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About this Event
On April 22, CIPE’s field office in Bogotá, Colombia hosted an in-person panel to discuss lessons and responses to corrosive capital around the region. The panel featured partners from Argentina, Chile and Ecuador as well as CIPE’s Director of the Center for Accountable Investment, Eric Hontz, and Deputy Director of Asia, Catherine Tai, in a conversation moderated by Sergio Guzman of Colombia Risk Analysis. The panelists discussed their work and experience on corrosive and constructive capital issues, trends in investment in Latin America and globally, and their insights and recommendations for how to increase transparency and accountability in capital flows. The panel is available to watch in both English and Spanish.
About the Speakers
Sofia Wagner
Sofia Wagner has worked at Fundacion para el Progreso for three years, contributing to its mission to promote a cultural change that promotes the development of a more prosperous, free, dignified, inclusive and peaceful society, through the diffusion of a liberal ideology in spaces of influence and the training of young leaders who guide Chile and Latin America by the path of progress. She received her Bachelor’s degree in business sciences and economics, with specialization in national economy and socioeconomics from the University of Vienna and her Master’s in Innovative Hotel Management from the University of R. Llull, Zuyd and Oxford University.
Demian González Chmielewski
Demian González Chmielewski is the Coordinator of the Public Management Program of CIPPEC, Argentina. He received his Master’s in Public Policy from Torcuato Di Tella University (UTDT) and his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Buenos Aires (UBA). He was coordinator of North Region II, the first formal experience of association between municipalities in the province of Buenos Aires. Previously, he worked at the Institute for the Business Development of Argentina (IDEA), for the annual colloquium and regional colloquia. He also teaches Government studies at both the undergraduate and graduate level.
Mauricio Alarcon
Mauricio Alarcon serves as the Executive Director of Fundación Ciudadanía y Desarrollo in Ecuador. He is a democracy activist, lawyer, and human rights defender. Mauricio is also a consultant for domestic and international organizations on human rights issues, freedom of expression, citizen participation, transparency, and the fight against corruption. He was an alternate member of the National Constituent Assembly of Ecuador and constitutional advisor to the Citizen Participation Council. He trains the community in fundamental human rights, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, access to public information, citizen participation, social control, transparency, fight against corruption, and open government. Mauricio received his Master’s degree in Public Administration and Management, Political Action, Institutional Strengthening, and Citizen Participation in the Rule of Law.
Eric Hontz
Eric Hontz is the Director of the Center for Accountable Investment at CIPE where he focuses on building better markets to strengthen democratic institutions. Using Corrosive and Constructive Capital as a lens to view investment he works with business leaders, civil society, and governments toward positive solutions that strengthen markets and democracy, delivering more opportunity. Prior to his current role he worked at a law firm, and subsequently an investment bank, where he reviewed a variety of alternative investments products in public and private markets. Eric currently serves on the University of Maryland School of Law’s Alumni Board. Eric is a graduate of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law and the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland. Eric’s professional interests include capital market innovation, corporate governance reform, business ethics, and public-private partnerships.
Catherine Tai
Catherine Tai is the Deputy Director for Asia of the Center for International Private Enterprise. She is responsible for overall program management, performance reporting, donor communication and partnership management throughout Southeast Asia. Tai’s portfolio of projects focuses on partnering with business associations to strengthen the role of the private sector and mobilize local networks of small and medium enterprises for constructive policy reform. In addition, she manages anti-corruption initiatives that improve the monitoring of public procurement. She works closely with local program partners to ensure progress towards stated outputs and outcomes and travels throughout the region to monitor results and meet with stakeholders and beneficiaries. Tai is a seasoned international development professional with a decade-long experience conceiving, implementing, monitoring and evaluating programs in East and Southeast Asia. Previously, Tai was the Senior Program Officer for East Asia at the Eurasia Foundation, where she provided technical assistance to civil society groups and designed new initiatives with local partners. She has a master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Maryland – College Park and a BA in Diplomacy from National Chengchi University, the top liberal arts university in Taiwan.