive Director, Instituto Escolhas

Lawyer, is founder and executive director of the Institute Choices. He was Director of Public Policy and Director of Campaigns at Greenpeace in Brazil, where he worked for 10 years (2005/2015). Founder and Executive Director (2004/2005) of the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA). He lived in New York for two years (2002/2003), when he volunteered at the Rainforest Foundation US. He was an advisor on social and environmental issues of the Minister of Justice, José Gregori (2000/2001), during the Fernando Henrique Cardoso administration. Lawyer of the Indigenous Rights Nucleus (NDI), from 1990 to 1995, and legal advisor of the Project Study on Indigenous Lands (Peti) of the Anthropology Department of the National Museum / RJ (1989/1990). He began his career (1986/1989) as advisor on social issues of the Archdiocese of Fortaleza, when he worked with Cardinal Aloisio Lorscheider.

Isabel Ponce de León
Senior Underwriter Agriculture

Isabel is veterinary graduated from the Metodista University in São Paulo with post-graduation courses in this area and MBA in Agribusiness from the ESALQ- University of São Paulo.

She started her career as a veterinarian working in several vet hospitals for 9 years. In 2009, she moved to the corporate sector at Seguradora Brasileira Rural (Company acquired later by the Swiss Re Group). Since 2012, she has worked in the reinsurance sector with emphasis on the agribusiness as senior agro underwriter for the Latin America region.

Isabel has more than 10 years of experience in the insurance and reinsurance industry with focus on the agro sector and its sub lines of business such as crop, forestry, aquaculture, livestock and greenhouse.

Leo Letelier
Founder and CEO, Sitawi

Leonardo has over 20 years of experience in business, finance, and the social sector. Before founding SITAWI, he spent 2 years as the director of the Economic Citizenship for All initiative for Ashoka. He also spent 8 years at McKinsey, advising clients on strategic and operational challenges, with a focus on the telecommunications and energy sectors. Prior to McKinsey, he worked in derivatives trading, and with CADE, the Brazilian antitrust agency. He was elected a Synergos Senior Fellow and a Responsible Leader by the BMW Foundation. Leonardo is recognized as one of the pioneers in the Social Finance and Impact Investing landscape, globally and in Brazil having served as co-executive director of the Brazilian Social Finance Task Force and as a frequent speaker in fora such as SOCAP (Social Capital Markets), FLII (Foro Latino Americano de Inversión de Impacto) and the Brazilian Social Finance and Impact Businesses Forum. He earned an MBA from Harvard Business School and an Industrial Engineering degree from USP – University of São Paulo.

Daniel Orellana
Environmental Officer, Banco Hipotecario

Marcela Ponce
Climate Finance Lead for LAC, IFC

Marcela Ponce works with IFC since 2009, where she currently serves as Regional Leader of Climate Finance for Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), the same region where she coordinates the Sustainable Banking Network. He has 20 years of experience, of which more than 15 years has been focused on sustainability in Europe and Latin America, supporting financial entities in the development of sustainable businesses, governments in the definition of regulatory frameworks that promote sustainability, and in the planning and construction of Zero Carbon real estate developments. Marcela has Master’s degrees in Leadership in Sustainability from Cambridge and in Business Administration, diploma in Climate Change: Economy and Governance and in Financial Management of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Projects.

Murilo Portugal
President, FEBRABAN

Murilo Portugal Filho has a solid career in public sector economics and international organizations. He joined the Institute for Applied Economic Research (IPEA), a federal public foundation linked to the Secretariat of Strategic Affairs of the Presidency of the Republic, in Brazil, in 1973.
He was an adviser at the Civil Office, from 1981 to 1985, and chief economic adviser at the General Secretary of the Presidency between 1990 and 1992, when he coordinated the federal deregulation program. From 1992 to 1996, Mr. Portugal was Secretary of the National Treasury.
In 1996, Mr. Portugal started his international trajectory. Between 1996 and 2000, he was
Executive Director at the World Bank Group. He also served the International Monetary Fund (IMF) from 1996 to 2005 as Executive Director, representing Brazil, Colombia, DominicanRepublic, Ecuador, Guyana, Haiti, Panama, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
In March 2005, Mr. Portugal returned to Brazil to take over the position of Executive Secretaryat the Ministry of Finance, remaining until March 2006.
In December 2006, he was hired by the IMF to the post of Deputy Managing Director.
Murilo Portugal Filho assumed the position of Executive President of Brazilian Federation of Banks (FEBRABAN) on March 17th, 2011. Since 2012, he has also been president of The Financial Education Association of Brazil (AEF Brasil), a non-profit organization founded in 2011 by renowned financial sector entities : ANBIMA, BM&F BOVESPA, CNSEG, FEBRABAN, which has the objective of promoting education in Brazil and it is dedicated to the development of social and educational technologies.
Mr. Portugal, who holds degrees in law and economics, was educated at Universidade Federal Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and at the Universities of Cambridge and Manchester in the United Kingdom.

Laura Ramirez
Analyst, 2 Degrees

Laura joined the 2°ii in February 2016. She is working from the Paris office as an analyst. Laura coordinates projects in emerging markets that aims at providing scenario analysis tools and thought policy research to investors and banks in emerging markets. She is currently leading the outreach in Latin America. In addition, Laura provides technical support in the development of ISO 14097, the new standard on financial institutions’ climate action impact.
Prior to joining the 2ii, Laura was Project Officer on Sustainability Reporting at the French Ministry of Environment, Energy and the Sea.
Laura holds a master’s degree in Economics and Finance from Tübingen University in Germany.

Nelson Rivas
General Manager, Banco de Fomento Agropecuário

Gema Sacristan
Chief Investment Officer, IDB Invest

Passionate about the intersection between finance, sustainability and innovation. I am the Chief Investment Officer (CIO) of IDB Invest (IDB Group) as well as a member of the senior management team. With almost 25 years of experience in international finance, I have held several management positions in commercial and investment banks in London, Madrid and New York, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. I launched the first sustainability program for the financial sector in the region (beyondBanking: banking on global sustainability); I am a YPO, a First Mover Aspen Fellow; and I was named one of the 50 most influential women in Latin America by Latin Trade magazine.

Walter Savaglia
Itau

Genaro Segura
General Director of SUGEF

Mr. Genaro Segura currently holds the position of General Director of the “General Directorate of Technical Services” of the “General Superintendence of Financial Entities” (SUGEF) and in his long career within the Superintendency he has assumed various positions, including the Director of the “Department of Standards” and Mayor I. Mr. Segura has a degree in “Business Administration with Emphasis on Finance and Banking” from the “Autonomous University of Central America” ​​(UACA) and a master’s degree in ” Economy with Emphasis on Banking and Capital Markets ”granted by the“ University of Costa Rica ”(UCR). He frequently serves as an exhibitor in national and international forums on topics related to the regulation and supervision of financial intermediaries, risk management and international standards.

Marcelo Seraphim
Head of Brazil, PRI

He is a Complementary Pension Specialist, licensed from Previc. He was a UN consultant on ESG issues in the financial market. He worked for 20 years in corporate finance. He holds an MBA from the University of São Paulo and a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University. “

Mario Sergio
Director of Institutional Relations, Febraban

Economist from the Federal University of Ceará, with an MBA – Executive and Postgraduate in Economic Engineering and Industrial Administration from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, with extensive experience in the financial market. He was director of the banks National, Interbanco (Paraguay), ABN AMRO Bank, Mercantil of Sao Paulo Finasa and Santander Banespa. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Banking Technology SA, the board of directors of ABECS (Brazilian Association of Credit Cards and Services) and was a board member of Visa Internacional.

Sebastian Sommer
Green Finance Project Director, GIZ

Julia Spinasse
Corporate Sustainability Manager, Bradesco

Eric Usher
Head, UNEP Finance Initiative

Eric Usher currently heads the UN Environment Programme Finance Initiative, UNEP FI, a global partnership bringing together the UN with 230 banks, insurers and asset managers working to develop the sustainable finance and responsible investment agendas. Eric oversees governance, strategy and day-to-day management of UNEP FI’s work programme and global network development. Over the years UNEP FI has established some of the most important sustainability oriented frameworks within the finance industry, including the Principles for Responsible Investment (2006), the Principles for Sustainable Insurance (2012) and work now underway on the establishment of Principles for Responsible Banking. Since joining in 2015, Mr. Usher has focused on accelerating the deep integration of sustainability risks into financial practice, including addressing climate change, natural capital loss and human rights abuses, as well as building out the frameworks for positive impact finance needed to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Eric sits on several industry bodies including as UN representative on the Board of the Principles for Responsible Investment, as a member of the Evaluation Council of the French sovereign green bond, as Director for the impact fund REPP Africa and founder of the Seed Capital Assistance Facility.
Prior to leading UNEP FI, Mr. Usher has over twenty years of experience in the low carbon sectors, spanning technology commercialisation in Canada, solar rural electrification in Morocco and financial sector development across emerging markets. During 2011, Mr. Usher worked on the establishment of the Green Climate Fund and led efforts to create its Private Sector Facility. Eric has been an editor of the Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment report published annually with Bloomberg and was lead author for finance of the IPCC Special Report on Renewable Energy Sources. Before joining the UN, Eric was General Manager of a solar rural electrification company based in Morocco.

José Alexandre Vasco
Director of Investor Protection and Assistance Office, CVM

José Alexandre Vasco has been with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Brazil (CVM) since 1997. He was selected for a job as on-site inspector on the results of a public competitive examination. Previously, he had been a Navy Officer, after his graduation from the Naval Academy (1986-1990).
Since September 2005, he has worked as Director of the Investor Protection and Assistance Department and has led various financial and investor education initiatives in Brazil as well as joint educational projects (public and private sector) for investor, journalists, professors and judges. Vasco is also the CVM representative for the OECD International Network on Financial Education (INFE/OECD) since 2008, and is a member of the dedicated Expert Subgroup on Long-Term Savings and Investment. He is also a member of the G20/OECD Task Force on Financial Consumer Protection. Since January 2016, Vasco is the Chair of IOSCO Committee 8. He is also the focal point of the CVM / OECD Centre for Education and Financial Literacy for Latin America and the Caribbean, established in 2016.
Vasco has a Master of Science in Law from Rio de Janeiro State University (2005-2007); a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Rio de Janeiro State University (1995-2001); a Master of Business Administration from Fundação Getúlio Vargas (1999); and a Bachelor’s degree in Logistics from the Brazilian Naval Academy (1986-1990).

Mauricio Velasquez
Executive Director of the Department of Environment and Climate Change, CAF

Mauricio has more than 8 years of experience as Executive Director of the Department of Environment and Climate Change of CAF (Development Bank of Latin America). He has been director of the Strategic Program of Environmental and Social Management for financial institutions (PGASIF). In addition, since 2015 he is the co-chairman of the UNEP FI Latin American Working Group, and promoter of the Sustainable Finance Protocol of the Bank of Ecuador. He has participated as a member of the main group that developed the Management Plan for the Galapagos National Park and worked in the Galapagos National Park as Coordinator of Research and Development Projects. He holds a Master’s Degree in Environmental and Forestry Biology from SUNY (State University of New York).