MONDAY

OCTOBER 17

7:00 am – 11:00 am

8:00 am – 9:00 am

KEYNOTE PLENARY: “A COMMON DESTINY”
WELCOME: José Perez-Jones, Chairman, CCAA; Co-Chairman, US/CA Business Coalition & SVP, Seaboard Marine Ltd.
MODERATOR: Juan Luis Bosch, Honorary Conference Chairman & Co-President, Corporación Multi-Inversiones
OPENING REMARKS: Marcio Cuevas, Minister of Economy, Guatemala; James Derham, U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala
VIEW FROM THE UNITED STATES
Carlos Gutierrez, Secretary of Commerce, U.S. Department of Commerce
VIEW FROM CENTRAL AMERICA
Oscar Berger, President of Republic of Guatemala

9:00 am – 11:00 am

MORNING PLENARY: THE CEO’S PERSPECTIVE
MODERATOR: Harry Strachan, Mesoamerica Investments
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS: Jesus Canahuati, ELCATEX; Carlos Denton, CID/Gallup-Central America; Fernando Paiz, Grupo Paiz; Ernesto Fernandez Holmann, Grupo Financiero Uno; Luis Manuel Pellerano, ADOZONA; Ricardo Poma, Grupo Poma

 

COFFEE BREAK

11:00 am – 1:00 pm

CONCURRENT ROUNDTABLES: IMPLEMENTING DR-CAFTA – INDUSTRY SECTOR
PRODUCTION: AGRIBUSINESS – Moderators: Julio Herrera, Pantaleón, Ken Hoadley, Zamorano Discussants: Otto Becker, Gremial Forestal; Juana Galvan, IICA; Edwin Aragón, OIRSA; Allen Johnson, Johnson & Associates; Jean Walter, Distance Diagnostics
PRODUCTION: APPAREL & TEXTILES – Moderators: Carlos Arias, KORAMSA, Alfonso Hernandez, Argus Group Discussants: Carla Caballeros, VESTEX; Alejandro Carías, PROESA; Henry Fransen, HAMA; Joseph Okey, American Textile Machinery Ass’n; Angel Rosario, Interamericana Free Zone Dominicana
PRODUCTION: MANUFACTURING – Moderators: Sergio de la Torre, Cámara de Industria, Vilma Sierra de Fonseca, FIDE Discussants: Michael Cardone, Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Ass’n; Ligia Chinchilla, IDC; Patricia Figueroa, PROESA; Ramon Lacayo, Zonas Francas NIC; Ricardo Quiñonez, Pasteles de El Salvador; Lynda Solar, AmCham CR
INFRASTRUCTURE: ENERGY – Moderators: Adolfo Argüello, FUNIDES, Jesse Tyson, ExxonMobil Discussants: Nancy Bacon, Energy Conversion Devices; Carlos Eduardo Colom, Ministry of Energy & Mines GUA; Linda Conlin, US Export-Import Bank; Michael Kappaz, K&M Group; Kevin Manning, AES DR; Michael Realini, Petrolatina; Edwin Rodas, Duke Energy; Jim Shannon, Energy International
INFRASTRUCTURE: TELECOM/IT – Moderators: Oscar Bazoberry, World Data, Jorge Ivan Ramirez, Verizon DR Discussants: Oscar Chinchilla, CIT; Baldir Garrido, Americatel GUA; John Kelly; Pan-American Life Insurance; Julia Rosa Lima, PROESA; Edwin Solares, AT&T; Linda Wellstein, Wellstein, Steel & Associates Int’l
INFRASTRUCTURE: TRANSPORT/LOGISTICS – Moderators: Roberto Kriete, TACA, Frank Santeiro, FedEx Discussants: Alfredo Castrejón, Bentley Systems; Roberto Cuevas, Index; Ernesto Grijalva, PriceSmart; José Perez-Jones, Seaboard Marine; Bernardo Roehrs, La Fragua; Manuel Tavares, Zona Franca Multimodal Caucedo
SERVICES: FINANCIAL – Moderators: Juan Miro, Citigroup, Hector Morales, IADB Discussants: José A. Arévalo, Universidad Landivar; Robert Fowler, Distance Diagnostics; Paolo Martelli, IFC; Rodrigo Ocejo, Bear Stearns; Carlos Ros, Ros, Seguros y Consultoria

1:00 pm – 2:30 pm

KEYNOTE LUNCHEON: MAKING DR-CAFTA WORK FOR ALL
WELCOME: Julio Herrera, CCAA Trustee & CEO, Pantaleon
REMARKS: Glenn Anders, Regional Director, USAID
ADDRESS: Hector Barreto, Administrator, US Small Business Administration (SBA)

2:30 pm – 4:30 pm

CONCURRENT ROUNDTABLES: IMPLEMENTING DR-CAFTA – PUBLIC POLICY
ECONOMIC: COMPETITIVENESS – Moderators: Jorge Arrizurieta, Florida FTAA, Emmanuel Seidner, PRONACOM Discussants: Roberto Bendaña, Competitiveness Commission NIC; Fanny de Estrada, AGEXPRONT; Stephan Heieck, GTZ; Erwin Kruger, COSEP; Humberto Olavarría, FUNDESA; Carlos Zúñiga, PROMOAGRO
ECONOMIC: SMALL & MEDIUM ENTERPRISES – Moderators: Edgar Heinemann, FUNDESA, Manuel Rosales, US Small Business Adm. Discussants: Elena María de Alfaro, Cámara de Comercio ES; David Bloomgarden, MIF; Carlos Herrera, Vice Minister of Economy GUA; Javier Morales, AIM; Juan Carlos Rivera-Montes, OPIC
ECONOMIC: TRADE & INTEGRATION – Moderators: Haroldo Rodas Melgar, SIECA, Marvin Taylor, CABEI Discussants: Jorge Brenes, APENN; Carolina Castellanos, AmCham GUA; Luis Miguel Castillo, Cámara de Industria GUA; Mario Chiu, CAHRCO; Tom Hardy, US Trade & Devlmt Agency
SOCIAL: CORP. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY – Moderators: Roberto Murray-Meza, FUNDEMAS, James Stein, USAID Discussants: Ed Glab, Florida International University; Stephen Miller, Dillon Gage; Guillermo Monroy, CentraRSE; Adela Torrente, AmCham NIC; Alysia Wilson, USDOC
SOCIAL: DISASTER RECOVERY– Moderators: Phillip Gelman, OFDA, Maria Silvia Pineda, Asazgua Discussants: Roberto Ardón, CACIF; Wendy de Berger, First Lady, Guatemala; Andres Botrán, Frente Contra el Hambre; María Castro, Segeplan; Mario Dary, Minister of Environment; Jay Dick, Shaw Group; Rozzanna Pappa, FUNDESA
SOCIAL: ENVIRONMENT & TOURISM – Moderators: W. Kaltschmitt, Comisionado Presidencial, William Malamud, AmCham DR Discussants: Lionel Aguilar, RACSA; Jeffrey Goodell, Sabre Holdings; John Kelly; Pan-American Life Ins.; Sandra Muralles, CAMTUR; Denia del Valle, Rainforest Alliance; Juan Carlos Zapata, FUNDESA
SOCIAL: LABOR & EDUCATION – Moderators: Richard Feinberg, UCSD, Steven Jesseph, WRAP Discussants: Jaime Camhi, FUNDESA; Rodrigo Cordón, Empresarios por la Educación; Marco Fonseca, Master Gardener; Ligia García, Universidad Landivar; César Miranda, Agrisal; Samira Salem, DAI; Verónica Spross, CIEN; Victoria Walton, USAID
INSTITUTIONAL: GOVERNANCE & LEGAL – Moderators: John Hewko, Millennium Challenge Corp., Luis R. Pellerano, Pellerano y Herrera Discussants: Armando Arias, FA Arias & Muñoz; Eduardo Mayora Alvarádo, Mayora & Mayora; José Roberto Romero, Romero Pineda Asociados; Georges Santoni, FINJUS; Alfredo Skinner-Klee, Arenales & Skinner-Klee/BCIE

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm

CLOSING PLENARY: RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS
MODERATOR John Murphy, EVP, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
COUNCIL OF MINISTERS (COMIECO) Azucena Castillo, Nicaragua & President Pro-tempore, Marcio Cuevas, Guatemala, Francisco Javier García, Dominican Republic, Yolanda Mayora de Gavidia, El Salvador (I), Irving Guerrero, Honduras, Doris Osterlof Obregón, Costa Rica
IMPLEMENTING DR-CAFTA
MODERATORS: INDUSTRY SECTOR ROUNDTABLES
MODERATORS: PUBLIC POLICY ROUNDTABLES

CLOSING REMARKS
Israel Hernandez, Assistant Secretary & Director General, U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service U.S. Department of Commerce

6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

CLOSING RECEPTION: Hotel InterContinental (all participants)