Dear friends,

In this edition, I am pleased to share the latest updates from our annual flagship and custom programs. Last July, we successfully concluded the second edition of the Global Business Executive Leadership (GBEL) program, which included both virtual sessions and on-site modules in Panama and Washington, D.C. This month, we kicked off the 12th edition of the Innovation and Leadership in Government (ILG) program, and the third edition of the annual custom program, Young Lawyers for the Rule of Law in the Americas, the latter in collaboration with the Center for the Advancement of the Rule of Law in the Americas. Finally, the selection of the 20th edition of the Global Competitiveness Leadership (GCL) program is currently underway, and we hope to present you with our latest cohort of talented changemakers in our next newsletter.

I am both thrilled and inspired to see how active the alumni networks of our flagship programs continue to be. A great example of this is the upcoming GCL alumni reunion, taking place from October 30 to November 1 in Barcelona, Spain, along with the impact stories shared by our alumni. On another front, the ILG alumni network and the LALP team have worked diligently to launch a new call for the development of case studies on regional innovation, in close collaboration with the Inter-American Observatory on Public Governance and Innovation (OIGIP), a joint research initiative among the OAS School of Governance (SoG), the Instituto Universitario Ortega-Marañón (IUIOG), and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos III (URJC).

As the LALP alumni networks keep growing with new programs and generations, I am very happy to share that a group of proactive and committed GBEL alumni have laid the groundwork for founding the GBEL Alumni Committee. Their first initiative has been a series of talks titled “From One to Many”, creating an inspiring and engaging space for continuous learning and connection building to drive impact. The first event of this series featured Patricia Pomies, former Global COO of Globant, as its inaugural guest speaker, offering a thoughtful and inspiring conversation with our GBEL alumni community.

In closing, I want to encourage you to check out our latest publications, including the most recent issue of our online GCG Journal, as well as our latest annual report. I am also pleased to share my new book “Winning in the Global Business Landscape”, co-authored with Jerry Haar and Santiago Gutierrez, where we explore the impact of Technology, Infrastructure, Geopolitics, and Harnessed Talent in global business. I hope you enjoy the content. I will be back at the beginning of the new year to share more news. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out to my LALP colleagues, Cristina Ruiz, Guadalupe Ramirez, and Charlotte Kennedy, if you have any questions about our programs and initiatives.

Happy Fall!

Ricardo Ernst, Ph.D.

Executive Director, Latin America Leadership Program

Welcome to our 2025 Innovation and Leadership in Government (ILG) Cohort!

Georgetown University’s Latin America Leadership Program (LALP) proudly launched the 12th edition of its flagship program, Innovation and Leadership in Government, (ILG 2025), on October 6, bringing together 34 participants from 10 countries across Latin America and the Caribbean. The program will run until November 14, strengthening the region’s capacity for public innovation and leadership for the common good.

ILG is LALP's only flagship program conducted entirely in Spanish and provides public officials and professionals from government, civil society, and multilateral organizations with tools to design and implement innovative policies. Delivered in a hybrid format, the program concludes with an in-person module at Georgetown University’s Washington, D.C. campus, fostering regional collaboration and exchange with experts in public leadership and social innovation.

Third Edition of Young Lawyers for the Advancement of the Rule of Law in the Americas

In collaboration with the Center for the Advancement of the Rule of Law in the Americas (CAROLA) and with the support of a Latin American Board donor, LALP launched the third edition of its Young Lawyers for the Rule of Law in the Americas Program on October 6, bringing together 36 young lawyers from across Latin America and the Caribbean with a shared commitment to strengthening the Rule of Law in their home countries.

Designed to empower emerging legal leaders, this custom program provides participants with analytical tools to assess the state of the Rule of Law at national, regional, and hemispheric levels, identify sustainable reforms, and promote accountability within institutions. The third edition will run virtually through November 7, fostering regional collaboration, cross-sectoral engagement, and innovative approaches to justice and governance.

The second GBEL cohort consisted of business leaders from 12 Latin American and Caribbean countries, representing 15 different industries and some of the leading companies operating in the region, such as EY, Cemex, Grupo Yunen, Alimentos Polar Colombia, Sigma Alimentos, Syngenta, Corrugados del Guarco, Intercafe, Arpinsa, ROAM Capital, Banco Davivienda, Grupo Pantaleon, Asociación Waved, Bridge The Gap, The Social Design Lab, ElementoAlpha, Organización Raíces Cyber, and Caribe Unido.

At the Latin America Leadership Program, we celebrate the successful conclusion of the second edition of GBEL. The new graduates have acquired skills, knowledge, and a valuable regional network that position them to make a real impact in their organizations and across the region. We look forward enthusiastically to seeing how they will put into action the projects they developed during the program! We also eagerly anticipate welcoming the next generation of business leaders who will join this movement of collaboration and transformative leadership in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Call for Applications for GBEL 2026 will be open

from February 2 through April 10, 2026.

FEATURED IMPACT

FEATURED EVENTS

"From One to Many" Talk Series with Patricia Pomies

The Alumni Committee of the Global Business Executive Leadership (GBEL) program, led by Fernanda De Mora and Florencia Rizzardi (both GBEL 2024), held its first session of the “From One to Many” talk series, an inspiring and engaging space for GBEL alumni and influential business leaders from the region to foster continuous learning and build connections that drive impact across Latin America and the Caribbean. The mission of this network is to form a strong and collaborative community of continuous learning that fosters professional growth opportunities and enhances cooperation in business and leadership initiatives across the region.

This inaugural virtual event brought together 20 GBEL alumni, the team from the Latin America Leadership Program (LALP), and, as guest speaker, Patricia Pomies, former COO of Globant, for a truly inspiring and thought-provoking open conversation. Globant is an IT and software development company founded in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 2003, with an international presence across various industries. Its clients include Nissan, Santander, Danone, HSBC, Johnson & Johnson, FIFA, Adidas, Disney, and Google. During her tenure at Globant, she led the development of scalable and adaptable operational frameworks, including the Pod methodology and the innovative AI Pods model, which blend human leadership with AI agents to continue delivering value across more than 35 countries. 

2025 GCL Alumni Reunion

October 30-November 1, 2025

Barcelona, Spain

The 2025 GCL Alumni Reunion will take place in Barcelona, Spain. This annual event, organized by GCL Alumni Network is a unique opportunity to reunite, share experiences, and strengthen our network of leaders committed to change in Latin America and around the world. If you are interested in participating or supporting the event, please email our GCL alumni network organizers at presidencia.gclalumni@gmail.com

FEATURED PUBLICATIONS

Check the Latest Issues of Georgetown's GCG Journal

Order the Latest Book by MSB Prof. Ricardo Ernst

In Winning in the New Global Business Landscape, authors Jerry Haar, Ricardo Ernst, and Santiago Gutierrez examine the dynamic interplay among Technology, Infrastructure, Geopolitics, and Harnessed Talent (TIGHT), highlighting their critical roles in shaping today’s global environment. Offering a fresh perspective on globalization and competitiveness, they proposes clear and justified criteria for expanding the set of nations classified as emerging markets. Through detailed analysis of each TIGHT component, enriched by practical case studies, scenarios, and trend evaluations, the authors unpack the complexities and interconnectedness inherent in contemporary global interactions.

2024-2025 LALP Annual Report

This annual report highlights the growing reach of our academic offerings, the impact of our alumni network, and the various initiatives we have led throughout the 2024-2025 academic period to strengthen the ties between Georgetown University and Latin America.

The Latin America Leadership Program | Georgetown University | lalp@georgetown.edu

STAY CONNECTED