The Future of Puerto Rico

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  Carla Campos

  Carla Campos is the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC), the Government of Puerto Rico’s Tourism Board. She was previously the Deputy Director and Chief Marketing Officer of the PRTC, but her tourism industry experience and track record in destination management and marketing quickly placed her at the forefront of the agency and a key member of Governor Ricardo Rosselló Nevares’ cabinet. She has spearheaded the recent design and implementation of Puerto Rico’s transformational Destination Marketing and Recovery Plan before and after hurricanes Irma and Maria with ample private sector buy in, which have enabled a rapid pace recovery for tourism on the Island. Having obtained a Masters in Tourism Administration with a concentration in Destination Management from the George Washington University in Washington D.C., her field experience in destinations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean position her as an experienced facilitator in public-private partnerships for destination management, and most recently a leading professional in crisis management for tourism.

  Puerto Rico Tourism Company

  Executive Director

  Carla Campos

  Executive Director

  Puerto Rico Tourism Company

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  Francisco Luis

  Tax partner with over twenty five years of experience in public accounting, including the “Big Four” and private consulting practice. Sector experience Francisco engages in the design and development of tax planning and consulting strategies. This includes tax services in the area of mergers and acquisitions, business reorganizations, partnership transactions, tax incentives and exemptions, individual and corporate tax issues, personal financial matters, and others. Francisco has experience in assisting clients before the Internal Revenue Service, the Puerto Rico Treasury Department, the Municipal Revenue Collection Center, and various municipalities. He also possesses extensive tax compliance experience. Professional qualifications and memberships: Francisco is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, major in accounting. He obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Puerto Rico Law School. Professional affiliations and memberships He is a member of the Puerto Rico State Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. As part of his involvement with the Puerto Rico State Society of Certified Public Accountants, he is a former president of the San Juan Chapter, past member of the Board of Directors and has also led various committees, including Strategic Planning, Ethics and Regulations. In addition, he serves as technical instructor in various seminars sponsored by the Puerto Rico State Society of Certified Public Accountants.

  Kevane Grant Thornton

  Partner

  Francisco Luis

  Partner

  Kevane Grant Thornton

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  Paco Martinez

  Francisco J. Martínez Ubarri, better known as Paco Martínez is the acting Business Development Manager for CPM, an international technical consulting and project management firm with office in Miami, Orlando, Tampa, Puerto Rico and Panama. Mr. Martinez graduated as a Civil Engineer from the University of Hartford in Connecticut in 1997. Worked for 9 years at Bovis Lend Lease in various locations in the United States and Europe. Was formerly Capital Project Manager in Glaxo Smithkline in Cidra, Puerto Rico, and Chief Business Development Officer for the Puerto Rico Industrial Development Company (PRIDCO), a government company which aims to attract firms to invest in Puerto Rico to generate jobs and stimulate the economic development of the island. Mr. Martinez is currently the Secretary of the Board of Trustees of Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico, one of the higher educational Engineering Institute with campus in Puerto Rico and the Florida. He actively contributed to the development of the Build Back Better (BBB) report prepared for Puerto Rico’s disaster recovery efforts due to hurricane María aftermath in 2017. Currently he plays an active role in the economic growth of Puerto Rico providing support for the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority Forum for 2017-2018 and the Puerto Rico China Investment Forum 2017. Mr. Martinez has been key in CPM’s growth and expansion in other jurisdictions.

  CPM

  Business Developer Manager

  Paco Martinez

  Business Developer Manager

  CPM

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  Jorge Jorge

  Lic Jorge Jorge CEO - who is the head of several companies, however his strength is in sales and marketing, he is very involved in this area, as well as in the financial area. Mr. Jorge was born in Nicaragua, traveled to the United States at the age of 15 years of that form beginning his successful career in Business. He acquired the corporate position of Vice President of Circulation at the Miami Heraldo at the young age of 26 and was one of his first achievements. The career and studies of Mr. Jorge, is a graduate of Business Administration and Computer Science of the University of Panama with Honors and has attended seminars around the world. In the renewal of his career he moved to Europe where he acquired the position of director of management in International Investors companies, where he was the general manager of that form supervised and directed to different offices in Spain, France, Holland, Germany and to give service to different clients in the rest of Europe, using his skills and power of adaptation was promoted to Director General for Latin America. Currently, Mr. Jorge is the General Manager of the Construction and Rock Developer, which in recent years has proven to be one of the fastest growing developers in Costa Rica. Having in its portfolio 10 developments of buildings with more than 800 hectares, with housing developments (residences Málaga) with more than 3,100 housing projects and with more than 60% sold and built more than 800. In addition Mr. Jorge is the president of Toro Verde Nature Adventure Park in Puerto Rico in which he has received awards around the world for being the most innovative park and becoming the number one attraction of Puerto Rico and being number 23 in the world according to the magazine Travel and Lisure. Receiving more than 40,000 people per year in the park. For 2016, it makes it possible for Toro Verde Puerto Rico park to win the Guinness World Record (GWR) of the longest cable in the world. In 2018 he repeats the asana but this time in the Middle East obtaining the GWR, in the new Toro Verde park RAK in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE creating the highest cable in the world. Making it possible for your Toro Verde company to have two Guinness World Record in less than two years. At the moment both parks have expansion plans, in addition Mr. Jorge is receiving proposals from other parts of the world to create parks of the same brand, which affirms the success obtained in this business.

  Toroverde

  President/Principal

  Jorge Jorge

  President/Principal

  Toroverde

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  Jorge Ruiz-Montilla

  Mr. Ruiz-Montilla's practice includes real estate, hospitality, corporate, advertising, sports and entertainment law. Over the years, he has been involved in all aspects of the real estate, hospitality and corporate practice including: resort and commercial developments, structuring of corporate acquisitions, planning and structuring timeshare, condo-hotel and condominium projects, negotiating lease agreements for all types of commercial developments, and the creation of governance structures for resort communities. He also has extensive experience in real estate matters related to petroleum industry retail operations, and works as real estate counsel in a number of renewable energy projects. Mr. Ruiz-Montilla recently participated in the drafting a number of laws and regulations providing incentives for the tourism and film industries in Puerto Rico. He is ranked as one of Puerto Rico's Leading Attorneys in the Real Estate field by the renowned international publication Chambers & Partners in both its Global and its Latin America Guides. He is also ranked in in the Real Estate Law field of The Best Lawyers in Puerto Rico guide. Mr. Ruiz-Montilla is member of the Board of Directors of the Ricky Martin Foundation, and he is the legal counsel to the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Construction Materials Merchants Association, a non-profit organization representing man ufacturers, distributors a nd retailers of construction materials.

  McConnell Valdés

  Capital Member and Chairman, Real Estate & Finance Practice Group

  Jorge Ruiz-Montilla

  Capital Member and Chairman, Real Estate & Finance Practice Group

  McConnell Valdés

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  Adam Greenfader

  Adam Greenfader is a managing partner at AG&T, a real estate development and advisory firm based in Miami, Florida. AG&T specializes in the Caribbean and Latin America in the areas of hospitality, residential, and commercial properties. AG & T’s principal clients include hedge funds, private equity groups and other institutional capital. Adam has worked on over 52 developments in The United States, Puerto Rico, Panama, the Caribbean, and Europe valued over one billion dollars. This includes both private and public developments. Adam Greenfader is passionate about resiliency - Green building practices. He currently chairs the Caribbean Committee at the Urban Land Institute in South East Florida and is the Florida Liaison for the Puerto Rico Builders Association. Adam Greenfader holds a Master of Real Estate Development degree from the University of Southern California.

  AG&T

  Managing Partner

  Moderator

  Adam Greenfader

  Managing Partner

  AG&T

Hotel & Resort Development

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  Richard Millard

  A well-known and venerated industry veteran, Richard Millard was at the helm of Trust Hospitality for over three decades before joining Highgate to lead business development and owner relations efforts in the region. Prior to joining Trust, the UK-born hotelier served in management positions with some of the world’s most recognized hotel companies, including Hyatt, Sheraton and Hilton. A self-described “lifetime hotelier,” Richard continues to guide Trust’s development and growth.

  Highgate

  Managing Director

  Richard Millard

  Managing Director

  Highgate

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  Vanessa Mange

  Director of Development Vanessa Mange brings years of experience to Virgin Hotels. Prior to joining Virgin Hotels, Vanessa worked for Kimpton Hotels where she oversaw global brand assessment and development initiatives, as well as held roles in corporate finance and asset management. During her time with Kimpton, Vanessa established a brand footprint in Mexico and supported growth across Europe, Greater China, and AMEA. In addition to bringing a keen eye to the Latin American market in her role at Virgin Hotels, Vanessa will work closely with the greater team on all development plans across the Americas. A graduate of Cornell University, Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Science from the School of Hotel Administration and a Minor in Real Estate Finance. She has lived in Turkey, Israel, Switzerland, Ethiopia and Spain, and is fluent in French and Spanish in addition to English.

  Virgin Hotels

  Director of Development

  Vanessa Mange

  Director of Development

  Virgin Hotels

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  Ted Middleton

  Ted Middleton was named Senior Vice President for Hilton Worldwide in 1996. His responsibilities include overseeing the managed and franchised development of Hilton’s family of brands in Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining Hilton, Mr. Middleton served as Senior Vice President of Acquisitions and Finance for Host Marriott Corporation where he successfully completed numerous hotel financings, acquisitions and dispositions. He also managed, as owner’s representative, the construction and completion of three hotels. Middleton joined the Marriott Corporation in 1986 as Director of Feasibility and Market Planning. He later served as Regional Vice President of Development for Residence Inns where he supervised field offices responsible for Residence Inn development in the Western United States and as Vice President of Project Finance. Middleton has a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from LeMoyne College and a MPS degree in Hotel Administration from Cornell University.

  Hilton Worldwide

  SVP, Development-Latin America & Caribbean

  Ted Middleton

  SVP, Development-Latin America & Caribbean

  Hilton Worldwide

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  Christian Glauser Benz

  Christian Glauser Benz is the Managing Partner of Swiss based Leman Holdings, a boutique real estate investment and advisory platform with offices in Switzerland and the US. The group recently announced expansion plans for North America with a new $1.5 billion investment in luxury hospitality and mixed-use projects across the US, Mexico and the Caribbean. www.lemanholdings.com

  Leman Holdings

  Managing Partner

  Christian Glauser Benz

  Managing Partner

  Leman Holdings

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  Fernando Mulet

  Mr. Mulet has been with Playa Hotels & Resorts since its inception in 2006. With over 15 years of international hotel experience, Mr. Mulet has played a prominent role in the acquisition, development and asset management of the portfolio and currently heads the Acquisitions Group for Playa Hotels & Resorts. Prior to joining Playa Hotels & Resorts, he was the Director of International Investments & Asset Management with Highland Hospitality Corporation (NYSE: HIH). He helped HIH to successfully structure and close its first acquisition in Mexico. A native of Spain, Mr. Mulet began his career in the hospitality industry in 1999 at Barceló Hotels & Resorts. During his tenure at Barceló, Mr. Mulet held different positions both at the corporate and hotel level in Mexico, Spain and in the US. In 1999, he earned his Business Administration (E-2) degree at the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas (ICADE) in Madrid, Spain. He continued his education in the US at Cornell University where he earned a certification in Real Estate, Development and Hotels Investment from The School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University in 2004.

  Playa Hotels & Resorts

  Head of Development

  Fernando Mulet

  Head of Development

  Playa Hotels & Resorts

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  Robert Weekley

  Vice President

  Dart Development

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  Jonathan Kracer

  Jonathan Kracer is the founder and managing principal of SION CAPITAL LLC, a hospitality and real estate consulting and private investment firm focused on the North American, Latin American, and Caribbean regions, with offices in Miami and Mexico City. Mr. Kracer has worked in 29 different Caribbean island territories for private and public sector developments and investments, making him a recognized regional expert. Mr. Kracer is also a columnist, since 2012, for HotelNewsNow.com, a leading hospitality industry knowledge portal and writes about cross-border topics, including Caribbean investment themes. He is a frequent guest speaker at universities and conferences. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree with Distinction from Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and his Swiss Hotel Management Diploma from the Les Roches International School of Hotel Management and serves in alumni leadership roles for both institutions. He speaks English, Spanish, French, Italian, and Portuguese. He can be reached via email at info@sioncapitalco.com. More information about SION CAPITAL LLC can be found at www.sioncapitalco.com.

  Sion Capital

  Founder

  Moderator

  Jonathan Kracer

  Founder

  Sion Capital

Building for Resiliency

Strengthening workforce, housing and mitigating future risk

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  Ing. Emilio Colón Zavala

  President

  Puerto Rico Builders Association/ ECZ Group

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  Rogerio Basso

  With over 20 years of real estate and hospitality experience, Rogerio leads all initiatives related to tourism in Latin America for IDB Invest, the private sector division of the Inter-American Development Bank Group. In his capacity as Head of Tourism, he is responsible for origination, transactions, and for executing IDB Invest’s tourism strategy in the region, offering a variety of financial instruments including debt, quasi-equity and equity. Prior to joining IDB Invest, Rogerio served as Chief Investment Officer for Key International, a Miami-based real estate investment and development platform active across the full spectrum of real estate assets including hotels, residential, multi-family, office and retail. He also served as EVP Acquisitions & Development for Terranum Hotels, an owner and operator of hotels across Latin America, sponsored by Colombia-based Santo Domingo Group and Sam Zell’s Equity International. Early on in his career, Rogerio worked for over 11 years at Ernst & Young in Miami, where he was responsible for leading the firm’s real estate and hospitality advisory activities in Latin America across a wide variety of real estate asset classes. His operational skills are drawn from his tenure at Four Seasons Hotels and InterContinental Hotels. Mr. Basso is often quoted in industry publications on hospitality trends and topics, and is a guest speaker at industry related conferences in the United States and Latin America. He also served as a professor of feasibility analysis for the graduate hotel management program at Florida International University. Rogerio holds a Business Degree from the College of William and Mary and a Masters Degree from the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

  Inter-American Development Bank

  Head of Tourism

  Rogerio Basso

  Head of Tourism

  Inter-American Development Bank

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  Fernando Fernandez

  As Apple Leisure Group®’s Vice President of Development, Fernando Fernandez leverages over three decades of experience in hotel operations, consultancy and development to accelerate the group’s expansion goals in key markets. Fernando is responsible for increasing the company's footprint in the Caribbean and Latin America by securing partnerships with hotel owners and developers in these high-demand markets. Prior to joining Apple Leisure Group, Fernando spent eight years as Vice President of Development for Meliá Hotels International in Europe, across the Americas and the Caribbean. During his tenure, Fernando successfully negotiated high-profile additions to Meliá’s management portfolio, including Meliá Jamaica, which introduced Spain’s largest hotel company to the English Caribbean. He also oversaw the addition of Me Miami and Meliá Cartagena de Indias in Colombia among others. In addition to his work with Meliá Hotels International, Fernando managed key accounts for LRA Worldwide, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts (Latin America), Grupo Posadas (México), Interstate Hotels & Resorts (USA), Accor Hotels (Latin América), Pestana Hotels & Resorts (Portugal), Delta Hotels (Canada) and Oberoi Hotels and Resorts (India). Fernando received a degree in Hotel & Tourism Management from Escuela Official de Turismo in Madrid, Spain, before acquiring additional training in Hotel Management at the Hotel Institute Montreux in Switzerland. Fernando graduated with honors from the University of South Carolina, earning a B.S. in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Management.

  Apple Leisure Group

  VP, Development-Caribbean

  Fernando Fernandez

  VP, Development-Caribbean

  Apple Leisure Group

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  George Puig

  Landscape Architecture Practice Builder

  Kimley Horn

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  Daniel Lu

  SVP

  China Construction America

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  Joseph Hernandez

  Joe Hernandez is a sought-after transactional real estate and business lawyer with a unique perspective: he is able to draw from his prior work experience as a banker and general counsel for a private equity firm to inform his representation of a variety of clients seeking to engage in complex commercial real estate and business transactions. Joe’s clients include real estate developers, financial institutions, private equity firms, high net worth individuals, and public entities in all phases of complex commercial real estate and business transactions in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. He handles acquisitions, development, financing, leasing, joint ventures, and advises clients on raising capital for real estate projects. Joe has also developed a particular niche representing condominium associations and cooperative corporations being pursued by developers for acquisition of the units and termination of the condominium or cooperative. Joe coordinates a multi-disciplinary approach in order to counsel clients in navigating the myriad of legal issues faced by associations and unit owners in these situations. Joe also represents condominium associations, community associations, developers of condominium projects, and groups of unit owners in a variety of condominium law and community association matters, including turnovers, dispute resolution, casualties and construction defects issues. Joe is an agent for several national title insurance companies and has handled the resolution of complex title insurance issues involving real property in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. Prior to joining the firm, Joe served as general counsel for an asset management firm owned by Cerberus Capital. Prior to that, Joe was the head of the real estate practice group at the Miami office of an AmLaw 100 firm and a real estate shareholder at one of the largest law firms in the country. Prior to law school, Joe was a banker at a large money center bank in New York and also worked for the predecessor of Bank of America for five years as a corporate and real estate banker. Joe was elected as a Fellow of the American College of Real Estate Lawyers (ACREL) in 2017. Active in the community, Joe is on the board of directors of Junior Achievement of Greater Miami. He is an adjunct professor at the University of Miami School of Law and teaches courses in real estate finance for the Real Property Development L.L.M Program.

  Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman

  Partner, Chair of Real Estate Practice Group

  Moderator

  Joseph Hernandez

  Partner, Chair of Real Estate Practice Group

  Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman