SPEAKERS

JOSE BLANC, PROJECT COORDINATOR, Ministry of Public Works and Communications, Paraguay

He holds a Master's degree in Economics from the Center for Economic Research and Teaching (CIDE) in Mexico City. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the National University of Asunción (FIUNA). He has extensive experience in the formulation, management, and execution of investment projects in both the public and private sectors.

He currently works as Project Coordinator in the Strategic Projects Directorate (DIPE) of the Ministry of Public Works and Urban Development (MOPC), where he has participated in the structuring processes of privately financed projects.

KAREN CABALLERO, National Deputy Director of Studies and Designs, Ministry of Public Works, Panama

Civil Engineer from the Technological University of Panama. Master's degree in Concrete Engineering and PhD in Construction Engineering from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain.

National Deputy Director of Studies and Designs at the Ministry of Public Works, where her responsibilities include drafting and formulating technical documents for Panama's road infrastructure bidding projects. She also analyzes and gathers information on the current state of the country's road network and its degree of deterioration.

Active member of the Permanent Advisory Committee of the Panamanian Structural Regulations of the Technical Board of Engineering and Architecture of Panama. Certified by ASEP as a national consultant for the Structural Safety of Hydraulic Dams in Panama. Specialist in Structural Pathology.

Writer of scientific articles and research related to the behavior of reinforced concrete structural elements.

German Andres Fuertes, General Manager, Cundinamarca Project Development Fund – FONDECUN, Colombia

He holds a degree in Transportation and Road Engineering from the Pedagogical and Technological University of Colombia, specializing in Road Geotechnics and Pavements. He holds a degree in Financial Management and Administration from the Piloto University of Colombia, and a Master's degree in Administration from the Santo Tomás University.

He has over 20 years of experience in the public sector, serving in the structuring, planning, and execution of PPP projects for the transportation infrastructure sector. He currently serves as General Manager of the Cundinamarca Project Development Fund – FONDECUN, providing technical support to public entities for the structuring, evaluation, and execution of various national and regional projects in sectors such as infrastructure, mobility, ICT, real estate, education, among others, promoting the socioeconomic development of the country and, in particular, of the Department of Cundinamarca.

Rodrigo Garín, Head of the Project Development and Tendering Division, Ministry of Public Works, Chile

A commercial engineer with over 23 years of experience in the development and management of infrastructure projects under a public-private partnership (PPP) framework. He has held various roles in the General Directorate of Concessions of the Ministry of Public Works, where in recent years he has served as Head of the Urban Projects Department and Deputy Head of the Project Development and Tendering Division. These positions have allowed him to play a leading role in the study, planning, bidding, and successful award of various road, transportation, and public construction projects.

Yessica Goti, Managing Director, Empresa Nacional de Toll Roads (ENA), Panama

With more than 20 years of experience in business administration and management, she has forged an outstanding career characterized by her strategic leadership, vision for business development, and ability to lead multidisciplinary teams.

She holds a degree in Marketing and a postgraduate degree in Advertising, both from the Latin American University of Science and Technology (ULACIT).

Throughout her career, she has held senior positions, including: Country Manager at Bearcon, Regional Channel Manager/Enterprise at Huawei Technologies, Business Manager at Daymon, and Administrative Manager at Soluciones Aduaneras.

From her position at ENA, she leads the management of the ENA Norte, ENA Sur, and ENA Este concessions in Panama. Her focus is on promoting investment projects, modernizing and strengthening the monitoring and control system through the use of advanced technologies, with the goal of providing citizens with safer, more efficient, and sustainable roads.

Yesenia Herreño Bernal, Managing Director, Institute of Roads and Construction of Cundinamarca (ICCU), Colombia

An architect graduated from the Universidad Piloto de Colombia, she specializes in Construction Management and is a candidate for a Master's degree in Project Design, Management, and Direction. She has more than eleven years of experience in the public sector, where she has led important social and road infrastructure initiatives in the department of Cundinamarca. Her academic training has been complemented by diplomas in the technical, financial, and legal aspects of infrastructure, which supports her comprehensive vision of public management and her commitment to excellence and innovation in project management.

During her career at ICCU, she has held strategic roles such as advisor to the General Manager, Deputy Manager of Construction, and Manager in Charge, demonstrating leadership skills and institutional commitment. Currently, as Director General of ICCU, she leads high-impact projects that strengthen regional connectivity, boost competitiveness, and promote sustainable development, consolidating infrastructure as a driver of well-being and social progress in Cundinamarca.

Ricardo Icaza Huertas, Secretary General, Ministry of Public Works, Panama

Ricardo Enrique Icaza Huertas holds a law degree from the University of Panama and has a solid track record in the legal field, both in the public and private sectors. He has worked as a corporate lawyer, with experience in public procurement, vessel registration, civil and commercial proceedings, and contract drafting and negotiation.

In the public sector, he has held various positions of responsibility, including legal advisor to the Ministry of Public Works, president of the Valuation Commission, advisor to the Ministry of Security and the National Police, head of the Legal Advisory Department of the Santo Tomás Hospital Board of Trustees, and administrator of Customs in the Northern and Airport Zones.

He currently serves as Secretary General of the Ministry of Public Works of Panama. He is also actively involved in trade unions as a member of the National Council of Private Enterprise (CoNEP).

Gabriela Lara, Director General of Transportation Programs and Projects, Ministry of Transportation and Communications, Peru

Gabriela Beatriz Lara Ruiz holds a law degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru, with master's degrees in Public Service Regulation and Infrastructure Management from the Universidad del Pacífico and in Civil and Commercial Law from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.

She has a specialization in Public-Private Partnerships from ESAN University and extensive training in conciliation, arbitration, and regulatory analysis.

She has developed a solid track record in the public sector, most notably as Director General of the General Directorate of Transportation Programs and Projects of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (2023-present) and as Head of the Legal Advisory Office of ProInversión (2018-2022).

His experience encompasses concession negotiation, regulatory law, and the management of strategic infrastructure projects, promoting key projects such as Line 2 of the Lima Metro and managing a total of 34 public transportation infrastructure concession contracts nationwide.

Rodrigo Mujica, General Manager, CyD Ingeniería

With more than 25 years of professional experience and 22 at CyD Ingeniería, Rodrigo Mujica Barros has been General Manager of the company since 2022. A civil Engineer from Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, he has led the institutional strengthening and regional projection of CyD, contributing to its consolidation as a reference in the development of infrastructure in Latin America. His management style is distinguished by a strategic vision focused on innovation and excellence, promoting the expansion of the company in countries such as Peru, Colombia, and Paraguay. Rodrigo combines a close and collaborative leadership style with the promotion of high standards of governance, fostering talent development, teamwork and the establishment of strong relationships with clients and partners. Under his leadership, CyD Ingeniería reaffirms its commitment to the sustainable development of the region to improve the quality of life of communities.

DOMÉNICA PALADINES MALDONADO, Project Coordinator, Executing Unit, Cuenca Municipal Government, Ecuador

Master's degree in Business Administration with a minor in Finance from the University of Azuay. She has extensive experience in public project management, specializing in securing financial resources and coordinating multidisciplinary teams. She currently leads financial operations and ensures the fulfillment of strategic objectives in municipal projects, with an emphasis on infrastructure and sustainable urban development.

Natalia Pineda Betancur, Vice President of Roads Business (e), ISA

Natalia holds an MBA from the Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a degree in Business Administration from the National University of Colombia, and a specialist in corporate finance from the School of Engineering of Antioquia.

She has over 20 years of experience in business growth and development, corporate management, strategic and financial planning, investment banking, and project evaluation, structuring, and management.

She has led teams in structuring bids for more than 40 projects totaling over USD 5 billion in infrastructure investments. She co-led the acquisition of 60% of Cintra Chile, now ISA Vías Chile, and led the acquisition of the remaining 40% (equity value USD 500 million), which marked ISA's entry into the road business and the Chilean geography. She has led important partnerships for the growth of the road business in Colombia and Chile.

Hostos Rizik Lugo, Managing Director, RD Vial Trust, DOMINICAN REP.

Hostos Rizik Lugo has extensive experience in the design, evaluation, and execution of strategic projects in both the public and private sectors. He currently directs the RD Vial Trust, where he promotes initiatives aimed at improving connectivity, strengthening road infrastructure, and promoting more efficient and safe mobility in the Dominican Republic.

He holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the Universidad Iberoamericana (UNIBE), a master's degree in Finance and Banking Management from the Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (PUCMM), and a master's degree in Strategic Governance and Political Communication from The George Washington University (GWU). He also completed his studies in Strategic Innovation and Development Economics at the University of Oxford.

He has held high-level positions, including Director for the Dominican Republic at the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and Honorary Executive Director of the Project Evaluation and Monitoring Unit (UESP), standing out for his technical leadership, global vision, and commitment to state modernization.

Gina Juliana Rincón Rodríguez, Vice President of Structuring, National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), Colombia

Civil Engineer with a Master's degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Sustainable Water Resources Management and Hydroinformatics, and more than 10 years of experience in planning, structuring, evaluating, and monitoring public investment projects, especially in the areas of drinking water, basic sanitation, risk management, land use planning, and climate change adaptation.

She currently serves as Vice President of Structuring at the National Infrastructure Agency (ANI), leading the development of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects in strategic sectors other than transportation, with a territorial, social, and environmental focus. She has worked in entities such as the National Planning Department, the Ministry of Housing, FINDETER, the Adaptation Fund, and the UNDP, standing out for her technical leadership, inter-institutional coordination, and design of public policy instruments and methodologies for sustainable investment.

He has participated in research, scientific publications, and international missions, and has experience teaching at the university level. He masters advanced hydraulic and hydrological modeling tools and geographic information systems (ArcGIS, SWMM, HEC-RAS, EPANET, among others). His approach combines technical rigor, strategic vision, and commitment to sustainable development.

ELIAS SANTANA, VICE MINISTER OF ROAD INFRASTRUCTURE, MINISTRY OF PUBLIC WORKS AND COMMUNICATIONS, DOMINICAN REP.

Civil Engineer with a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering, professor in the area of budgeting and construction programming at the Universidad Central del Este for more than 20 years, Technical Director of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC) from 2020 to 2022 and Vice Minister of Road Infrastructure from 2022 to the present, Appraiser member of the Dominican Institute of Appraisers (ITADO) and the Pan-American Union of Appraisers (UPAV). He has developed real estate projects and taken numerous courses on appraisal topics.

Gian Carlos Silva Ancco, Project Director, ProInversión, Peru

He holds a degree in Economics from the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and a Master's degree in Transport Economics from the University of Leeds (United Kingdom). He has 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, where he leads the Cusco Bypass project, among other road projects relevant to the country's development.

MAURICIO SOJO QUESADA, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NATIONAL ROAD COUNCIL (CONAVI), COSTA RICA

Civil Engineer with over 14 years of experience in planning, supervising, and executing road infrastructure projects nationwide. He has led multiple contracts related to road maintenance, demarcation, pavement rehabilitation, and construction of major works such as bridges and retaining walls. He has served as Regional Director, Deputy Manager of Maintenance, and is currently Executive Director of the National Road Council. He has extensive experience in project management, budget administration, and management of the Pavement Management System. His academic background includes a Master's degree in Highway Engineering and a specialization in Project Management and Administrative Contracting. He is noted for his leadership, responsibility, and teamwork skills.

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

An economist with a PhD in economics and over two decades of experience, Torres Yarzagaray has worked comprehensively in the management of financial resources for both public and private investment projects. He has also established himself as a leading figure in academia, with a strong teaching and leadership profile at renowned institutions.

He holds a postdoctoral degree in Research, Engineering, and Innovation; master's degrees in key areas such as Organizational Management and Logistics Management; and specializations in project formulation and evaluation, financial management, and logistics. He has served as vice-rector of research and director of planning at the University of Sinú, Cartagena. He has also served as director of planning at the "Almirante Padilla" Naval Cadet School and has taught at various public and private universities.

He has participated in the formulation of public policies and the formulation and evaluation of development plans for various municipalities in Bolívar.

He has written more than 10 books on public management, ethics, governance, and development, and has spoken at international conferences.

Alex Villacrés, Vice Minister of Transportation Infrastructure and Public Works, Ministry of Infrastructure and Transportation, Ecuador

- Coastal and Port Engineer, Escuela Politécnica del Litoral (1991), "La Filantrópica" Award.

- Civil Engineer, Universidad Católica Santiago de Guayaquil (1993), Highest Graduation Average.

- IGN Fellow (Ecuador), UNI (Peru), University of Calabria (Italy), Matsumae (Japan), Laspau-Fullbright (USA), Dean of Engineering, UC Berkeley (1998).

- Master of Science in Engineering, University of California Berkeley.

- Former President of the APG (2007-2008).

- Former Undersecretary of Ports and Maritime and River Transport of Ecuador (2008-2009).

- Structures Supervisor of the CAF-BEDE Unit of the Municipality of Guayaquil (1998-2001).

- Head of Engineering at the Guayaquil Port Authority (APG) (2002-2003).

- Member of the Board of Directors of APG and CEDEGE (2005-2006).

- Undergraduate and master's professor at the Universities ESPOL, UCSG, UEES, and ULVR of Guayaquil and Samborondón (1991-2023).