About

Fuelled by its growing middle class, Latin America has seen an increased demand for high-quality education recently, along with a surge of companies looking to provide it. Among the leading providers is Ilumno, a Miami-based network that partners with institutions across Latin America and has more than 200,000 students enrolled in its accredited distance-learning degrees. Diana Abril, corporate general counsel for Ilumno, leads all external and internal legal teams across Latin America and advises the company on its legal and regulatory affairs. Colombian-born Abril has been with the company – originally known as Whitney International University System, founded by education entrepreneur Randy Best – since 2012. Her contribution, says one nominator, has been wide-ranging: ‘[Abril] is consulted on all areas of the company’s operations and is often closely involved in its strategy and business development initiatives. While she is an outstanding lawyer, she has also shown how a general counsel can contribute far beyond giving legal advice to an organisation.’ Abril began her career as an associate in the corporate, securities and tax department at Carlton Fields before moving in 2008 to become general counsel of eLandia, a US-based technology networking company with a large presence in Latin America. She is a member of the National Association of Women Lawyers and the South Florida Group of Regional Counsel.