Event information
Agenda
6.00pm – 6.25pm Registration
6.25pm – 6.35pm Opening remarks
6.35pm – 7.45pm Exploring Diversity and Inclusion from the Business Community Perspective
- Inés Elvira Vesga, partner, Holland & Knight
- Ana María Gomez, president, Asoleche
- Mauricio Vélez, director of sustainability, Asobancaria
- María Fernanda Quiñones, executive president, Cámara Colombiana de Comercio Electrónico
- Turenna Ramírez, partner, Holland & Knight Mexico
7.45pm – 7.50pm Closing remarks
7.50pm – 9.00pm Drinks and canapes
Speakers
Inés Elvira Vesga, partner, Holland & Knight
Inés Elvira Vesga is a corporate and transactional attorney in Holland & Knight’s Bogotá office, where she focuses her practice on international mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and corporate matters, as well as on energy regulatory matters and complex transactions, particularly in the energy sector. Ms. Vesga is well-versed in advising national and foreign clients in corporate and M&A transactions in different industries such as oil and gas, energy and natural resources, renewables, logistics, telecommunications, and healthcare service providers, among others. She has more than 15 years of experience advising on regulatory issues, oil and gas projects, and other complex corporate negotiations and is able to understand and service clients in a wide range of transactions in numerous jurisdictions.
As part of her practice, Ms. Vesga has represented companies in the energy sector in the sale of their main assets and in the purchase of companies in the same sector, including due diligence processes, negotiation of transaction terms and closings. Within her practice, she provides corporate and regulatory advisory to local and international companies in the renewables business. Before joining Holland & Knight, Ms. Vesga worked at two Bogotá-based law firms and founded her own boutique firm. Prior to that, she served as general counsel for a local group of companies focused on exploration and production operations and oilfield services.
Ana María Gomez, president, Asoleche
The new executive president has the challenge of leading the strategy to boost the sustainability and productivity of the dairy sector in Colombia and work hand in hand with the Ministry of Agriculture, unions and other sectors to promote the modernisation of the countryside towards sustainable and inclusive development. Gómez has more than 25 years of experience leading corporate affairs, sustainability issues and crisis management for companies in the consumer goods, communications and mining and energy sectors.
Mauricio Vélez, director of sustainability, Asobancaria
Manager engineer specialising in financial engineering from the Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Master in Economics from EAFIT University and Master in Sustainable Development from Macquarie University in Australia. Postgraduate studies in social entrepreneurship, sustainable business practices and economic development at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark. Experience in the financial sector for more than 15 years, he currently teaches Corporate Sustainability at the Universidad de los Andes and leads the sustainability strategy of the Colombian banking sector as Director of Sustainability at Asobancaria.
María Fernanda Quiñones, executive president, Cámara Colombiana de Comercio Electrónico
María Fernanda, Lawyer from the University of The Andes with an MBA and a Master’s in Economic Law from The Externado University of Colombia, specialising in Administrative, Constitutional, and Financial Law from the University of Rosario, has demonstrated a commitment to education. As a professor at the University of The Andes and the Externado University of Colombia, she specialises in crucial areas such as Commercial Law, E-commerce, and Payment Ecosystems.
For 5 years, María Fernanda has served as the executive president of the Colombian Chamber of Electronic Commerce, strategically leading a guild entity with the fundamental mission of promoting and strengthening the E-Commerce industry in Colombia
Turenna Ramírez, partner, Holland & Knight Mexico
Turenna Ramirez Ortiz is a highly experienced corporate trade attorney with over 25 years of expertise, currently based in Holland & Knight’s Mexico City office. Specializing in cross-border transactions related to international trade, customs, and non-tariff regulations, Ms. Ramirez serves a diverse clientele across industries such as automotive, retail, chemical, petrochemical, luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, software, cosmetics, electronics, maquiladoras (IMMEX), and trading companies.
Her practice includes strategic planning, trade compliance diagnosis, advisory on free trade agreements, and conducting preventive and reactive audits by the Mexican Tax Administration Service. Ms. Ramirez is skilled in handling defense and litigation matters before the Mexican government and federal courts.
Beyond her core focus, she provides guidance on foreign trade, multilateral treaties, and antidumping laws. Her extensive experience involves designing and implementing business strategies, managing origin verifications under NAFTA and USMCA, negotiating rules of origin, overseeing export controls, managing import/export regimes, structuring bonded facilities, designing duty-quota structures, and engaging in high-level negotiations.
Ms. Ramirez has actively participated in complex, high-visibility matters, including international trade negotiations with the secretary general of the World Customs Organization (WCO) in a program against forgery and piracy.
Before joining Holland & Knight, she held significant roles, including being an attorney and board member of a Mexican law firm and Managing Partner of its Mexico City office. Ms. Ramirez has further enriched her professional background through education, completing a leading professional service firms course at Harvard Business School and various post-graduate courses on international business, commercial structure, and legal aspects of foreign trade at diverse Mexican universities. Notably, she completed an internship in the Congressional office of former Rep. Eligio “Kika” de la Garza, showcasing her commitment to continuous learning and active engagement in legislative processes
In association with...
Holland & Knight is a global law firm with approximately 2,200 lawyers and other professionals in 34 offices around the world. Our Colombian team has well-rounded experience providing bilingual and bicultural representation to companies from all around the world. The recent combination of notable business law firm Cuberos Cortés Gutiérrez (CCG) has made our Colombia office one of the fastest growing international law firms with a robust full-service practice. The recent growth has further strengthened our existing corporate, litigation, arbitration, labor, tax, infrastructure projects and real estate practices, while also expanding the firm’s capabilities through the addition of new practice areas.
We counsel clients in cross-border transactions, taxation, labor and employment, intellectual property and competition, energy, environmental law, natural resources, infrastructure, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), joint ventures, venture capital, private equity investments, banking and finance and project finance, as well as international litigation and arbitration. We also provide regulatory advice to foreign companies doing business in Colombia, as well as Colombian companies doing business abroad.