Conference Speakers

Juan Pablo Franco

Juan Pablo Franco

DGAC Ecuador

Juan Pablo Franco Castro (Guayaquil, 1985) es el actual Director General de Aviación Civil del Ecuador y destacado profesional ecuatoriano con amplia experiencia en derecho y aviación.

Abogado titulado por la Universidad de Especialidades Espíritu Santo (UEES), cuenta con una licencia de piloto privado y especializaciones en Derecho Corporativo Nacional e Internacional, Aduanas, Facilitación Aduanera para el Comercio, mediación de conflictos en empresas familiares, negociación y mediación judicial.

Ha participado en congresos internacionales sobre derecho procesal constitucional, criminología, ciencias forenses y medicina legal.

Su trayectoria incluye cargos como Asesor Jurídico Tributario en la Corporación Aduanera Ecuatoriana, Director de áreas de Derecho Aduanero, Tributario y Aeronáutico, Catedrático de Legislación Aeronáutica, Gerente General de Línea Aérea y Servicios S.A., y ex Subdirector Zonal del Litoral de la DGAC.

Desde agosto de2024 ocupa el cargo de Director General de Aviación Civil del Ecuador contribuyendo a la regulación y desarrollo del sector aeronáutico ecuatoriano.

Rafael
Echevarne

ACI-LAC

Director General

Rafael Echevarne is the Director General of Airports Council International – Latin America and the Caribbean (ACI-LAC).
Previously, Rafael served as CEO of Montego Bay Airport in Jamaica and held positions in international organizations and airport companies across Europe, Australasia, and the Middle East, specializing in airport economic regulation, privatization, infrastructure, and business development.
A Spanish national, Rafael holds a PhD in Air Transport Economics from Cranfield University in the United Kingdom and regularly lectures at universities around the world.

Pedro
De la Fuente

IATA

Senior Manager, External Affairs & Sustainability

Senior Manager,Sustainability, Policy & Standars for the Americas, IATA. In this position, Pedro is responsible for environmental issues pertaining to the airline, ranging from managing international relations with governments and stakeholders torepresenting airlines in governmental regulatory matters affecting the industry in the region. Within his role, he is also responsible for promoting the advancement of global best practices and standards aimed at simplifying the process of doing business for IATA member airlines. 

A graduate of Florida International University in Finance and International Relations, and with Florida and with an MBA in Airspace and Sustainability and Business Management from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Pedro has extensive experience in international policy issues aimed at reducing aviation’s carbonfootprint. His work is currently focused on supporting governments across the Americas region in the development of policies that encourage the advancement of sustainable aviation fuels and the adoption of strategies aimed at the decarbonization of the aviation industry as a goal towards 2050. 

Paula
Daroca

Airbus

Head of International Business Growth for Airbus in the Latin America and Caribbean region

Paula Daroca Arcas is the Head of International Business Growth for Airbus in the Latin America and Caribbean region, a role she took on in 2025. She oversees public affairs, industrial cooperation, and corporate governance while xactively supporting the company’s decarbonization ambitions.
Prior to this, she was the Head of Business Transformation at Airbus Corporate Jets (ACJ), where she also served as the ACJ Sustainability Officer and SAF Ambassador.
Since joining Airbus in 2004, she has gained extensive experience in customer liaison, sales, and contract negotiation, including work on the A380 & A400M programs.
Based in Miami, born in Spain, fluent in French, English, and Spanish, Paula holds two Master’s degrees in Engineering from universities in Madrid and Toulouse.

Mariano
Gutierrez

Repsol

Aviation Manager

Mariano Gutiérrez posee una experiencia de más de 20 años en el sector energía, destacándose en la gestión comercial y de proyectos, así como en la optimización de procesos de producción, transporte y almacenamiento de hidrocarburos. Actualmente, es Gerente de Aviación Latinoamérica en Repsol, compañía global en la que ha ocupado diversos cargos de liderazgo desde 2008. Ingeniero petroquímico por la Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería de Lima, cuenta además con un MBA por la Universidad Politécnica de Madrid y un máster en Refino y Gas natural por el Instituto Superior de la Energía, España. Es profesor universitario y participa activamente en foros internacionales sobre sostenibilidad en la Aviación. 

Maria del Mar
Wittaker

ABRA Group

Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer

Maria del Mar Whittaker serves as the Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer (CCRO) of Abra Group, the leading airline holding company in Latin America. In this role, she oversees the group’s strategy and performance across environmental sustainability, social impact, diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI), and corporate citizenship, ensuring alignment with global best practices and local relevance across the group’s operations in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, and Chile.
With a strong track record in driving impactful ESG programs, Maria leads initiatives that promote climate resilience, sustainable aviation, inclusive growth, and community engagement. She plays a pivotal role in embedding sustainability into core business strategy, supporting compliance with international standards, stakeholder expectations, and emerging regulation, including SAF adoption, CORSIA compliance and regional decarbonization goals.
Prior to joining Abra Group, Maria co-founded Downforce Technologies together with the ex Chief Scientist for UNEP, a startup delivering decarbonization of agricultural supply chains at scale. Maria also held strategic leadership roles in financial data and financial markets, with experience across Latin America, developed and emerging markets, and is a farm owner in Argentina. She is known for her ability to connect high-level strategy with on-theground impact, fostering partnerships across public and private sectors

Louise
Burke

Argus Media

Vice President Global Aviation and NA Renewables

Louise Burke has been involved in energy field for over 25 years and is currently leading business development initiatives for Argus Media in the global aviation and sustainable aviation sector and in the transition in North America to renewables.  Previously she served as Vice-President at NYMEX (CME group) during its rapid growth in the 1990s. In addition, Louise worked with Alberta Energy Corporation in Alberta, Mobil Oil, and at Petroleos de Venezuela in NYC. She serves as President of the Board of Directors of The Energy Forum and is affiliated with the SIPA energy program at Columbia University, New York.   

Ms. Burke holds a BA from the University of Alberta, and a Masters of Business Administration from New York University.  

Argus Media is a leading provider of data on prices and fundamentals, news, analysis, consultancy services and conferences for the global crude, oil products, natural gas, electricity, coal, emissions, bioenergy, fertilizer, petrochemical and transportation industries. Data provided by Argus are widely used for indexation of physical trade. 

Liliana
Tovar

Terpel

VP Aviation and Marine

Ingeniera Industrial de la Universidad Javeriana de Colombia con MBA y Máster en Liderazgo en la escuela de negocios EADA de Barcelona, España. Es VP de Aviación y Marinos de Terpel, empresa de origen colombiano líder en distribución de combustible y lubricantes, con presencia en Panamá, República Dominicana, Colombia, Perú y Ecuador. 

Con más de 30 años en la industria de combustible, durante su trayectoria ha contribuido al posicionamiento de Terpel en la industria y a la expansión del negocio en la región.  

Karen
Walker

Air Transport World

Air Transport World Editor-in-Chief and Group Air Transport Editor-in-Chief

Karen Walker is Group Air Transport Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week Network, and Air Transport World Editor-in-Chief, directing and creating global air transport coverage and content.
She joined ATW in 2011, having previously been Chief Editor at Armed Forces Journal, Americas’ Chief Editor at Airline Business and Air Transport Intelligence, and Technology Editor at Janes Defence Weekly.
Karen serves on the Board of the International Aviation Club of Washington D.C., where she was President in 2018 and 2019.
She is a former Aerospace Media Awards Reporter of the Year and a multiple winner of the Royal Aerospace media awards. Karen has also chaired the annual IATA Diversity & Inclusion Awards judging panels since that award was launched and she serves on the annual L. Welch Pogue Award Committee.
She earned her journalism degree in the UK, then worked at local newspapers in East Anglia before specializing in covering aviation/aerospace, moving to the U.S. east coast in 1991. She is based in Washington D.C

Iván
Saco

Exolum Aviation

VP Commercial Airports

IVAN SACO MUIÑO es Ingeniero Industrial (especialidad en Organización y Gestión Industrial) por la Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Madrid (2001) y tiene un posgrado en Desarrollo Directivo por el IESE (Barcelona, 2012). Fue nombrado director de Terminal de Instalaciones de Ibiza en 2004. Se incorporó a CLH Aviación en 2006, trasladándose a Barcelona para incorporarse al Departamento de Instalaciones Aeroportuarias hasta 2009 cuando fue nombrado Director de Terminal de Instalaciones. Después de más de 16 años trabajando en el grupo Exolum en varios puestos, Iván es actualmente responsable de negocios de las actividades relacionadas con la aviación en el grupo Exolum, incluidas la dirección y gestión de las subsidiarias ocupando el puesto de VP Commercial Airports.

Cesar
Pereira

Embraer

Head of Sustainability- Commercial Aviation

Cesar Pereira, a seasoned leader with over two decades at Embraer, has held pivotal roles across Engineering, Marketing, Sales, and Sustainability. Formerly Vice President for APAC and EMEA, he steered regional operations from Singapore and Amsterdam, respectively. Now, as Head of Sustainability, Cesar leads global sustainability initiatives within Commercial Aviation, aiming for carbon neutrality by 2040. His strategic acumen extends to fostering partnerships and driving innovation in renewable fuels like SAF and emerging technologies such as electrification and hydrogen-powered aircraft. With a background in Civil Engineering and Aeronautics, complemented by an MBA and Harvard Law School courses, Cesar is a driving force in advancing the sustainability agenda and zero-emission products. 

Carlos
Simbaqueba

Wingo

Head – Flight Dispatch & Flight Operations Engineer

Ingeniero Aeronáutico, con más de 12 años de experiencia en operaciones de vuelo. A lo largo de su trayectoria, ha desempeñado roles estratégicos en aerolíneas colombianas, destacándose en la optimización de procesos operativos y la gestión de proyectos. 

Su experiencia incluye la creación de las Envolventes de Vuelo, implementación Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) y el cierre de las fases 3 y 4 del proceso de certificación como nueva empresa de Transporte Aéreo. Además, ha liderado la implementación de sistemas avanzados de planificación de vuelo y peso y balance, fortaleciendo la eficiencia y seguridad operativa. 

Como profesor universitario e instructor, comparte su conocimiento y experiencia con nuevas generaciones de profesionales, impulsando el desarrollo del talento en la aviación. 

Posee sólidas habilidades de liderazgo y gestión de equipos, con un enfoque en la excelencia operativa, la innovación y la seguridad aérea. Su compromiso con la mejora continua ha sido clave en la consolidación de una carrera marcada por la eficiencia y la optimización de procesos en la industria aeronáutica

Alexandra
Calvo

IATA

Manager Commercial Fuel

Alexandra is Commercial Fuel Manager at IATA, leading campaigns to advocate for efficiency and reliability in the supply chain for conventional and sustainable aviation fuel. Her role entails close coordination with member airlines and other stakeholders to achieve transparency and foster healthy competition in fuel supply across the Americas, and Middle East. With over a decade of experience in the aviation industry, Alexandra previously oversaw jet fuel financial operations for Copa Airlines and Aerorepública from 2016 to 2023. During this tenure, she negotiated fuel supply contracts for over 80 airports.

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