Company: LLORENTE & CUENCA
Company Description: LLORENTE & CUENCA is the leading communication consultancy in Spain,Portugal and Latin America. Its 17 partners and 330 professionals provide strategic consultancy services to firms in all sectors operating in the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world. It has 14 offices and also offers its services through affiliates in five countries.
Nomination Category: Individual Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Female Executive of the Year – Business Services –11 to 2,500 Employees

Nomination Title: Luisa García, Partner and CEO

Describe for the judges the activities and accomplishments of the nominated executive since the beginning of July last year (up to 525 words):

Luisa Garcia is Partner and CEO of the Andean Region at LLORENTE & CUENCA (LL&C), a global communications and strategic management consultancy geared towards the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking world. She is one of LL&C´s star performers, bringing in 1/4 of the profits across the entire global operation and is a sought after thought leader and speaker in Latin America. In 2013 Luisa championed her firm´s official partnership with the LeanIn organization.

In August 2013, Luisa was voted one of the “Top 50 Buisinesswomen in Latin America” by the Latin Business Chronicle and in May 2014 Luisa became both the youngest and the first female President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Peru. She is also currently the first female Chair of Peru´s chapter of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO).

Luisa is CEO of LL&C´s operations in Peru, Colombia and Ecuador. Luisa relished working in “startup phase” (founding the Panama office in 2002) and now enjoys leading the larger, mature regional operations. Luisa´s leadership has transformed the company´s practice, growing the business by 55% during her tenure and leading her Peru office to become the only communications consultancy in Peru to receive six ANDA awards and a Gold SABRE.

An expert in corporate communication, she personally directs communication and reputation strategies in Latin America for groups like Telefónica, El Comercio and SABMiller. At “The Holmes Report PRSummit2013” conference, Luisa underlined the growth in Latin America and the challenges it presents. “The good news is that in all the countries where we operate we have seen wonderful growth”, however, she warns “Economic development and the rise of the middle class” is not accompanied by “trust in private investment, despite private investment being the main source of growth in Latin America”.

Luisa believes that to take advantage of the Latin America opportunity we must:

- Understand the “region” is politically and culturally varied
- Recognize the specific needs of the emerging middle class
- Overcome low rates of public trust in private investment
- Fill the gaps that come from economic growth paired with continued poverty
- Strengthen weak institutions that challenge international companies

Luisa is among a handful of highly accomplished women in Latin America encouraging women in the region. In September 2013 she told Colombia´s national newspaper, La Republica “Globally, the percentage of women in management positions is still very low, especially in comparison with the number of women attending the best universities” She says it is important for companies to provide for professional development but equally falls to women to “better strengthen skills which are fundamental to leadership positions”.

Luisa believes that encouraging working women to see their careers as an opportunity rather than a sacrifice, while providing support structure to juggle work/ family is key to having a stellar overall workforce. “No company today can afford to waste valuable talent… be it man or woman. Increasing the percentage of women in managerial positions, having arrived there on their own merits, is in everyone´s best interests”. Her internal mentoring program is testament to this.

As a highly successful CEO, Luisa Garcia is an important part of doing business in Latin America.

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Provide a brief biography of the nominated executive (up to 125 words):

Luisa is CEO and Partner at LLORENTE & CUENCA, a global communications consultancy and the largest in Spanish and Portuguese speaking markets. Luisa is President of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Peru and chairs the Peruvian Chapter of the Young President´s Organization. Her philanthropic work includes advising the boards of NGOs Ayuda en Acción and Enseña Perú, and Spanish think tank Asociación para el Progreso de la Dirección in its Latin American Expansion. She collaborates regularly with academic institutions including Universidad del Pacífico and Universidad San Martín de Porres.

Luisa graduated in Information Sciences, specializing in Advertising and Public Relations from Madrid Complutense University. She holds a Multinational MBA from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile, and completed post-graduate studies at Georgetown and Phoenix University.