SPEAKERS

José Luis Andrade Alegre, Minister, Ministry of Public Works, Panama

José Luis Andrade Alegre was born in the Republic of Panama on November 16, 1956. He graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Panama. He also pursued studies at the University of Missouri at Rolla.

He has 44 years of experience in the construction industry, with extensive experience building roads and bridges for both the public and private sectors.

In 2006, he and his partner founded the company “Inversiones Los Tres S.A.”, which specializes in the construction of roads and bridges.

He currently serves as Minister of Public Works in the administration of President José Raúl Mulino Quintero.

Manuel Arias Vallarino, Deputy Secretary, National Railway Secretariat, Panama

With more than 20 years of experience in the planning and management of large-scale infrastructure projects, he has held leadership positions at Arval Developers and Grupo Los Pueblos, where he led high-impact commercial and residential developments. Today, at the National Railway Secretariat, he is spearheading the transformation of transportation in Panama, guided by a vision of connectivity, sustainability, and regional and global logistics integration.

David Barragán, Commercial Director for LATAM, voestalpine Railway Systems

David Barragán, an Engineer from Comillas University and Executive MBA graduate from IE Business School, has an outstanding career spanning more than 24 years in the railway sector. His experience covers key areas such as Telecommunications, Signaling, Track Infrastructure, and Monitoring Systems, giving him a comprehensive understanding of the entire railway value chain.

As Commercial Director for LATAM, he leads business expansion and strategic development efforts, driven by a clear objective: to enhance the performance of our railway infrastructure and advance toward a more efficient, safe, and innovative rail system in the region.

Xavier Boisgontier, Business Development Director, Alstom Latin America

Xavier Boisgontier joined the company in 1998 and has since built a career marked by extensive international experience and senior strategic leadership roles across several regions.

Xavier holds a Master of Degree in Electrical Engineering.

Over the course of his career, Xavier has held positions of significant responsibility, including Business Development Director for Services — covering Operations and Maintenance — in Canada and the United States; Managing Director for Southern Africa; and Managing Director for Northern Latin America.

In Panama, Xavier has played a key role in landmark projects such as Panama Metro Line 1 and Line 2, contributing to the country’s urban mobility development and reinforcing Alstom’s long-term presence in the region.

Jordy Borbón Angulo, Advisor to the President, Costa Rican Railway Institute – INCOFER

Jordy Borbón Angulo holds a Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Costa Rica and is currently pursuing a Master's degree in Transportation Engineering at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada. His professional experience has been developed in key institutions of the Costa Rican public sector, including the Ministry of Public Works and Transportation, where he has collaborated with both the Sectoral Planning Secretariat and the Vice Ministry of Transportation and Road Safety.

Throughout his career, he has led and supported strategic initiatives focused on the planning and modernization of the country's public transportation system. He currently serves as an advisor to the Executive Presidency of INCOFER, where he contributes to the formulation and analysis of railway and sustainable mobility projects.

Wen Ding, Legal Representative, Metro Línea 1

Senior Engineer, graduated from the Changsha University of Science and Technology in China. He has 27 years of experience in international project management and marketing within the infrastructure sector. Throughout his career, he has participated in major transportation, energy, and port infrastructure projects in China, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, and Colombia, holding both executive and technical positions.

He currently serves as the Legal Representative of Metro Línea 1. From 2014 to 2019, he was General Director of the Marketing Department at China Harbour Engineering Company, where he led business development efforts across Asia and Latin America. He has also served as director and deputy director on multiple projects involving highways, port terminals, thermal power plants, and water systems.

Henry Faarup, Secretary, National Railway Secretary, Panama

Engineer Henry Faarup is Panama’s National Railway Secretary, leading the strategic design of the railway project connecting Panama City with the Costa Rica border. With more than five decades of international experience, he previously served as Panama’s Ambassador to France and as president of several private-sector companies. Today, he advances a vision of logistics connectivity, sustainability, and regional integration for Central America.

Alejandro Giner, Sales Director for Latin America, Pandrol

Alejandro Giner has a strong technical background and extensive international experience in the railway infrastructure sector. After leading commercial activities across several markets in EMEA, he is currently Sales Director for Latin America at Pandrol, where he drives business development across all the company’s product lines. Throughout his career, he has also led projects involving the development and launch of railway fastening systems, combining technical expertise with market insight to contribute to more efficient, safe, and sustainable railway infrastructure solutions.

Susana Gonçalves, General Manager & Chief Marketing Officer LATAM, Hitachi Rail

Susana Gonçalves joined the company in 2014 as Program Manager for Metro de Santiago. She has evolved towards wider responsibility as General Manager for Hitachi Rail in Chile and Chief Market Officer (CMO) for Latam, leading commercial activities, including sales and marketing, ensuring a cohesive, customer-focused approach.

Susana has an engineering degree in electronics and industrial computing.

As CMO, Susana leads business expansion and strategic development, driven by innovation, sustainability and long-term value for people, communities, and the planet.

Adolpho Konder, President, Regional Agency for Public Services for River, Rail, Metro, and Road Transport Concessions, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

He holds a Law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (PUC/RJ), a postgraduate degree in Public Management and Political Theory from the Christian Democratic Organization of America in Chile, and a Master's degree in Cultural Heritage and Social Projects from the Getúlio Vargas Foundation. He has over two decades of experience as a public administrator.

In the São Gonçalo City Hall, he served as Chief of Staff, Secretary of Economic Development and Science and Technology, and Secretary of Social Development between 2004 and 2012. For the State Government, he was Special Advisor to the Secretariat of Regional Development, Supply, and Fisheries of Rio de Janeiro; Advisor for Special Projects in the Civil Cabinet of the Government; and Director General of Information Technology for the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

For the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Government, he served as Director of Communication and Marketing for the Rio Esportes Foundation; President of MultiRio Empresa Municipal de Multimeios LTDA; and Secretary of the Municipal Secretariat of Culture. In 2020, he returned to the State Government as President of Detran.RJ. In 2023, he was appointed to serve as President of AGETRANSP.

Marcos Miziara, Director of Planning and New Business, Compañía Paulista de Trenes Metropolitanos, CPTM, Brazil

José Marcos Miziara Filho is an attorney and has more than 20 years of experience, working especially with Public Law. I have held management positions in renowned public entities, leading various large and highly complex projects, among which include concessions and public-private partnerships. Since April 2023, he has held the position of Director of Planejamento e Novos Negócios da CPTM (Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos), his management being marked by the search for an increase in accessory receipts and the implementation of the CPTM Services program. In addition to two new businesses, he is responsible for the areas of mobility planning, research, administration and regularization of railway territory and innovation. Your academic training opens, after graduation in Direito, post-graduações in Direito Tributário and in Direito Administrativo.

Leonidas Narváez, General Manager, Bogotá Metro Company, Colombia

José Leonidas Narváez is a civil engineer and road specialist. In his 44-year professional career, he has developed, managed, and directed significant transportation infrastructure projects at the local, regional, and national levels.

He served as Director General of the National Roads Institute (Instituto Nacional de Vías), Vice President of Contract Management at the National Infrastructure Agency (Agencia Nacional de Infraestructura), and has led highly complex technical and contractual processes in the private sector.

Since 2021, he has been the General Manager of Metro de Bogotá, where he has overseen the consolidation of Line 1 of the Bogotá Metro, the most ambitious road infrastructure project in the city's history; the contracting for the construction, operation, and maintenance of Line 2; the structuring of the co-financing for Line 3; and the evaluation of the private initiative to extend Line 1 to the Calle 100 area.

Rafael Pandolfi, Executive Advisor, New Business Management, Paulista Metropolitan Train Company (CPTM), Brazil

Electrical Engineer from São Judas Tadeu University (USJT), with technical training in Electroelectronic Systems from SENAI/CPTM and a degree in Telecommunications Technology from the University of the City of São Paulo (UNICID). He holds an MBA in Business Management (UNIP), an MBA in Train and Metro Management (Unileya), postgraduate degrees in Engineering and Occupational Safety (FMU) and Maintenance Engineering (UCAM), as well as a specialization in Business Management from the Dom Cabral Foundation (FDC).

International experience through an exchange program in Toronto, Canada, and participation in the Boston Study Trip program (FDC), with stays at Harvard Business School, MIT, Bentley University, and Babson College.

A professional with 20 years of experience in the railway sector, working in Engineering, Operations, Maintenance, Contract Management, Rail Tourism, and New Business Development. Currently serving as Executive Advisor in the New Business Management department of CPTM, playing a strategic role in CPTM Services.

José Enrique Peña, Managing Director, SIM IMPEX GmbH (Germany)

José Enrique Peña is the Managing Director of SIM IMPEX GmbH, a Berlin-based company specializing in comprehensive solutions for the railway sector. With over a decade of experience supporting and strengthening railway projects across Latin America, he leads initiatives focused on sustainable transport development, logistics optimization, and advanced maintenance strategies.

Under his leadership, SIM IMPEX has established strong international partnerships for the supply of rolling stock systems, workshop equipment, and infrastructure maintenance solutions, while actively promoting technical knowledge transfer and cross-border collaboration.

His professional approach combines strategic business vision with a deep understanding of the railway ecosystem, fostering efficient management models that enhance operational capabilities within urban rail systems. At this congress, he will share insights on innovation, sustainability, and strategic maintenance in regional railway projects.

César Pinzón, General Manager, Panama Metro

Mr. Pinzón has over 50 years of practical, technical, and administrative experience in the construction industry. His professional experience has been acquired both nationally and internationally.

Mr. Pinzón is currently the General Manager of Panama Metro, S.A., and also works as a consultant in construction project management. He offers local developers services such as time management, cost control, document control, risk management, and contract management, utilizing project management software such as Oracle Primavera P6 PPM and Elecosoft's PowerProject.

Jesús Ríos, Director of Projects and Engineering, SITEUR – Urban Electric Train System, Mexico

He studied architecture at the Technological Institute of Colima and earned a Master's degree in Urban Planning and Development from the University of Guadalajara.

Jesús Ríos has worked as a structural engineer, urban construction supervisor, and traffic engineering consultant. He later served as Coordinator of Public Transportation Policies at CTS EMBARQ Mexico (now WRI Mexico).

In addition, he worked for four years as Technical Project Coordinator at the company Urbanística.

He currently serves as Director of Projects and Engineering for the Urban Electric Train System of the State of Jalisco (SITEUR).

Priscila Sakalem, Secretary of State for Transportation and Urban Mobility, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Priscila Sakalem is a lawyer with a Master's degree in Taxation and Public Finance from the State University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). She has a distinguished career in public policy, fiscal governance, and infrastructure. Currently, she serves as Secretary of State for Transportation and Urban Mobility for the State of Rio de Janeiro, leading strategic projects for the restructuring of the railway system, modernization of electronic ticketing, and improvement of subsidy models and fare integration. She has experience managing complex processes related to public service concessions and permits, contractual economic and financial rebalancing, and institutional coordination with oversight bodies. She also works in academia as a professor and postgraduate coordinator in Tax Law, focusing her research on the governance of tax expenditures and extra-fiscal public policies. Her career combines technical and legal rigor, economic insight, and strategic negotiation skills applied to public management.

Orlando Santiago Cely, General Manager, Regional Railway Company, Colombia

Civil Engineer from the National University of Colombia.

Specialist in Project Management from Sergio Arboleda University.

Master's degree in Engineering – Transportation from the National University of Colombia.

He has over 20 years of experience in national, district, and departmental government entities on transportation and mobility infrastructure projects.

He was General Manager of TRANSMILENIO S.A., where he was in charge of managing the resources allocated for the development of new infrastructure works for the trunk line system. He led the technical and operational decisions for the Integrated Public Transportation System of Bogotá and the Soacha trunk line.

GIAN CARLOS SILVA ANCCO, PROJECT DIRECTOR, PROINVERSIÓN, PERU

He holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the National University of San Marcos and a Master's degree in Transport Economics from the University of Leeds (United Kingdom), with over 15 years of experience in the development of transport infrastructure projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.

He has led and participated in the evaluation of economic, financial, and risk management aspects of transport projects during their structuring, transaction, and contract management phases. He also has experience in the economic regulation of transport infrastructure, particularly in determining productivity factors and access charges.

He currently serves as Project Director at ProInversión, overseeing railway and road projects relevant to the country's development.

José Solorza, General Manager, EFE Chilean Railways

José Solorza Estévez is a civil engineer from the University of Chile, holds an Executive PDI International Business Diploma from ICEX-CECO, Madrid, an MBA from EAE Business School, and a Diploma in Business Management from the Higher School of Commercial Management and Marketing (ESIC), Madrid.

He has over 30 years of experience in civil engineering, notably his participation in managing the construction of the Mecca-Medina high-speed rail project in Saudi Arabia, through INECO. In this project, he coordinated 12 Spanish companies in a US$7.5 billion investment. He has also led various railway infrastructure projects in Europe, Africa, and Central America, including the Ankara-Istanbul High-Speed Rail.

The EFE board of directors is confident that José Solorza Estévez will be a key contributor to the management of the parent company and its subsidiaries, as well as to the development of the Alameda-Melipilla, Santiago-Batuco, Quillota-Calera projects, the Railway Bridge over the Biobío River, and all current and future initiatives within the framework of the "Trains for Chile" plan.

Pelayo Suarez Smith, Business Development Central America and Caribbean, SENER MOBILITY

Pelayo Suarez Smith. Architect specializing in urban planning from the University of Navarra (1987)

Since 1988 with SENER Mobility, where he is currently responsible for Business Development in Central America and the Caribbean.

He has participated in the execution of more than 100 urban planning, building, and especially transportation infrastructure projects (light rail and conventional metro systems, railways, transport interchanges, etc.).

In many of these projects (more than 30), he acted as Project Manager, coordinating the Architecture, Urban Planning, Civil Engineering, Electromechanical Installations, and Transportation Engineering teams, and being responsible for the technical and economic results of the work.

Among the projects in which he has participated, some notable examples include projects in Latin America, such as the First Line of the Bogotá Metro, the Toluca-Mexico Valley interurban train, Line 3 of the Guadalajara Metro (Mexico), Lines 1 and 3 of the Panama Metro, and the extension of Line 5 to Maipu (Santiago de Chile Metro).

Oscar Torres, President, ANI - National Infrastructure Agency, Colombia

He is an economist with a PhD in Economics and over two decades of experience. He has worked comprehensively in the management of financial resources for both public and private investment projects.

He holds a postdoctoral degree in Research, Engineering, and Innovation; master's degrees in Organizational Management and Logistics Management; and specializations in project formulation and evaluation, financial management, and logistics.

Oscar has served as Vice-Rector of Research and Director of Planning at the University of Sinú, Cartagena Campus. He has also been Director of Planning at the "Almirante Padilla" Naval Cadet School and a university professor at various public and private universities.

In the public sector, he has participated in the formulation of public policies and development plans for different municipalities in Bolívar. He has written more than 10 books on public management, ethics, governance, and development, and has been a speaker at international conferences.

His challenge at the ANI is to make Colombia more connected and generate benefits in the country's regions, especially the most remote ones, through concession projects.

ROBERTO TORRES RODRIGUES, DIRECTOR OF ENGINEERING AND PLANNING, METRO SAO PAULO, Brazil

Master's degree in Production Engineering, MBA in Managerial Excellence, and executive training in Business Management. An Electrical Engineer, he has extensive experience in metro engineering, strategic planning, and the management of large-scale transportation infrastructure projects. He currently serves as Director of Engineering and Planning for the São Paulo Metro, responsible for the structuring, coordination, and control of complex urban metro system projects, including civil works, systems, contracts, and maintenance processes, with a focus on operational efficiency, reliability, safety, and meeting deadlines.

Alex Villacrés, President, Guayaquil Port Authority, Ecuador

Coastal and Port Works Engineer, Polytechnic School of the Coast (ESPOL), Guayaquil, “La Filantrópica” Award, 1991.

Civil Engineer, Catholic University of Santiago de Guayaquil (UCSG), Graduated with Highest GPA, 1993.

Scholarship Recipient: National Geophysical Institute (IGN, Ecuador), National University of Engineering - JICA (UNI, Peru), University of Calabria (Italy), Matsumae University (Japan), LASPAU - Fulbright (USA), 1991-1998.

Master of Science in Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Dean of Engineering Scholarship, 1998.

Project Supervisor, CAF-BEDE, Municipality of Guayaquil, 1998-2001.

Technical Director of the Guayaquil Port Authority (APG), 2002-2003.

Director and former Advisor of the Commission for Studies of the Guayas River Basin (CEDEGE), 2005-2006.

President of the Guayaquil Port Authority, 2007-2008.

Undersecretary of Ports, 2008-2009.

Vice Minister of Transportation Infrastructure and Public Works, 2023-2025.

University Professor, ESPOL, UCSG, Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo (UEES), 1991-2023.

Consultant in Civil Engineering, Port Engineering, and Coastal Protection, 1991-2026.

Delegate of the President of the Republic of Ecuador to the Board of Directors of the Guayaquil Port Authority (APG), President of APG, from November 2025 to the present date.

JORGE VON FEDAK, DIRECTOR OF INTERNATIONAL SALES, LINSINGER

Jorge von Fedak is our Director of International Sales, responsible for the Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American markets. He relies locally on our network of representatives and also participates directly in all projects, paying close attention to detail.

Mr. von Fedak has been in international sales for over 30 years, successfully connecting Europe with America. He has led technology transfer projects, on-the-job training programs, joint ventures, and strategic alliances in the fields of Oil & Gas, Defense, environmental remediation, and the development of railway, air, water, and land infrastructure projects.

Currently based in Upper Austria, he continuously visits the region to personally attend to the market, keep our database updated on current and future projects, and always remains attentive to providing customized solutions for each case—through our representatives and partners, directly, or via associations and strategic alliances.

Always available in Spanish, Portuguese, English, or German.